COMMUNITY organisations across the north of Scotland have received a funding boost of over £2 million through SSEN Transmission’s regional community benefit fund.
A share of £2.37 million has been awarded to 14 projects that will help aid skills development, support the culture of the region, or help alleviate fuel poverty.
The recipients include:
Tighean Innse Gall – £393,883.35
Reducing fuel poverty in the Western Isles by researching local housing types and designing practical, tailored energy efficiency solutions for island homes.
Changeworks – £169,666
Delivering targeted support to park home residents experiencing fuel poverty across the north of Scotland through the Warmer, Greener Park Home Communities initiative.
Aberdeen Cyrenians – £149,362
Supporting NorthBridge, a new hub providing people facing redundancy with support to develop skills, find jobs, and enhance wellbeing.
For You Training (Farmer Jones Academy) – £149,180
Developing a community innovation campus in Tain, bringing new opportunities in education, tourism and sustainability to the Highlands.
Growing2gether – £199,379
Expanding a programme that strengthens the mental health, life skills and qualifications of disadvantaged young people in Moray and the Highlands.
Fisheries Management Scotland – £149,949.44
Through the Working with Rivers project, enabling seven rivers and fisheries trusts across the north of Scotland to run paid nature-based training placements that build skills while restoring local river environments.
Rock Trust – £201,217
Supporting a new youth housing hub in Perth delivering specialist employability, wellbeing and housing support for young people facing homelessness.
Helm Training – £49,934
Funding Anchors Up, a programme guiding disadvantaged youth in Dundee through personal development, group learning and routes into training or employment.
Enable Scotland – £226,993
Expanding One Digital, offering accessible, accredited digital skills training to disabled people across the north of Scotland, tackling digital exclusion and building confidence and employability.
New Start Highland – £95,327
Establishing the Highland Hospitality and Cookery School, providing skills, training and qualifications for people facing barriers to work in the hospitality sector.
Eden Court Highlands – £65,742
Delivering Film Futures, a creative programme helping young refugees and asylum seekers in the Highlands build confidence, employability and community connections.
Dundee Industrial Heritage SCIO – £40,000
Supporting the transformation of Discovery Point – home of the Royal Research Ship Discovery – into a modern learning and visitor hub for future generations.
The Islands Book Trust – £141,000
Creating a shared digital hub to expand skills, preserve island heritage and support volunteer-led heritage organisations across Scotland’s islands communities, from its base in Lewis.
Comann Eachdraidh Eirisgeidh – £340,895
Redeveloping the historic former Eriskay school into a sustainable heritage centre and community hub – offering training and wellbeing programmes for communities across Uist, Barra and the wider Outer Hebrides.
The latest round of awards from SSEN Transmission’s regional community benefit fund brings the total investment in local initiatives to over £4 million, building on the initial awards made last year.
Funding will continue to be distributed through a series of regional and local funds linked to existing and proposed projects, ensuring positive impacts and a lasting legacy for local communities.
Independent chair of the regional community benefit fund, Peter Peacock, said, “We’re proud to support these outstanding organisations as they deliver real, lasting benefits for communities across the north of Scotland. Each project reflects the hard work of those building strong, resilient places – whether through skills and employability, improving local facilities, or helping to tackle fuel poverty.
“We had a high level of interest in the second round of the fund, with a very strong standard of applications, and our thanks go to all who applied. We now look forward to seeing the positive impact of this funding across the region.”
Gary Hughes, economic development manager at SSEN Transmission, added, “These awards show our commitment to ensuring that critical electricity infrastructure delivers real benefits for local communities, especially in remote and island areas. Between our regional fund and the local funds we are creating, more than £100m will be made available for community benefit across the north of Scotland. This is just one of the positive legacies our investment is delivering as we work to strengthen energy security and support the transition to clean power.”
