Drax and Loch Ken Trust strengthen partnership to deliver water safety and sustainability in Dumfries and Galloway

Now entering its second year of a three-year commitment, the partnership has already expanded opportunities for young people to learn practical skills outdoors, strengthened safety on and around Loch Ken, and helped communities plan for the future.

In its first year, the partnership supported the launch and expansion of the Loch Ken Youth Water Safety Programme, which aims to ensure no young person leaves school without hands-on water safety training.

A total of 24 sessions were delivered to local schools and youth organisations including Dalbeattie High School, Wallacehall Academy, Castle Douglas High School, Kirkcudbright Academy, Kirkcudbright Sea Cadets and Dumfries Disability Sports. In total, 209 young people received training, with the programme winning praise from local MSP Emma Harper and being showcased in national guidance published by Water Safety Scotland. The Galloway Activity Centre was also awarded Paddle Award UK accreditation for its role in the delivery of the sessions, underlining the programme's quality and impact.

The partnership also enabled Loch Ken Trust to provide an additional 260 ranger hours during peak season, including funding for a seasonal ranger to ensure patrol coverage across the summer months. This increase has improved visitor engagement, enhanced safety and helped protect the natural environment around Loch Ken.

Lindsay Stewart, Lock Ken Trust Manager said: "The support from Drax has been transformative. It's enabled us to expand our water safety programme, grow our ranger service, and connect more young people with nature. Together, we're making a real difference for local communities and the environment."

As the partnership continues, both organisations remain committed to building on early successes and delivering a long-term positive impact for people and the natural environment of Dumfries and Galloway.

Education has been another major success of the partnership, with six sessions held for local primary schools and youth groups such as Crossmichael Primary, Dalry Primary, Glenkens Youth Group and Glenkens Cubs. More than 100 children took part in activities ranging from campfire safety and responsible camping to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and invasive species awareness. Higher and further education students also benefitted, with 25 undergraduates and postgraduates from universities including Glasgow, Teesside, Lancaster and Exeter visiting the site for case studies and fieldwork on cold water shock, ecosystem monitoring and community sustainability.

"This partnership is a great example of how Drax works with local organisations to deliver on the goals set out in our sustainability framework.", said Sarah Baird, Drax Community Manager for Scotland

"By supporting Loch Ken Trust, we're helping to improve safety, resilience and environmental awareness in communities close to our operations. The first year has already achieved so much, and we're excited to see what more can be delivered in year two" she added.

The partnership has also helped build resilience across the Glenkens, working with local organisations such as the Castle Douglas Development Forum to develop a resilience plan and host a community conference. Events like "How to Save a Life" encouraged volunteer engagement, while representatives from all eight Glenkens communities came together to share learning and strengthen preparedness for future challenges.

With the second year of the partnership already underway, Loch Ken Trust has delivered even more ranger hours, water safety training and nature-based education sessions. Plans for this year place an increasing emphasis on climate awareness and outdoor learning, ensuring that schools, youth groups and local communities continue to benefit from tailored support.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Kieran Wilson E: [email protected] T: 07729092807

Editor's Notes

About Drax

Drax's purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Our strategic aims are to be a global leader in both carbon removals and sustainable biomass pellet production, and to be a UK leader in dispatchable, renewable generation.

Our operations

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low-carbon and renewable UK power assets - biomass, hydro, and pumped storage generation - which provide dispatchable power and system support services to the electricity grid.

We are the UK's largest source of renewable power by output, and Drax Power Station is the UK's largest single source of renewable electricity by output.

Through our pellet production facilities in North America, Drax is a leading integrated producer of sustainable biomass. Drax has 18 operational and development pellet production sites which will have a nameplate capacity of around 5.4 million tonnes once expansions are complete.

Drax supplies renewable electricity to UK industrial and commercial customers, offering a range of energy-related services including energy optimisation, as well as electric vehicle strategy and management.

Our future

Drax is progressing options for carbon removals using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology globally and at our UK biomass power station. We are progressing plans to develop 7 million tonnes of carbon removals through BECCS by 2030.

In 2024, we launched Elimini, a US-based company to lead our global efforts to deliver carbon removals at scale. Elimini's purpose is to remove carbon for good. To achieve this, it is convening engineers, environmentalists, communities, investors, and innovators to scale the market for carbon removals, with the aspiration of transforming our economies from carbon emitters to carbon removers. For more information, visit elimini.com.