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£1.2M green fingers Lottery boost for community gradening projects

An allotments association, an environmental improvement club, a nursery school and two local growers groups are just five community gardening schemes to receive a Lottery funding award.

The horticultural projects are among a wide range of the latest 159 projects across Scotland sharing over £1,236,000 of National Lottery funding from small grants scheme Awards for All Scotland.

Find out where funding has gone in your area in the attached table

In West Dunbartonshire, Castlegreen Allotments Association will use their £8,331 grant for a secure storage container and petrol driven gardening equipment to improve their allotment plots.

Andy Unick, Secretary of Castlegreen Allotments Association, said: “We are very pleased in being successful in receiving our grant. We are now able improve the grass paths with reinforcing mesh ensuring good footing in wet weather. The tools will make it easier for older members to cultivate their allotments. Well done Awards for All!”

In Glasgow, Urban Roots Initiative plans to fund a community ranger and a sessional worker at its “Nature for All” environmental improvement project at Malls Mire nature reserve in the south east of the city thanks to a grant of £9,919.

Tom Cooper, Community Ranger at Urban Roots Initiative, said: “We are delighted that our application for funding was successful. The project is designed to support more people to enjoy Scotland’s nature by using Malls Mire nature reserve to give people in Glasgow experiences in wildlife that will hopefully inspire them to come back or explore some of Glasgow’s amazing wild spaces.” 

In South Lanarkshire, Cathkin Community Nursery will use its £9,716 award to buy new sheltered dens and develop its garden area, creating a stimulating, environmentally-friendly outdoor space for pupils.

Michelle Lipsett, Early Years Worker at Cathkin Community Nursery, said: “It is great news to receive this grant which will be used to purchase two sheltered den spaces to enable us to gather in all weathers. Two new exploration tables will also help to encourage children’s investigation and curiosity skills. A big thank you to the Big Lottery Fund Scotland for the money which will help equip our children and future generations to come with fantastic life skills and real life learning experiences.”

Another horticultural group to receive a grant from the scheme is Clydeview Growing Groupin Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute. Their £4,450 award will be used to set up a communal gardening space to provide outdoor activities and a sense of community for residents of the local Dunbritton Housing Association.

Nigel Stevenson, Chair of Clydeview Growing Group, said: “We are delighted with this award which means we can now get started with the creation of our garden plots. A lot of the residents here previously owned houses with gardens and miss the enjoyment of cultivating a garden. The plots will provide a great base to grow healthy fruit and vegetables and also provide opportunities for social interaction among residents.”
  
Also in Argyll and Bute, Glenshellach Growers will use its £7,305 award to improve their garden growing spaces by creating more raised beds to benefit the small community situated near Oban.

Duncan Woodward, Chair of Glenshellach Growers, said: “All members of our garden project are really pleased to have been awarded such generous sum by Awards For All. We are still in the early days, but this award will definitely secure the project’s long term future by allowing us to build a solid and well designed base from which to grow, literally. All we need now is a break in the rain!”

An Awards for All Scotland spokesperson, said: “Today we have announced over £1.2 millionof grants that will bring some green shoots help to communities across Scotland by helping them set up and develop a wide spectrum of projects run for and by local people. What is clear is the smallest amount of funding can often make the biggest difference to people’s lives. 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: Colin Calder
Telephone: 0141 242 1484
Email:        colin.calder@biglotteryfund.org.uk
Website:     www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Twitter:     @BIGScotland #biglottery
Facebook:   www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFundScotlandGoes to different website

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 welcomes applications and focuses on funding smaller organisations with an annual turnover of less than £250k (except for schools).
Channel website: https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/

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