Nine locally-led initiatives in East Sutherland have been awarded over £23,000 from the latest round of funding generated by SSE’s Gordonbush wind farm community investment fund. The successful applicants are based within the Rogart, Golspie, Brora and Helmsdale Community Council Areas.
The largest award was made to Golspie Sutherland Football Club with £5,000 going towards perimeter fencing for the football pitch. The smallest, £1,140, to Golspie Bowling Club towards the purchase of specialist blades for their green mower.
In addition to the above there were:
- Clyne Heritage Society - awarded £2,500 towards the cost of engaging professional museum designers;
- Attitude Cheerleading Squad - £1,500 for the purchase of portable safety mats;
- Helmsdale Heritage & Arts Society (Timespan) received £3,000 to appoint an archive development officer;
- Lairg Learning Centre was awarded £2,500 to undertake outreach training and offer subsidised courses in Rogart and Golspie;
- Feis Chataibh - £2,500 to organise their main summer festival, delivering tuition for their young peoples ceilidh group;
- Brora Harbour Users Association will gain a new trailer with a winch and power pack thanks to their £3,820 award;
- Brora Community Events Group were awarded £1,585 to fund the senior citizen summer outing.
Mary Nicol, a community fund panel member from Golspie, said:
“We are delighted to have funded a wide range of projects within the area of benefit. Most of the local clubs and organisations in our communities are run by volunteers and it is good to be able to support them through the fund to make a difference.”
Fiona Morrison, SSE’s Community Investment Advisor, said:
“What these bespoke local funding decisions by the Gordonbush local fund panel demonstrate is community empowerment in action. The panel’s small grants programme represents targeted funding for projects that can really thrive from this investment and make a positive difference to a rural Scottish community. SSE is also looking forward to a number of strategic applications being decided on in mid May, together with the launch of The Gordonbush Project – Apprenticeship Scheme”.
£202,000 is provided annually by the SSE Gordonbush fund, which has already awarded a total of £510,000 since construction of the wind farm began in 2011. The fund generates community investment based on generation capacity and during the project’s lifetime is expected to give back more than £4 million to the local area.
Deadline for the next round of Gordonbush applications is 31 July 2015. For more information please visit our Community Funds page.