Dounreay Substation team spreads Christmas cheer with £3,000 donation to local toy appeal

From left; Paul McQuade, BAM works manger; Gregor Milne, Construction Manager at SSEN Transmission; Brian Gunn, Project Manager at Siemens; Iain McLean, General Foreman at Global Infrastructure hand over the donation to Caithness FM.

The team delivering a new substation at Dounreay has embraced the season of giving, raising over £3,000 to help bring joy to local children this Christmas.

The festive fundraising initiative was led by Paul McQuade and Sophie Malcolm from BAM, with fantastic support from SSEN Transmission, Global Infrastructure, Siemens, and all suppliers working on the project. Together, they organised a Christmas raffle for project staff and contractors which was packed with generous prize donations from all involved, creating plenty of excitement while raising vital funds.  Together, they raised a grand total of £3,085. 

The money will go directly to Caithness FM’s Christmas Toy Appeal, ensuring that every child in the community wakes up to a gift on Christmas morning – a cause close to the hearts of everyone involved. 

The Dounreay substation is a key part of SSEN Transmission’s Orkney to Caithness Link project, and this effort highlights the team’s commitment to not only delivering critical infrastructure but also supporting local families during the festive season.

Paul McQuade, Works Manager at BAM, said:

“All the team on site did a great job at putting this together, and we’re pleased we’ve raised such a brilliant amount for such an important cause in Caithness”

Kevin Farquharson, Senior Project Manager at SSEN Transmission said:

“Supporting the communities where we work is incredibly important to us. The generosity shown by everyone on the Dounreay substation project is inspiring, and we’re proud to help make Christmas a little brighter for families in Caithness.

“The work that Caithness FM do to carry out their Christmas toy appeal each year has such a positive impact for the area, and we’re so pleased we were able to help.”

For Information

The Dounreay Substation is a major component of the wider Orkney to Caithness Link Project, which will see a new transmission link built between Orkney and mainland Scotland to help transport clean energy and strengthen Orkney’s energy security. The project involves building two substations – the Dounreay site as well as one in Orkney at Finstown – as well as building a 53km subsea cable across the Pentland Firth and underground cable connecting to the substations on land at both ends.

Learn more about the Orkney to Caithness Link project here:  https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/project-map/orkney/