Thirty-four communities across central southern England have been awarded grants from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution’s Resilient Communities Fund to help them build local resilience and protect vulnerable community members.

With awards ranging from £1,250 to over £28,000, the recipients - comprised of non-profit making organisations, community groups and charities - will receive an overall total of more than £257,000.

Successful applicants set out their cases for funding in 2023. The SSEN Resilient Communities Fund Panel, made up of organisations with expertise in community resilience planning, then reviewed and discussed all applications, before deciding which projects should receive funding in accordance with the fund’s criteria.

  • Resilience for emergency events - To enhance community facilities, services and communication specifically to support the local response in the event of a significant emergency such as extended power loss. 

  • Vulnerability - To protect the welfare of vulnerable community members particularly during significant emergency events such as extended power loss, through enhancing their resilience and improving community participation and effectiveness. 

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Applicants were also asked to focus their projects on helping vulnerable or isolated people living in SSEN’s south network area, while demonstrating how their proposals would enhance and improve the welfare of those who are most vulnerable, expand community facilities and supply life-saving equipment or services. 

Eliane Algaard, SSEN’s Director of Customer Operations says:  

“It’s heartening to see so many groups awarded in this most recent and last round of SSEN’s Resilient Communities Fund. Their successful applications have secured vital funding for their local communities and the vulnerable residents within them.

“No matter how large or small the award, each and every one of these groups has carefully looked at what will benefit their communities most.

“I’m delighted to see the variety, scope and individuality of their awards, and how SSEN is helping bring those projects to life; empowering communities and supporting them to become more resilient now and for many years to come.”

Set up in 2015, the Resilient Communities Fund has provided around £5 million to over 700 not-for-profit community groups and charities. The 2023 Resilient Communities Fund was the final one, with SSEN Distribution preparing to develop and launching a new fund this year. While continuing to support community resilience, this new fund will seek to include environmental resilience and the adoption of low carbon technologies. Details and timescales will be announced in due course.

The full list of central southern England recipients for this last Resilient Communities Fund can be viewed here 

Find out more about the Fund and read its annual reports here