Member News: Over £2 million to power community projects across the north of Scotland

March 4, 2026
Member News: Over £2 million to power community projects across the north of Scotland

Community organisations across the north of Scotland have received a funding boost of over £2 million, delivered through SSEN Transmission’s Regional Community Benefit Fund.

A share of £2.37 million has been awarded to 14 projects that will help aid skills development, support the culture of the region, or help alleviate fuel poverty.The awards include support for Aberdeen Cyrenians, which will receive £149,180 for its NorthBridge initiative providing people facing redundancy with support to develop skills, find jobs, and enhance wellbeing.

Welcoming the award, Aberdeen Cyrenians CEO Donna Hutchison said:

“We welcome this investment from SSEN Transmission. This funding will allow us to establish a dedicated hub for people facing redundancy and major life transitions, bringing clear routes into existing support together under one roof.

“Alongside employment and skills pathways, the hub will also connect people to help with wider challenges such as income, financial stability, and housing, without duplicating existing services. By developing the hub with its own identity, we aim to reduce the stigma that can come with asking for help and make it easier for people to walk through the door.

“At a time of significant economic change, ensuring support is easy to access and navigate is essential. SSEN Transmission’s investment strengthens our ability to coordinate partners effectively and ensure people can take confident, informed steps towards stability and sustainable opportunities.”

Over £100m expected for communities across the north of Scotland
The latest round of awards from the Regional Community Benefit Fund brings the total investment in local initiatives to over £4 million, building on the initial awards made last year.

These awards are among the first delivered as part of SSEN Transmission’s commitment to provide more than £100 million in community benefit across the north of Scotland, enabled by its investment in new electricity infrastructure that supports the country’s clean power and energy security ambitions.

Funding will continue to be distributed through a series of regional and local funds linked to existing and proposed projects, ensuring positive impacts and a lasting legacy for local communities.

Independent Chair of the Regional Community Benefit Fund, Peter Peacock, said:

“We’re proud to support these outstanding organisations as they deliver real, lasting benefits for communities across the north of Scotland. Each project reflects the hard work of those building strong, resilient places – whether through skills and employability, improving local facilities, or helping to tackle fuel poverty.

“We had a high level of interest in the second round of the fund, with a very strong standard of applications, and our thanks go to all who applied. We now look forward to seeing the positive impact of this funding across the region.”

Gary Hughes, Economic Development Manager at SSEN Transmission added:

“These awards show our commitment to ensuring that critical electricity infrastructure delivers real benefits for local communities.“Between our regional fund and the local funds we are creating, more than £100m will be made available for community benefit across the north of Scotland.“This is just one of the positive legacies our investment is delivering as we work to strengthen energy security and support the transition to clean power.”

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Aberdeen City and Shire is emerging as a key location for renewables by successfully transferring its world-class oil and gas expertise into the sector and AREG has done much to advance this through a broad range of initiatives. It has acted as a catalyst in driving further investment in the local economy by engaging with companies, Government, public bodies and existing projects and we have been pleased to support their efforts. Scottish Enterprise will continue to engage with AREG as we increase Scotland’s use of renewable energy.

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