Also in the news / Monster truck, Papa Stour cable and more…
THE CALLUM Younger Reach Fund is bringing the ‘Red Dragon’ monster truck back to Shetland this weekend.
The truck is likely to be a highlight of the summer carnival in Lerwick, which is taking place on Saturday at 6.30pm.
But the truck will be offering two days of rides at the old Anderson High School car park as well.
This year the event will also feature four small American truck ride-ons, powered by engines, which will be available for rides during both days.
Opening times for the monster truck and ride-ons are will be 9am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. More information can be found on Facebook.
The organisers said they would like to thank NorthLink ferries for the support they received.
SSEN Distribution has now applied for licences for a replacement subsea electricity cable between the Shetland mainland and Papa Stour.
Residents of the island off the West Mainland have been using power from diesel generators following a fault on the cable in the early part of this year.
SSEN Distribution, who said the issue has affected 20 customers on the island, confirmed in March that the entire cable would need to be replaced.
A spokesperson said this week that the relevant licences have been applied for, with work expected to take place in the coming months.
“Our subsea cable team has identified an opportunity to replace the cable at the end of this summer, and have applied for a marine licence from Marine Scotland, along with a works licence from Shetland Islands Council, both of which are required before we can carry out our planned work between August and September this year,” they said.
SHETLAND Heat Energy & Power (SHEAP) is refreshing its management line-up with two new directors specialising in clean energy and smart heating and lighting technology.
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Justin Rhodes and Tom Wills are joining the Shetland Charitable Trust owned company, which provides heat for around 6,000 people in homes and large buildings in Lerwick, including hospitals and schools.
Wills, from Bressay, has spent most of his career in wave and tidal power before joining local energy engineering consultants Voar Energy.
Rhodes came to Shetland in 2020 and set up Automation Island to promote smart building technology, including heating and lighting controls.
FIFTY eight pupils and eight teachers from Aith, Skeld, Happyhansel and Sandness schools recently had the opportunity to sail on board the Swan.
Logan from Aith Junior High School said: “The crew gave us a warm welcome. They began by showing us around the vessel and telling us the history of the Swan. We set off out the voe, I was steering as the others lowered the mizzen sail. We were wind powered now.
Fellow pupil, Connall, also from Aith added: “I gained a lot of confidence in teambuilding, especially when we were working with the sails. It was also a really good chance to do something that I would never get to do.”
The Swan Trust SCIO is able to offer school trips each year on a subsidised basis thanks to funding from the Shetland Charitable Trust.
The school trip was also supported with additional funding from Cooke Aquaculture.
APPLICATIONS are now open for local community groups and charities on Shetland to apply for a share of £5 million funding from Co-op’s Local Community Fund.
The fund has supported almost 40,000 unique community projects across the UK since its launch in 2016, with groups receiving more than £100 million.
The Co-op is now inviting local charities, community groups and voluntary organisations to apply for the latest round of funding, which this year has a theme of creating sustainable futures for ‘people’ and our ‘planet’.
Applications are open until Sunday 7 July and groups interested in applying can find out more by visiting here.
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