21st February 2024 in Community News, Project news
Raised aspirations in schools and reduced debt burden for students are just some of the outcomes highlighted in an independent report evaluating the impact of Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s £1 million investment in key communities during its initial construction period.
The report, by independent social research experts ekosgen, looked at Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s community investment programme between 2021 and 2023.
In its conclusions, ekosgen describes Dogger Bank Wind Farm as a market leader for its commitment to evaluating outcomes and areas for improvement in its community investment.
The Dogger Bank Wind Farm £1 million construction fund was launched in summer 2021, to support the communities closest to the sites that will be home to the onshore assets required to operate and maintain the world’s largest offshore wind farm.
Split between the areas of East Riding of Yorkshire, Redcar & Cleveland and South Tyneside, the package of financial support focused on enhancing science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education, to help young people prepare for life in a net zero world.
Working with the local education providers in each of the three key areas, the award-winning wind farm project funded bespoke programmes to address the individual needs in each area.
In addition to this, 62 students across the three key communities received £5,000 scholarships to support their STEM education courses, and £1,000 grants were awarded to grassroots community initiatives through a scheme known as the operator fund.
Teachers who provided feedback to the authors of the study talked about their ability to extend pupils’ knowledge of careers, and enhancing links with employers and career specialists.
Feedback from STEM students showed financial support from Dogger Bank Wind Farm has helped to reduce the burden of student debt, while the report states grants available to grassroots community initiatives are straightforward to access and can have a big impact in the wind farm’s key communities.
The report also highlights areas for further development to take into consideration as the wind farm refines its plans for further investment during its 35-your operational lifetime.
The progress highlighted in the report shows what can be achieved when industry works together with local authorities and communities to create opportunities for coastal communities to flourish.
The full report is available here:
https://doggerbank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Dogger-Bank-Wind-Farm-community-investment-evaluation-report-February-2024.pdf
20th February 2024 in Community News, Supply Chain
J&B Recycling has announced its first annual donation to the charity Feeding Families. This contribution is sourced from the revenue generated by recycling materials from the construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
In 2023 J&B Recycling secured a 3-year contract with GE Renewable Energy for sustainable waste management during the construction of the wind farm. This collaboration underscores a shared interest in environmental responsibility while also having a direct impact on the local community.
Under the terms of the agreement with GE Renewable Energy, J&B Recycling committed to donating revenue from recycled materials to a local charity. The chosen beneficiary, Feeding Families, operates in the North East to combat food poverty. Given the current economic situation, this support is particularly relevant and needed in the region where J&B Recycling operates.
Ingrid Brough-Williams, Marketing Manager at J&B Recycling, said:
“The scale of their operation is substantial; they need to distribute over 3,000 boxes monthly to those in need. It’s a challenging task, especially as they cannot always rely on food donations and often have to purchase supplies. Hearing the stories of individuals and families in our area facing severe hardship was eye-opening and underscores the importance of our contribution.”
Sarah McPhie from Feeding Families, said:
“We are incredibly grateful for the support from J&B Recycling and Dogger Bank Wind Farm. This partnership is not just about the financial contribution; it’s a lifeline for many families. It’s heartening to see local companies stepping up to make a real difference in the community. Their support enables us to continue our work, reaching more families in need during these challenging times.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm Community Engagement Manager, Rachel Lawrence, said:
“It’s truly heart warming to see our supply chain improving the lives of families in our key communities. J&B are helping us to ensure the legacy of our construction programme is far-reaching and helping those who most need it.”
18th December 2023 in Community News
Powering the Future: South Tyneside and Beyond!, a programme by South Tyneside Council and Dogger Bank Wind Farm, has been nominated for two prestigious awards in the Engineer’s 2023 Collaborate to Innovate Awards.
The programme aims to inspire and engage year 4 and 5 students, aged between 8 to 10, in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects while also preparing them for the career opportunities provided by the renewable energy sector. In the programme, Year 4 and 5 students from South Tyneside and beyond have been challenged to create a renewable energy invention using movement and wind.
The programme has been nominated for the Young Innovator award, following an invention idea from Nine-year-old Isaac, from Cleadon, who created ‘Wind Mirrors’, a creation which uses propellors attached to vehicle wing mirrors to generate renewable electricity. The programme has also been nominated in the category for best STEM Initiative.
“We are thrilled to be nominated for two Collaborate to Innovate Awards,” said Tom Nightingale, Stakeholder Manager at Dogger Bank Wind Farm. “Through this programme, we have been able to showcase careers and opportunities in the renewable energy sector to the next generation. We are proud of the innovative ideas submitted in the programme, and are amazed to see creative ideas from local young people address real world energy problems.”
Councillor Jane Carter, Lead Member for Education and Skills, said: “It’s never too early to raise the awareness of the skills needed for the jobs of the future.
“This innovative project also helped us to engage and nurture the creative talents of our young people while also raising their aspirations about the careers they can go on to enjoy in the renewable energy sector.”
