TWO projects in Annandale and Eskdale have received a share of £7 million awarded to community organisations in the region.
This week ScottishPower Renewables announced successful applicants to its community benefit fund, which shares money generated by its local onshore windfarms at Ewe Hill, Glen App, Harestanes, Kilgallioch and Wether Hill.
The Waterbeck Church Tower Preservation Project received £15,224 to go toward vital structural repairs of the village’s historic church tower.
Peter Hands from the project said: “Thanks to the support of ScottishPower Renewables, a lot of the work has now been carried out to this wonderful tower, with the floors replaced, spires repointed, permanent access provided and the bell frame repaired. It has been a great success and we look forward to completing the outstanding work in the next few weeks.”
Furthermore, £15,000 has been awarded to the Langholm-based Muckle Toon Media CIC to help the company shift their operations into a “digital-first world”.
Lindsay McQuade, CEO of ScottishPower Renewables, said: “Most of our windfarms are in predominately rural areas where these funds can make a real difference, supporting sustainable projects that help communities beyond the positive impact our developments have on the climate emergency – and that’s clear to see in these examples from Dumfries and Galloway.
“They perfectly showcase both our commitment to being a responsible windfarm developer and neighbour, and the pride we take in supporting the communities in the vicinity of our windfarms and building long and lasting relationships with them.
“There will be lots more of that to come as we work to give people the clean energy needed to meet the demands of the transition to an all-electric future and we will continue to lead the way and help build a sustainable future for the people and communities across Dumfries and Galloway.”
