Peterhead substation volunteers spruce up local community garden

A local community garden in Boddam is looking a little brighter this summer, thanks to staff from SSEN Transmission who volunteered to give it a mini makeover.

They answered a call for help to give the railway sleepers that form the boundaries of Boddam Community Garden a new lease of life, treating the timber with preservative.

The space now occupied by the garden had previously been used as a dumping ground, however in recent years local volunteers have revitalised the area, with efforts being led by the Russell Community Group.

As well as being a relaxing space for local people to enjoy, the garden is also used by the nearby primary school for education and recreation.

The work was carried out by the team from the Peterhead 275kV substation upgrade project, which is replacing two 275/132kV super grid transformers (SGTs) at the substation site south of Peterhead. The SGTs are over 45 years old and nearing the end of their operational life, and their replacement is necessary to ensure network resilience and reliability.

Arran Wilson, SSEN Transmission Project Manager, said: “Working with the local community is an important part of the Peterhead 275kV substation upgrade project, and the team was more than happy to roll up its sleeves in support of the Boddam Community Garden.

“It is thanks to the hard work of local volunteers that this space exists, and we were delighted to play our part in helping maintain and enhance the area for everyone to enjoy.

“Volunteering days are a great way for the project team to give back to the community, and we hope to take part in similar activities in future.”  

Stan Cordiner, from Boddam Community Garden, said: “We are so grateful to the enthusiastic and committed team from SSEN Transmission for helping transform this area into an attractive space for the whole community. They did a first-class job!

“Starting on 2 August, we are planning to meet at the garden on the first Saturday of every month from 10am to 12 noon. We'd be delighted to welcome new volunteers, and encourage anyone with an interest in volunteering to come along and find out more."