Now in its seventh year of grantmaking, the Vattenfall Unlock our Future Fund has reached two significant milestones with over 100 awards made and over a million pounds in grants distributed.
The fund supports climate-smart community projects in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Over the last seven years 110 awards have been made totalling a huge £1,029,803. This year alone saw a record 24 projects awarded a total of £213,803 which is the biggest round of funding to date.
The celebration event, which took place at Aberdeen Science Centre, highlighted the range of groups and projects taking positive action in their communities, providing valuable local services and taking practical measures to reduce their carbon footprint.
The Vattenfall Unlock our Future Fund is provided by Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm and is administered by Foundation Scotland.
Kerry Birse Local Liaison Officer for Vattenfall said:
'In today’s financial climate the value of community benefit funds from onshore and offshore wind farms has never been clearer - or more needed. The Unlock Our Future Fund is a fantastic example of how these funds can be a force for good, helping local communities lead the way on making local projects sustainable and future proof.'
Many of the awards this year related to energy efficiency and included lighting, glazing and insulation improvements as well as the installation of a range of renewable technologies such as ground and air source heat pumps, solar panels and battery storage systems.
The fund will open again in 2026 and groups with project ideas are encouraged to contact Foundation Scotland who administer the fund for advice and support with their application.
This year's winners
Organisations including Woodrecyclability, Stuartfield Public Hall, Newtonhill Community Hall, Gordon Rural Action, Ferryhill Railway Heritage Trust, 1st Banchory Scouts, Aberdeen Hindu Temple Trust and Aberdour Parish Hall all received funding to improve the comfort of their community spaces while also reducing running costs and carbon emissions.
Groups including Aberdeen Arts Centre, Culter Theatre Club, Fraserburgh All Weather Sports Facility and Newmachar Scout and Guide Association also received grants for LED lighting upgrades which will save money, lower energy usage and also improve volunteer and user experiences.
There were several awards which will go to fund smart technology which will also improve the sustainability of various local groups. These innovative projects ranged from energy control systems for The Ice Rink Club (Curl Aberdeen) and Aberdeen Science Centre, to contributions to robotic mowers for two Peterhead groups – Peterhead Boys Club and Peterhead Area Community Trust, where volunteers maintain considerable areas of community greenspace and are upgrading from labour-intensive diesel mowers to a greener alternative.
Source: Vattenfall
