Groups get boost to turn ideas into action
Youth trust and dementia support group among those to benefit
A number of rural Stirling community projects have been handed a cash boost from the Rural & Island Communities Ideas into Action (RICIA) fund.
Among those to benefit is Callander Youth Project Trust (CYP) who are to be awarded more than £67,000.
That cash injection will go towards reconfiguring and refurbishing their youth space to enable more activity year round, and to make their toilet facilities fully accessible for participants and visitors.
The Playpen Cafe CIC, in Dollar, have also been handed a boost to the tune of £53,971 to support increased staff capacity, the refit of their kitchen, and increased marketing, website and social media support for the delivery of their lunch clubs, meals-on-wheels and befriending for elderly people in rural Clackmannanshire.
Town Break – a dementia support service located in Springkerse, Stirling – will receive £38,845 to expand its work to rural Clackmannanshire for the first time, based on higher-than-average instances of dementia among older people and demand from the local community.
Town Break Chief Officer Helen Duncan said: “We are so excited about this new funding. We’re aware there is a high need in Clackmannanshire and limited services available.
“We’re delighted to be able to bring support to the many people affected by dementia in these areas.”
As part of the new project, Town Break are hosting a series of open days which will allow anyone with an interest in dementia to come along and find out what Town Break has to offer.
Operations Manager Daniel Keane added: “In order that we can provide the most appropriate support, we need to find out from local communities what they want.
“We hope to get feedback from those directly affected by dementia, as well as local groups, as to how we can help them the most.”
Coffee Politik CIC, based in Main Street Drymen, is to be given £5,000 to support the management and installation of a greenhouse to help them to increase their food production and develop a ‘pay it forward’ sustainable food box programme to address food poverty in their community.
Drymen Village Hall Committee is to pocket £4,000 to create an Open Doors Project. That will involve a warm bank to provide a friendly, warm, safe space for people to use on an ad-hoc basis, meet people, have a chat, make friends, learn new skills, share skills, do activities and have access to financial and mental health support from professional organisations.
Drymen Youth Cafe will get £1,445 to provide activities, inclusion workshops from local organisations, outings and new equipment for the cafe.
Dunblane Christian Fellowship is to receive £5,000 to expand a toddler group and cafe service by removing an internal wall to create more space, furniture and expanding the volunteer and staff team.
Kilmaronock Old Kirk Trust, in Gartocharn, will also receive £5,000 to develop a heritage plan and landscaping plan as part of their fundraising and renovation of their B-listed church into a heritage and community space.
Shoshin Taiko Dojo CIC, in Aberfoyle, will receive £5,000 to develop and deliver the first Scottish Taiko Festival, taking place in under-used village halls in four neighbouring villages, with transport and active travel support to enable people to attend events across the area.
More than 180 projects across rural Scotland will receive grants.
The fund encourages and supports not-for-profit community groups with innovative approaches to communityled local development, including work towards net zero and just transition goals, tackling rural poverty and supporting rural communities through the cost of living crisis.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “We are working to ensure local communities are empowered to tackle local challenges.
“This investment comes at a critical time for our rural and island communities, who are disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis compared to the rest of the country.
“I wish all the successful community groups well as they now look to take forward these projects and make a positive difference to their local areas.”