Wick town centre group among projects benefiting from £1m Scotland Loves Local Fund
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A group at the forefront of Wick's town centre regeneration drive has benefited from a £1 million Scotland-wide fund to improve and promote communities.
Wick Development Trust – branded as Wick’s Heart – received £4250 from the Scotland Loves Local Fund towards its efforts to enhance the town centre area and encourage people to shop locally.
Several other projects in Caithness and Sutherland also secured a share of the money, which is aimed at helping communities in their recovery from the impact of the pandemic.
Lybster-based North Lands Creative was awarded £4720 to improve its building to allow safe shopping for locally produced gifts, while the Wick Society received £2480 to help it prepare for the reopening of Wick Heritage Museum in April 2021.
A grant of £15,500 went towards the upgrading and refurbishment of Skerray Village Hall.
Tourism co-operative Venture North received £5000 for a winter promotional campaign, while Durness-based Plastic@Bay was given £1630 towards promoting local crafts.
Highland Food and Drink Club was awarded £5000 for a marketing campaign.
The Scotland Loves Local Fund made more than 200 grants nationally. Funded by the Scottish Government, it aims to support small-scale improvements to promote and enhance places while helping motivate people to shop, eat and relax in their communities and ensuring public safety.
Scotland’s communities secretary Aileen Campbell said: “I am pleased to see our £1 million Scotland Loves Local Fund has reached hundreds of community projects across Scotland.
“This is a unique chance for our communities to improve towns and promote them as better places to live – an opportunity to use the funding to unlock some brilliant creativity. This fund will empower communities by supporting local delivery of projects, to help our towns to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Over the festive season and beyond, I want to encourage our communities to ‘love local’ and remind everyone that money spent locally is more likely to stay in the local economy and support local jobs. We all have a part to play in Scotland’s economic recovery and can do so, while we look out for one another and follow the FACTS guidance.”
The fund is being administered by Scotland’s Towns Partnership as part of its work to spearhead the Scotland Loves Local campaign.
Phil Prentice, chief officer of Scotland’s Towns Partnership, said: “We’re delighted that this funding will bring some brilliant projects across the Highlands to life.
“Whether by supporting local businesses in person or online, money that’s spent locally stays local for longer. Each of these schemes will provide another reason for people to embrace local life.
“We hope these grants will be a great Christmas present to all those benefiting as we encourage everyone to safely support their local businesses however they can during the critical festive shopping period.”
People are being encouraged to follow all safety advice when out shopping and to show kindness to shop workers.
