New £4million Community Fund Launch

20th October 2011

The Community of Caithness and North Sutherland is soon to gain from a new £4M community benefit package which is being provided by the NDA from the new Low Level Waste Facility currently being developed at Dounreay.

The aim of the newly formed Caithness & North Sutherland Fund (CNSF) is "to increase the attractiveness of Caithness & North Sutherland as a place to live, work & invest with particular emphasis on achieving environmental, social, culture and infrastructure improvements".

The CNSF will be inviting voluntary and community organisations in the Dounreay travel to work area to apply for funding assistance for projects that meet the aim of the fund.

John Henderson Chairperson of CNSF said "We believe this funding can make a substantial difference to our local community, and the Board look forward to the challenge of making sure that it is spent in a way which delivers the maximum possible benefit."

The official launch of the CNSF is to be held on Monday the 24th of October at 7.00pm in Caithness Horizons, The Old Town Hall, Thurso. The CNSF Directors and Fund Coordinator will be in attendance and the community is invited to come along to the launch to meet everyone involved and learn more about how the new fund can assist with community projects in the Caithness and North Sutherland area.

A formal signing of the Operating Agreement between the NDA, DSRL and CNSF is also to take place at the official launch with NDA Executive Director Delivery Mark Lesinski; DSRL Director of Finance Philip Colville and CNSF Chairman John Henderson undertaking the signing.

The Caithness and North Sutherland Fund has been set up to distribute the £4M community benefit package and will receive £1M from NDA at the start of construction of the facility which is expected to be in early November and a further £300,000 in 2014 and each year until 2023.

Further information on the CNSF can be obtained by emailing Fund Coordinator David Shearer at; enquiries[AT]cnsf.org.uk or from the CNSF website; www.cnsf.org.uk

Caithness & North Sutherland Fund is a company established by Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, DSRL and Dounreay Stakeholder Group to distribute funding provided by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority from the construction of the New Low Level Waste Facilities at Dounreay.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is providing £4M funding via DSRL; £1M at the start of construction and £300,000 pa from 2014 to 2023.