Thistle Wind Partners (TWP), a leading developer of fixed and floating offshore wind farms in Scotland, has launched this year’s fund to support locally led initiatives that promote rural regeneration and sustainability in areas nearby to its Bowdun Offshore Wind Farm project.
In 2024, TWP distributed over £14,500 to organisations such as the RNLI, Kincardine and Mearns Youth Club and the Stonehaven Town Partnership in the Aberdeenshire community.
Applications are now open to the communities in Kincardinshire and the Mearns to offer £250 - £500 to local organisations and groups working to strengthen communities, with priority given to applicants in Stonehaven and District, Gourdon, Benholm and Johnshaven and Arbuthnott community council areas.
Once operational, the Bowdun project will contribute to the Scottish and UK governments’ clean energy goals.
Steph McCann, Head of Fundraising at Aberdeen Science Centre, alongside Kirsty MacAulay, Stakeholder Engagement Manager at Thistle Wind Partners.
The 2025 fund builds on TWP’s ongoing commitment to engage with the local community. In 2024, the company reached approximately 5,700 individuals through its STEM outreach efforts, including sponsorship of the Aberdeen Science Centre’s ‘From Gust to Grid’ programme, and participation in science festivals, engineering events and school visits across Aberdeenshire.
Kirsty MacAulay, Stakeholder Engagement Manager at TWP said: “From inspiring the next generation of the energy workforce through STEM initiatives to helping regenerate coastal pathways, facilitating community events and sponsoring local sports teams and essential services like the RNLI, TWP is proud to give back to the communities closest to our project areas.
“Building on the £30,000 in funding donated to community projects across both the Ayre and Bowdun project regions in 2024, we’re excited to continue supporting local initiatives that reflect community needs and align with our vision for sustainable development and a clean energy future.”
Funding will also be available to local organisations and groups in Orkney and Caithness, where TWP’s Ayre offshore wind farm is located. Once operational, the offshore wind farm will be able to provide 1GW of renewable energy to the National Grid.
For more information, guidance and to make an application for a community donation from Thistle Wind Partners, please visit: https://thistlewindpartners.scot/donations/