A new independent study published this week has revealed the major impact of two wind farm funds on local communities in central Sutherland.
The study was carried out by Biggar Economics, independent consultants with expertise in evaluating economic and social value, into the combined impacts that separate Community Benefit Funds for SSE Renewables’ Achany Wind Farm and RWE’s Rosehall Wind Farm have had in the region.
The Impact Assessment’s findings show that the community benefit funds linked to the Achany and Rosehall wind farms have delivered significant value across the three rural community council areas they serve: Ardgay and District, Creich, and Lairg.
Both funds aim to support a broad range of community activities that help build vibrant local economies, support and encourage thriving communities, and make the areas an attractive place to live, work, and visit, for people of all ages.
"Kyle of Sutherland Hub received funding and provided fun and fitness for all the family"
Believed to be unique in Scotland, the Achany and Rosehall community benefit funds are administered using a multi-community and multi-developer collaborative model. Applications for both funds are assessed by a single award-making panel, with representatives from each of the three community council areas. This model has played a vital role in fostering a strong civic ecosystem, building meaningful social relationships, encouraging collective action, and promoting the involvement of local residents.
Since the launch of the funds in 2010, a total of £2.8 million has been awarded in grants, contributing to an estimated total of between £10 and £14.5 million in wellbeing benefits and generating around £11.8 million in local economic value, including the creation of 18 long-term jobs.
The study also marks the first time that the impact of community benefit funds has been assessed using Wellbeing Adjusted Life Years (WELLBYs), a system used to measure improvements in life satisfaction. The WELLBY analysis highlights the significant social value delivered by the funds, particularly in reducing loneliness and isolation, improving social cohesion, and enhancing overall life satisfaction.
"The Bradbury Centre recevied funding and enables elderly people to stay in the community for longer"
The study illustrates how, when administered effectively, with the active participation and support of local people, community benefit funding has the potential to generate substantial benefits and legacies for host communities. It also shows the critical success factors that have enabled these benefits, which include:
- Locally-led delivery by individuals with direct lived experience of community challenges and a deep understanding of local aspirations.
- Long-term support for local delivery organisations, which transform community ideas and aspirations into tangible benefits.
- Encouragement of strategic collaboration, enabling large-scale, aspirational projects through the collective administration of funds.
Despite ongoing cost-of-living challenges, this study demonstrates that communities have become more resilient and empowered, and recognises that the benefits of the funds have laid a strong foundation for future development. The local communities are now well-positioned to build upon their successes and seek further opportunities, ensuring a lasting legacy of economic, social, and environmental benefits.
This study also provides valuable insight into how such benefits could be maximised elsewhere, illustrating how, when administered effectively with active community engagement, wind farm community benefit funding can drive real value for host communities and support a just transition to net-zero.
Tom Black, Senior Community Investment Manager at SSE, said:
This independent study is – as far as we know – the first of its kind in identifying the value that long-term community benefit funding can provide by supporting well-being in communities. The success of the two funds is not only down to the willingness of developers and fund administrators to collaborate but, most importantly, the passion of local people keen to get involved and make the funds work in an efficient and effective way. As a company deeply rooted in the communities we serve, we are proud to continue our tradition of empowering local groups through the SSE Renewables community funding.”
Katy Woodington, RWE’s Community Investment Lead, said:
“The flexibility of community funding coupled with an openness from developers, fund administrators and community representative to collaborate has been stitched into the fabric of these funds right from the start. It has allowed the local decision-making panel to focus their energy on supporting creative, strategic approaches to addressing local challenges and the results of this study in terms of well-being and local economic impact speak for themselves. RWE community funds are all about empowering local people and helping them to thrive, we look forward to seeing how these funds continue to flourish in the future and build the long-term legacy from both wind farms.”
Administrative and grant making support for the RWE Rosehall fund is provided by independent charity Foundation Scotland, who have witnessed first-hand the impact of this collaborative approach.
Rachel Searle, Head of Communities and Impact at Foundation Scotland, said:
“We’re excited to be sharing this study at a time when interest in community benefit is growing at pace. Foundation Scotland helps ensure optimum arrangements are put in place that work for communities and developers and are likely to achieve maximum impact. Our separate but connected involvement with both funds at the outset helped the collaboration become embedded and enabled a more strategic funding approach. This report now provides the evidence of measurable and meaningful impact, inspiring us all to ensure that the funding from both RWE and SSE continues to make a lasting difference to the Kyle of Sutherland.”
ENDS