Tolsta turbine to help with cost of living crisis

Tolsta Community Development Limited, the charity community body which oversees income from the turbine, have decided to hand a sum of £250 – in the shape of vouchers for Tesco and the Coop – to every household in the village.

An organisation called Tolsta Power Limited oversees the running of the turbine and hands over funding to TCDL for distribution.

Board member Catriona MacIver told the Gazette: “The money we are giving is for cost of living assistance to help people with the rises they are seeing in food and energy.

"There will be another payment, hopefully towards the end of the year of £300. I think many people will be grateful for this help – especially young families and pensioners.”

Tolsta Power Limited were due to hold a board meeting last night (Wednesday).

The turbine has been running since 2013 and has provided funding for a range of community benefits within the Tolsta area.

Students from the village get £1,000 for attending the local college in Stornoway and £2,000 if heading for further education on the mainland. Consideration is now being given in increasing the available rate due to the general rise in costs.

They also offer minor repair grants to those aged over 60 in the village, while operating a “general funding grant”, open to any resident or community organisation in the Tolsta area which directly benefits local people and fits with the charitable aims of TCDL.