£5000 awarded to John O'Groats Development Trust for Covid-19 response

WIND farm funding of £5000 has been awarded to John O'Groats Development Trust to strengthen the community response to the Covid-19 crisis.

The money has come from the Greencoat Stroupster Community Fund through Foundation Scotland.

The trust, working alongside the Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council, is part of the Caithness Resilience Partnership convened by Highland Council which is seeking to ensure supplies of essential goods go to those who are in need.

The grant will be used for a range of activities, including:

• Covering costs included in the food supply chain – including buying food up front to create stocks of basics
• Provision of subsidised food or waiving payment for those most in need and without the funds to buy in advance
• Delivery costs, including some reimbursement of fuel costs to the volunteer network
• Provision of hot food to the most vulnerable via local suppliers
• Enabling the collection and delivery of medicines for people who cannot get to the local surgery or pharmacy

Andrew Mowat, a John O’Groats Development Trust director and volunteer, said: “With the severe disruptions to the supply chain, the suspension of most public transport networks and the risk of infection in populated spaces, we knew we were needing to pull out all the stops to keep things going for people.

"We developed a plan using local businesses that have ceased trading but still had access to the supply chain to be able to provide groceries and hot meals.

“This is an extraordinary situation and we were in urgent need of help. The quick turnaround by Foundation Scotland and the Greencoat Stroupster Community Fund meant that, once we had the plan on paper, we had the money in the bank to start work within six days – which was exactly the sort of response we needed.”

Bill Mowat, a volunteer serving on the Greencoat Stroupster Community Fund Panel, said: “I commend the initiative of the John O'Groats Development Trust in the context of a £5000 award from the Greencoat Stroupster Community Fund."

Eilidh Coll, Caithness-based representative of Foundation Scotland, said: “This award to the local trust will make it possible for volunteers to take care of people’s basic needs in these unusual times.

"People who find themselves unable to leave their homes, or perhaps become too sick to cook meals for their families, will be able to call on the John O’Groats trust for help.

"If this £5000 award saves even one person from having to take unnecessary risks or reduces the stress borne by even a single resident then that, to me, is a good outcome.”

For more information on the Greencoat Stroupster Community Fund, go to https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/programmes/stroupster

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.