WIREDGOV

Two of Scotland’s canals will soon be thriving with community spirit thanks to the latest grants from Awards for All Scotland as National Lottery funding of £1,095,080 is shared by 150 grassroots groups from Edinburgh to Inverness.

Click this link to find out which projects have been funded in your area

In Fountainbridge, Edinburgh a new community building can now go ahead next to the Union Canal to provide a community hub. The Fountainbridge Canalside Initiative will use their£3540 award to provide a meeting place for community workshops, markets and gatherings.  Local residents will be encouraged to come together and learn through creative workshops about the local areas layout and history. The community will use their new found skills to build and decorate the hub.

Jane Jones, Fountainbridge Canalside Initiative, Secretary, said: “Fountainbridge Canalside Initiative were thrilled to hear about our award - a lot of effort is going into building our community hub but the most important thing is for it to quickly become a tiny centre of activity and a space for innovative ideas. The grant will let this dream begin to become a reality.”

In Falkirk, Friends of the Charlotte Dundas will use their £5,550 award to develop architect drawings for a potential 2 kilometre canal heritage trail. The trail is intended to start at the Forth and Clyde canal from the Big Lottery funded Helix Park to where the Forth and Clyde Canal meets the River Carron. The architect drawings will ensure the trail is accessible to all people with different needs.

Based in Inverness, Merkinch Community Centre will use their £6720 award to offer a range of activities to adults with learning disabilities, including drama, line dancing and outings.

Meanwhile an award of £4,941 will enable Heal The Earth Ayrshire Ltd to attract more local interest in the garden by upgrading garden equipment and marketing the results.

An Awards for All spokesperson, said yesterday: “Today we have announced over £1 million to help communities across Scotland set up and develop projects run for and by local people. All of these grants are a great way to show the variety of projects that can be funded through Awards for All for people of all ages.”

Awards for All Scotland gives out grants of between £500 and £10,000 to projects that bring communities together to enjoy a range of activities. It is a partnership by sportscotland and Big Lottery Fund. The programme gives out grants of between £500 and £10,000 to projects that bring communities together to enjoy a range of activities.
Groups can download this form here www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/awardsforallscotland

Big Lottery Fund Press contact: Adele Goodfellow
Telephone: 0141 242 1484
Website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Adele’s Twitter: @adelebiglottery #biglottery
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFundScotland

Notes to Editors:

• Awards for All is a joint awards programme from the Big Lottery Fund and sportscotland.
• Awards for All makes grants to help people take part in arts, sport, social, environmental, health related, educational and other community activities.
• Awards for All re-opened to applications on 4 August with a simpler applications process and a renewed focus on funding smaller organisations with an annual turnover of less than £250k (except for schools).