- Area:
- Scotland
- Programme:
- Community Spaces Scotland
- Release date:
- 20 2 2012
Two community projects in the Western Isles are today (MON 20 FEB) sharing in £284,397 of Lottery funding as the Big Lottery Fund announces the first awards from its Community Spaces fund.
Helping communities to make the most of their local areas, today’s Community Spaces funding will be used to upgrade the community hall in Daliburgh, South Uist and improve access to a community woodland in Kershader on the Isle of Lewis.
Announcing the awards while in the Western Isles for the opening of the Urras Business Centre in Galson, Jackie Killeen, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Director, said: "It’s wonderful to be here in the Western Isles to announce the first awards from our Community Spaces programme. Through this fund we want to bring together local people to enjoy and improve the places that matter to them. For the local community in Daliburgh this will mean having a hall which is fit for purpose for a wide range of activities and social gatherings. For local people and visitors to the Isle of Lewis it will open up new opportunities for exploring the popular Aline Community Woodland. Both projects will bring real benefits for hundreds of people and I wish them every success.”
The Southend Community Hall Committee today receives an award of £148,788 to upgrade the facilities at the community hall in Daliburgh, South Uist. This will include new kitchen facilities, improvements to the roof, improved insulation and new windows. The refurbishment will support a range of existing community projects, as well as new activities including a community radio station, concerts and theatre productions.
Ronald MacKinnon, Chairmain, The Southend Community Hall Committee, said: “We are over the moon with this award. The hall lies at the heart of our community and people come from all over to enjoy the range of activities on offer. With these improvements we’ll be able to make sure that the hall is fit for purpose for all of the people who use it from the mother and toddlers group right through to the pensioners who meet there every week.”
Based in Kershader on the Isle of Lewis, Erisort Trading (Aline) Limited receives £135,609 to improve access to the Aline Community Woodland. As well as providing a purpose built track and footpath, the project will also provide educational information on local wildlife and history.
Iain Macleod, Secretary Aline Community Woodland (Erisort Trading (Aline) Ltd), said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this significant investment from the Big Lottery Fund. It will allow us to further develop the woodland for the benefit of our local community and visitors who will have more opportunities to explore the woodland for recreational and educational purposes. The path to be developed will open up the East side of the woodland and for the first time allow easy access down to Loch Seaforth. This will open up a large area of the forest not previously accessible and encourage more people to explore the woodland and learn from the environment.
“We look forward to inviting our local community and supporters of the woodland to participate in volunteer days to help plant trees and other activities and would welcome anyone interested in getting more involved in the woodland to come forward. A public meeting will be held soon to discuss the proposed project and the opportunities to get involved.”
From developing allotments, parks and community gardens through to improving village halls and community centres, Community Spaces aims to improve local spaces and places, providing somewhere better for people to come together to be healthier, happier and more active. The next round of the programme will open to applications in June 2012.
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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