Community Fund - Isle of Skye Renewables Co-operative

As part of our guiding cooperative principles, Isle of Skye Renewables Co-operative board firmly believes that our success depends on a thriving local community and more widespread support for renewable energy.

Community Benefit Fund – 2024 Update

As a result of the large volume of high-quality applications we have received this year, we have now fully allocated our funds, with a total of more than £45,000 in community grant funding awarded in 2024.

The Community Benefit Fund is now closed for 2024. We will be reopening the fund in early summer of 2025.

If you have any projects or ideas you'd like to discuss with us in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We are happy to provide informal guidance and feedback over this period, in advance of the fund reopening. We look forward to hearing from you and continuing to support valuable community initiatives.

Thank you for your continued interest and participation.

Here are some examples of projects that have recently been funded:

Atholl House Hotel

In 2023 IoSRC gave Atholl House Hotel in Dunvegan, a grant of £7,290 to fund the installation of compost system.

The composter is turning the majority of their kitchen waste into something useful. The compost will be used on their new herb beds and also distributed to the local school and the Lets Make Dunvegan Beautiful campaign form early Spring 2024. They have already had 2 local school groups visit to learn a bit about composting and to "help" turn the compost!

ATLAS Arts

In 2023 IoSRC gave funding to ATLAS Arts to help them set up The School of Plural Futures program. A long-term, youth led, creative learning program exploring climate justice from a rural and island perspective. ATLAS arts will be working with young people living across Skye, Raasay and Lochalsh as part of the project.

Learn more about the project here.

Dunvegan Community Hall

Eunoia Studio

A grant of £1000 was awarded to go towards the cost of creating a sustainable living/work space that is open to the wider community. Eunoia Studio will be a place that creates art in a more sustainable way with a low carbon footprint using traditional techniques and methods and offering educational courses.

Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association

In 2023, IoSRC donated some funding to LSHA to support the creation of an ”energy strategy” for LSHA portfolio.

The grant covered part of the costs of a survey / strategy provided by a specialist consultant.

LSHA will be using this to prioritise investment in improving energy efficiency and reducing fuel poverty for tenants.

We also funded the installation of 24 energy efficient velux windows in 8 houses.

Schools Weather Station Project

We have funded the installation of automatic weather stations at schools across Skye. Despite some challenges with installation during the pandemic, there are now three weather stations now up and running in Portree, Edinbane and Sleat.

With these weather stations we aim to raise awareness of climate / climate change, as well as creating useful data and a resource for schools and community.

Uigshader Living Forest

Waternish Community Garden

In 2023 we granted £25,000 to support the creation of a community garden in Waternish.

The grant funding covered a range of the key items needed to establish the site (fencing, gates, site clearance, shed and a polytunnel).

The community garden is now up and running, providing a variety of opportunities for the community to grow together using the garden as the focal point.

Waternish Community Hall

In 2023 we granted Waternish Community Hall £25,000 to help fund the installation of solar panels. These panels will help reduce the energy costs of the hall.

The panels will be ground mounted and work has already started to prepare the site. The pictures below show their progress so far.