Grant bids to hook-up to electricity network open; Scottish Hydro Electric Community Trust shares success stories
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COMMUNITY groups and individuals struggling to hook-up to the electricity network are being offered a potential funding lifeline.
The Scottish Hydro Electric Community Trust is an independent charitable trust set up in 1998 by Scottish Hydro Electric plc (now SSE plc).
The Trust considers applications for support with the cost of connecting to the electricity network for individual home owners and community groups in the Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) licence area in the north of Scotland.
The Trust is looking to support up to 75 pwer cent of the cost of connections for successful community projects and will also support up to 50 per cent of the cost for individuals looking for support to meet the costs of a new domestic connection.
The next round of applications closes on Friday, December 27, with future applications being considered by Trustees on a quarterly basis.
Ron Brown, Trust chairman, said: “We have been delighted to continue our support for individual home owners and community projects in the north of Scotland. The Trust was set up to help those facing challenges connecting to the electricity network, particularly in some of our most rural and island communities, so it’s great to see this support continue to benefit individual customers and wider communities over 20 years later.
“In the financial year to date, we’ve issued grants worth £63,668 to support individual home owners often facing high costs to connect to the network in SSEN’s distribution area in the north of Scotland. We also awarded grants totalling £30,085 to support connection costs of community projects and are encouraging further applications from groups looking to provide significant benefits to their local communities.”
Plastic@Bay CIC in Durness received a grant towards the connection of their new plastic recycling workshop, set up in Durness to tackle plastic pollution on local beaches.
Ms Joan D’Arcy, director, said: “Thanks to the Hydro Trust for the grant to connect our plastic recycling workshop, The Plastic Lab, in Durness. Most of the plastic we collect is fishing ropes and nets which are not recyclable by conventional means and end up in landfill. Our aim is to sell enough items made from recycled fishing nets to employ beach cleaners and become self-sufficient in order to continue our good work.”
Urras Dualchas Ratharsair – Raasay Heritage Trust received a grant to provide electricity so that work on their future Heritage Centre, previously a 1760 meal mill, can progress.
Ms Rebecca Mackay, secretary/treasurer, said: “As well as historically important paper material, we have audio collections and a large genealogical data base. The Trust has worked with local Primary Schools, consulted by the Association of Field Archaeologists and helped students in the Sabhal Mòr (Gaelic College in Skye), the School of Scottish Studies, part of Edinburgh University and the University of Highlands and Islands.”
The next round closes on Friday, December 27, with further applications welcome after this date as the Trust meets on a quarterly basis to regularly consider applications.
For more information on the Scottish Hydro Electric Community Trust, to apply online or download an application form, please visit www.shect.org.
