Lottery boost for befrienders

MORE than £1 million in lottery funding will be shared by two Highland and island community projects.

Befrienders Highland will be awarded £ 377,665, while Dunoon Burgh Hall Trust will receive £656,825, the Big Lottery Fund Scotland announced last week.

Five Scottish projects benefited from a share of the £2 million grant, the latest round of the Big Lottery Fund Scotland’s five-year, £ 250 million funding scheme designed to support people and communities to overcome challenging circumstances.

Befrienders Highland delivers one-to- one supported volunteer befriending across the Highland and Argyll and Bute local authority areas. The proposal will support people who have become isolated and lonely as a result of living with mental health problems.

Dunoon Burgh Hall Trust’s project will complete the renovation and refurbishment of Dunoon Burgh Halls and deliver a range of services for the community of Dunoon and the Cowal Peninsula. The building will host flexible space for community use, promotion of the arts, opportunities for training and skills development, events, a licensed cafe and a programme of events designed to bring the community together.

Maureen McGinn, chairwoman of Big Lottery Fund Scotland, said: ‘ This funding aims to support communities across Scotland to improve the places they live and the wellbeing of people facing challenging circumstances. We will continue to work with communities and organisations to support activity which is people centred, strength based and has good local connections.’