Also in the news / Mussel funding, SSEN exercise, National Lottery visit and more …
A LOCAL mussel producer has secured almost £50,000 of funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise for a project designed to increase the firm’s production while reding carbon emissions.
Seaspray (Shetland) Ltd is investing in an automatic shellfish weighing and packing machine at its packing station on the waterfront at Laurenson Quay, in Lerwick.
The equipment will replace the current dual-machine process and reduce electricity usage.
The new method can bag mussels 10 times faster than the existing process.
Mussels are sourced from three local family-owned producers – C&A Thomason, Vementry Aquaculture and Selivoe Shellfish.
HIE development manager Catherine Hawick said the project is expected to support a solid increase in turnover and grow additional international sales by more than £100,000.
Seaspray director Gordon Johnson added: “In the current economic climate we need to invest in efficient processes, reduce environmental impacts and maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace.
“Our suppliers are the backbone of the business and this project will also provide a sustainable outlook for us all going forward.”
PEOPLE living in Shetland, Orkney or the Western Isles visiting close relatives in prison can apply for financial support from the government.
A payment of up to £200 is available to support two visits per year to cover travel costs.
More details and how to apply can be found here.
A REPRESENTATIVE of the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) will be in Shetland next month to meet community groups, charities and third sector organisations to discuss funding applications.
Any groups or organisations seeking funding are encouraged to attend evening workshops in Yell or Lerwick where they will hear a short presentation from Toby Joss, NLCF funding officer for Orkney and Shetland about the fund’s current and new grant programmes.
The presentation will be followed by one-to-one appointments to discuss individual projects.
Events will take place as follows:
- Monday 13 January, Sellafirth Public Hall, Yell. Presentation starting at 5.40pm and one-to-one appointments available from 6-8pm.
- Tuesday 14 January, Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick. Presentation starting at 6.30pm, followed by one-to-one appointments available between 7-9pm.
To make an appointment, please contact the council’s external funding officer Michael Duncan via email at grantsunit@shetland.gov.uk
SSEN Transmission and contractor Morgan Sindall Infrastructure successfully conducted a high-stakes emergency rescue drill on one of their construction sites recently.
The exercise, near Sandwater, was designed to test response capabilities in a potential real-life scenario.
It involved a casualty stranded on a scaffolding tower supporting a wood pole used in the ongoing Gremista connection project – a situation that could mirror a real site accident.
To help make the drill feel as realistic as possible, crews from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Ambulance Service were brought in to play their role in simulating potential challenges in remote, high-risk environments.
Teams from Morgan Sindall Infrastructure were required to assess the situation, administer emergency first aid, plan the means of rescue, and above all prioritise the safety of all involved – all while keeping emergency services update.
Sean Mackenzie, construction manager at SSEN Transmission, is also a retained firefighter and came up with the idea of staging a multi-agency simulation to allow teams from all parties to experience a realistic emergency scenario.
He said the training exercise “provided a stark reminder of the potential risks on-site and highlighted the critical need for rapid response and multi-agency cooperation.”
“We would like to extend our gratitude to Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Ambulance Services for their invaluable support and expertise during this drill.
“Their guidance and feedback were essential in helping us fine-tune our emergency site response capabilities, and I think everyone really took something away which will help us all be more prepared for any incident.”
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