Vattenfall Celebrates 10 Years of Clashindarroch Wind Farm with “10 Years in 10 Stories” Community Campaign

Located in the heart of Aberdeenshire, the Clashindarroch Wind Farm has been quietly powering thousands of homes with renewable electricity while also delivering significant benefits to local communities through its community fund. Over the past ten years, the fund has supported a wide range of local initiatives – from youth development and mental health support to heritage projects and skills training – with over £2 million awarded to date.

To mark this milestone, the “10 Years in 10 Stories” campaign will spotlight some of the inspiring individuals and organisations that have brought positive change to their communities with the help of the fund. The campaign will run throughout 2025 and will be featured across digital platforms, local press, and community events.

Berry Jordan, Vattenfall’s Business and Community Investment Advisor - Development UK, says: 

“We’re proud that Clashindarroch has not only helped tackle climate change but has become a catalyst for meaningful, lasting community development. Through the 10 Years in 10 Stories campaign, we want to share these powerful stories and encourage others with ideas for projects in their community to come forward and apply for support.”

Since the fund’s launch in 2015, more than 180 individuals and groups have received grants to help community projects get off the ground, grow, and thrive. Over the past decade, funding has supported a diverse range of local initiatives, including Huntly Rugby Football Club, Gordon Woodworkers, Friends of Insch Hospital and Community, Huntly Cycling, Aurora Youth Choir, Networks of Wellbeing, and various local schools. Micro-grant schemes have also been made available to the communities of Cabrach, Strathbogie, Tap O’ Noth and Huntly, enabling grassroots projects to make a meaningful impact.

Some of the beneficiaries featured in the “10 Years in 10 Stories” campaign include:

• Glass Hall – the very first community-funded project, regenerated and sustainably developed
• No. 30 in Huntly – the redevelopment of Number 30 The Square, a derelict building in the centre of Huntly, transforming it into a modern multi-purpose community facility
• Local youth groups that have offered training, sports, and life skills to young people in rural areas
• Biodiversity and climate change groups. 

Carolyn Powell, joint general manager and town centre development manager of the Huntly Development Trust, says: 

“We were very fortunate to have received five-figure funding from the community fund towards the regeneration of Number 30 The Square, which recently re-opened to the public and to great acclaim. Our newly created 60-seat cinema/performance space means that people who have never been to, or never seen, a live performance will have the ability to see a screened live event, and that’s extraordinary. Being able to bring that to a community is a gift to us as much as it is to them.”

Carolyn continues, “We have also been able to create a co-working space, café, gallery and retail space with this support. Bringing this building back to life by providing a centre that will offer so much in a changed 21st Century, and which will be both community-owned and operated, will be a catalyst for further investment and confidence in Huntly in the future.”

The Vattenfall Clashindarroch Wind Farm Community Fund continues to welcome applications from projects that benefit the communities of Huntly, Strathbogie, Tap O’ Noth, and the area served by Cabrach Community Association. The fund is administered by Foundation Scotland. 

If you have a project that could make a difference in your community, find out how to apply for funding at https://www.vattenfall.co.uk/our-projects/clashindarroch/