The Beatrice Partnership Fund which was set up to benefit groups and organisations on the east coast of Caithness and Sutherland and the coastal communities of Moray (including Buckie, Lennox, Keith and Strathisla), has opened for applications for the final time.
Established in 2017 by Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm co-owners SSE Renewables, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Red Rock Power Limited, the fund has been disbursed over a five-year period from 2017 to 2021.
With this round of funding worth £400k in the eligible Highland areas, and £200k in Moray, support is given to projects across the regions which:
create opportunities for skills and employment;
empower communities to be more resilient through long term social, environmental or economic improvements;
or encourage meaningful regeneration to improve local infrastructure, landscape or heritage.
The SSE Renewables’ Community Investment Team, who manage the fund, are now looking to award individual grants of between £10k and £50k to deserving causes.
Previous recipients
Volunteers from the Lossie 2-3 Group in Lossiemouth
In July 2020, the Lossie 2-3 Group in Lossiemouth received an award of £50k in July 2020 for the development of a wellbeing hub. The group received a further £15k in October 2020 for salary costs to support the COVID response in their community.
Louise McBride from the Lossie 2-3 Group said:
“The support funding our group received from the Beatrice Partnership Fund has been invaluable to our work in Lossiemouth.
“Our mission is to help those in need, especially while the hardships owing to the coronavirus pandemic are ongoing.
“We are delighted that the Beatrice partnership funding will go towards the build for our community health and wellbeing hub in Lossiemouth. This will allow us to have a permanent base where we can continue to support individuals and families within the Lossiemouth and surrounding coastal areas.”
Caithness Community Connections (CCC) also received support from the Beatrice Partnership Fund. They received £35k in July 2020 to contribute to the cost of developing a base in Lybster and the delivery of services for the local community.
Heather Urquhart, Project Co-ordinator for CCC, explained:
“The money we received has given us a huge boost in our ability to provide for both the children and adults in our community. It will allow us to transform our base into a warm and welcoming space.”
Head of Community Investment at SSE Renewables, Morven Smith said:
“As a responsible developer we have a duty to support the communities in which we operate. Our community investment has the vast benefit of connecting people. This has never been more important than during this past year, when restrictions had the unfortunate effect of making people feel more disconnected than ever.
“However, it is important to remember that funding alone is not what communities need to survive and thrive and like so many other things in life, it comes down to people. The dedication, care and commitment of the volunteers involved in the projects that we support should never be underestimated.”
“With that in mind, we look forward to hearing from community groups throughout the eligible areas and seeing the projects that come forward through the application process.”
Full details of how to submit an application can be found here.
Background
The total value of the Beatrice Partnership Fund is £3m, split between Highland (£2m) and Moray (£1m). It has been disbursed over a five-year period from 2017 to 2021. The Beatrice Partnership Fund is operated and administered by SSE Renewables' Community Investment Team on behalf of the joint venture partners.
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