Community / Funding boost worth £400,000 for local projects with net zero theme
A project to process fleece into yarn in Foula has received funding
NEARLY £400,000 is coming Shetland’s way for projects with a green theme thanks to a fund designed to support community resilience.
Foula Wool has secured just over £98,000 from the Scottish Government’s Island Communities Fund for its wool spinning mill project.
This will involve the installation of a range of spinning mills to allow full processing of fleece into yarn in Foula, which will use electricity from the island’s off grid renewable network.
Ocean Kinetics is to receive around £91,000 for a vessel energy storage solution.
Meanwhile Shetland Seafood Auctions will put £75,328 towards electric transport.
Scalloway Meat Company has been awarded around £74,000 for a ‘first steps to net zero’ project.
Funding worth around £39,000 will also be going to the Kergord Hatchery Bookshop to help it go net zero.
Lerwick Boating Club has been awarded around £21,000 for a renewable energy project.
The Islands Communities Fund is worth £2 million in total – with 29 community groups and businesses across 23 Scottish islands bagging funding.
Projects focus on developing sustainable economic activities on islands with the majority of projects having a net zero theme.
Islands secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “With just a few weeks until the eyes of the world are on Scotland for COP26, it’s great to see more projects designed to address the growing climate crisis.
“There is so much potential across our islands and we received many innovative and creative applications. It’s clear to me that our island communities are going to play an important role in helping us meet our ambitious climate change targets and I am excited about that.
“The projects that have been awarded funding will contribute to our ambition to make Scotland greener and fairer. They will help us achieve a just transition to net zero and climate resilient living on our islands.
“I’m looking forward to seeing work get underway to help people, businesses and communities on our islands thrive.”
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