Final Dogger Bank Wind Farm Community Grants available for 2025

23rd October 2025 in Community News

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is pleased to announce the final allocation of its operator fund community grants for 2025 are available, offering support of up to £1,000 to local community projects in the areas closest to its construction and operation bases.

The operator fund grants are available to community projects near our construction and operation locations. Eligible organisations can now apply for this latest round of funding from the Dogger Bank operator fund to support their vital activities.

The operator fund supports local community projects in East Riding of Yorkshire, Redcar and Cleveland, and South Tyneside – the locations of the wind farm’s grid connection points and the operations and maintenance base.

The operator fund provides a total of £80,000 of funding in grants of up to £1,000 for local community projects who have a constitution and deliver activities in Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside or East Riding of Yorkshire.

Community grants can be used to enhance quality of life for local residents; contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities; and/or promote community spirit and encourage community activity.

Eligible community projects and local organisations can apply for grants up to the amount of up to £1,000, at https://doggerbank.com/about/community/.

The funding decisions are made by a panel with representatives from wind farm joint venture partners Equinor and SSE Renewables, as well as independent participant Hannah Smiles from NOF. NOF is a not-for-profit business development organisation helping to make connections between national businesses in the energy sector and owns and operates Energi Coast, North East England’s Offshore Wind Cluster.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is under construction more than 130 km off the Yorkshire coast and will generate enough renewable energy to power six million UK homes once completed. A joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn, SSE Renewables is leading on Dogger Bank construction and delivery while Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion. Vårgrønn brings specialist offshore wind expertise to the project.

Find out more about Dogger Bank’s £25 million community fund commitment here.

See who benefitted so far in 2025 from the Dogger Bank operator fund grants:

Ship’s bell raised from the depths of the North Sea after nearly 130 years following discovery during Dogger Bank Wind Farm excavation works 

21st October 2025 in Community News, Press releases, Project news

• 19th Century ship’s bell belonged to The Masonic vessel that sunk in 1893 and has now been fully restored to its former glory after lying forgotten at the bottom of the North Sea 
• Copper-alloy bell will be welcomed to its new home at Brightlingsea Museum in Essex by great-grandson of one of the vessel’s original owner

It had lain undisturbed at the bottom of the North Sea for nearly 130 years but now a historic ship’s bell will toll once again thanks to restoration work commissioned by Dogger Bank Wind Farm.   

The 12kg and 15cm high copper-alloy bell was originally installed on The Masonic vessel in 1876, but went down with the ship and its entire crew off the coast of Yorkshire during fierce storms in November 1893. Newspaper reports of the time refer to the remains of passengers and crew from the vessel being found on the beach at Saltburn-by-the Sea during a four-day hurricane 

The Great Storm as it was known was blamed for the deaths of 335 people at sea, with over 140 vessels abandoned or foundering including The Masonic, which went down in a stretch of water off the Yorkshire coast 

There the bell lay undisturbed on the seabed until 2022 when the team carrying out a subsea survey as part of pre-construction activities on Dogger Bank Wind Farm – set to be the largest in the world when complete – discovered an unexplained form embedded into the floor of the sea.   

The object was initially thought to be an unexploded bomb, but onshore inspections revealed a bell-shaped object with the inscription ‘Masonic’. After undergoing specialist restoration work involving X-ray imaging, the maritime treasure will now be housed at the Brightlingsea Museum near Colchester in Essex.   

Credit: MSDS Marine

 Remarkably the museum was also able to track down the great-grandson of one of the vessel’s original owners, who will be joined by representatives from Dogger Bank Wind Farm for a special unveiling ceremony of the Masonic Bell at the Brightlingsea Museum today (21st October 2025).   

The Deputy Receiver of Wreck, Andrea Bailey, worked with representatives from MSDS Marine to uncover the story behind the bell, and how it had come to be nestled into an area of seabed where offshore electricity cables were to be installed over 130 years later.   

The bell was correctly registered with the Receiver of Wreck, part of HM Coastguard, but with no-one claiming ownership, it became the property of The Crown and it was agreed its final journey would be back to Brightlingsea for exhibition in the local museum.  

Deputy Receiver of Wreck Andrea Bailey, said:   

“The fate of the Masonic and her crew was a tragedy, far away from where it first set sail. So it feels right that the bell – the last surviving piece – is returned to where it was built.  

“Reuniting objects with their owners or finding a proper home is best done by registering maritime finds with the Receiver of Wreck. By doing so, you can help share history and ensure artefacts end up where they truly belong.”  

