Vital £8k boost will help sailors feel safe on water

● Village’s hall will also get much-needed upgrade thanks to cash

Keen sailors and users of a community hall badly in need of an upgrade are two of the groups benefiting from a £1.1 million prize pot.

Dozens of voluntary and community groups across the region have been awarded grants ranging from £300 to £10,000 from the National Lottery Award for All Scotland scheme.

The Nairn Sailing Club has secured £8,000 towards the purchase of a vital safety vessel.

The rigid vessel – which will incorporate a dropdown bow – will be used to help retrieve and rescue members in distress on the water.

The group – based on the harbour front – is hoping to purchase the vessel before the end of the month.

Commodore David Bushell said: “This will allow us to purchase a new rigid-type safety boat

that will be used to support dinghy sailing at the club and other water-based activities such as the raft race, remote beach cleans and general water events.

“The safety boat is for club use but as all users of boats do, if someone was seen in difficulty we would help out.”

Meanwhile, in Moray, Archiestown Village Council has received a £7,074 grant to support renovations to the village hall.

New flooring will be installed throughout the 250-year-old building on North Lane in the coming months.

“You have no idea how much of a difference this will make”

Council chairwoman Sheena Ledingham said the upgrades are desperately needed to replace the “appalling” surface currently in place.

She said: “You have no idea how much of a difference this will make because at the moment the flooring is just appalling.

“I don’t know when it was put down but I think a lot of it is linoleum as opposed to vinyl and that shows you how old it is.

“Hopefully the renovations work will start in August and they seem to think it will be through in three weeks.”

A total of 167 groups across Scotland have so far received a share of the £1,107,301 prize pot.

A National Lottery Awards for All Scotland spokesperson said: “With summer in full swing, today’s £1.1 million funding boost will provide a wide range of community, sport and arts activities for people and families across the country.

“This funding will have a huge impact bringing people together to have fun, learn new skills and meet their neighbours.”

SAFETY BOOST: Nairn Sailing Club’s members setting sail. The club has been given £8,000 to help buy a vital safety vessel to rescue members in trouble on the water