Seamab, the Kinross-shire charity which cares for and educates vulnerable children between the ages of five and thirteen, has had a more secure winter thanks to a generous grant from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN).
Through the network operator's Resilient Communities Fund, Seamab received £4,607 to purchase resilience equipment for use in the event of extreme weather or significant power cut. The funding was used to buy emergency food rations, sleeping bags and pillows, satellite telephones, torches, first aid kits and books for the children about coping in the dark and managing emergencies.
Seamab cares for and educates 15 children who have had experiences of trauma, loss, abuse or neglect. Both the charity's school and care complex are in rural, isolated areas. They have previously experienced short power outages and occasions when extreme weather has meant children and staff can't leave the buildings they are in without risking their safety.
During these times, only one landline phone remains available at the school, and mobile reception is unpredictable. In the event of an extended power outage, there is risk to the food stored for the children's meals in the freezers and fridges.
Joanna McCreadie, Chief Executive of Seamab, said that the charity was delighted to hear it had been successful in their application to the Fund in November 2016.
Joanna explained: "Our children can find it hard to cope when presented with sudden change or an emergency, it is always better for us to be able to keep the children in a familiar place that feels safe with adults they know and trust."
"The resilience equipment purchased means staff and children at Seamab can remain in a safe place as a first line of defence in the event of a long power cut or bad weather. The satellite phones mean we can maintain contact with the organisation's management and the social workers responsible for the children's care, the emergency services and others within the local community. We're very grateful for the Fund's support in keeping our children and staff safe."
Graeme Stewart, Head of Region at SSEN added: "As an organisation, SSEN works all year round to prepare the network for winter and we are committed to helping our communities prepare too. By supporting a charity like Seamab through the SSEN Resilient Communities Fund, we are able to help some of the most vulnerable children in our local area by providing resilience equipment and allowing them to feel safe in a familiar place."
"We are delighted the Kinross-shire charity has been able to put the funding to good use and encourage similar community groups to consider applying when it re-opens later this year."
After a successful two year pilot SSEN has confirmed it will continue support for the fund until at least 2023 using a proportion of the income it receives from the industry regulator Ofgem in relation to its stakeholder engagement performance.
SSEN's Resilient Communities Fund will re-open for applications later in 2017. To find out more about the fund, please visit the website: ssen.co.uk/Resiliencefund/.