Communities across the north of Scotland are benefiting from funding to help them become more resilient and prepare for winter storms.

The SSEN Resilient Communities Fund is awarding over £187,000 to 36 groups across its network area in the north of Scotland, with individual awards of up to £25,000 for projects to help protect the welfare of those most vulnerable, enhance community facilities or improve communication during an emergency weather event.

In this latest round, community groups and charities from Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Highlands and Islands, Tayside, Stirling, Orkney and the Western Isles have all received awards from the fund.

Three projects will benefit communities across the region in the north of Scotland:

  • Neighbourhood Watch Scotland has been awarded £12,000 to bring the benefits and values of the neighbourhood watch network to Scotland's more remote communities across the north of Scotland through Rural Watch Scotland
  • Scottish Flood Forum receives £10,500 to fund its Community Flood Alerting Engagement Project. This involves purchasing flood alerting systems, combined with Scottish Flood Forum on-site support to build resilience in three rural communities
  • Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance is receiving £8,746 to purchase new equipment for their rapid response service to help save lives of those suffering an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Lisa Doogan, Director of Customer Relationship Management for SSEN, said:

"At SSEN, we work all year round to ensure we're prepared for the high winds, snow, flooding and lightning that our weather can bring and one of our key aims is to help our customers and communities prepare for these possibilities and strengthen their own resilience too."

"It's great to see such a diverse list of groups benefiting from the fund this time round, from charities operating across the diverse landscape of our network area in the north of Scotland, to local community groups in our remote and rural islands where our funding will hopefully make a huge difference."

Brian Connel, Manager at Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, added:

"We greatly appreciate the funding provided by SSEN through their Resilient Communities Fund. Their £12,000 award will match fund the further expansion of our Neighbourhood and Rural Watch Networks. These networks provide a mechanism to establish a community led and collective approach to a wide range of issues and to assist us and other service providers to 'get the right information to the right people at the right time'".

"These two principles complement each other and allow communities to make shared and informed decisions about issues affecting them. Whilst receiving the funding required is great we also welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with SSEN."

Katie Wylie, Trusts and Legacies Officer at Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance, said:

"Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance is delighted to receive funding from SSEN to support the costs towards life-saving CPR equipment. This equipment will be used in our Rapid Response Vehicle which responds to time-critical emergencies in the rural communities around our base in Scone. The funding allowed us to purchase equipment which will make a real difference to patients suffering an out of hospital cardiac arrest."

Norman Kerr OBE, Director of the national fuel poverty charity Energy Action Scotland and chair of the SSEN Resilient Communities Fund, added:

"SSEN's Resilient Communities Fund is a huge support to creating resilient communities. This year's strong applications highlighted to the award panel the real desire by communities across the SSEN Distribution area to make their communities more and more resilient in a variety of ways. The breadth of applications ably demonstrates that each and every community is unique and that the Resilient Communities Fund is a superb way of working with local people on local initiatives. This gets right to the very heart of what the company does. SSEN once again leads the way in supporting communities in their drive to become more resilient in times of bad weather and weather driven challenges."

SSEN's Resilient Communities Fund will re-open for applications in 2019. To find out more about the fund, and for future announcements on the opening date of the next round, please visit the website https://www.ssen.co.uk/Resiliencefund/.

SSEN's 2018 Resilient Communities Fund recipients:

(To view the full list on a mobile device, please view in landscape mode)

Name

Purpose

Award

Argyll FM Ltd

To broadcast in south Kintyre and Southend.

£25,000

Neighbourhood Watch Scotland

To bring the benefits and values of the neighbourhood watch network to Scotland's more remote communities across the North of Scotland through Rural Watch Scotland.

£12,000

Royal Voluntary Service

To support older people in Moray who have become lonely or isolated in their own community to become more independent and resilient.

£11,506

Scottish Flood Forum

The SFF Community Flood Alerting Engagement Project involves purchasing flood alerting systems, combined with SFF on-site support to build resilience in three rural communities.

