Major boost for South West community groups from the Scottish Land Fund
Five projects across Dumfries & Galloway are set to share in £695,840 following the latest round of funding from the Scottish Land Fund.
The money will allow the groups to take ownership of local assets and put them to use for the benefit of their local communities.
Amongst the groups receiving funding is Annan Harbour Action Group, which has received £98,890 to buy an historic quayside warehouse, along with an area of abandoned land, in order to develop a visitor centre and boatbuilding facilities. The development will include visitor accommodation, a cafe and a maritime heritage centre as part of a longer-term transformation of the harbour basin.
Richard Brodie, Chair, Annan Harbour Action Group, said: “This is great news which will kickstart a major development at Annan Harbour. Now the hard work begins to raise the funds to turn our inspirational ideas into reality.”
And Alan Thomson, Harbour Development Officer, said: “Our project has the potential to reconnect our community with its natural world and celebrate our distinctive local traditions and heritage, so has social regeneration aspirations alongside the more obvious economic and environmental regeneration through the provision of jobs, business activity and the restoration of a damaged landscape.”
Other projects receiving money from the Scottish Land Fund include Dumfries High Street, which will use its £178,200 award to acquire two buildings in order to create enterprise space and affordable homes as part of a contemporary living, working, socialising and learning quarter.
Glentrool and Bargrennan Community Trust has received £110,000 to purchase and renovate three empty houses in order to ensure the continued availability of housing for affordable rent in this remote community.
Keir, Penpont and Tynron Development Trust will use £47,500 to connect three villages by joining-up sections of woodland, farmland and green space in order to create a three-mile-long active travel path.
And Old Luce Development has been given £261,250 to purchase the village’s GP surgery, along with adjacent house, in order to secure the medical facility and to create the opportunity to develop a new GP building.
These awards are amongst 29, totalling £3.6 million, shared by groups across Scotland in the latest round of grants from the Scottish Land Fund.
Land Reform Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham said: “The coronavirus pandemic has continued to set us all unprecedented challenges throughout 2020, acutely affecting local communities right across Scotland, and beyond.
“But despite these challenges – in fact, because of them - communities up and down the country are playing an increasingly vital role in maintaining and building our resilience, our spirit and local support networks.
“I commend the latest recipients of Scottish Land Fund grants for driving forward plans to support and enhance their local areas as part of our Green recovery, in what are clearly difficult circumstances. I am particularly pleased that, through what is the final round of funding for this year, the Scottish Land Fund is supporting such a high number of unique and diverse projects, and I look forward to these projects delivering on their ambitions in the new year.”
Sandra Holmes, Head of Community Assets at HIE, said: “These successful projects announced today are all great examples of people taking control of local resources for the long-term benefit of their communities. We wish all the successful groups the very best in their new ventures.”
And John Watt, Chair, Scottish Land Fund Committee, said: “The wide range of groups across Dumfries & Galloway that are sharing in £695,840 of funding are now in a unique position to take control of land and property assets that will reap rewards for people now and for generations to come.”
