OREANDA-NEWS. November 29, 2012. SSE, known locally as Scottish Hydro, has helped fund the Ј220,000 refurbishment of the Fort Augustus village hall with Ј88,000 of community funding made available through its Glendoe hydro-electric scheme.

The hall which dates from 1913 was purchased by the Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston Community Company from the Highland Council as part of their regeneration strategy for the village. Improvements include: a new extension housing a fully furnished kitchen and meeting room; improved storage facilities; new windows and heating; and making the hall a fully flexible resource for the community.

Each of SSE’s onshore renewable energy projects provides a fund for the local community, designed to support a wide range of projects for the long-term sustainability of the community. If each of SSE’s proposed renewable developments is successful, the company plans to invest around Ј240 million in community projects over the next twenty-five years.

Avril Fraser, Community Investment Advisor at SSE, officially opened the hall last night. She said: 'I’m really chuffed to have been asked to open the Fort Augustus village hall. The hall refurbishment is a perfect example of how SSE’s community funds can help local organisations undertake projects in partnership with other agencies to achieve a lasting legacy for their community. The hall will provide a valuable asset for the community for many years to come.'

Linda Whiteside, Chair of Fort Augusts and Glenmoriston Community Company said: 'We are delighted with the improvements that have been made to the hall which make it much a more user friendly space and this should result in increased usage by community groups. The support we have received from SSE has been excellent and we were really pleased they accepted our invitation to open the hall.

'Regeneration of assets like the community hall are only the beginning for us. We have carried out a detailed consultation with the community to seek their views on what is important to them and this has informed our strategy for investment for the next five years. Employment opportunities for young people and improving the local environment come high on the list and this work won’t take away from the main community investment grant programme we administer.'