THE 100% community-owned wind farm, Point and Sandwick Trust (PST) in the Outer Hebrides, has been listed in the Top 100 social enterprise businesses in the UK.
The SE100 Index is an annual listing of the UK’s top 100 social enterprises, run by NatWest (owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group) and Pioneers Post every year to “name, celebrate and learn from the UK’s 100 most impressive social enterprises”. Judges review social enterprise businesses on a range of criteria including business sustainability, innovation and social impact. PST operates the UK’s biggest community-owned wind farm, with three 3MW turbines on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The project not only helps the UK to reduce its CO2 emissions, but also supports local environmental projects with the income from the electricity that it generates. Since beginning operation in 2016, the wind farm charity has given out more than £1m in donations and grants.
Calum Macdonald, Development Manager of PST said of the Social Enterprise 100 listing, “This is the second year Point and Sandwick Trust has been recognised in this diverse and impressive list of UK based social enterprise businesses and we’re pleased to have been selected in the Top 100 again”.
Megan Virrels, CEO at NatWest Social & Community Capital, said: “Congratulations to all those who have been named in this year’s NatWest SE100. In our work at Social & Community Capital, we have the privilege of meeting many amazing, impactful organisations and we are committed to supporting their work across the UK, both through our community business loans and through initiatives such as the SE100 Awards, which we have supported for more than 10 years. It is always uplifting to read about the impact, strength and resilience of UK social enterprises.”
Point and Sandwick Trust have been recognised with a number of prestigious awards including UK Environmental Social Business of the Year (2020) and Best Community Energy Project, Highlands and Islands Renewable Energy Awards (2021).
