Caithness & North Sutherland Fund Latest Grants Supports New Facilities

28th September 2021

The Caithness & North Sutherland Fund has recently awarded two grants that will help to create new facilities to enhance outdoor recreation and learning activities.

Wick Golf Club has been granted £30,000 towards the costs of creating a new workshop and coaching facility at the Wick Golf Club grounds. The new building will be used to support the golf club's machinery and maintenance requirements as well as being used for indoor coaching.

Wick Golf Club Captain Alistair Mackay said "The CNSFund grant award is fantastic news and is a major step forward to progressing our much needed facility. Over the years we have continued to make improvements to the golf course and our equipment, which has meant that we now need to expand our existing workshop provision. The new facility will ensure that we can continue to maintain our course grounds efficiently and to the high standards expected with a golf course. It will also enable us to offer indoor coaching which will greatly enhance our junior tutoring, especially over the winter period and in turn will also help to support the club's long term sustainability."

Crossroads Primary School Parent Forum was awarded £6,905 to help with the costs of creating a new outdoor activities facility within the rural school's playground. The facility will consist of a classroom cabin structure and will be used to provide a wide range of extra-curricular outdoor activities to support young people’s development.
Kerry Mackenzie, Crossroads Primary School Parent Forum Chair said. "We were overwhelmed by the support that we have received from the CNSFund. After applying, the fund encouraged us to consider a better facility that would offer the children a more meaningful outdoor learning environment. We are now looking forward to getting our new facility built which the children will use for wildlife and gardening activities, craft activities and exercise sessions as well as for after school clubs and events."

Gillian Coghill, CNSFund Chairperson said "Since the Fund’s inception, we have invested in a number of projects to help improve the quality of golf provision in the area and the new workshop facility at Wick Golf Club further supports this aim. The new outdoor activity facility at Crossroads Primary will enhance the outdoor learning opportunities for young people and we commend the parent forum’s hard work in bringing this project to fruition."

The CNSFund Chairperson also said “We are very keen to encourage more community groups to come forward with projects that meet our aims as we want our funding to help as many groups as possible. We have recently created a Facebook business page to raise further awareness about the CNSFund as well as distributing a poster campaign.”

The CNSFund was established to distribute a £4M funding package provided by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority as a result of the low-level waste facility built near Dounreay. Grants are distributed in line with the NDA’s socio-economic policy with applications being assessed on a quarterly basis. Further information about the CNSFund and how to apply can be found at www.cnsf.org.uk, Facebook or by contacting the Fund Coordinator David Shearer on enquiries@cnsf.org.uk Tel: 07841 204 982.

[b]About Caithness and North Sutherland Fund[/b[
1. Caithness & North Sutherland Fund is a company established by Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL) and Dounreay Stakeholder Group to distribute funding provided by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority as a planning condition associated with the construction of the low-level waste facilities at Dounreay.
2. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority provides £4M funding via DSRL; £1M at the start of construction and £300,000 pa from 2014 to 2023.
3. Funding is distributed in line with the NDA socio economic policy.
4. The Board Directors of Caithness & North Sutherland Fund comprises (i) up to three Highland Councillors from Caithness & North Sutherland nominated by the Highland Council; and (ii) up to six individuals appointed to represent the local community as a result of an open application process.

Photo - Crossroads Primary children extra-curricular gardening activities.