The community team from Easdale Island has seen off almost 100 other applicants from across the UK to make it to the final shortlist in the Scottish Gas Green Streets programme. The 14 shortlisted projects will each receive a share of a £2 million funding pot.
The Easdale Island project involves the installation of a Wind Turbine beside the Community Hall and Folk Museum, and a Ground Source Heat Pump that will heat sea water to power several community buildings. There’s plenty of that resource to hand on Easdale and its one the community certainly make every available use of for sport, fun and revenue generation. Raft races of a highly imaginative variety and the legendary Easdale World Stone Skimming Championship come easily to mind.
All residents in the village will have access to energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy installations.
Chair of the Easdale Island Development Trust, Keren Cafferty, delighted with the success, says: ‘We think a combination of energy saving, community energy and Scottish Gas will make this project a blazing success’.
Easdale was up against five other projects in Scotland and pitched to the Scottish Gas Green Streets panel at the energy provider’s Training Academy in Hamilton. The panel was made up of experts from the Centre for Alternative Technology, Scottish Gas and the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
Projects were judged on:
- potential for energy efficiency savings across the entire community;
- local renewable power generation;
- ability to engage their entire community;
- ability to mobilise the support of other local residents.
Kevin Roxburgh, Director of Scottish Gas says: ‘Scottish Gas Green Streets was established to give people to opportunity to develop innovative projects that save energy, generate energy and actively engage the local community.
‘I was extremely impressed with the amount of hard work, effort and creativity from every project that made it through to Scottish regional final. It was really inspirational to see such a strong desire to make a difference to their local community. I look forward to working with like-minded communities going forward’.
Jim Mather, Argyll’s MSP – and, of course, Energy Minister – has been quick to congratulate the team, saying: ‘This is yet another great example of local people coming together in common cause, making things happen and triggering resource to aid their efforts.
‘It will do Easdale good and it can do many other parts of Argyll & Bute good by simply following the model of Easdale, Tarbert and other places, where Community Projects are being tackled and positive transformation being achieved’.
The Scottish Gas Green Streets programme was launched earlier this year when ambitious community energy projects across the UK were invited to apply for a share of a £2 million energy fund. Nearly 100 projects submitted detailed applications for funding.
Easdale Island is one of 14 projects from across the UK who will all receive a share of the £2 million funding pot. Their progress will be monitored by the Independent Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR).
There will also be a single overall winner – the project judged Britain’s greenest community after a year of operation stands to win a further £100,000 in funding from Scottish Gas. Easdale’s glory run may not be over yet.
Scottish Gas are to be congratulated on the excellent procedure of this project in encouraging good ideas brough to a deliverable proposal, given the chance to realise their potential and them addditionally rewarded for achievement on the ground – or in the air.
The photograph above shows the Easdale team being congratulated by Scottish Gas Director, Kevin Roxburgh (in the suit on the left of the front row). Is that booted and jacketed figure on the right Mike Mackenzie? The SNP’s candidate for the Argyll & Bute Westminster seat cannot be accused of not walking the walk.