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being built in three phases off the Yorkshire coast by developers SSE, Equinor and Vårgrønn and once fully complete in 2027, will be capable of powering up to six million homes annually.  

Credit: MSDS Marine

Lizzy Reynolds, Lead Offshore Consent Manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said:  

 “When we set out to build the world’s largest offshore windfarm, we had no idea that our careful archaeological surveys would yield up this historic gem from the depths of the ocean floor.   

“We feel it is the right thing to do to fully restore the Masonic Bell to its former glory as a tribute to those brave mariners who perished on board the ship during violent storms of 1893. Our delivery partners Haskoning and MSDS Marine have brought the bell back to life and it will now have a new dry home at the Brightlingsea Museum.”  

Richard Dove, great-grandson of Captain William Dove, one of the owners of the Masonic, said:  

“Raising the Masonic bell from the deep after its 132 years of seabed slumber is a tangible link to my great-grandfather. 

“Hopefully the fully restored bell is testament to those brave souls that sadly perished in 1893, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who has breathed new life into this wonderful piece of maritime history.”  

Carola Del Mese, Conservator at MSDS Marine and Heritage led the restoration of the 19th century bell on behalf of Dogger Bank Wind Farm contractor, Haskoning.   

Carola added:  

“Conserving the Masonic bell has been a technical challenge and a privilege, and I’m honoured to have been part of its return journey home to Brightlingsea as a commemoration to the crew and an addition to local history.” 

Local history experts from the Brightlingsea Museum believe The Masonic vessel was built by shipbuilder Robert Aldous, to transport coal, building materials and food during the 19th Century.   

Margaret Stone, Brightlingsea Museum Curator, said:   

“We are delighted to welcome the bell from the Brightlingsea-built barge, the Masonic, to the museum. This is the first artefact for our collection which comes from an actual vessel built in the town during the Nineteenth Century. What makes it even more special are the links the Masonic has to an organisation and families still in the town -  and even the museum itself. We are most grateful to all that have made this possible.”  

Image caption: Three generations of the Dove family attended the unveiling of the Masonic ship’s bell at Brightlingsea Museum.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm Awards £5,000 Scholarships to 30 More Local Students

20th October 2025 in Community News

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is helping to prepare young people for careers in a net zero world by awarding 30 additional scholarships, each worth £5,000, to students from coastal communities across the North and North-East of England.

These grants will help support students from South Tyneside, Redcar and Cleveland, and East Riding of Yorkshire as they pursue further education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) subjects.

With this second round, a total of 123 scholarships has now been awarded, contributing to the wind farm’s broader £25 million community investment fund.

The Scholarship Fund prioritises areas central to the project: East Riding of Yorkshire and Redcar and Cleveland (where the wind farm connects to the National Grid) and South Tyneside (home to the future Operation and Maintenance Base).

The recipients are studying a wide range of STEM courses, from Computer Science and Natural Science to various engineering degrees like Energy Engineering that directly support the push toward a net zero future.

Kay Doragh, Community Investment Manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, expressed her support:

“We are delighted to be able to make a real difference to students in our region through a scholarship that tackles the immediate living costs around university. It’s always amazing to see the range of skills these young people are developing across STEM subjects, helping to build the knowledge we need for a greener future.’

The financial support is already easing the burden on recipients, allowing them to focus on their studies.

Thomas Chantry from Hull, studying Physics at The University of Hull noted:

“A course like physics is very content heavy and if I’m not in a lecture then I am doing assignments or reading up on lectures to help develop my understanding of the course, so this scholarship will mean I will have more time for this as on a weekend I travel home to work as university life is not cheap.

“I would 100% advise people to apply for the Dogger Bank Scholarship programme. Applying was very easy, and the scholarship is a great opportunity which does not only support your studies, but it also connects you with a project making a difference in our community.”

Sophie Jennings from South Shields, Studying Computer Science at Newcastle University, said:

“It feel great to get this scholarship from a project based in South Shields, where I’m from. It’s really good that local people are getting the opportunity to be able to focus on their degrees, to pursue what they want to do in the future. would definitely tell anyone to go for it and apply for this scholarship.”

Dogger Bank Wind Farm highly commended for community engagement

16th October 2025 in Community News

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is delighted to announce that its community fund has been highly commended at the RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind Awards. This recognition celebrates the significant commitment Dogger Bank Wind Farm has to creating a long lasting, positive benefit to the communities in which it operates.

The Dogger Bank Community Fund is investing £25 million during the operational lifespan of the project, working with education providers to support the development of skills needed for the future of green energy. The fund is also committed to making sure the coastal communities closest to our construction and operational bases directly benefit from our innovative development.

