Sam Barnes and Gordon Sutherland with SSEN van in the background

Volunteers from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution have pitched in to help brighten up a Moray community by hanging summer flower baskets in Elgin town centre.

Sam Barnes and Gordon Sutherland from SSEN’s Elgin depot donated their time as part of SSEN’s ‘Be the Difference’ programme, which encourages every SSEN employee to take a day away from their usual job and volunteer to help local charities and community projects of their choice.

The pair of volunteers used specialist lifting equipment to hang the baskets, which have been attached to lamp posts in the town centre, to support Elgin Business Improvement District (BID) and the Positive Action Group with their annual project.

Sam Barnes and Gordon Sutherland hanging the Elgin summer flowering baskets

Gemma Cruickshank, Elgin BID Manager, said:

“SSEN’s Be the Difference programme has been a great support to Elgin BID in helping improve the city centre of Elgin year on year. Our summer hanging baskets are extremely heavy and require skilled people to install them. Without Be the Difference we would not be able to have the hanging baskets due to access and safety. With SSEN employees doing this on our behalf, we’re ensured that the baskets are installed properly, with correct health and safety guidelines followed to not only ensure the safety of the employees, but also of the general public.

“Be the Difference has impacted the local community by bringing colour to the High Street that otherwise would not have happened, it is an invaluable programme to not for profit organisations in making change happen.”

Shona Horn, Customer Relationship Manager for SSEN Distribution’s North Caledonia region, added:

“Our Be the Difference programme provides us with a great opportunity to make a positive impact in the communities we serve while supporting the wider community effort. We’re delighted to help Elgin BID and the Positive Action Group again this year with their annual hanging basket project. Our employees thoroughly enjoy giving back to the local communities in which they live and work, through donating their time, expertise and specialist equipment to make a real difference.”

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Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks

We are the electricity Distribution Network Operator (DNO) responsible for delivering power to over 3.8 million homes and businesses across central southern England and the north of Scotland. We serve some of the most diverse and unique geographies across the UK, and keep customers and communities connected whilst developing the flexible electricity network vital to achieving net zero.