COMMUNITY COUNCIL FUNDING IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 BRINGS BENEFITS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES
29 June 2020
In March, the Clyde Wind Farm (Dumfries and Galloway) Community Fund allocated part of its annual funding to support local community-led Covid-19 responses. This support, in the form of ‘micro’ grants of up to £250, has been distributed directly by Community Councils in the fund’s area of benefit to provide emergency funding for local charities, community groups and individuals. It has aided some of the most vulnerable in the Annandale & Nithsdale communities.
The Royal Burgh of Sanquhar & District Community Council has used its allocation to support Sanquhar Patchwork Group and Sanquhar Sewing Bee to purchase materials for face mask production for use by community group volunteers and carers; to provide funding for the Town of Sanquhar Facebook Group to keep running the community social media page providing crucial up to date information for the local community such as shop opening times; and to Crawick & Nithsdale Wheelers to purchase cycle helmets for under 16’s in the area to help promote exercise in the form of cycling during the lockdown.
Community Councillor, Nancy Kirkpatrick said, “These grants are vital to the community, especially during the Coronavirus outbreak” and Iain Baker, Community Councillor expressed his gratitude for the help that the fund was providing to the community in this difficult time.
Closeburn Community Council is using its allocation to supply monthly isolation packs of books, games & sweets to isolated children and to older people during the lockdown.
Kirkpatrick Juxta Community Council has provided resilience parcels to isolated and shielding community members. It has also supported Beattock Primary School Nursery environmental project and has provided three Kindle tablets for Beattock residents in Bankfoot Care Home as an entertainment resource whilst group activities are restricted.
Moffat & District Community Council has supported the local nursery which is a hub for local key workers; and has provided Kindle tablets to Bankfoot Care Home residents from Moffat.
David Booth, Community Councillor said, “With these local grants we have touched and enabled the diverse parts of our community, during these interesting times when different methods and strategies need to be deployed, most of the grants shall also have longevity into the future.”
Gareth Shields, Community Investment Manager for SSE said “These awards show how much can be achieved for a relatively small amount of money. The way the communities that SSE work with across the country have responded to the Covid-19 emergency has been both inspirational and humbling in equal measure. We are grateful to Foundation Scotland and the communities involved for they way that they have administered this emergency funding.”
The Clyde Wind Farm (Dumfries and Galloway) Community Fund is managed by Foundation Scotland on behalf of SSE. Sam Bramwell, Community Fund Coordinator said, “How people have come together so quickly to support those most vulnerable in their communities has been uplifting. I am delighted that these micro grants have proved to be so useful.”
Visit Clyde Wind Farm (Dumfries & Galloway) Community Fund's page for more information