- Area:
- Scotland
- Programme:
- Community Spaces Scotland
- Release date:
- 19 3 2013
Grassroots community groups across Scotland are celebrating today (19 MAR) as they share almost £5 million in grants from the National Lottery. The funding, from Big Lottery Fund’s Community Spaces Scotland scheme, allows local people to get together and shape their neighbourhood.
The Highlands and Western Isles are home to seven of those projects sharing a total of £814,818.
The Community Spaces Scotland scheme from the Big Lottery Fund helps rejuvenate local areas across the country. From developing allotments, parks and community gardens through to improving village halls and community centres, the fund will improve local spaces and places, providing somewhere better for people to come together to be healthier, happier and more active.
Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn, said: "A total of £814,818 goes to seven projects in the Highlands and Western Isles helping local communities to develop garden projects, revitalise neglected parks, create pathways and refurbish a village hall. The Community Spaces programme offers local people the chance to get together and have a say in the future of their community, so I’m delighted to be announcing this funding today. We want this investment to help create ties, binding local people together, while improving those community spaces which matter to them.”
Garadh a Bhagh a Tuath started in 1999 as a social enterprise market garden and garden centre in Northbay on the Isle of Barra. It’s developed to provide opportunities for volunteering and as location for adults who have physical, mental and learning disabilities to take part in gardening activities including the production and sale of plants, flowers, fruit and vegetables. The Garden Expansion project will use their Community Spaces grant of £78,614 to reclaim unused land for cultivation which means the project can grow more fruit, vegetables and plants. A pick your own fruit area will be developed, trial beds created, 700 trees planted, and a gifted garden designed by the community will be developed. The project will benefit virtually the whole community as it means increased access to locally grown, affordable fresh fruit and vegetables from on-site sales, weekly sales in Castlebay Square and monthly produce sales.
Peggy Maclean, Garadh a Bhagh a Tuath Committee member, said: The Committee of Garadh a Bhagh a Tuath would like to say a huge thank you to Big Lottery Fund Scotland for their commitment to supporting our project over the next two years. It will make a big difference in our ability to grow our people and our plants. Moran Taing.”
To view the other Highland and Western Isles projects, and to find out if a group near you has received Community Spaces funding, please access the attached grants table
Frances Chisholm, Press Team Scotland: 0141 242 1458
Public Enquiries Line: 0300 123 7110
Text phone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Notes to Editors
• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since its inception in 2004 BIG has awarded close to £6bn.
• The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £29 billion has now been raised and more than 383,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
• The Scotland Committee has been making Big Lottery Fund decisions on Scottish projects since March 2007. As well as taking devolved decisions on Lottery spending, the Committee, led by Chair, Maureen McGinn, has and will continue to play a strategic role in the future direction of BIG in Scotland.
• The Big Lottery Fund is investing in Scotland’s communities through its Investing in Communities portfolio, as well as the small grants schemes Awards for All, Investing in Ideas, Communities and Families and 2014 Communities.
Tags