Over £1.4 million distributed to 69 projects in Shetland
Eleanor Gear, Shetland Community Benefit Fund Manager and Lindsay Dougan, Senior Community Investment Manager at SSE, with Jade Wilson (centre) from Brae Rural Energy Hub which received a multi-year award to support the development of the energy hub.
Shetland Community Benefit Fund (SCBF) has announced 69 projects have benefited from over £1.4 million of funding during the first year of the Viking Community Fund.
The funding confirmation from SCBF has been made to make the first anniversary of the community fund, which launched on 1 September 2024.
The Viking Community Benefit Fund is the largest of its kind in the UK, supporting communities right across Shetland. It is expected to distribute around £72 million, with payments linked to inflation, based on an anticipated wind farm life of 25 years.
The fund offers reliable, risk-free support for community-led projects that might not otherwise get off the ground – helping create a lasting legacy for the islands.
The highest amount of funding distributed in the first year has been shared between projects supporting the strategic priorities identified during the Shetland-wide community consultation and resulting business plan for the fund.
Encouraging young people to remain in Shetland, or return to the islands, accounts for £222,891 in grants. Ten local businesses employing 11 young apprentices between them are sharing £135,000 from the Apprenticeship Support Fund for Small Businesses, while 67 under 25-year-olds shared £64,042 in bursaries and training grants during the 2024/25 academic year.
One young apprentice said:
“The SCBF bursary fund really helped me get started with my modern apprenticeship in carpentry and joinery. It enabled me to purchase some of the basic tools I need to learn and develop the skills required for my apprenticeship. I would highly recommend the bursary fund to any apprentices or students working/studying in Shetland”
Shetland Youth Voice secured £23,850 to deliver six Youth Voice summits which will support young people to explore key issues like mental health, transport, and fair work, and generate solutions based on lived experience.
Sonny Thomason, on behalf of Shetland Youth Voice said:
“We’re delighted to have received this grant from the Viking Community Fund. Their support means every Shetland Youth Voice summit will be fully resourced, giving young people the opportunity to come together, share their views, and help shape the future of Shetland. With this financial backing, it means those from each corner of the islands can represent their peers and help tackle the issues that matter most to young people”
To tackle the priority of reduced Cost of Living, the Fair Isle Electricity Company are set to undertake a critical technical upgrade to Fair Isle's microgrid. The project, which is estimated to cost just over £344,000, will be part funded by the Viking Community Fund with a grant of £86,487 and is due to begin very soon.
Jack Whitwell, Development Manager for the Fair Isle Development Company said:
“We are incredibly grateful to the Viking Community Fund for the award to further Fair Isle's energy resilience. This support has been vital in allowing us to leverage the final funding needed for our grid upgrade project. It will allow us to install new battery systems and intelligent grid controls, enabling us to maximise the power from our wind turbines and cut our reliance on expensive diesel generation. Ultimately, this means we can continue to provide clean, affordable, and reliable energy for the entire community."
Other grants include:
- £114,349 to the Brae Rural Energy Hub to support staffing costs across four years,
- £79,800 for an Environmental Impact Assessment to progress the marina project being led by the South Nesting Boating Club and
- £14,500 for 25 days of community led housing consultancy support available to local development companies exploring community led housing solutions.
The Community Grant Scheme which shares funding between Shetland’s 18 community councils and also has an annual centralised allocation for Shetland-wide organisations, has continued to support a variety of initiatives which sustain and develop Shetland’s local communities. In the past year it has distributed almost £330,000 between 54 projects.
Eleanor Gear, Shetland Community Benefit Fund (SCBF) Fund Manager said:
“It has been great to see such a diverse range of initiatives receiving support in Year 1 of the fund. We are already in discussions with several local groups and organisations who are developing projects which meet our strategic priorities for funding and would encourage any others to get in touch. We know that local organisations involved in the delivery of projects are best placed to plan, develop and deliver them”.
