Projects get share of £1m Love Local Fund

Projects championing Stirlingshire have secured shares of a £1m fund to boost business and improve communities.

Organisations in Stirling, Strathard, Dunblane, Balfron, Callander, Bridge of Allan and Bannockburn are among those benefiting from the Scotland Loves Local Fund.

They include an initiative led by Go Forth Stirling, an ‘Edible Routes’ campaign by Forth Valley Food and Drink to support eateries and attractions and promotion of the Trossachs Trail.

Organisations in Clackmannanshire have also benefited from support.

Funded by the Scottish Government, the fund has made in excess of 200 grants nationally to help communities recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. They aim to support small-scale improvements to promote and enhance places while helping motivate people to shop, eat and relax in their community and ensuring public safety.

The fund is being administered by Scotland’s Towns Partnership as part of its work to spearhead the Scotland Loves Local campaign, which is leading the charge for people to think local first for all of their needs to help businesses through the pandemic.

The Stirling projects to benefit include: Go Forth Stirling to create an Indpendent Stirling brand webpage and marketing and window sticker (£5k); Friends of Loch Lomond and Trossachs for promotion to the Trossachs area including towns and villages (Trossachs Trail) with a new website, signage improvemenets and information boards (£5k); Strathard Community Trust for Love Local publicity and a tourism app (£4,200); Forth Valley Food and Drink ‘Edible Routes’ project to promote cafes, takeaways, retail establishments, attractions and picnic spots, encouraging residents and visitors to visit food and drink businesses along active travel routes (£5k); Balfron Pathways to improve local paths (£800); Riverside Community Council for green space improvements (£563.50); and Bridge of Allan Food and Drink Town to create a survival plan and promote the town, championing local food and drink producers and businesses (£5k).

Bannockburn House Trust meanwhile received £5,000 for a live cook along and beekeeping.

Ross Caldwell, events manager at Bannockburn House said: ”Following the success of our live cookalongs during October’s Forth Valley Food Festival, we’ll be running three more family friendly sessions in 2021. The funds will also be used to help us set up our own beehives – perhaps by next year’s Christmas fair we’ll be selling our own honey.”

Carolyn Mcgill, network coordinator for Forth Valley Food and Drink said: “It’s been an incredibly difficult year for local food and drink businesses, so we are delighted to receive funding to create an ‘edible routes’ campaign to aid the sector’s recovery in 2021. These new walking and cycling trails will help promote a large range of cafes, shops and attractions to residents and visitors.”

Phil Prentice, Chief Officer of Scotland’s Towns Partnership, said: “We’re delighted that this funding will help bring some brilliant projects across Stirling to life.

“Whether by supporting local businesses in person or online, money that’s spent locally stays local for longer. Each of these schemes will provide another reason for people to embrace local life.

“We hope these grants will be a great Christmas present to all those benefiting as we encourage everyone to safely support their local businesses however they can during the critical festive shopping period.”

For more information about getting involved with the Scotland Loves Local campaign, go to www.lovelocal.scot.