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Pounds to People: a briefing paper on the progress of
the "Communities in the National Park Grant 
Scheme". 
Credit: Aviemore Walking Festival 
Picture not available in text format 
Dicken Higgins 
Programme Management Officer, Strategic Policy and 
Programme Management Group 
May 2004 

Pounds to People: a briefing paper on the progress of 
the "Communities in the National Park Grant 
Scheme". 
Executive summary 
This briefing paper draws together information on the progress so far of the 
Cairngorms National Park Authority’s, "Communities in the National Park Grant 
Scheme", from its launch in early March to mid May 2004. The most significant 
features of progress so far have been; 

-The Board agreed in December 2003, to set up a small grants scheme to help 
communities mark their inclusion in the National Park. 

-A budget of £100,000 was allocated, with the majority from CNPA, and 
£45,000 from the LEADER+ programme. 

-Grant size was decided between £500 to £3000, available for activities this 
financial year. 

-Since the scheme’s launch in March 04, we have received 60 enquiries, 
leading to 15 applications. Of these, 8 have been approved and 5 rejected 
and 2 pending. 

-Most of the approved projects are in Badenoch and Strathspey, with 1 in 
Upper Deeside. 

-This level of activity is in line with expectation. However, we are about to 
undertake a new round of promotion through ParkLife, flyers and a press 
release. 
Finally, the paper calls for support, using the networks of both staff and Board 
members to increase promotion of the scheme to communities throughout the 
National Park. 

Dicken Higgins 
Programme Management Officer,
Strategic Policy and Programme Management Group
May 2004 


Pounds to People: 
a briefing paper on the progress of the"Communities 
in the National Park Grant Scheme". 

Introduction 
1. The Communities in the National Park Small Grants Scheme was 
launched on 15 March 2004 and is intended to assist and encourage 
communities in the National Park to undertake activities and events to 
mark their inclusion in the National Park, and, through this to deepen 
their involvement and commitment to the aims of the National Park. To 
that end, a grant of between £500 and £3,000 is available for events and 
activities related to the 4 aims of the Park, and in particular the natural 
or cultural environment of the National Park in the area in which the 
applicant community is situated. It is also important that the impact of 
the event or activity should continue after it has taken place, and this is 
a criterion in assessing applications. It is not the aim of the Scheme to 
be prescriptive and community groups are being encouraged to be 
innovative and imaginative in the applications that they put forward. 

Background 
2. This scheme is being undertaken under the terms of Section 9 and 
Schedule 2, paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2, of the National Parks (Scotland) 
Act 2000. Approval in principle to set up the scheme was given by the 
Park Board at its meeting on 12th September 2003, when a sub-group of 
the Board was delegated to work up proposals. This Sub-group reported 
back to the Board at its 5th December 2003 meeting when approval to 
proceed with the scheme was agreed and on 2 March 2004 Scottish 
Executive approval was received. 

3. The principles agreed by the Board for the Scheme’s operation are: 
• Events should get people out into the Park both physically and 
imaginatively to enjoy it, understand it better and celebrate it. 
• Events and activities should be open to and involve as wide a cross 
section of society as possible. 
• Where possible, events should be conceived and organised by 
community interests, whether geographical communities or communities 
of interest. 
• The Authority’s support whether through financial or other means 
should be acknowledged in all cases. 

4. The specific objectives of the scheme are as follows: 
a. To support projects involving at least 25 community groups or 
organisations in the National Park area. 
b. To ensure that there is a spread of supported projects across the 
National Park and across the range of community organisations. 
c. To support projects that wherever applicable reflect the National 
Park’s aims of inclusiveness and a "Park for All", and which demonstrate 
that consideration has been given, and implemented in practice, to the 
needs of all sections of the community. 


5. In the original press release about the scheme, Andrew Thin, Convenor 
of the Board, said, "This scheme will enable communities to mark in 
some way the fact that they are part of this very special National Park. 
We want to encourage imaginative and innovative ideas and so the 
range of projects that might be eligible for support is very broad" 
(Appendix 1). 

