£69,000 funding boost for community projects in Dumfries and Galloway

Eight community organisations in Dumfries and Galloway have been awarded over £69,000 from the Glenkens & District Community Fund.

The purpose of the fund is to support communities to be connected, resilient and carbon-neutral places to live, work and visit, and for young people to thrive.

The eight awards reflect these ambitions, with more than half of the funded projects directly benefitting children, young people, and families in the area.

These included Moniaive Playcare, a parent run nursery. They were awarded £7,419 towards their core operating costs for 2025/26, helping to maintain an essential childcare provision in the community. Resonate: Creating Communities was awarded £7,000 to deliver activities for young people with autism spectrum disorder in the Glenkens. The funding will support the group to continue creating opportunities for social connections.

Carsphairn Community Woodland was awarded £10,000 to fund a six-month young apprentice position, creating valuable rural skills development opportunities and local training pathways for young people. And Glenkens Community and Arts Trust Limited received two separate awards: £21,072 to support staffing and delivery costs for the Glenkens Youth Group, ensuring young people continue to have access to free social activities in the area, and £4,459 to facilitate the Glenkens Food Month, an initiative designed to bring the local community together.

Other awards included £4,796 to Balmaghie Public Hall to support essential maintenance work, £8,311 to the Glenkens Agricultural Society to support their participation in the popular Glenkens Show and £6,234 to the Pamela Young Trust to help fund a drainage survey on a proposed social housing site in Balmaclellan. This work will generate publicly available information to support any future development in the area.

The fund is provided by Blackcraig Wind Farm and Greencoat from its Windy Rig Wind Farm, and funding decisions are made by the Glenkens and District Trust, who ensure that any community benefit funds coming into the area are maximised for the long-term benefit of the local communities. The fund is administered by grant-making charity Foundation Scotland.

Chair of the Glenkens & District Trust, Fiona Smith, said:

"We're pleased to support such a diverse range of projects that will make a real difference to our community. It's particularly encouraging to see so many applications focussed on supporting our young people and families – from apprenticeships and youth groups to playcare and specialist support services. These investments in our younger generation help ensure the Glenkens remains a vibrant place to live and grow up."