£10,500

Skye Mountain Rescue

To build and equip a storage facility in the north end of Skye so that in times of emergency they can reach casualties quicker.

£10,000

Assynt Mountain Rescue Organisation

Replacement of 4x4 ambulance based at Thurso.

£10,000

Fintry Community Council

To enable the community to action the Community Resilience Plan.

£10,000

Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland

To provide a PEER PLUS service in Tayside by building a volunteer base of People with Blood Borne Viruses (PLBBV) and empowering them to become Community Resilience Champions.

£10,000

Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance

To purchase new equipment for the air ambulance to help save lives of those suffering an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

£8,746

Hopeman Community Association (HCA)

To support flood equipment and a generator change over switch to help Hopeman become an effective and efficient community to protect the welfare of its people.

£8,195

Autism Initiatives

Helping people with an autism spectrum condition to build resilience and adapt to changes in their environment caused by adverse weather by facilitating drop in centres for practical advice and support in Skye, Caithness and Lochaber.

£7,655

Alzheimer Scotland Lewis and Harris

To provide a circle of support for people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

£6,750

Cuillin FM

To fund a generator as an emergency power source to keep the service running during power outages.

£6,329

The Crask Inn

To replace a generator.

£6,000

Isle of Bute Resilience Team

To provide equipment to implement a resilience plan, enhancing the team's capability.

£3,686

Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust

To provide a generator to ensure vital communication covering the Kyle of Sutherland stays online and working during power cuts.

£3,092

St Andrew's First Aid

To provide first aid equipment to enable the group to respond more effectively to emergency response situations and assist the community.

£3,027

Cairndow Community Council

To build a resilience plan and equipment.

£3,000

Kintail Mountain Rescue Team

Replacing three old satellite phones with newer, more intuitive, weather-resistant satellite phones and vehicle mounts.

£2,838

Highland Hospice

Install generator hook up point and identify the essential electrical sub boards to enable the continued safe operation of the In Patient Unit during a prolonged power outage.

£2,781

Nethy Bridge Community Council

To provide a generator change over switch, torches and blankets for an emergency evacuation centre.

£2,682

Dulnain Bridge Public Hall

To enable the hall to be an emergency centre, providing heating improvements and food and drink equipment.

£2,588

Crimond Area Tenants and Residents Association (CATRA)

To provide a defibrillator.

£2,500

Apex Church

Providing an evacuation plan and associated equipment for Wyndwell Residential Care Home.

£2,437

Graemsay, Hoy and Walls Community Council

To provide a resilient means of communication which can be deployed to a rest centre, or appropriate location during an emergency.

£2,060

Medical and Emergency Response Team (MERT)

To improve communication equipment to provide a safer, more effective and more resilient communications system.

£1,996

Kilmuir Community Council

To implement a community emergency plan by providing resilience equipment.

£1,894

Kames & District Recreation Club

To install an electrical connection to the Hall's supply for an emergency generator to partially heat and light the building in an emergency.

£1,890

Stratherrick and Foyers Community Council

Purchase and install 11 new grit salt bins at points across the Community Council area.

£1,650

Stonehaven Flood Action

To purchase flood resilience equipment and replace a CCTV camera system.

£1,500

Papa Westray Community Council

To provide a resilient means of communication which can be deployed to a rest centre, or appropriate location during an emergency.

£1,030

Sanday Community Association

To provide a resilient means of communication which can be deployed to a rest centre, or appropriate location during an emergency.

£1,030

Stronsay Community Council

To provide a resilient means of communication which can be deployed to a rest centre, or appropriate location during an emergency.

£1,030

Westray Community Council

To provide a resilient means of communication which can be deployed to a rest centre, or appropriate location during an emergency.

£1,030

Keith Community Radio

To provide improved IT equipment

£840

Banchory Community Council

To help create a community resilience plan, providing a lockable cabinet for equipment.

£250