For their community council has teamed up with the Ewe Hill Windfarm operator Scottish Power Renewables to give every household in both villages £50 worth of Love Annan shopping vouchers.
They will be distributed in the next week and can be used in over 30 shops in Annan.
Explaining the move, Middlebie and Waterbeck Community Council chairman Peter Hands said: “We delighted to be able to support all households in this area at this challenging time.
“There are just over 200 households in the MWCC area, so the voucher initiative is putting over £10k into direct local support
“Historically, windfarm funds have been used to support local organisations with specific projects. Over time, the needs of the local community have changed and ScottishPower Renewables recognised that and have been happy to support this initiative.
“We hope that our community enjoy a little local shopping as we approach Christmas, helping local businesses along the way.”
And Barry Carruthers, of ScottishPower Renewables, added: “Middlebie and Waterbeck Community Council’s decision to provide every household in its area with £50 of Love Annan gift vouchers will be very welcome indeed and will make a real difference for people at what is always a more costly time of the year. It’s always great to see how our community benefit funds are used by the local organisations who have the power to decide how and when their funding is spent.
“And this scheme is benefitting local people in two ways – not only putting additional spending power directly into their hands, but by providing guaranteed income for local shops and businesses. It’s a real win-win and we’re proud this support has been delivered thanks to our Ewe Hill windfarm and the clean, green electricity it provides.”
