Community Energy Scotland has offered comprehensive support throughout our CNI Project journey. CES’s knowledge and previous experience in project development have assisted us in taking forward a range of initiatives that are benefiting the community of Barra & Vatersay. We are thankful for their assistance and recommend membership to other community groups!

Since taking up the role of Development Manager at the Kirkconnel Parish Heritage Society, I have found the N76 team, in particular Rosie, to be approachable and knowledgeable. The contacts I have made have helped the Society to further their commitment to affordable and accessible transport. With the help and advice of others within the N76, we are on our way to securing funding for a new minibus which will be more accessible for those with reduced mobility. This has only been possible with the support of the N76 group as I wasn’t sure how to secure the funding or indeed, just how important community transport is to rural areas.

In the early 2000’s the thought of a community group installing a large wind turbine seemed extremely ambitious. Eight years later, we had our first 900kW turbine generating clean green energy and providing us with an income. We only achieved it with the constant help and advice of Community Energy Scotland. Their staff understood renewable energy and also, importantly, understood communities. It was the best development support any community could get. Another two turbines followed in just over a year and ensured that our community owned estate had a core income for the years ahead. CES local staff were always at our side through the journey and always able to call on skilled colleagues for specialist knowledge. The team worked very well together. Without them we would not have overcome the many challenges. CES gave us the confidence and knowledge to continue and complete our turbine development – the income from renewable energy that followed, gave us the confidence and means to support our community, and they still are supporting us.

For NVLT the N76 partnership has been invaluable for our recent work on active travel. We have been able to benefit from the experience and knowledge of both neighbouring N76 partners and projects furthers afield to help us progress. The KPT Development Trust’s active travel path and e-bike hire scheme has been especially helpful. By networking with N76 partners at regular meetings and offline conversations, as well as support from the N76 development officer with funding applications, we’ve been able to purchase e-cargo bikes and e-bikes during year 2 and will set up a hire scheme this year. We have also been able to keep ahead of changes to active travel initiatives and have through discussions with Dumfries and Galloway Council and Swestrans progressed our proposed active travel path from Closeburn to Thornhill and start the development of a bike library and repair facility as part of encouraging more walking and cycling in Closeburn.

Having the support of Community Energy Scotland has has been a massive help in delivering projects here on Raasay as part of the CNI project. Particularly helpful has been having access to their knowledge base and project support.

Without CES support, our project would not have gone ahead. CES’ development officer role was vital in steering our ideas and driving them through to reality. His professional approach and knowledge was impressive, as was his wider appreciation of pressures on community groups and the pressures we were under at a very basic level of running a charitable organisation. I don’t think we would have managed without CES’ direct support.