One of the biggest social groups for the elderly in the Hebrides has given
its full backing to community wind farm charity Point and Sandwick Trust,
as the deadline approaches for voting in this year’s Scottish Charity Awards.
Point and Sandwick Trust, who run the wholly community-owned wind farm at
Beinn Ghrideag, near Stornoway, has been shortlisted in the Celebrating
Communities category in this year’s awards.
As a finalist, they are also up for the People’s Choice award – and all
those involved in Cairdean Og Allt nan Gall are urging people to vote
online for Point and Sandwick Trust, in recognition of all the work they do
to support good causes in the community, including the Cairdean’s own
activities which help ward off social isolation among the elderly.
In December, The Cairdean received £1,000 from Point and Sandwick Trust
towards their Christmas party. They received a further sum of £880 recently
which is going towards the costs of their summer holiday to the mainland
and the hire of the Ionad Stoodie hall in Point for their monthly
get-togethers.
Cairdean chair Duncan Don said that, as far as he was concerned, Point and
Sandwick Trust should “absolutely” win the People’s Choice award. “Our
Cairdean Og Group all think that they would be a worthy winner in this
category because not only have they donated a generous sum of money to our
Group but also to others in the community.”
Members of The Cairdean show their appreciation of the Point and Sandwick
Trust for the Isle of Lewis community-owned wind farm’s latest grant
He was referring to Point and Sandwick’s huge raft of grant aids and
sponsorships, from the annual £55,000 to Bethesda Care Home and Hospice and
other big donations to the likes of the Hebrides Alpha Project, which helps
people recover from drink and drug addictions, down to the myriad of small
donations such as £200 to the Point Brownies, which helps keep them afloat
too.
Point and Sandwick Trust pours all the profits – expected to be £900,000
this year – from its three turbines back into the community as it is 100
per cent community owned.
Due to its success, other community groups have been inspired to aim for
their own renewables projects, including the ‘gang of four’ crofting
townships currently involved in a ‘David v Goliath’ legal battle against
EDF Energy and their partners in Lewis Wind Power for the rights to develop
wind farms on the Stornoway common grazings.
The awards are run but the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and
the shortlist includes 40 individuals and organisations from across the
third sector.
To vote for Point and Sandwick Trust in the People’s Choice Award, go
online at www.scvo.org.uk/vote by Friday, May 18.
1 Comment
Edward Hall · May 21, 2018 at 11:17 am
this is an absolute farce, where do these people think the money comes from? Surcharges added on to poor people’s energy bills regardless of their ability to pay,Energy companies make millions, then a few crumbs are given back to poor people somewhere else and called “charity”? then someome “deserves an award”? Who’s in charge, Monty Python?