A grand evening for a grand's worth of charity cheques from Caithness Model Club
Caithness Model Club (CMC) was delighted to hand over two £500 cheques for "good local causes" at a balmy summer evening event in Wick last week.
Castletown Youth Club, run by Penny and Colin Gunn, received one cheque while Rognvald Brown accepted the other on behalf of the John O'Groats Mill Trust.
Kenny Gunn chairman of the CMC said: "We're delighted to support local charities and keep the money in the community." The money came from takings at the door for the recent CMC event at the Norseman Hotel in Wick.
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Davie Mackenzie, who managed the club's recent show at the hotel, said: "We hope to keep the club alive by sponsoring these charities. We've done 18 shows up until now, so Kenny and myself are hoping to do another two before we retire and some of the younger folks can take over."
Penny Gunn, representing the Castletown Youth Club, said: "We're a voluntary led organisation providing social and interactive facilities for young people in the village and local community. I run it with my husband Colin and we have no formal set of income so rely on fundraising. We've got lots of future plans in place and this money will be useful for us to increase the opening hours and facilities."
Rognvald talked about the importance of the money towards the refurbishment of a historic mill complex near John O'Groats into a community hub and visitor attraction. "The mill has not been used since 2001 when the last miller, Magnus Houston, died. The John O'Groats Mill Trust intend to open it as a visitor centre and a drop-in centre for the community," he said.
"It will mill again, on a small scale, so Caithness will be able to make its own beremeal. This £500 will reassure funders that the community are behind the project and want it to happen. It's a lot of money anyway but it will leverage a lot more."
Rognvald said that receiving the money was "absolutely wonderful" and will help push forward the project which will hopefully be completed within a couple of years. The mill and other local attractions will be open to the public during Doors Open Day in September.