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!

As a charity, we were extremely grateful for the support, guidance and help given to us by Community Energy Scotland.

All of us at Clan Macquarrie Community Centre have cause to be very grateful to Community Energy Scotland – and to their local team in Stornoway in particular…thanks to their regular and excellent advice and guidance since 2009, we have managed to achieve a strong level of energy efficiency combined with annual income generation from renewables…CES guided us to the Climate Challenge Fund and helped us structure our successful application…We have no hesitation in recommending community organisations make contact with CES should they be considering an energy project.

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.

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.