Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is teaming up with Neighbourhood Watch Scotland to help keep communities safe.
The electricity network operator has formed a partnership with Perth & Kinross Community Watch, through the Neighbourhood Watch ALERT system, enabling its teams to send timely, local and relevant community alerts across the north of Scotland.
Last year, Neighbourhood Watch Scotland received £12,000 from SSEN's Resilient Communities Fund 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.
SSEN has now joined forces with the network, alongside Police Scotland and a number of partners, to deliver key safety information to individuals by text, phone and email in the lead up to storms, severe weather events and incidents with the potential to affect power supplies.
David Colthart, Head of Distribution Control (Scotland) at SSEN, said:
"This partnership enables us to reach more customers than ever before to help them prepare ahead of weather events or incidents that could impact the local electricity network supplying power to their communities."
"By utilising the already-established ALERT system, we can better inform our customers in the lead up to potential incidents by geotargeting messages directly to the communities expected to be impacted, empowering our customers to prepare for the possibility of disruption and be aware of the extra support we provide through our Priority Services Register."
Cllr Peter Barrett, Perth and Kinross Council's Convenor of Housing and Communities, added:
"I want to thank all of the partners involved in Community Watch. SSEN's ongoing commitment to working within our communities is highly valued. Community Watch helps prevent crimes through rapid sharing of information and advice. It has a real and positive impact which also helps link communities spread across a wide geographic area."
Brian Connel, Manager of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, said:
"There is no doubt that Neighbourhood ALERT is an effective, reliable, communication tool. Our approach to encouraging community engagement and resilience is probably more important and relevant now than ever. We continue to support the important work of Perth and Kinross Community Watch and are delighted at the generous and helpful funding received from SSEN to further support our work across our network in Scotland. We look forward to working with and welcome SSEN as a valued partner."
The Neighbourhood and Rural Watch Networks provide a mechanism to establish a community-led and collective approach to get the right information, to the right people, at the right time. For more information, or to sign up for alerts, visit https://www.neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk/sign-up-for-alerts/.