6. For a detailed description of the operational processes used in 
management of the scheme, see "Cairngorms National Park Authority, 
Communities in the National Park -A small Grants Scheme for 
Community Activities and Events, Guidance notes for Community and 
Voluntary Groups" - previously sent to all Board Members (March 04), 
now available on www.cairngorms.co.uk. 

What was done to launch the scheme? 
7. The launch of the scheme followed comprehensive development of the 
application, processing and feedback systems, and involved a press 
release which appeared in the Strathspey and Badenoch Herald on 17 
March 2004, and the Press and Journal on 18 March 2004 (Appendix 1). 
Additionally, we mailed out Guidance Notes and Application forms to 
approximately 180 organisations active in and around the National Park. 
We have since tried to ensure that those missed in the first mailing 
receive the information. Similarly, an article was also posted on our web 
page in the news section, allowing interested organisations to also 
download the Guidance and Application form. 

8. Internal presentation of the scheme to staff at an all staff meeting led to 
verbal promotion and further awareness raising, as well as take up by 
several Board members, who actively promoted the scheme in their own 
communities. A request for a simple flyer was also met, and this has 
since been available via the Association of Cairngorms Community 
Councils, National Park Offices (both Grantown and Ballater), and via 
the Post office in Newtonmore. Over 100 flyers have already been taken 
by interested persons. 

What has been the response? 
9. As a result of the launch we have had approximately 60 enquiries about 
the scheme, many of which have subsequently been sent application 
packs, or gone to our web page to read more and to download the 
forms. We have also had some contact with other small grant schemes 
operating in the area, and agreed to share proposals which may be of 
interest. This would either be to fund separately or where funds needed 
are greater to share the costs, giving communities the chance to 
increase the scale of their activities or events. 

10. We have also operated a process of reviewing draft proposal ideas, and 
this has lead to clearer and more appropriate final applications being 
submitted. So far we have had received 15 proposals, some of which 
are in the process of refinement, with many other groups preparing their 
applications. 

11. Most interest in the scheme has come from communities such as 
Ballater, Braemar, Logie Coldstone, Laggan, Kingussie, Newtonmore, 
Aviemore, Carrbridge, Nethybridge, Boat of Garten, Grantown and 
Tomintoul. With the majority of applications from community groups from 
Grantown and Newtonmore (also indicated in Fig. 1 below) 

Fig 1. Table not available in text format
Areas of Impact (Approved projects only): 

12. The nature of proposals covers a broad range of community events and 
activities. However, of particular interest has been the growing number 
of proposals from groups identifying with a local figure, and promoting 
awareness of their contribution both locally and to specific fields or 
issues. For example, the Patrick Geddes project, and the Kingussie Arts 
Network tribute to Donald Campbell. 

What have we approved and rejected? 
13. So far we have approved 8 projects, they are; 

• "Carrbridge in Motion" -Carrbridge Community Arts Group, a 
training for young people in film-making, to produce a documentary 
around the idea of their community at this time. The film will later be 
shown in the local community and may be available for other groups 
around the National Park. Viewing expected in July/August. 

• "Out and About in the National Park" -Newtonmore and District 
Floral Art club, part of celebration in the village hall, they will have a 
display with the above title during the Kingussie Folk Museum’s 60th 
Anniversary in 21-22 July. 

• "Awareness and Promotion" -Uphill Ski Club, based at Glenmore, 
will seek to raise awareness about what they are doing, and how more 
people from local communities can get involved in snow sports as 
participants if disabled, or as volunteers supporting others - from Aug. 
04 - Feb. 05. 

• "Patrick Geddes Project" - Ballater (RD) Ltd, preparing an 
exhibition on the local man who has been called the founding father of 
British Town Planning, as well as being an active environmentalist. The 
exhibition will be based in the local tourist information and also involve 
other media and information to raise awareness about Patrick Geddes 
(from Aug - Oct. 04). It will later be available to tour other locations. 

