Lothian Heat Community Interest Group received £45,000 towards its Warm Homes project; Sustaining Dunbar was awarded £41,000 towards its Summit2Sea project and a hedgerow restoration programme led by East Lothian Climate Action received £24,500.

The awards are delivered through the NnG Offshore Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund, which is a partnership between EDF power solutions UK and ESB. Throughout the wind farm’s construction and now operation, NnG has worked closely with residents of East Lammermuir, the local community council, and independent charity Foundation Scotland to create a community-led approach to shaping how the NnG Fund will administer funding and what it will support.

Lothian Heat CIC’s Warm Homes Projects aims to make homes in East Lammermuir more energy efficient through a community-led, area-based retrofit with the grant of £45,000 enabling this to be taken forward. The project takes a ‘whole house’ approach, looking at heating upgrades and more energy-efficient materials.

Sustaining Dunbar’s Summit2Sea project works with local landowners and the £41,000 it has been awarded will contribute to the installation of buffers next to watercourses to help protect water quality, reduce erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife. The project will also support native planting, creating new wetland areas and introducing livestock management measures.

Jenny Gries from Sustaining Dunbar said: “We are delighted to have been awarded funding through the NnG community benefit fund. It will have a significant impact on the work we are doing in East Lammermuir - collaborating with landowners to boost biodiversity, store more water in the catchment and build natural resilience into the landscape for sustainable futures.”

A further £24,500 was awarded to East Lothian Climate Action Network (ECLAN) for the East Lammermuir Hedgerow Restoration project. The grant will contribute to the cost of a dedicated Hedgerow Officer to restore hedgerows across the local area. Hedgerows provide food, shelter and wildlife corridors, and the project will enhance biodiversity, support community collaboration, develop local skills and strengthen the resilience of local ecosystems.

Decisions on awards are made by a Panel of local residents, and are based on community-led ambitions from the Local Place Plan. This latest round of funding focused on two of these ambitions -  improving household energy efficiency and improving the area’s biodiversity.

Chris Bruce, chair of East Lammermuir Community Council and a Panel member, said: “Our Local Place Plan was shaped by the people who live here, and it is really encouraging to see our local priorities being turned into projects on the ground. Warmer, more efficient homes will make a practical difference to households living closest to the construction works, while the hedgerow and Summit2Sea projects will help restore nature right across East Lammermuir.

“As a panel, we have been impressed by the quality of the applications and by the partnerships being built between local organisations, landowners and residents. These awards are a strong start, and we look forward to seeing further community-led projects come forward in future rounds.”

The impact of these NnG grants will extend well beyond the East Lammermuir Community Council boundaries, with healthier watercourses, habitats and landscapes benefiting the wider East Lothian and Berwickshire areas.

Piero Maggio, asset operations director for NnG, said: “Once again we are seeing the benefits that community funds can bring at a local level, tying in with Local Place Plans and priorities for the areas at a micro level. We are delighted to see the latest funding going towards three projects which will help to create warmer homes for people as well as improving and sustaining the natural environment in the communities in and around East Lammermuir with the benefits of the funds being seen and positively felt for years to come.”

Community groups and organisations with projects that support improving household energy efficiency, active travel, improving transport links or the area’s biodiversity are encouraged to get in touch with Foundation Scotland to learn more about the Fund and upcoming application opportunities.

Information and the online application forms are available on Foundation Scotland’s website.