Shetland Community Benefit Fund - Eleanor Gear
Shetland Community Benefit Fund
The Shetland Community Benefit Fund (SCBF) negotiates and administers community benefit funding arising from commercial renewable energy developments in Shetland. Formed through collaboration between Shetland’s community councils, the Fund helps ensure that benefits from major developments are retained locally and invested in ways that support communities across Shetland.
SCBF provides flexible funding for a wide range of community priorities, supporting projects that contribute to sustainable development, strengthen local capacity, and help deliver positive change. The Fund’s priorities were shaped through extensive Shetland-wide consultation, helping ensure support is aligned with the needs and ambitions of local communities.
As part of the Shetland Partnership, SCBF contributes an important funding and enabling role, helping partners build shared understanding of each other’s work, identify opportunities for collaboration, and support projects that deliver long-term benefit for Shetland communities. SCBF funding has helped support practical local initiatives including housing projects, apprenticeships and community-led developments, enabling ideas to move more quickly from ambition to delivery.
Find out more about the Shetland Community Benefit Fund on their website.
Eleanor Gear, Fund Manager
Eleanor believes the Partnership is at its strongest when organisations have a shared understanding of one another’s work, build connections, and work collectively towards common outcomes for Shetland. Looking ahead, Eleanor would like to see continued progress through partnership working in areas such as housing and wider community development.