• "Pantomime and Workshops" - Newtonmore Drama Group, to 
write and produce a pantomime for Christmas, including local references 
and references to the National Park. Preparation will also include 
workshops to generate greater interest in drama (Summer workshops, 
performance in Dec. 04) 

•"Ceilidhs in the Cairngorms" -DANNSA, workshops and 
community Ceilidhs in Kingussie, Tomintoul and Braemar in the late 
summer, early autumn. 

• "Gaelic Songs - a tribute to Donald Campbell" -Kingussie Arts 
Network, inspired by local Gaelic bard Donald Campbell's songs. The 
project will bring together interested parties and local singers in talks, 
workshops and a performance to the community in Kingussie (1 Sept. 
04 - 1 Feb. 05). 

• "Model garden" -Grantown Playgroup, information to be shared 
with playgroups around the National Park. Including lessons learnt, 
challenges faced, thinking and ideas that could be replicated by other 
groups. Garden to be completed in August, with media coverage, open 
day and leaflet dissemination across the National Park pre-school 
groups. 

Fig. 3 Calendar of Events and Activities;  
Table not available in text format

14. Of the projects that we have rejected, the majority of these have again 
come from the Badenoch and Strathspey areas. In most cases they did 
not meet the criteria due to a lack of real engagement between the 
community and the National Park or its aims. They also included 
ongoing events looking for funding, and events where our contribution 
would be absorbed into purchase of high cost items such as computers, 
tents or Christmas lights. Those rejected have since been advised on 
redeveloping their proposal and/or re-directed to other potential funding 
sources. 


Are we on target to meet our objectives? 
15. At the start of the scheme, we expected to distribute between 30-40 
grants of up to £3000, to at least 25 community groups around the 
National Park. To date we have approved 8, with a value of £19,408 out 
of a budget of £100,000. See Appendix 2 for the budget breakdown. 

16. Given the lead in time for community groups to discuss and present 
proposals, this level of activity is what we expected. 

17. However, the spread of approved projects is a bit uneven, with a 
particular focus in Badenoch. This is probably the result of a particular 
push by one of the Board members in that area. Whilst w would 
continue to welcome applications from groups in Badenoch, we will 
need to make particular effort to encourage applications from the south 
and east of the National Park. 

What next? 
18. We are about to launch a new round of publicity for the scheme through 
the following routes: 
• The next issue of ParkLife will include an article about the scheme 
and will be a great opening with which to stimulate interest. 

• A new Press Release, will demonstrate how easy it is to access 
these resources. 

• More Flyers will go out to associations and groups who may have a 
wider network in a specific area. 
This should generate renewed interest and lead to more applications. 
However, it is clear that it will be most effective if Board members are 
also able to encourage groups within the National Park to take up this 
opportunity. 
Finally, we will continue to review the progress of the scheme and take 
action as necessary to meet objectives agreed by the Board. 
Dicken Higgins 
23/05/04 dickenhiggins@cairgorms.co.uk 


Appendix 1: Press release: 
Articles published in Strathspey and 
Badenoch Herald (17.03.04) and Piper and Journal (18.03.04) 
Scanned newspaper cuttings not available in text format

Appendix 2: Budget summary 
Income: 
Sources: 
CNPA £55,000 
LEADER+ £45,000 
Total Income: 

Expenditure: 
Approved applications:  
Carrbridge community Arts Group £3,000  
Newtonmore and District Floral Art Club £500
Uphill Ski Club £3,000 
Patrick Geddes Project £2,980 
Newtonmore Drama Group £928 
DANNSA Ceilidh’s in the Cairgorms £3,000 
Grantown Playgroup model garden £3,000 
Kingussie Arts Network £3,000 

Total Expenditure Committed £19,408 
Total Funds as yet uncommitted £80,592