Hywind Scotland demonstrates commitment to Scottish communities by supporting local charities
Hywind Scotland, the world’s first floating wind farm, has made donations to Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance and the Peterhead Area Community Trust. Hywind Scotland, a joint venture between Equinor and Masdar, is committed to actively contributing to vital community services; creating lasting value for local communities through its business activities.
Hywind Scotland, located off the coast of Peterhead, has been in operation since 2017 and is the world’s best-performing offshore wind farm, achieving a capacity factor of 54% over its five years of operations.
The first beneficiary, Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA), provides vital emergency pre-hospital care throughout Scotland, covering an area of more than 30,000 square miles from bases at Aberdeen and Perth.
Hywind Scotland’s donation will support their ability to fly rapid emergency doctor and paramedic-led teams to those most in need, saving and improving lives across the country’s mainland and its many islands.
This contribution will help SCAA sustain its vital service, ensuring they can continue to provide comprehensive and efficient emergency care throughout Scotland.
Ross Martin from Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance said:
“As Scotland’s only charity-funded air ambulance service, SCAA relies entirely on the generosity of the people and businesses of Scotland. We are very grateful to the team at Hywind Scotland for choosing to support SCAA with this generous donation.
“This donation will help to fund vital life-saving missions carried out across Scotland by our highly skilled paramedics and pilots. Our crews respond to time-critical medical emergencies and accidents all over the country, taking pre-hospital care to a patient at the scene before transferring them to the most appropriate hospital for their needs.
“Our service is a vital part of the emergency response network in Scotland but particularly of benefit to people in rural and remote communities. In 2022 alone, our crews responded to almost 1,000 call outs with 59% of them to patients in the Grampian and Highland regions.
“This donation will help ensure SCAA is there when we are needed most and will help to save lives across Scotland.”
The second organisation, the Peterhead Area Community Trust (PACT), is dedicated to supporting grassroots initiatives that enhance the quality of life and opportunities for residents in the Peterhead area. Hywind Scotland's contribution will greatly aid the Trust in its efforts to strengthen the local community, allowing them to further provide opportunities to the community, using sport as as a vehicle to improve community cohesion and inspire people to think differently about themselves, improving their health and building confidence to achieve their goals.
Alan Fakley from the Peterhead Area Community Trust said:
“We are delighted with the extremely generous donation from Hywind Scotland. This funding will allow PACT to continue delivering sports and leisure facilities at both the Barclay Community Pavilion and the Victoria Community Park in Peterhead. Peterhead has some of the worst socially deprived areas in Scotland and this funding will enable us to continue to allow many of our facilities to be used on a “free-to-use basis.” Our sincere thanks go to Hywind Scotland.”
William Munn, Plant Manager at Hywind Scotland said:
"Hywind Scotland is committed to making a positive impact in the communities where we operate, and we are delighted to support Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance and the Peterhead Area Community Trust. These two organisations play a crucial role in saving lives and improving the well-being of individuals and communities in Scotland. Our donations aim to strengthen their efforts and ensure that they can continue providing their invaluable services."