Six groups invited to progress Community Challenge Fund bids
21st February 2013
Six Highland community groups have been selected to progress bids for funding from The Highland Council’s new Community Challenge Fund, which will provide £1 million for community projects exploring new ways of delivering services at a local level. The groups are Nairn Cricket Club, Kinlochleven Community Trust, Lochalsh Sports Association, Kyle and Lochalsh Community Trust, Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston Community Company and Lochaber Sports Association.
Their bids were considered to meet the criteria for funding and the Council will be in touch with them to advise on the next stage of the bidding process. Another 20 community groups which expressed interest have been signposted to other funding streams, such as Business Gateway.
Chairman of the panel of elected members, which considered the expressions of interest, is Councillor David Alston, Depute Leader of the Council. He is delighted with the response to the first round of funding.
He said: “By the 1 February deadline, we received 35 expressions of interest which demonstrates the eagerness of our local communities to become more involved in their communities. We have invited 6 groups to proceed to the next stage and another 20 will benefit by being signposted to existing funding sources.”
The Community Challenge Fund takes forward the Council’s commitment to local communities.
Councillor Alston added: “We believe community groups are best placed to understand local needs and many have ideas about how services can be better delivered under local control. We are now providing communities with the opportunity to make these ideas a reality – and we are backing our commitment with a substantial budget. I know that the response will demonstrate the creativity and commitment of community organisations across the Highlands.”
Any groups with good ideas that fit the criteria can submit an expression of interest on-line for the next round of the scheme by 1 May.
Projects should: -
1. Deliver the same level of Council service at a lower cost and be sustainable going forward,
or
2. Provide a higher level of Council service for the same cost and be sustainable going forward,
or
3. Help to reduce the Council’s costs for maintaining premises, by taking on the maintenance and running costs going forward with a one-off fund contribution.
Community Challenge Fund Information
http://www.highland.gov.uk/livinghere/communitiesandorganisations/communitychallengefund.htm
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council. Convener of the Council, Cllr Bill Lobban said: "I am delighted to say that Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council.
As intimated in Highland Council's budget plan, a new senior management structure is to be implemented following approval by Council 14th March. It reconfigures the senior management team into two layers, rather than three and brings Highland Council into line with other benchmarked authorities.
Today, Morrison Construction introduced some of their local apprentices who are working on the UK Governments' Levelling Up Funded refurbishment project at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness. All these apprentices have been recruited from the Highland area.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.
The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate. The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate.
Following the success of its Business Digital Grant scheme launched last year, The Highland Council is delighted to announce further funding. This is to help Highland companies access digital support alongside other business growth support.
The Highland Council is delighted to confirm a highly successful second year for Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights between Wick and Aberdeen. The period from April 2023 to March 2024 has seen a substantial increase in passenger numbers, with several months seeing over 1,000 passengers using the service, and overall the service has seen year on year growth of 25%.
Members of Highland Council, who met on Thursday 14 March 2024, approved a corporate Digital Ambition, which has been designed to deliver significant organisational change across Council services, recognising the current priorities within the organisation. The Strategy, which is embedded within the wider Council Delivery Plan, has been developed to focus attention and resources on areas of change which will deliver the greatest benefit to the Council.
The Council remains committed to supporting mentoring in our schools, including the support that is currently delivered through the MCR Pathways programme. Highland Council is currently undertaking a review of Employability Support provided by a number of different council services and how these relate to the work carried out by external partners and in our schools.
Highland Council members have considered and agreed a revised draft Highland Outcome Improvement Plan. The partnership plan has been reviewed and updated by the Community Planning Partnership.
