Yarrows Heritage Trust among community groups to benefit from Scottish Hydro Electric Community Trust grid hook-ups as charity opens new round of applications
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A Caithness community group which benefited from support to connect to the electricity network said the funding helped create a new public space.
Yarrows Heritage Trust received a grant to provide electricity to its facility at Thrumster Station, near Wick.
The money came from the Scottish Hydro Electric Community Trust (SHECT) which is inviting applications for funding support to connect to the electricity network in the north.
SHECT is an independent charitable trust set up in 1998 by Scottish Hydro Electric plc (now SSE plc). It considers applications for support with the cost of connecting to the electricity network for individual homeowners, and also for community groups with charitable status, in the Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) licence area in the north of Scotland.
Yarrows Heritage Trust chairman Jay Wilson said: “The Yarrows Heritage Trust was established to study, preserve, and interpret to the public the heritage of the Thrumster community area near Wick.
“Thrumster Station was part of the Wick-Lybster Railway. Active between 1903-1944, this line represented the further extension of rail in Britain, 742 miles from London Euston to Lybster. When the line was closed, the station fell into disrepair – we bought it in 2005 and in 2011 we began restoration.
“After restoration, it was intended that the building would be used to display historic artefacts from the area and to serve a community meeting purpose, as well as being the only station on the historic line open to the public. Connection of power to the station represents the last step in restoring it to a usable public space that will benefit the charity and the wider community.”
SHECT is looking to support up to 75 per cent of the cost of connections for successful community projects, and up to 50 per cent of the cost for individuals looking for support to meet the costs of a new domestic connection. As a charity, it is required to means test applications for domestic connections.
The next round of applications closes on Tuesday, May 16 with future applications being considered by trustees on a quarterly basis.
David Telford, trust chairman, said: “In the last financial year, we’ve issued grants of almost £124,000 to support individual homeowners to help them connect to the network in SSEN’s distribution area in the north of Scotland, with almost £17,000 issued to support connection costs of community projects providing significant benefit to their local communities.
“The trust was initially set up to help those facing challenges connecting to the electricity network, particularly in some of our more rural mainland and island communities, so we’re delighted to continue providing this vital support to individuals and community groups over 20 years later.”
For more information on the Scottish Hydro Electric Community Trust, to apply online or download an application form, visit www.shect.org.
Further applications are welcome after the closing date of Tuesday, May 16 as the trust meets on a quarterly basis to regularly consider applications.
