Making an Impact SSE Community Investment Review 2015/16 Contents Foreword 1 Funder’s Report 2015/16 2 Community facilities 4 and services Sport and recreation 7 Culture, heritage 10 Skills and employment 13 and tourism Education and 16 Environment 19 Our funds in focus 22 youth development and conservation Our funds in focus Highlands and Islands Argyll and Bute Dumfries and Galloway Strathy North 23 Tangy 29 Clyde Dumfries and Galloway 33 Gordonbush 23 Artfield Fell 34 Ayrshire Achany 24 Balmurrie Fell 34 Hadyard Hill 29 Fairburn 25 Sustainable Development Fund Hunterston 30 Glendoe 25 – Dumfries and Galloway 34 Spurness 26 Scottish Borders North Lincolnshire Dunmaglass 26 Toddleburn 30 Keadby 35 Kingairloch 27 Clyde Borders 31 Sustainable Development Fund – North Lincolnshire 36 Langhope Rig 31 Perthshire Essex Griffin and Calliachar 27 South Lanarkshire Tilbury 36 Drumderg 28 Clyde South Lanarkshire 32 Content Section at start: Page Title at start: Foreword Foreword SSE is one of the largest energy While community funds from windfarms This year’s annual report outlines the companies in the UK with a are common place, at SSE we are unusual grants awarded by our 24 different substantial portfolio of renewable because we prefer to directly administer decision making panels. These panels these funds. We provide support and consist of volunteers and I’d like to say energy generation projects. This services to local decision making panels a very big thank you on behalf of SSE means we contribute large sums and we like to remain firmly connected for the care and diligence under which of money to local communities, to the communities in which our they make those decisions. particularly in the areas of our windfarms operate. Delivering the funds onshore wind farms. in-house enables us to foster and nurture Finally, we are always looking for that connection. feedback – on both the content of the We made a commitment in 2012 to report and the priorities for our funds – contribute £5,000 per megawatt of new SSE’s community investment funds have so any comments or queries you may wind farms to local communities for the been around since 2002, this is only our have will be welcomed. You can contact lifetime of the wind farm. In most cases third annual report. That in part reflects us by email [email protected]. this means local communities receive the scale of the funding we now provide funding for good causes, year in – year to communities (up from £292,180 in out, for up to 25 years. Our ambition 2007 to £3.1 million in 2015/16). It also is to make sure that every single penny reflects the increasing importance to our of that money is spent wisely; it makes stakeholders that the funds are clear, Rachel McEwen a difference and reflects the priorities transparent and impactful. Director of Sustainability of local people. We think the best way to achieve this is for the grant decisions to be made by local people. SSE Community Investment Review 2015/16 1 Content Section at start: Page Title at start: Funder’s Report 2015/16 Funder’s Report 2015/16 SSE’s Community Investment programme has continued to grow in 2015/16, with new funds serving new communities, an increased number of awards and an emerging focus on £3.1m innovation and renewal. invested in 2015/16 Over £3.1 million in funding was distributed Inverness, entering construction. The fund will increase the flexibility and impact during the year. This took place with will benefit the Strathnairn, Strathdearn of the fund as it enters its last decade. 328 awards, giving an average award and Stratherrick and Foyers communities value of just over £9,500. Fund leverage, and will be worth £14 million over its lifetime. Continuing this long-term view, the amount of match funding from other the community panel managing the sources enabled by our grants, rose to There have been interesting developments Griffin and Calliachar fund in Highland £2.78 for every £1 spent. Fund demand in the existing fund programme, too. The Perthshire, which benefits from over was also encouraging with an average community involved in the Gordonbush £440,000 in funding each year, has of 116% across the programme. fund in east Sutherland, now in its fifth year, decided to create an endowment fund. decided to focus on the future by creating a Starting with a one-off investment of The two regions with the largest award bespoke apprenticeship scheme, supported £250,000 and topped up by a percentage spend were Highland and South annually by the wind farm fund (page 15). of the annual payment each year, Lanarkshire, which benefitted from grants Running in parallel with traditionally the intention is to sustain the funding of £1 million and £850,000 respectively. grant-making, it is hoped that the scheme programme beyond the 25-years of Growing community facilities and services will