More than £4.5m has been invested in community projects by SSE over the last financial year.

In its first community investment annual review, the energy provider said 366 not-for-profit groups had benefited from funds created through SSE's onshore wind and hydro developments. A majority of the projects were located in Scotland.

Biggar Museum Trust received the largest single award of £650,000 from the company's Clyde wind farm fund to go towards a new visitor centre. A further £400,000 grant to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) studies across Highland schools was also awarded, while a grant of £75,000 grant was given to the community in Perthshire to buy-out Aberfeldy town hall. Elsewhere, more than £110,000 went to three local apprenticeship schemes operating in the Great Glen, the Cairngorms National Park and Sutherland.

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Alistair Phillips-Davies, SSE Chief Executive, said: "A sum as large as £4.5m will deliver a positive impact, but it's not simply about the value of our funding – how we do it matters too.

"By working with communities in genuine partnership, I believe we can support local decision-makers to ensure these funds can go even further and deliver sustainable benefits to the community year after year."

(JP/CD)