Kay Doragh, Community Investment Manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, expressed her pride in the achievement:

“We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition at the Global Offshore Wind Awards. It truly reflects our team’s dedication and the fantastic partnerships we’ve built with local groups. Seeing the tangible difference our Community Fund makes in people’s lives is immensely rewarding, and we look forward to continuing this vital work throughout the life of the project.”

Further information about the Dogger Bank community fund and information on how to apply for grants and scholarships can be found here: www.doggerbank.com/about/community/

A full list of Dogger Bank’s accolades is available here https://doggerbank.com/about/our-awards/

Building Our Futures Programme: Over ten thousand young people supported

18th August 2025 in Community News

The Building Our Futures programme, a STEM-focused primary careers-learning initiative funded by Dogger Bank Wind Farm, recently marked its third year of remarkable success at a celebratory event held at Redcar & Cleveland College. Since its inception, the programme has supported over ten thousand young people with future career guidance.

This pioneering programme is dedicated to embedding comprehensive careers education into every primary school across Redcar and Cleveland. It achieves this through engaging school workshops and the invaluable support of local employers. Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency (RCVDA) delivers the programme, with strategic guidance and support from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

The recent celebration brought together employers, partners, and schools, providing an opportunity for programme leaders to highlight the significant achievements over the past three years, building on a successful pilot programme in 2021-22.

Since its inception, the Building Our Futures team, in collaboration with local employers, has worked with the vast majority of schools in Redcar and Cleveland.

These young people have gained crucial skills and knowledge essential for the future workforce. In total, 64 individual companies, with over 100 dedicated colleagues, have devoted their time to support employer engagement initiatives.

The Building Our Futures initiative has seen remarkable success by building impactful links between local employers and schools, providing young people with realistic career aspirations and tangible pathways to employment. The programme focusses on connecting students with a diverse range of local employers, ensuring that the job opportunities presented are genuinely attainable within their communities.

The programme supports participating schools by delivering six comprehensive modules focused on career learning and essential skills development. Beyond curriculum, the initiative provides strategic and operational support, featuring regular termly Career Champion networks, dedicated staff training and mentoring for Career Champions, engaging STEM events, valuable workplace visits and more.

Amanda Olvanhill, Head of Employability at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said:

“We are very proud of the Building our Futures programme in Redcar and Cleveland, and it is so well embedded with our primary schools, it has been wonderful to see so many children benefitting from the programme each year and learning about the fantastic career opportunities on their doorstep.”

Jacqui Hutchinson, Education, Employment and Skills, Primary Careers Co-ordinator, Building our Futures, said:

“On behalf of Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency, it is an honour to deliver the Building our Futures programme to primary and SEND schools in Redcar and Cleveland. Its success is testament to the commitment of our Business network to give back to their communities, our Education networks to finding the best opportunities for their students and to the determination and energy of the young people we are privileged to serve.

 “The programme would not have been possible without the investment provided by Dogger Bank Wind Farm and the engagement of its supply chain in our Business network, the strategic support provided by Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, and the commitment our schools have to enriching the educational experience of their pupils.

 As we move into our fourth year of delivery, we are celebrating the achievements of more than ten thousand young people whose aspirations have been meaningfully changed by engaging with Building our Futures, we are working closely with partners to co-design a sustainable future for the programme moving forward.”

Kay Doragh, Community Investment Manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said:

“What really makes a difference to this programme is how local employers and businesses are at the heart of it. This is what makes the career learning so real to the children – and also shows how their ambitions can really happen, with opportunities that are in their area. It’s easy as a business to say that young people don’t engage, it’s not as easy to go and do something about it. This is why we are so impressed by and appreciative of all the employers that make this programme happen.”

Earlier this year, the Building our Futures Programme was recognised at the Northern Echo Business IQ awards, winning the Community Impact Award.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm has been a key supporter of the program, providing not only funding and resources but also demonstrating a strong commitment to employer engagement with schools through its diverse supply chain partnerships.

The project is dedicated to establishing a long-term legacy in the communities where we work and build, promoting STEM education and career opportunities, and creating community growth by investing in people and organisations.

Last year, Dogger Bank Wind Farm announced the next phase of its community fund, committing £25 million to be used in the North and North East of England throughout the operational phase of the wind farm. This phase builds on the £1 million community fund set up during the construction phase of Dogger Bank.

Businesses interested in supporting the next generation can get involved with the Building Our Futures programme by visiting https://www.buildingourfutures.org.uk/contact-us/.