£90,000 for Upper Tweed Community Enterprise
Upper Tweed Community Enterprise receives £90,000 towards the purchase and re-opening of the former village store in the village of Broughton. The shop closed in March 2018 resulting in the loss of five jobs and entailing villagers in a 12 mile round trip for basic provisions.
Christopher Lambton, Chair, Upper Tweed Community Enterprise, said: “It is almost a year since the village shop in Broughton closed abruptly, leaving the village and Upper Tweed area without a key community resource. Since then, the Broughton Shop Development Group, now Upper Tweed Community Enterprise, has been working hard to secure funds to buy and run the shop as a community enterprise. It is not just the board of UTCE but the entire local community that will rejoice to know that we have secured such a generous grant award from the Scottish Land Fund. Securing the support of the Scottish Land Fund was always a key part of our strategy, so it is not just the money but the implied vote of confidence in our collective vision that will bring the dream of a renewed and revitalised village shop closer to reality.”
“The sum awarded includes a substantial contribution towards the purchase of the shop and also includes ringfenced funding for a staff position and essential repairs.
“On behalf of the hard-working board and our consultant Sandra Macaskill I can attest that throughout the application process we have received unstinting support and encouragement, which is deeply appreciated. Scottish Land Fund really does do what it says on the tin.”
Upper Tweed Community Enterprise is one of seven groups across Scotland sharing in £706,126 of Scottish Land Fund cash and Minister, Cabinet Secretary for Land Reform Roseanna Cunningham said of today’s grants: “Today marks an important milestone for the seven projects that have had funding approved by the Scottish Land Fund, enabling local residents to push on with their plans to acquire and develop vital local assets.
“I’m pleased that such a diverse range of projects - from turning a former bank into a business hub in Huntly, to securing land for affordable housing on Raasay – have been successful in their applications, and look forward to these groups now realising their ambitions for community ownership, benefitting communities for years to come.”
John Watt, Scottish Land Fund Committee Chair, said: “The successful projects all share a vision for strengthening their communities and have identified key assets that will enable them to start delivering on their plans. Through the Scottish Land Fund, towns and villages across Scotland are receiving the backing they need to make a real difference in their local areas through bringing land and buildings into community ownership and putting them to good use.”
Sandra Holmes, Head of Community Assets at HIE, said: “These groups are working really hard to make their community ambitions a reality and it’s great that they have secured SLF funding to help achieve this. We are delighted to see seven communities being successful in this round. The awards will bring important assets into community ownership and give them the resources and control they need to deliver exciting projects for the benefit of people living and visiting their areas. We wish them all the very best in their new ventures.”
Other projects receiving Scottish Land Fund cash today are:
Huntly & District Development Trust
Award - £56,500
This group will purchase will purchase the former Royal Bank of Scotland building in the town’s main square in order to develop it as affordable accommodation for small businesses and start-up companies.
Carradale Community Trust
Award - £13,960
This group will purchase 4.75 acres of woodland from Forest Enterprise Scotland in order to create a garden waste recycling facility for the village and to provide access to walks and wider woodland in the area.
Furnace Community SCIO
Award - £164,065
This group will purchase the village shop in Furnace, Argyll, and the adjacent bungalow, in order to maintain essential shop and post office services in this rural community.
Moniaive Initiative
Award - £56,691
Moniaive Initiative will purchase a commercial unit on Moniaive High Street and convert it into a charity shop, information point, office space and multi-purpose accommodation for a variety of local clubs and organisations.
Raasay Development Trust
Award - £68,230
This project will purchase two acres of land in the village of Inverarish to develop four community-owned homes, which will be available for affordable rent, two self-build plots and a plot to be sold to a local Housing Association for the development of a further two homes.
South Cowal Community Enterprises
Award - £256,680
South Cowal Community Enterprises will acquire an established convenience store and Post Office in order to retain the only village shop and they plan to convert the unoccupied upstairs flat into a bunkhouse and community space.
