SSE’s Achany wind farm funding panel has unveiled its latest round of community awards – worth over £97,000 – dedicated to local initiatives in central Sutherland.
The latest round of grants extend across the three community council areas of Ardgay & District, Creich, and Lairg, covering capital purchases, building improvements and local job retention.
The Achany wind farm fund is expected to deliver £2.5million in total for the area over the lifetime of the project.
The largest of the awards, £55,208, was made to The Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust to enable the position of Development Manager to be sustained for the next two years. Recently the trust has attracted substantial funding to the area, for several large scale projects, including the purchase of the local post office.
Loch Shin Sailing Club was also successful in its application for £11,500 to purchase a safety RIB. This will be for use on the loch by current members and also help the club fulfil a requirement of their future plans to deliver sailing courses to both visitors and local youngsters in conjunction with the active schools co-ordinator.
Club spokesman Mike Newman said: “Loch Shin Sailing Club is both delighted and excited by the imminent arrival of a new safety boat thanks to the generous award from the Achany wind farm community fund.
“The boat will be invaluable in allowing faster response times on Little Loch Shin - where most of the teaching takes place - and opens up the possibility of safely sailing the vast and challenging waters of Big Loch Shin, where safety boats are required to cover large distances rapidly.”
SSE Community Investment Adviser Fiona Morrison said: “SSE is a responsible community member and a responsible developer of renewable energy, and nowhere is this more visible than in the distribution of our community funds.
“To see so many deserving local groups and initiatives benefit from the Achany community fund is really satisfying. It means a great deal for an area of central Sutherland like this which has quite a fragile rural economy.
“Since it is local people themselves who are members of the wind farm’s funding panel we know the allocation of grants could not be in better hands."
Other local projects to benefit included:
Rosehall Village Hall - £7,500
Lairg Gala - £17,000
Feis Chataibh - £5,000
Total - £97,158