AN Inverness social enterprise has secured a major contract to deliver beds for workers’ accommodation on SSEN Transmission‘s Skye Reinforcement Project.
Highland Blindcraft will provide 85 high-quality, handcrafted mattresses for Balfour Beatty’s Glen Mor workers’ village near Fort Augustus, which will temporarily house workers supporting the delivery of the replacement overhead electricity transmission line between Fort Augustus and Skye.
The initial order is set for delivery this month with the potential for further orders for the 140-year-old business, that provides supported employment and skills training for individuals with disabilities and visual impairments.
Sustainability is a key aspect of the partnership, with Highland Blindcraft planning to replace mattress covers when an employee leaves. At the end of the project, the mattresses can be fully refurbished and donated to local charities, extending their life and reducing waste.
As a result of the order, the company has already created a new manufacturing role, part-funded by the Highland Council through the Highland Employment Recruitment Offer (HERO) scheme.
The news comes as SSEN Transmission prepares to participate in an event run by Highland Third Sector Interface on Thursday, 7 August at UHI in Inverness. The event will focus on how the private sector and third sector can work together across the Highland region, and will include inputs from SSEN Transmission on cross-sector opportunities as well as community benefit funding available through its projects.
Simon Robertson, SSEN Transmission’s lead project manager for the Skye Reinforcement Project, said, “Supporting local businesses and delivering social value is a key aim of this project, which is critical in maintaining energy security for homes and businesses in Skye and along the line’s route, as well as in the Western Isles.
“We’re delighted with the approach that our principal contractor Balfour Beatty has taken to engage with Highland Blindcraft – it provides a great example of what can be achieved when organisations work in partnership to deliver real impact that supports livelihoods and benefits local communities.”
Sam Crowe, social impact manager at Balfour Beatty, added, “We’re proud to be working with Highland Blindcraft as part of our commitment to deliver lasting social value through the Skye Reinforcement Project.
“This partnership not only supports a respected local social enterprise, but also creates meaningful employment opportunities and promotes sustainability in a practical and tangible way. Collaborations like this demonstrate how major infrastructure projects can have a positive and lasting impact on the communities which we serve”.
Highland Blindcraft CEO Deirdre Aitken said,”Our supported employees are being kept busy making the mattresses, and it’s fantastic to have backing from a company that values local businesses and inclusive employment.
“We hope their staff enjoy a good night’s sleep — and that this partnership continues to support our sustainability and impact.”
In June the Scottish Government approved SSEN Transmission’s Section 37 consent application for the replacement of the existing overhead line between Fort Augustus and Skye, the ‘Skye Reinforcement’, which will boost energy security and enable more renewables to connect to the grid.
The existing, single circuit overhead line is fast reaching the end of its operational life, with its replacement critical to maintaining network reliability and security of supply for homes and businesses in Skye and along the line’s route, and in the Western Isles, which is currently supplied by two subsea electricity distribution cables from north Skye.
The existing overhead line is operating at its capacity limit, preventing the connection of new renewable electricity in the area. Its replacement will have a greater capacity – enabling the connection of new renewable electricity generation – and will also further strengthen network reliability and security of supply.
The Skye Reinforcement Project is part of SSEN Transmission’s £20 billion ‘Pathway to 2030’ investment programme to upgrade the electricity transmission network across the north of Scotland.
