Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has awarded over £23,000 to communities across Perth and Kinross, Dundee and Angus to support them in their ongoing response to the coronavirus crisis.
A total of 27 Tayside communities will benefit from £23,663 awarded to 24 projects through SSEN’s Resilient Communities Fund, which was repurposed in March and allocated in early May, to support local efforts in helping those most vulnerable during the pandemic, SSEN said.
Successful applicants from community councils and nominated organisations have been awarded up to £3,000 from the £150,000 available to provide food and materials to vulnerable community members, enable volunteers to support community coronavirus initiatives, provide PPE to vulnerable and frontline workers, run community befriending schemes and improve community communication.
Dundee City Centre and Harbour Community Council received £3,000 for the Dundee Thegither project, supplying food parcels, medicine and other supplies to those in need, providing vital information and the opportunity to talk to those in enforced isolation.
Sheena Wellington, Secretary of City Centre and Harbour Community Council, said:
“City Centre & Harbour Community Council is very pleased to be able to use this money to support the work of Dundee Thegither. The group is currently providing food and other necessities for 300- 350 people a week, delivering 10 – 12 prescriptions and providing a befriending service for a number of people finding isolation difficult.”
Ross Fenton, Head of SSEN’s South Caledonia region, added:
“Knowing that our communities are looking out for each other and working together to support those who need extra help is great to see, so I’m pleased our repurposed Resilient Communities Fund will play an important role in supporting their ongoing response.
“Our staff live and work in the communities we serve and take real pride in the part they play in keeping the power flowing. These past weeks and months have been a worrying time for us all, and our teams of key workers have been doing all they can to make sure that homes, businesses, care homes and hospitals across our region all have the power they need, when they need it.”
Since its launch in 2015, SSEN’s Resilient Communities Fund has now provided over £2.7 million to 538 local community projects to build resilience and protect those most vulnerable. The criteria for this year’s fund was changed following consultation with SSEN stakeholder groups, who strongly supported opening the fund early and targeting coronavirus response.
