Over £23,000 has been awarded to nine local initiatives in East Sutherland after a round of funding by Scottish and Southern Energy's (SSE) Gordonbush wind farm community investment fund.

The awards include:

• Golspie Sutherland Football Club: £5,000 given towards installing perimeter fencing for their football pitch.

• Golspie Bowling Club: £1,140 given towards the purchase of specialist blades for their green mower.

• Clyne Heritage Society: awarded £2,500 towards the cost of engaging professional museum designers.


• Attitude Cheerleading Squad: £1,500 for the purchase of portable safety mats.

• Helmsdale Heritage & Arts Society (Timespan): received £3,000 to appoint an archive development officer.

• Lairg Learning Centre: awarded £2,500 to undertake outreach training and offer subsidised courses in Rogart and Golspie.

• Feis Chataibh: £2,500 to organise their main summer festival, delivering tuition for their young peoples ceilidh group.

• Brora Harbour Users Association: awarded £3,820 towards the purchase of a new trailer with a winch and power pack.

• Brora Community Events Group: awarded £1,585 to fund the senior citizen summer outing.

£202,000 is provided annually by the SSE Gordonbush fund, which has so far awarded £510,000 since construction of the wind farm began in 2011.

(LM/CD)