The Engineer’s Collaborate to Innovate Awards aim to celebrate the best in collaborative innovation across various sectors. The awards commend projects that demonstrate collaboration between different organizations, academic institutions, and industry leaders. The winners of the awards will be announced at a ceremony held on Thursday 29th February 2024 in London.
For more information about the South Powering the Future initiative, visit https://southtyneside.littleinventors.org/
Image caption: Wind Mirrors, by Isaac from Cleadon, North East England
1st December 2023 in Community News
An award-winning collaboration between Dogger Bank Wind Farm, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and specialist education providers is celebrating two years of helping young people to prepare for life in a net zero world.
The partnership was unveiled in summer 2021, as part of a £1milllion package of investment in the wind farm’s key communities during its construction.
The wind farm project worked with education providers in East Riding of Yorkshire, Redcar & Cleveland and South Tyneside, to understand how young people in each area could be benefit from investment in enhanced science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) provision.
Education experts at East Riding of Yorkshire Council created a bespoke programme that would provide access for hundreds of teachers across primary schools and maintained early years settings and will reach many thousands of children over the life of the programme.
Councillor Victoria Aitken, cabinet member for children, families and education at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:
“The funding from Dogger Bank Wind Farm is helping us to transform science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers learning in our primaries and maintained early years settings, with new opportunities delivered by external delivery partners.
“This includes STEM-focused professional development for staff and a chance for schools and nurseries to work towards a science quality mark, which is a pioneering step for early years settings. There are still opportunities for teachers to take advantage of this award-winning partnership as we work together to raise aspirations and bring STEM to life.”
The innovative investment programme was recognised at the Humber Renewable Awards earlier this year, in the Renewable Education category. Find out more about this achievement here.
Community investment Manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Lindsay Dougan, said:
“The East Riding programme provides an exemplar on how education and business can work together to ensure that children gain the skills needed for the jobs of the future.
“We appreciate the dedication of the schools and education providers in ensuring excellence STEM learning occurs across the region.
“The approach taken from this project has influenced communities across the globe on how to embed renewable energy and STEM into education including sharing learning with Australia and Japan.”
The East Riding programme is delivered in partnership with specialist providers, Complete Careers, Stem Learning and PSQM (Primary Science Quality Mark), who underpin and support professional development for teachers.
Image caption: Hornsea Nursey is one of the maintained early years settings in East Riding to take advantage of the STEM investment by Dogger Bank Wind Farm
20th November 2023 in Community News
A campaign funded by the Dogger Bank Community Fund, encouraging young South Tyneside women to pursue science, tech, engineering and maths (STEM)-related careers has been hailed a major success.
Over the last two years, the STEMettes Leadership Academy has helped 71 women in South Tyneside aged 15-24 develop their leadership skills and learn more about STEM careers.
The hosting of the programme coincided with the tenth anniversary of STEMettes, the national charity which was founded in 2013.
Since then, over 50,000 women across the UK have participated in its events, with young women from South Tyneside among the latest to join its inspired alumni.
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, CEO, Head of Stemette & Co-Founder Stemettes said:
“Stemettes partnership with South Tyneside has opened up future leaders & innovators in young women and non-binary folk from across the South Tyneside area.
“They’ve had a STEAM & STEM confidence boost towards their potential and have conected with role models and peers for career advice. We’ve seen lots of skill building and problem solving on climate change for South Tyneside and beyond across our collaboration.”
Led by South Tyneside Council in partnership with the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, the South Tyneside programme was aimed to ‘raise the aspiration and confidence of young women’ across the borough.
A total of 45 young women from Jarrow School, Harton Academy and St Joseph’s Academy participated in the programme, as well as 26 young women from Nissan and local colleges.
Tom Nightingale, North East Stakeholder Manager at the Dogger Bank Wind Farm said:
“The STEMettes programme by South Tyneside is an invaluable initiative that Dogger Bank Wind Farm is proud to support.
“Our aim is to not only motivate, but also empower the youth in this region to explore and excel in STEM fields, unlocking opportunities in industries like the dynamic offshore wind industry.
“With the North East England being a prominent cluster for offshore wind, we are eager to showcase the endless possibilities to the next generation of leaders in the energy sector.
Cllr Jane Carter Lead Member for Education and Skills at South Tyneside Council, added:
“It is vital that we encourage our young women to harness STEM skills.
“By taking advantage of these opportunities, they now have the knowledge, skills and aspiration to become the leaders and innovators of the future.
“I’d like to place on record my thanks to the business community for their involvement with this outstanding programme.”
One of the young women to participate in the programme was Emily Booth, a Year 11 student from St Joseph’s Catholic Academy, said:
“I was very lucky being able to attend a Stemette’s event. It allowed me to gain advice from inspiring and influential women from the North East, learn new skills in coding as well as an understanding of the job opportunities available to women in STEM. It was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
For more information on STEMettes, visit: https://stemettes.org/
