LEADER fund distributed across Park

The most recent awards from the European funded LEADER programme have just been announced by the Cairngorms Local Action Group following its most recent meeting.

They are:

Nethybridge Community Centre is awarded £7,000.00 to acquire land behind the Nethybridge Community Hall with the funding to be used towards the costs of the legal fees for the acquisition of the land.

Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland gets £33,150.00 over two years to implement a strategic programme of mink control in Northern Scotland.

Laggan Forest Trust has secured £122,320.82 over three years, which will go towards employing business development staff. The aim is to turn Laggan Forest Initiative development activities into planned, funded and deliverable projects, developing ideas proposed by the community that will lead to financial sustainability and make significant steps towards achieving the overarching vision for the forest.

Scotways has been awarded £41,000 over two years for their Cairngorms Paths to Heritage, which will pull all existing information together to make a more accessible web resource and learning tool for communities, visitors and schools.

The Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust has been given £27,990.00 over two years, towards the cost of leasing a minibus to transport the young people involved in the Construction Skills Training project.

A European funded programme operating across the Cairngorms National Park, New LEADER is managed by the Cairngorms Local Action Group with funding support from the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and Scottish Natural Heritage and runs until 2013.

Patricia Methven, Grants Manager at the CNPA said: “Significant funds are still available until the end of 2013 with an additional £340,000 allocated for community facility projects, community centres, village halls and facilities for young people. Activities underpinning economic development, signposting and interpreting local path networks, improving access to broadband, heritage interpretation, training for work and many more types of project may also be considered for support.”

The next deadline for applications is 24 September 2010. For more information and project examples visit the Cairngorms Local Action Group website or contact Patricia Methven on tel: 01479 870543.