Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Grants will support community projects
Residents in five rural North Lanarkshire communities are being invited to apply for grants of up to £ 500 to support local projects following the launch of heritage plans for their areas.
New community plans have been drawn up to celebrate the history of Airdrie village Caldercruix, Plains, Upperton and the neighbouring villages of Greengairs and Wattston, as well as the Harthill areas of Eastfield and Greenrigg.
They include ideas for initiatives to celebrate each area’s heritage, plus information on the history of each village and a special children’s version of each plan.
Now community representatives are being invited to apply for the micro heritage grants for small-scale projects taking place by the end of June which will help promote local history to a wider audience and support nature and the environment.
Example projects range from food growing and biodiversity projects, signage to promote natural and cultural heritage, children’s activities and running events including exhibitions, tea dances or picnics where funding can be used to hire a venue or pay for materials and equipment.
Applications are open to residents, groups and organisations, with grants – which are supported by a £200,000 donation from the National Lottery heritage fund – expected to be around £250 and with a maximum of £500 on offer.
The programme is managed by the Lanarkshire-based Rural Development Trust, whose staff are on hand to assist interested groups in filling in their application forms and can be contacted by emailing Heritage@ruraldevtrust.co.uk or visiting www.communityactionlan.org.
Project officer Elaine Richardson said: “People in these five rural communities contributed to the plans by sharing stories and identifying what was important about their local heritage.
“They highlight the ideas raised, and we’re pleased that the micro grants programme will provide funding to help make these ideas reality.”