In a news release on September 17, 2008 Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead announced a total of £705,700 awarded to 14 projects in the first round of grants from the Scottish Government's Climate Challenge Fund. These projects will act to reduce emissions and the carbon footprint of local communities.
The projects offered grant are:
Ore Valley Housing Association, Cardenden, Fife - Heat and Power Phase 1, to provide biomass-fuelled combined heat and power and other services to the local community - £343,750
Fintry Development Trust, Stirlingshire - Fintry Community Energy Project, survey work to reduce energy use within the village and ultimately make it a zero carbon and zero waste community - £67,541
Castlemilk and Carmunnock Community Windpark Trust, Glasgow - funding to ensure the continuation of a Wind Park Development Manager's post for development of a community wind park - £65,717
Penicuik Sports and Leisure Foundation, Midlothian - grant for more energy efficient and longer life lamps for the Ladywood Leisure Centre exterior all-weather pitch - £27,054
Craigmillar Community Combined Heat and Power Scheme, Edinburgh - Work Track, to provide more cost-effective energy systems and a community owned Combined Heat and Power (CHP) scheme and a feasibility study on learning, training and employment opportunities in the local community from the CHP scheme - £65,000
Deveron Arts, Huntly, Aberdeenshire - Sustown Huntly, using creative approaches to engage people of all ages and from all walks of life to transform understanding of sustainability and how each individual and the community as a whole can contribute on climate change - £47,318
Largoward and District Community Council, Fife - feasibility study for Green Electricity from sewage and other organic matter at Largoward - £18,000
Badenoch and Strathspey Community Transport Company, Highland - Demonstration of rural community use of a locally sustainably-powered electric vehicle - £20,000
Colston Milton Parish Church, Glasgow - Colston Milton Community Development Project, conducting a feasibility study on building and maintaining ecologically and economically sustainable buildings for the benefit of the people of Milton - £42,809
Invergordon Golf Club, Highland - to cover the costs of a planning application for a wind turbine - £390
The Haddington Bridge Centre, East Lothian - Poldrate Mill Complex Renewables Project, a technical feasibility study into the potential to generate power from the Poldrate Mill Water Wheel, and to explore further potential options for the generation of other renewable energy for a complex of community buildings - £5,875
Strathblane Community Development Trust, Stirlingshire - Energy Awareness Fair to raise awareness of unsustainable lifestyles, provide practical examples and demonstrations, reduce energy consumption, fuel poverty and the carbon footprint of Strathblane, Blanefield and surrounding villages, and encourage the installation of renewable energy systems and energy efficiency measures - £2,000
The Carrick Centre, Maybole, South Ayrshire - to employ a sustainable energy consultant on developing energy-efficient systems to reduce the carbon footprint of the new Carrick Centre, which is to be available to the community and visitors 7 days a week - £2,200
Stepping Stanes Youth Cycling Club Development Project, Dumfries - to increase cycling opportunities for young people in Dumfries, with opportunities for additional cycle training in schools - £2,700