Celebrating the impact of climate-smart funding in the North east

Vattenfall’s Unlock Our Future fund has awarded nearly half a million pounds to over 50 climate-smart projects over the past four years in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Dr Susan Osbeck, Vattenfall Unlock our Future Chair, Mimi Mwasame, Stakeholder and Community Engagement Manager, Offshore Wind, Vattenfall with with Yvonne Buckingham and Carol Sinclair, Alford Valley Community Railway (Picture by Michal Wachucik/Abermedia)

In September an event was held to celebrate the achievements of the Vattenfall Unlock our Future Fund, which supports projects in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire contributing towards a climate-smart future. The event was attended by dozens of community groups and charities who have received awards since 2019, along with members of the local panel who made decisions on awards and representatives from Vattenfall.

In 2022, 12 awards were made totalling £140,375. This means in the first four years of the fund a total of 52 awards have been made with £482,972 in funding allocated to projects which are investing in community facilities which are fit for the future.

Opening the event, Mimi Mwasame, Stakeholder and Community Engagement Manager at Vattenfall said: “It is an honour for me to stand here on behalf of Vattenfall and meet such great minded, enthusiastic and climate-smart and environmentally driven community champions. Your projects support Vattenfall’s business strategy of becoming Fossil Free within one generation in various ways including contributing to a climate--smarter world with sustainability at its core, ensuring a legacy and lasting impact which brings benefit to the local community.”

Dr Susan Osbeck, Vattenfall Unlock our Future Chair, Mimi Mwasame, Stakeholder and Community Engagement Manager, Offshore Wind, Vattenfall with Jim Porter, Graeme Hay and Michael Macaulay, Inverurie Loco Works Football Club (Picture by Michal Wachucik/Abermedia)

Among the community groups receiving awards who shared their plans with the group were:

- Inverurie Loco Works Football Club who received £15,000 to upgrade the floodlights to LED floodlights creating substantial energy savings and ensuring that the facility can effectively run and remain a vital part of the community.

- Charlie House who are creating a purpose-built, specialist care centre in Grampian to support children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, and their families, through their palliative and end of life care needs. The £30,000 awarded by the Unlock Our Future fund will go towards the cost of including sustainable elements in the build to lower the carbon footprint of the project including effective insulation, double glazing, and photovoltaic panels.

- Alford Valley Community Railway is a Community Benefit Society who are committed to re-instating the Alford Valley narrow gauge railway that fell in a state of disrepair in 2017. When the railway is back up and running it will be a thriving and popular visitor attraction for Alford. They were awarded £15,000 towards the cost of ensuring the project is a low carbon and low energy efficient community venue.

Dr Susan Osbeck, Vattenfall Unlock our Future Chair, Mimi Mwasame, Stakeholder and Community Engagement Manager, Offshore Wind, Vattenfall with Leanne McIntosh, Charlie House (Picture by Michal Wachucik/Abermedia)

Dr Susan Osbeck, the Chair of the decision-making panel for the fund, reflected on the achievements of funded projects so far: “Since the Unlock our Future Fund began, the panel have seen an amazing selection of inspiring projects, that are helping to improve our environment and communities. This year has been no exception, with many great applications being received. It was wonderful to be able to celebrate the success of our awardees in person this time, and to hear how successful the projects of past awardees have been. The panel and I wish this year's awardees similar success.”

The fund will be reopening for applications in the spring of 2023.