Six Projects Benefit From Over £85k In CNS Fund Latest Funding

9th March 2020

Six community projects are to benefit from over £85k of funding following the Caithness & North Sutherland Fund's latest grant awards.

CNSFund Chairperson 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 contributes towards promoting and enhancing our communities."

Caithness Community Connections was granted £30,000 towards delivering a two-year programme of young people sessions and social activities within 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 services within the rural coastal village.

Heather Urquhart, Caithness Community Connections Project Co-ordinator 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 Ormlie Community Association towards costs associated with developing and administering a programme of community services and activities to support vulnerable people living in the Ormlie, Thurso and 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 purchase new equipment and tartan dress uniforms that will enhance the traditional pipe 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 £2,000 to help with costs of hosting a four-day John O'Groats Book Festival event in April 2020. The festival will offer numerous sessions and workshop events for people to attend and will have presentations from professional writers covering various literature themes. The festival will also include school visits to encourage young people as well as aspiring writers and visitors to the event.

Sea Watch Foundation was granted £1,800 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. Whilst 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 an attractive destination for marine animal sightings.

The CNSFund 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 at the CNSFund website, www.cnsf.org.uk or by phoning 07841 204 982. The deadline for applications for the next funding round is the 20th of March.