£4m lift for Far North good causes
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A NEW multi-million-pound community fund which aims to support projects and good causes across the Far North has been launched as part of the creation of a new facility at Dounreay.
The Caithness and North Sutherland Fund has been established to distribute cash which has become available from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority through the development of new low-level waste facilities at the site.
The official launch took place at Caithness Horizons in Thurso on Monday night when representatives from the NDA, Dounreay Site Restoration Limited and CNSF were in attendance to undertake formal signing of the project’s operating agreement.
It was the first time groups from the surrounding area had the chance to meet CNSF representatives and discuss how the money could help their causes. The NDA is providing £4 million of funding; £1m will be made available at the start of construction of the facility, which is expected to be next month, and a further £300,000 in 2014 and each year until 2023.
The aim is to give grants to people and organisations based in Caithness and North Sutherland to increase the attractiveness of the area as a place to live, work and invest.
The fund is placing particular emphasis on achieving environmental, social, cultural and infrastructural improvements within the region.
Fund co-ordinator David Shearer said it is available to help improve the lives of local people.
“The whole point of the fund is to help improve the attractiveness of Caithness and North Sutherland as a place to live as a whole.
“There are guidelines into how the funding will be distributed and, while we will fund some small projects, we would be looking for applicants to fund part of the project themselves.
“But there will be flexibility within the application process and the launch night is a chance to meet the public and to inform them about what we can do for them.”
Voluntary and community organisations, school parent councils, community councils, community groups and community development groups are all eligible to apply.
Those interested can apply for funding of between £1000 and £30,000, and will have to prove what the money will be used for.
Assessors will base their decision on the project’s importance in the community and who will benefit from it. One of their main criterion is they will not offer funding to projects which have been set up before the grant has been offered or to groups in a bad financial state.
NDA executive director for delivery Mark Lesinski attended the launch and signed an operating agreement that governs how the money will be used.
He said the cash is an important part of the NDA’s wider contribution to the local area that can help community-led projects.
“Caithness and North Sutherland is a priority area for the NDA,” he said.
“In addition to the fund, we will continue to support projects in the regeneration programme that aim to bring new jobs to the area.”
CNSF is planning to hold a roadshow later this year throughout the Far North to help promote the fund.
More information is available at www.cnsf.org.uk
