Communities across the South are benefiting from over £250,000 in grant funding from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), helping them become more resilient in emergency situations and prepare for possible winter storms and flooding.
The SSEN Resilient Communities Fund is supporting 41 community groups across its network area in central southern England with awards of up to £20,000 for projects that will protect the welfare of those most vulnerable, enhance community facilities or improve communication during an emergency weather event.
On the Island, Gurnard Parish Council has been awarded £7,208 in the latest round of grants to provide emergency equipment and planning.
Initially a 2-year pilot, SSEN has pledged to extend the fund to 2023 using a proportion of the income it receives from the industry regulator Ofgem in relation to its stakeholder engagement performance. Based on 2015/16 figures, this would allow funding in the region of £2m to be distributed to community-led groups and charities in central southern England over the 6-year period.
The awards represent the specific needs of individual communities and will be used to purchase key resilience kit including defibrillators, flood equipment, generators, training, radio systems and fund repairs to buildings being used as community centres during emergencies.
In addition to the Resilient Communities Fund, SSEN has been working closely with local communities in the south east of England, helping them create resilience plans for emergencies, such as adverse weather and possible power disruption during winter storms.
Lisa Doogan, Director of Customer Relationship Management for SSEN said:
“SSEN works throughout the year to make sure it’s prepared for all that the British weather can bring – high winds, snow, lightning and flooding – and we want to help our customers and communities prepare too.
Article continues below this advertisement “This latest round of funding shows the diverse range of assistance needed to help boost the resilience of communities across central southern England; from generators and search and rescue vessels to the training required to work specialist life-saving equipment. The applications SSEN received showed the pride that local communities take in enabling and equipping themselves to deal with emergency situations.
“As the Resilient Communities Fund is directly linked to the performance award SSEN receives from the regulator, the more we engage with our stakeholders, the greater the financial support we can bring to the communities in which we also live and work. I’m delighted to confirm that this funding will now extend well into the next decade.”
Danni Crosland from National Energy Action is one of the members of the Resilient Communities Fund panel, who helps decide on the awards. She said:
“As a fuel poverty charity NEA is only too aware of the need to build capacity at local level to support vulnerable householders. I’m delighted to have been part of the judging panel and to help ensure that communities who need support become more resilient to the impact of severe weather.”
SSEN’s Resilient Communities Fund will re-open for applications later in 2017. To find out more about the fund, visit the website: ssen.co.uk/Resiliencefund/.
