Pictured: WASPS Creative Exchange in Perth (Credit: Fraser Band)
A fund totalling £600,000 to help the economic recovery of communities in Dumfries & Galloway, Perth & Kinross and the Scottish Borders following the Coronavirus pandemic has been opened for application.
The Sustainable Development Fund, which donates part of the profits from wind farms is open to non-profit making organisations, community groups and charities in each of the local authority areas.
£250,000 from the fund is available in Perth & Kinross and the Scottish Borders respectively, with the remainder of the money to be distributed in Dumfries and Galloway.
Successful projects will have the potential to deliver transformational social, economic and environmental changes in the local area and to support long-term community development.
Lord Jack McConnell, Chair of the Sustainable Development Fund, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on local communities and job prospects.
“We want to utilise this fund to help boost the local economy, create meaningful employment and enable communities to make best use of local assets.”
The fund’s panel awarded £104k to the WASPS Creative Exchange project in Perth in the last round of funding.
Audrey Carlin, CEO of WASPS, said: “The generous funding from SSE Renewables has enabled Wasps to develop Perth Creative Exchange. It is a home for artists, makers, creative industry professionals and member of the public to develop and engage with art.”
“We look forward to helping Perth’s creative community to flourish with the help of this space.”
Morven Smith, Head of Community Investment at SSE Renewables said: “The Sustainable Development Fund’s panel recognises that the current pandemic has put unforeseen pressure on local communities and want to support local initiatives which will help the local economy recover.
“The panel is now looking for applications from projects which would boost local employment, help communities take ownership of local assets and help local people adjust to new ways of working following the pandemic, which might include the creation of local business hubs.”
The deadline for applications to the Sustainable Development Fund is Noon on 23 June 2021.
The application form and further information can be found at sserenewables.com/sustainabledevelopmentfund