Appliance of science

Feb festival bags cash help

Crieff Common Good Fund has agreed to allocate its entire remaining cash pot for 2016- 17 to the Strathearn Scientific Society.

Some £ 325 will be pumped into the society’s festival of science, which is due to take place between February 19 and 28.

Earlier this year, around 1300 people attended the event which is part of a an ongoing drive to encourage people into careers in science.

Fund members met on Wednesday at Perth and Kinross Council’s revamped High Street chambers to agree the allocation.

Councillor Ian Miller moved for the remaining sum, set out in the financial statements, to be allocated to the society, missing out a potential contribution to Horsecross Arts.

The culture group had sought £1,500 towards its costs of a theatre on tour programme which would involve what is understood to be Strathearn Artspace – although papers prepared for the meeting listed the venue as ‘Strathearn Art Centre’.

Councillor Miller was supported in his bid by Convener Anne Younger, one of the Strathearn ward’s three elected members

The meeting also briefly heard of an application by Crieff Choral Group for £ 2500, but this was withdrawn.

Meanwhile, a study of a key community asset in Auchterarder has been given financial support.

Auchterarder Common Good Fund has agreed to chip in £ 3600 to the Auchterarder Community Sport Association which is looking at upgrading facilities at the town’s main park off Western Road.

Councillor Tom Gray, a member of the fund and elected member for Strathallan, explained that the pavilion at the park, in particular, is in need of repair and the study was a means of seeing what was necessary.

He said: “The pavilion is in a fairly poor state with broken windows, poor lighting. I would be happy to put in the full sum.”

The common good fund had been asked to allocate £3705 to the study.

But doing this would have placed the fund in the red.

Councillor Mi l l e r intervened to say the slightly smaller sum would help balance books for the end of the financial year.

Members agreed that the shortfall to the sport association could be made up from other sources, potentially with a fundraising coffee morning.