The company which operates the Aberdeen Bay wind farm is to run a community benefit fund which is open to community groups across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Vattenfall have committed to annually investing £150,000 to a community benefit scheme for the 20 year lifetime of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre in Aberdeen Bay.

Applications for the Unlock our Future Fund will open on 14 January and close on 15 April 2019. Application forms will be available from 14 January at the fund’s webpage which will go live on that date. It is expected that funding awards will be made in early summer.

Any constituted organisation or community group in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire is eligible to apply.

There are four key priorities of the scheme and each application must demonstrate how it will meet all four. Each application must:

• Contribute to a climate smarter world with sustainability at its core
• Invest in community facilities and/or activities that are fit for the future
• Be innovative
• Ensure a legacy and lasting impact which clearly brings benefit to the local community

An independent community champions panel will select the successful applications. Foundation Scotland will administer the fund.

There will be a series of drop-in sessions, open to all, for application support:

• 14 January from 3pm-7pm: Balmedie Leisure Centre
• 15 January from 3pm-7pm: Inverurie Town Hall
• 17 January from 4pm-8pm: Stonehaven Town Hall
• 21 January from 3pm-7pm: Aberdeen Science Centre
• 22 January from 3pm-7pm: Fraserburgh Community and Sports Centre

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