Rural Funding
Opportunities Guide
This Government has a clear purpose - to create a more successful country with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish. A key part of making this happen is to help communities work together to change things in their areas. That is why we are committed to community empowerment.
Many rural communities already lead the way. Their drive, determination, talent and imagination have made a great difference in their areas. All of us can enjoy the benefits that rural Scotland brings, whether we live and work there or just visit. Other rural communities are starting the journey towards taking control over what matters to them and making real and lasting change.
When we developed our Community Empowerment Action Plan ( www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/regeneration/engage/empowerment ), people told us they wanted information on existing examples of empowerment and practical help for those who want to take action.
Providing grants to communities is one of the key practical actions that the Scottish Government takes to support community empowerment. In this leaflet, you will find information about grant assistance from the Scottish Government, its agencies and bodies. You will also find contact points to help you get started.
Taken together these funding streams total approximately £180m 1 of Scottish Government and European funding over the three-year period 2008/11. Each of the grant schemes is open to rural community groups.
On the Scottish National Rural Network website ( www.ruralgateway.org.uk ), you will be able to learn about some of the rural communities making a real difference in their areas. These are inspirational.
I hope this will help you take forward plans for rural development in your area.
Working together we can grow vibrant, thriving rural communities, helping Scotland to prosper.
I wish you every success with your plans!
Richard Lochhead
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment
Introduction
The Scottish Government, its agencies and public bodies, make available grant assistance promoting wider rural development, local innovative projects and social, economic and environmental benefits.
These are open to rural as well as other communities.
The short descriptions and contact points in this leaflet aim to help you and your community find information.
Lottery funding may also help. Awards for All Scotland puts lottery money back into local communities by giving grants of between £500 and £10,000. It funds projects that improve opportunities for people to take part in arts, sport and community activities and can fund a wide range of organisations. Full details can be found on the website at www.awardsforall.org.uk/index-scotland.html . You can also contact the Information Team for advice on 0870 240 2391 or email them at Scotland@awardsforall.org.uk .
You can get advice on other forms of lottery funding by calling the National Lottery funding helpline on 0845 275 0000, textphone 0845 275 0022 or visit the website at www.lotteryfunding.org.uk/scotland.htm .
To learn about other rural communities, what's happening over rural Scotland and have your say about the issues of the day, visit www.ruralgateway.org.uk
Rural Development
As part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme ( SRDP), Rural Development Contracts ( RDC) - Rural Priorities is a competitive scheme which supports the delivery of environmental, social and economic benefits.
Visit www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Rural/SRDP/RuralPriorities for more information or contact:
ARGYLL Bill Dundasbill.dundas@scotland.gsi.gov.uk , 01631 563071
AYRSHIRE Gregor Caldwellgregor.caldwell@scotland.gsi.gov.uk , 01292 291300
BORDERS John Douganjohn.dougan@forestry.gsi.gov.uk , 01387 272440
CLYDE VALLEY Keith Wishartkeith.wishart@forestry.gsi.gov.uk , 01698 368530
DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY Chris Mileschris.miles@snh.gov.uk , 01387 247010
FORTH IainRennickiain.rennick@snh.gov.uk , 0131 654 2466
GRAMPIAN Stewart Johnstonstewart.johnston@scotland.gsi.gov.uk , 01467 626222
HIGHLAND Anne Raeanne.rae@scotland.gsi.gov.uk , 01463 234141
NORTHERN ISLES John Uttleyjohn.uttley@snh.gov.uk , 01595 693345
OUTER HEBRIDES David MacLennandavid.maclennan@snh.gov.uk , 01851 705258
TAYSIDE Syd Housesyd.house@forestry.gsi.gov.uk , 01738 442830
Local Development Projects
LEADER local partnerships support local innovative projects which deliver strategic aims reflecting the needs and requirements of the local area. LEADER is a bottom up form of support aimed at building community capacity and confidence and empowering local communities. Some £58m funding is available under LEADER through the SRDP.
Visit www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Rural/SRDP/LEADER or contact:
ARGYLL AND THE ISLANDS Sheila McLeanSheila.Mclean@argyll-bute.gov.uk, 01631 564424
Lorna ElliotLorna.Elliot@argyll-bute.gov.uk, 01631 563016
AYRSHIRE Sarah Bairdsarah.baird@south-ayrshire.gov.uk, 01292 673765
CAIRNGORMS Patricia Methvenpatriciamethven@cairngorms.co.uk, 01479 870515
DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY Ros McNayroslyn.mcnay@dumgal.gov.uk, 01387 850228
EAST RENFREWSHIRE Suzanne TyrrellSuzanne.tyrrell@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk 0141 577 3792
FIFE Barbara Solwaybarbara.solway@fife.gov.uk, 08451 555555 Ex 441006
FORTH VALLEY AND LOMOND Anne-Michelle Ketteridgeketteridgea@stirling.gov.uk, 01786 443123
HIGHLAND Nicole Wallacenicole.wallace@highland.gov.uk, 01463 702524
Nicola Ewingnicola.ewing@hient.co.uk, 01349 855217
KELVIN VALLEY Paul KaneKanePaul@northlan.gov.uk, 01698 302834
MORAY David Watsondavid.watson@moray.gov.uk, 01343 563265 Ex 3265
ORKNEY ISLANDS Alister Brownalister.brown@orkney.gov.uk, 01856 873535 Ex 2855
OUTER HEBRIDES Kathlene MacDonaldkathlene.macdonald@cne-siar.gov.uk, 01851 709418
RENFREWSHIRE Jenny Goughjenny.gough@renfrewshire.gov.uk, 0141 842 5270
RURAL ABERDEENSHIRE Vicky Thomsonvicky.thomson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk, 01467 628383
RURAL TAYSIDE Rita CallanderCallanderrb@angus.gov.uk, 01307 473305
SCOTTISH BORDERS Samantha Smithscotbordersleader@scotborders.gov.uk, 01835 826661
SHETLAND ISLANDS Sheila Keithleader@shetland.gov.uk, 01595 744967
SOUTH LANARKSHIRE Chris Parkinchris@ruraldevtrust.co.uk, 01555 665064
TYNE ESK Jayne Adamsonjadamson@eastlothian.gov.uk, 01620 827101
WEST LOTHIAN Avril Wallaceavril.wallace@westlothian.gov.uk, 01506 777916
Social Regeneration
There is a range of funding opportunities.
