£195.6k Awarded To Sutherland Community Regeneration Projects

14th May 2024

A number of applications were awarded Community Regeneration Funding totalling £195,872.38 in Sutherland.

Community Regeneration Funding is an umbrella term for a number of funds that are available for communities and organisations to access in Highland.

Go Golspie were awarded £30,071.00 to continue the employment of their Development Manager post. The Development Manager has previously been involved in securing funding towards the YMCA refurbishment, securing and expanding the organisation's community transport offering, and helping Fountain Road Hall recover from the pandemic.

The Scourie Community Development Company were also awarded funding £18,309.00 towards the continuation of their freelance Development Officer post. The Development Officer will primarily progress work on two key projects, namely the Safe Route to Scourie School and the construction of 9 affordable homes.

Essential and environmentally friendly maintenance equipment will be purchased by Durness Golf Club with help from community regeneration funding of £10,025.00. The popular golf course is a main sporting facility in North-West Sutherland.

Sutherland Access Rangers will be in place to patrol popular visitor locations and engage with communities, businesses, and visitors during the peak tourism season. The Highland Council was awarded £100,000.00 for the provision of three posts within the service.

Assynt Leisure will work to establish a Learning Hub with £16,125.67 of community regeneration funding. The supervised learning space will provide evening homework study sessions, senior pupils can drop-in during their study leave, and essential remote study sessions during extreme weather when road conditions are affected.

The third phase of the Loch Clash Regeneration will progress with help from £21,341.71 of awarded funding. The Kinlochbervie Community Company will look to carry out key work following on from the second phase of the project including installing new grey waste and chemical waste disposal areas, refurbishing the picnic area and planting trees behind this area, and creating accessible paths for the community.

Cllr Hugh Morrison, Sutherland Area Vice Chair, was delighted at the array of projects which will make a difference to communities in the area, commenting: "The applications discussed today are a very good example of the great work that can progress with investment from the community regeneration funding streams. In this batch of applications, we are pleased to assist with supporting the employment of post holders who are working very hard to make a difference in Sutherland through key services and infrastructure projects. We are also looking forward to our children and young people receiving support during the winter months when learning can often be interrupted due to bad weather."