Gordonbush
Through our Gordonbush wind farm we make around £200,000 per year available for community and charitable projects. Between 2011 and 2036 we expect to invest £5.2 million in local projects. An additional £47,500 per year is also made available to support the Gordonbush Project Apprenticeship Scheme.
Additional funding is committed to the regional Sustainable Development Fund. This fund opens every two years and supports transformational projects across the Highland local authority area.
Project eligibility
The community fund offers grants of up to £20,000 to support projects which:
- Support charitable activities that will develop the area's assets (natural, environmental, physical, culture and heritage, economic and social)
- Build the sustainability of the local communities as vibrant places to live, work and visit
Projects in the following community council areas can apply:
- Rogart
- Golspie
- Brora
- Helmsdale
You don’t need to be a registered charity to apply, but your organisation must have a constitution (governing document or set of rules) and not be set up for individual profit. If you are unsure if your group is eligible, please contact us for advice.
Any group seeking funding of more than £20,000 should contact the Community Investment Manager (details below) before applying.
Fund timetable - 2026
Application deadlines and panel dates:
| Deadline | Expected Panel Date (TBC) |
| 31st January | 17th March |
| 31st August | 6th October |
How to apply
First, please read the guidance for the relevant Fund and then click the Application link to be taken to our online application portal.
Gordonbush Community Fund
Continue an existing Gordonbush Fund application or grant
Click here to log on to the Community Investment PortalGordonbush Microgrant
Gordonbush Micro Grant Application
Click here to download the Micro Grant Application formThe Gordonbush Project Apprenticeship Scheme
The Gordonbush Community Fund also supports an apprenticeship scheme to help local people develop their skills and secure employment in the area. An apprenticeship grant can help cover a business's costs of supporting an apprentice, as well as the apprentice's related travel, accommodation, and training costs. Voluntary Groups Sutherland manages the scheme. For further information, email: contact@vgs.scot
Funding case study
TYKES Young Carers Project has been supporting young people with caring responsibilities across Sutherland since 1997. Based in Golspie and working throughout the region, TYKES supports over 100 young carers aged 5–18 each year, helping them feel recognised, valued and supported.
Young carers often take on significant responsibilities at home, and TYKES provides a vital break from those pressures. Through after school drop ins, holiday activities, outdoor trips and residential breaks, young people can relax, have fun and spend time with others who understand their experiences.
As one young carer explains:
“I get to be myself and go on respite trips – they’re great. I get to see my friends that I don’t see often and get away from my brothers.”
Alongside group activities, TYKES offers one to one support, school advocacy and practical help such as transport, grants and essentials, reducing pressure at home and supporting engagement in education.
Long standing support from the SSE Gordonbush Community Fund has helped TYKES continue delivering this essential work across the fund area, reducing rural isolation, improving wellbeing and supporting young people to build confidence and look positively towards the future.
Contact details
For more information on this fund please contact:
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Kirsty Partridge Community Investment Manager Tel: 07493 882554 Email: Kirsty.partridge2@sse.com
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