attract funding from other sources, SSE’s support. The fund will be held by continued to be a focus for communities, increasing the impact of the initial funding. the leading charity Foundation Scotland, with panels awarding £1.3 million in funding and will accrue until such time as it is to projects such as a new community Taking stock needed by the community to sustain broadband service in the Borders (page 5). Other communities with ‘mature’ funds the grant-making programme. Improving sports and recreation facilities are also taking stock of their situation. was also a growing theme, receiving almost Earlier this year, we worked with the A fair wage for funded posts £700,000 in support. This included a South Ayrshire communities of Barr, Building on its credentials as £250,000 grant to Biggar Rugby club for Dailly and Pinwherry and Pinmore to a Living Wage employer, in the installation of new state-of-the-art review the effectiveness of the Hadyard December SSE became the pitches for community use (page 8). Hill community fund, active since 2002. first utility to become an They found that the limited company accredited Living Wage A significant new local fund was launched model was restrictive and unnecessarily Friendly Funder. This means in November, with the 99MW (Megawatt) bureaucratic, it will be replaced with a that any posts or jobs that receive funding Dunmaglass wind farm, 25km south of panel-based mechanism that they hope from the SSE community investment Our funding process 1. Planning 2. Liaison 3. Consultation At an early stage and separate to the Once a project receives planning We work with the local community planning process, we share our consent, we consult with local to either set up a decision-making panel community investment policy with stakeholders to agree the area of benefit or enter into agreement with a nominated the local wind farm liaison group. and fund delivery arrangements. community organisation, such as a development trust. 2 Content Section at start: Page Title at start: How we calculate a fund A 50MW onshore wind farm provides: £250,000 = £125,000 + £125,000 Total annual value – (50%) per year ring-fenced (50%) per year allocated £5,000 per megawatt of for local community fund to regional Sustainable installed capacity x 50 Development Fund programme are paid at least the Living Empowering communities – Enabling A new regional Sustainable Development Wage, currently £8.25 outside London. communities to become more resilient Fund for South Lanarkshire will come This news was welcomed by our and protect vulnerable residents. on-line in late 2016 and the second community panels and trusts who round of both the Highland and Dumfries understand and support the campaign Sustainable places – Stimulating and Galloway Sustainable Development to end low pay in the voluntary and meaningful regeneration to improve or Funds will be completed, granting over charity sector. enhance local infrastructure, landscape, £1.4 million in awards. SSE, through its biodiversity or heritage. 40% stake in Beatrice offshore wind farm A sustainable outlook in the Moray Firth, will also launch its first SSE’s regional fund programme, the In addition, the North Lincolnshire offshore wind farm community fund. Sustainable Development Fund, granted Sustainable Development Fund, which Worth £6 million over its lifetime, it will £150,000 of awards in Dumfries and operates under a similar independent benefit the coastal communities in both Galloway during 2015/16, supporting panel, granted £240,000 of awards in its Highland and Moray regions. environment, skills and local regeneration inaugural round, including a £100,000 initiatives, including the reconstruction grant to create a renewable heat solution Given this growing portfolio, SSE intends of an Iron Age roundhouse (page 11). for a community-owned swimming pool to create opportunities for communities It was the first time the fund has been in Epworth. to come together in workshops and released in that area. events to share knowledge and discuss Looking ahead learnings from their grant-making The independent panel, chaired by former The 2016/17 funding year looks like programmes. It is hoped this will support First Minister of Scotland Lord McConnell, it will be another period of growth. Two communities who may be managing also consulted on revised priority areas for new onshore wind farm funds will be funds for the first time, or existing panels the fund, which will apply for the 2016/17 launched, Bhlariaidh in the Great Glen who are looking for ways to increase the funding year. They are: and Clyde Extension wind farm in South impact of their fund. Lanarkshire (of which SSE holds a 50% Creating opportunities – Enhancing share). Between them, these wind farms opportunities for education are expected to provide over £33 million and employment.