VOLUNTEERING SCOTLAND GRANT SCHEME reopens in April 2009. It provides small grants of up to £5,000 and some larger grants of up to £35,000 to charities that want to involve harder-to-reach volunteers or volunteers who need additional support to get involved.
Contact: Voluntary Action Fund, 01383 620780, Alison.Stevenson@voluntaryactionfund.org.uk
SCOTTISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (WOMEN'S FUND FOR SCOTLAND) provides grant funding to community organisations and charities to improve the quality of life of women and girls in Scotland, supporting development, self-sufficiency, and economic and social equality.
Contact: Nick Addington, 0131 524 0300, Nick@scottishcf.org
SPORTSMATCH supports grass roots sport projects that encourage participation at community level, especially youth groups. It aims to match commercial business sponsorship on a pound-for-pound basis.
Contact: Sportscotland, Caledonia House, Edinburgh, EH12 9DQ, 0131 317 7200
BUILDING FOR SPORT PROGRAMME includes the possibility of provision or upgrading of any facilities used for sport in the general community. This should marry up with the strategic plan of a local authority or of a governing body.
Contact: Sportscotland, Caledonia House, Edinburgh, EH12 9DQ, 0131 317 7200
WIDER ROLE FUND FOR REGISTERED SOCIAL LANDLORDS provides support to Registered Social Landlords to undertake projects tackling poverty and disadvantage in their local communities.
Contact: Angela O'Brien, 0141 305 4152, angela.o'brien@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
SCIENCE ENGAGEMENT GRANTS provide funding for activities that explain science in a fun or engaging way for a public, family or school audience.
Contact: Joanne Ward, 0131 244 3716, scienceengagement@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
COMMUNITY CHEST provides grants of up to £1000 and free training to organisations with less than £25,000 annual income. Current priority areas are South Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire and Inverclyde but applications from all areas welcome.
Contact: Voluntary Action Fund, 01383 620780, Patricia.McKibben@voluntaryactionfund.org.uk
STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES PROGRAMME: HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS ENTERPRISE ( HIE)
Assistance is available to social enterprises and community organisations in the Highlands and Islands to develop income-generating assets and build their capacity to manage those assets, to provide facilities, services and amenities which strengthen local communities.
Contacts:
HIE HEADQUARTERSinfo@hient.co.uk, 01463 234171
HIE ARGYLL AND THE ISLANDSlochgilphead@hient.co.uk, 01546 602281
HIE CAITHNESS AND SUTHERLANDthurso@hient.co.uk, 01847 896115
HIE INNER MORAY FIRTHinverness@hient.co.uk, 01463 713504
HIE INNSE GALLstornoway@hient.co.uk, 01851 703703
HIE LOCHABER, SKYE AND WESTER ROSSfortwilliam@hient.co.uk, 01397 704326
portree@hient.co.uk, 01478 612841
HIE MORAYforres@hient.co.uk, 01309 696000
HIE ORKNEYkirkwall@hient.co.uk, 01856 874638
HIE SHETLANDshetland@hient.co.uk, 01595 693177
Environment
There is a variety of funding opportunities.
CLIMATE CHALLENGE FUND supports local community groups, such as sports clubs, development trusts and schools to make a real difference to climate change by reducing their carbon emissions.
Contact: The Climate Challenge Fund www.infoscotland.com/climatechallengefund, 01786 471333, ccfenquiries@ksbscotland.org.uk
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT COMMUNITIES AND RENEWABLE ENERGY SCHEME provides support and advice to communities on how to maximise benefits from renewable energy.
Contact: James McKenzie, 0141 242 5843 James.mckenzie@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
INCREASE GRANT SCHEME supports the Scottish Government's Zero Waste policy objectives and is open to community sector organisations looking to put forward innovative reduce/re-use/recycle schemes.
Contact: Bert Ward, WRAP Scotland, 07951 346119 bert.ward@wrap.org.uk, www.wrap.org.uk
FORESTRY FOR PEOPLE CHALLENGE FUND helps groups realise the potential contribution of local woodlands to the health, learning and strengthening of communities.
Contact: Craig Dinwoodie, 01698 368530 craig.dinwoodie@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
This document is also available on the Scottish Government website: www.scotland.gov.uk
Language translations and alternative formats of the information in this leaflet are available on request. Please telephone 0131 244 6180