- Area:
- Scotland
- Programme:
- Community Spaces Scotland
- Release date:
- 28 2 2012
Four groups from the Highlands and Islands with big plans for shaping their local neighbourhoods are today sharing the first grants worth £2.8 million from the Big Lottery Fund’s Community Spaces programme.
Across Scotland, 24 communities will make the most of their local areas by bringing people together to improve and enjoy a range of community spaces including community halls and centres, allotments, gardens and community woodlands.
Announcing the first awards, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn, said: "When we launched Community Spaces we knew that it had the potential to have a lasting impact in many local communities across Scotland. Whether it’s transforming an underused building into a bustling community centre, improving access to a local woodland or creating a community garden, these projects will bring together local people to enjoy and improve the places that matter to them. Each successful group will develop a community space that is unique to their local area which in many cases will provide a renewed focus for community cohesion.”
Cancer Link Aberdeen & North offers a wide range of support services for patients, carers and families of anyone affected by cancer on Orkney. Thanks to an award of £103,549 the group will be able to create a therapy garden adjacent to their centre in Kirkwall. Once completed the garden will be open to all and will also be used by local groups on the island.
Karen Scott, CLAN Cancer Support Orkney Co-ordinator, believes the garden will make a huge difference to the development of the centre. She said, “We were over the moon when we received the news from the Big Lottery Fund. We believe enjoying the lovely fresh air and doing even the gentlest of physical exercise is great for both the mind and body. Our aim is to create a lovely relaxing area which both our clients and the wider Orkney community can use in a number of different ways and will benefit from when they visit us.
“This grant will mean we will be able to develop the garden area at our centre, providing a sensory garden, as well as raised flower beds which we hope our clients and the public will enjoy helping us to tend to throughout the year. We really cannot thank the Big Lottery Fund enough for its continued support.”
Merkinch Community Centre Association will now be able to complete their refurbishment project and refit the centre’s kitchen, bringing it up to modern health and safety standards. Thanks to an award of £58,496 they will be able to install a new extraction system, cookers, worktops, cabinets, sinks, a dishwasher, and freezer and upgrade the walls and floors in the kitchen.
Ann McCreadie, Chairperson, said: “We are delighted that the Big Lottery Fund has given us this award and we see it as a real vote of confidence of our work in the centre. Having this money will enable us to completely refurbish our old kitchen and buy all the new equipment we require. Once our new kitchen is ready it will complete our refurbishment programme and enable us to attract more community groups to use the centre’s facilities and allow us to run many more events.”
A much loved community hall in Sutherland will be fully restored, thanks to an award of £74,845. Bonar Bridge Community Hall will use the money to install new toilets, build properly insulated storage facilities and a new community kitchen. The hall is used by local people for a wide range of activities including keep fit, kick boxing, whist drives and music clubs.
Colin Morrice, Bonar Bridge Community Hall Chair, believes once the renovations are completed the hall will be used for an even wider range of activities. He said: “The whole community is delighted that the final phase of the village hall refurbishment can now proceed, providing modern toilets, improved storage and external repairs and painting. The enhanced accommodation will be greatly appreciated by all of our regular users and enable us to attract even more new bookings such as meetings and conferences, weddings and family parties. The Big Lottery Fund investment in the fabric of the building secures the future of the hall as the hub of community life.”
The Pickaquoy Centre on Orkney has also received an award of £146,864 for its Orkney Climbing Wall Project. The group will be able to use the money to construct a new nine metre high climbing wall at the centre.
Further Information
For more details contact the Big Lottery Fund Press Scotland Office
0141 242 1458 or 07789 033457
BIG advice line: 0300 123 7110 Textphone: 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 46% 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 June 2004. BIG 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 £26 billion has now been raised and more than 330,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
- The Scotland Committee, led by Chair Maureen McGinn, has been making Big Lottery Fund decisions on Scottish projects since March 2007. As well as taking devolved decisions on Lottery spending, the Committee 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 and 2014 Communities.
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