Host of projects in Badenoch and Strathspey to benefit from Green Recovery Fund
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Plans for a season ice rink in Aviemore have come another step closer after the project was awarded funds from the Green Recovery Fund.
A total of 28 projects in the Cairngorms National Park have been awarded money totalling £303,000 from the 2021/22 cashpot.
The diversity of successful projects includes community litter campaigns, a new 'garbiologist' post to encourage more waste recycling in the national park, a community repair café and a rural skills development programme for high schools in the area.
Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust chairman Duncan Swarbrick is delighted that there plans for a rink are another of the projects to benefit.
He said: "We are thrilled to have received an offer of funding from the Green Recovery Fund.
"This will go a long way to enable our community to reach the next milestone of purchasing a marquee for the winter season ice rink.
"We would very much like to thank our community partners and local business groups for their advice and support with this project, whose help has been indispensable.
"We have almost raised enough funds through donations, sponsorships and funds raising events to cover the purchase costs for the rink.
"We will need to raise a further £25,000 in order to match fund the cost of purchasing the marquee with the funds from the Green Recovery Fund."
Originally launched in 2020, the Green Recovery Fund was set up by the Cairngorms National Park Authority and the Cairngorms Trust to help communities and local businesses recover from the Covid-19 lockdown.
A further round of funding totalling £300,000 – with £250,000 from the CNPA and £50,000 from the Cairngorms Trust – was made available in April, earlier this year, to support the ongoing recovery of the local economy.
An emphasis had been placed on projects that would protect and enhance the natural environment and seek to address the ongoing impacts of climate change.
Some of the other local winners include:
* Boat of Garten Community Company, Woodland Wheels for the construction of a pump track in Boat of Garten;
* Inverallan Church 20/20 project in Grantown to employ a development officer to create a community hub at the church;
* Castle Roy’s Toradh Uaine - Green Shoots for the completion of the final phase of infrastructure works by the Castle Roy Trust so ruin can be opened for visitors;
* David Ritchie & Sons Ltd., food waste and biodegradable recycling unit at Granish by Aviemore;
* Badenoch Heritage, to develop the online resource The Storylands Sessions;
* Grantown Community Council and Aviemore Community Council for litter picking; and
* Tomintoul & Glenlivet Development Trust for their Cairngorms Dark Sky Experience.
A breakdown of the exact funding has not yet been revealed by the CNPA.
A total of 37 project applications totalling £580,000 were received and assessed against the guiding principles of the fund.
Willie Munro, Cairngorms National Park Authority Board member and chair of the assessment panel, said: “We were delighted to receive such a large volume and variety of quality applications – it made our deliberations very thorough.
"With a more generous funding pot than last year, we are delighted to award funds to 28 great projects from across the Cairngorms National Park.
"We hope this funding will not only help sustain the recovery but bring a boost to the local economy, with green projects that will help to deliver a sustainable future for the communities in the National Park.”
The Cairngorms Trust contributed £50,000 to the fund and the charity has a remit to support projects that will benefit the wider residents and the visiting public.
Trust chairman Roger Clegg said: “This past year has been particularly hard for rural communities. It is vitally important to continue to support their recovery, particularly those groups who may struggle to access funds in other ways.
"It was encouraging to see such a large number of applications and the confidence of groups to take projects forwards on behalf of their communities.
"We are proud to be able to contribute to some really worthy causes.”
All the winning projects can be found here along with a description of them
