Landmark community benefit fund awards over £250,000 to health and wellbeing projects

The Ochils Mountain Rescue Team, who have been awarded £5,000 for essential rescue equipment.

  • SSEN Transmission makes 63 awards of up to £5,000 through its East Coast 400kV Overhead Line Upgrade Local Fund 
     

  • Over £250,000 of community benefit funding awarded across Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire 

  • Awards a major step towards expected £100m in funding for north of Scotland communities

Community projects that support health and wellbeing have each received up to £5,000 through a landmark community benefit fund that represents a major step towards what is expected to be over £100m in funding for communities across the north of Scotland. 

A total of 63 projects across Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire have each received awards through SSEN Transmission’s East Coast 400kV Overhead Line Upgrade Local Fund.  With a total value of £252,000, it is the transmission network operator’s first local fund for communities near to new and upgraded infrastructure, with many more local funds expected to follow.

Among the successful recipients are:

  • Inverurie First Responders in Aberdeenshire has received £5,000 to purchase PPE and training equipment including a specialised CPR training dummy 
  • Perth and Kinross Society for the Blind (Vision PK) has received £3,871 for health and wellbeing workshops including drumming, and strength and balance sessions
  • In Clackmannanshire, Ochils Mountain Rescue Team has been awarded £5,000 for essential rescue equipment, ensuring it can continue to deliver life-saving services safely and effectively in challenging conditions
  • Angus Young Engineers has been awarded £3,930 towards a new electric kit car that budding engineers will build and race, picking up valuable skills

The East Coast 400kV Overhead Line Upgrade Local Fund covers projects based along the 170km route of the existing East Coast overhead line from Kintore in Aberdeenshire to north-east Clackmannanshire, which is being upgraded from 275kV to 400kV operation.

It is the first of four preliminary local funds* created by SSEN Transmission and is dedicated to projects that support health and wellbeing – identified as a key priority area following consultation with local communities.  

The UK government recently published new guidance for community benefit funding, which is expected to result in over £100m for communities in the north of Scotland.  It comes as part of SSEN Transmission’s £20bn investment in new high voltage onshore and offshore infrastructure supporting national energy security and clean energy ambitions, while creating huge economic opportunities in local communities. 

Sustainable Kirriemuir: (from left to right) Fiona Cameron, Communications and Engagement Officer; Rhiannon McIntyre, Manager; Christina Turtle, Active and Sustainable Travel Officer. They are pictured with an e-cargo bike, part of Sustainable Kirriemuir's fleet of e-bikes that are available to the community to borrow.Sustainable Kirriemuir: (from left to right) Fiona Cameron, Communications and Engagement Officer; Rhiannon McIntyre, Manager; Christina Turtle, Active and  Sustainable Travel Officer. They are pictured with an e-cargo bike, part of Sustainable Kirriemuir's fleet of e-bikes that are available to the community to borrow.

Christianna Logan, SSEN Transmission’s Director of Customers and Stakeholders, said:  “We are delighted to announce these awards from our East Coast Local Fund, the first local fund forming a key part of what we expect to be over £100m in community benefit funding for communities across the north of Scotland.

“Each of the successful applications are focused on improving health and wellbeing in local communities through initiatives that encourage activity and foster connection – whether through sport and exercise, the arts, or other activities that bring people together.

“Engagement with local communities has been central to our approach towards developing the fund, with health and wellbeing identified as a priority following consultation with communities along the 170km length route of our East Coast overhead line.

“There has been significant interest in the fund since its launch in November, and the standard of applications has been very high. We’d like to thank all those who applied, and our congratulations go to the projects that have been successful.

“We’re now looking forward to seeing the positive impact of this funding in local communities.”

To see reaction from award recipients, and for a full list of projects that have received funding through the East Coast 400kV Overhead Line Upgrade Local Fund, visit our website.

* In addition to the launch of the East Coast 400kV Overhead Line Upgrade Local Fund, SSEN Transmission will launch three other preliminary local funds this year, covering the following projects:

  • Eastern Green Link 2: The Eastern Green Link 2 project will connect Peterhead in Aberdeenshire and Drax in North Yorkshire via a 525kV, 2 GW high voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea transmission cable.  The Eastern Green Link 2 Peterhead Local Fund is due to launch on 15 April, and more details are available here.
  • Shetland HVDC Link: This 260km subsea link connects Shetland to the mainland just north of Wick, securing power in Shetland for future generations. More information on this fund will be available soon.
  • Inveraray - Crossaig 275kV Overhead Line: The upgraded line in Argyll and Bute replaces the original 1950s overhead line which had reached the end of its operational life. More information on this fund will be available soon.