Employees from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) have been giving communities in the north of Scotland a helping hand this festive season.
In Moray, Gordon Sutherland, Sam Barnes, Gordon Scott and Brian Cowie from SSEN's Elgin depot assisted Keith Community Council by volunteering to put up Keith's Christmas lights, helping light up the town this winter.
In Shetland, SSEN's teams stepped in over the course of a week to support Living Lerwick by volunteering to install nearly 1km of stainless steel wire the length of Commercial Street to enable the Christmas lights to be safely hung in the town.
In Spynie, near Elgin, project manager Brian Main postponed a planned power outage to ensure the annual village Christmas lunch could go ahead. Brian and Shona Horn attended the event to present a Christmas cake to the local community as they enjoyed an afternoon of festive celebrations.
As part of SSEN's 'Be the Difference' programme, SSEN employees are encouraged to take a day away from their usual job and volunteer to help local charities and community projects of their choice.
Shona Horn, Customer Relationship Manager for SSEN's North Caledonia region, said:
"We're always happy to lend a hand through our Be the Difference volunteering programme and this year we're delighted to help bring some festive cheer to our local cities, towns and villages. Our employees love having the opportunity to give back to the community, particularly using their expertise and any specialist equipment we can provide."
"These ongoing relationships prove how valuable regular engagement with local charities, community groups and community councils can be as we look to power our communities this winter and beyond."