Devon charities up for funding boost at national awards

Two Devon charities supported by the ScottishPower Foundation could be in line for a funding boost this winter after being shortlisted for its annual awards.

Coldharbour Mill Trust and Keep Britain Tidy are in the running for the Education and Innovation Awards. Both charities were funded by the Foundation in 2022 and are now in with a chance of an additional boost with award winners receiving a further £5,000 to support their vital work and runners-up taking home £2,500.

Coldharbour Mill Trust has been shortlisted for the Education Award for its pioneering Rural Skills project. It provides opportunities for young people to gain practical skills, build confidence and increase self-esteem through hands-on learning to support future employment.

Keep Britain Tidy has been nominated for this year’s Innovation Award thanks to its flagship Ocean Recovery Project which aims to provide a viable long-term solution to remove abandoned fishing gear and marine plastics from seas and beaches. A pilot project conducted in southwest England successfully demonstrated the organisation’s work with the fishing community to recover and recycle redundant gear including fishing nets, rope and other marine plastics.

In total, 23 inspirational charities are in the running for this year’s ScottishPower Foundation awards.

Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation said: “The value of the vital support charities provide to people and communities has never been more important. The work of Coldharbour Mill Trust and Keep Britain Tidy are great examples of how our funding can help incredible charities transform lives across the country.  

“These are tough times for many people, but the hard work of these charities continues every day to support, educate and inspire people across the country. They go above and beyond, so it’s fantastic to have the opportunity to give them further funding support in these difficult times.

“It’s a real privilege to help make a difference and that is all thanks to the £10 million the ScottishPower Foundation has provided in funding over the last nine years. I’m looking forward to celebrating the achievements of our finalists – and the legacy of the ScottishPower Foundation – on Awards Day next month.”

Martin Halse, CEO of Coldharbour Mill Trust, said: “Everyone here at Coldharbour is ecstatic to be shortlisted for the Education Award by The ScottishPower Foundation. Our volunteers and staff work tirelessly to ensure we give the best possible experiences so that individuals feel they have gained valuable, long-term skills.

“The additional funding from this award would allow Coldharbour Mill to continue with its Rural Skills Training Programme and increase the accessibility of our course to allow more people to benefit. Being shortlisted for the Education Award indicates the significance that Coldharbour Mill and heritage skills can have in the community.”

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “The Scottish Power Foundation fund has enabled us to educate school pupils about plastic recycling which in turn has helped keep our local beaches clean. The funding has also enabled us to get to the beach and physically remove plastics as well as empower volunteers by showing them that the litter they collect will be put to great use in schools. We need to find solutions for the problem of difficult-to-recycle plastics rather than taking the easy option of landfill and it is funding like this that allows us to do so.”

The shortlists for all awards this year were selected by a judging panel made up of experts from the industry and the education sectors. This year’s judges were Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee of the ScottishPower Foundation; Sarah McNulty, HR Director at ScottishPower; Arthur McIvor, Senior Client Manager at EU Skills; and Marina Livingstone, Programmes Director at Strathclyde University Business School.

You can keep up to date with the winners and runners-up on Twitter @ScottishPower. The winners will be announced on 1 November.

For a full list of the shortlisted charities, go to www.scottishpowerfoundation.com.