Six community projects share £85,000 from Caithness and North Sutherland Fund
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Six community projects are to benefit from over £85,000 in the latest round of grant awards from Caithness and North Sutherland Fund (CNSF).
Fund chairman David Glass said: “Our latest grant awards helps to support a wide range of projects including initiatives that focus on delivering social improvements. The funding will also support various events being hosted in our area, all of which contribute towards promoting and enhancing our communities.”
Caithness Community Connections was given £30,000 towards delivering a two-year programme of young people's sessions and social activities in the Lybster area. The programme will include weekly early-years sessions and youth clubs as well as holiday term activities to improve access to young people's services within the village.
Heather Urquhart, Caithness Community Connections project coordinator, said: "We are very grateful for the generous funding and support provided by CNSF to part-fund this project. It gives us a firm foundation over the next two years and a strong footing to attract the necessary match-funding in the very near future.
"The young people of Lybster highlighted that they wanted to see youth activities taking place in their own village. This funding helps secure weekly and holiday activities for them and allows us to plan a wide range of services so as many children and young people as possible can participate."
Other awards included £30,000 to Thurso's Ormlie Community Association towards costs associated with developing and administering a programme of community services and activities to support vulnerable people living in Ormlie and the surrounding area.
Thurso Pipe Band was awarded £12,000 towards the costs of replacing and improving its 20-year-old band equipment and uniforms to bring it up to modern standards. The funding will help to buy new equipment and tartan dress uniforms that will enhance the band’s many public performances at community events and shows.
The Scottish Surfing Federation was awarded £10,000 towards costs of holding the 2020 British Surfing Championships and British Cup in April. The event will be based at the new Thurso East surfing facilities and will be open to all to spectate.
The competition will be streamed live online and a video production of the surfing event will also be carried out to promote tourism and further highlight the area as a world-class surfing venue.
John O’Groats Development Trust was awarded £2000 to help with costs of hosting the four-day John O'Groats Book Festival in April. The festival will offer numerous sessions and workshop events and will have presentations from professional writers.
The festival will also include school visits.
Sea Watch Foundation was granted £1800 to deliver a nine-day Orca Watch event in May that will include training members of the public as citizen scientists to monitor and record marine mammals around the north coast. While based at John O’Groats, the event will also include presentations at various community venues as well as in local schools and will promote the area as a destination for marine animal sightings.
CNSF is funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and distributes money to community projects that increase the attractiveness of Caithness and north Sutherland as a place to live, work and invest.
Applications are assessed on a quarterly basis and information on how to apply can be found here or by calling 07841 204 982. The deadline for applications for the next funding round is March 20.
Since its inception, CNSF has committed over £2.3 million to 178 projects in Caithness and north Sutherland. The total value of these projects is estimated to be in excess of £9m.
