Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee Members today (12 February 2024) approved Community Regeneration Funding for a host of worthy local projects.
Community Regeneration Funding (CRF) is an umbrella term for a number of funds that are available for communities/organisations to access in Highland.
It comprises elements of the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) along with the Place Based Investment Programme, which is a Scottish Government Funding stream to support economic regeneration and sustainable development in Highland.
The total funding available to members of the Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee for 2023/24 is £223,792.44.
The Area Committee today considered six applications for funding, totalling £127,674.40.
Chair of Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee, Cllr Russell Jones, said:
“It is always pleasing for Members to approve grant applications from projects like these, which will deliver tangible benefits to our communities.”
Funding for the following projects was granted by members earlier today (12 February 2024):
- Kingussie Camanachd Club – upgrading of floodlights for the Market Stance Playing Fields – £15,000.
- Newtonmore Playpark upgrade – £30,000.
- Kingussie Tennis Club – Phase 3 upgrade (installation of irrigation system and upgrade of blaes playing surface – £17,860.
- Dalwhinnie Community Development Trust – £27,718.80 for hall insulation, replacement lighting and heating with a low carbon, energy efficient system.
- Kingussie and Vicinity Community Council – Regeneration of Glebe Pond – £31,095.60.
- Carrbridge Community Orchard – Phase 2 Developments to make the orchard more accessible, enjoyable and educational for everyone – £6,000.
Members also agreed to ringfence an allocation of £80,000 of Community Regeneration Funding 2023/24 towards the Member identified priority of refurbishment of the pedestrian link at Glenmore.
Councillors agreed to request that the full application for funds is brought for consideration at a future committee.
Members further agreed to ringfence the remaining balance (£16,118.04) within the 2023/24 allocation to deliver area priorities identified through work to develop an area-based plan, subject to full applications being brought to a future committee meeting for consideration.
All projects are required to meet at least one of the following priorities:
- economic recovery
- community resilience
- mitigating the impact of the climate/ecological emergency
- addressing the challenges of rural depopulation
The projects should also be able to demonstrate they are:
- sustainable/viable
- providing value for money
- providing additionality
- able to evidence positive impacts and wide community benefit