Case Studies

SSE: Drumderg Wind Farm Fund

We are committed to listening to the views of local people, and working with them to support the very best projects in their area. Working with the Scottish Community Foundation helps us do exactly that.

The renewables industry in Scotland is growing rapidly, and each development usually has a benefit fund for the local area. However, as energy companies focus on developing power generation they value our professional input in establishing community benefit programmes.

We are working with Scottish and Southern Energy to deliver their community benefit fund for Alyth, Strathardle and Glenshee in eastern Perthshire. We established the 25-year programme on their behalf by researching local needs and working with the communities to agree priorities for funding. We also managed the creation of a local advisory panel in the community, a decision making body.

SSE makes an annual payment to the charitable fund, held by the Foundation for the community. The Foundation receives and assesses proposals to support a wide range of projects providing public benefit to people living in the area. We then provide recommendations to the advisory panel which confirms final decisions on grant awards.

The process enables local people to make local decisions without a legal or administrative burden, and SSE receive regular reports on the impact of their funding, gain corporation tax relief, are assured of a full audit trail and can be confident that their support is making a real difference.