Kids win first cash boost in giveaway

Children from the Glenurquhart Childcare Centre, Drumnadrochit.

NURSERY school children will be the first to benefit from a massive cash giveaway thanks to the Loch Ness Rotary Club and the Highland News.

At the end of last year, the HN announced it had teamed up with the rotary club which, over the course of 2011, would be giving away £200 each month to a lucky group, individual or charity in the Inverness area to put to good use.

And January’s winner is The Glen Urquhart Childcare Centre in Drumnadrochit.

The facility, which was established 15 years ago, was set up by the community and offers care to around 70 children, between the ages of three to 14 years.

The centre is planning on achieving their bronze award in the Eco Schools programme and have chosen “Litter”, “Water” and “Health & Wellbeing” as their topics.

Initially, they will focus on water and will use their money to create science sacks filled with resources relating to water.

Due to their proximity to Loch Ness, they also plan to organise a trip to the local lifeboat station to enhance the children’s knowledge of keeping safe around water.

Marnie MacKenzie, the centre manager, said: “We are a charitable organisation and we applied for two grants last year, but because of the current economic climate it is becoming more difficult to get them and we were unsuccessful. So it is fantastic news that the Loch Ness Rotary Club have chosen us. We are delighted and very grateful.”

Rotary Club's Ken Mackie (left) and Neil Chisholm with Marnie MacKenzie and children (back, from left) Calum McKewan, Grace Montague, Finlay McLean, Ruaraidh Drennan, (front) Sophie Lee Howden, Eilidh Peteranna and Owin Martin.

She added: “We do a lot of fund-raising ourselves and the children are always getting involved in that, but this is great news.

“The money will be spent on creating the science sacks filled with useful resources relating to water. There will be books, sink and float experimental packs and other items. We are still researching exactly what we can get with the money, but we are hoping it might stretch to buying litter pickers, too, for when we concentrate on that aspect of the project.”

Ken Mackie, president of the Loch Ness Club said: “We are delighted to be awarding our first ever Charter Charity payout to Glenurquhart Childcare Centre.

“Rotary raises funds in the name of water, health, hunger and literacy all over the world. And coincidentally Glenurquhart’s application actually mentioned these as key areas they would be using the £200 donation to help with projects that help the children with their social development and wellbeing in their area.

“In addition, their application also touched on working with local children to improve the environment with a number of green initiatives, which is also something that Rotary worldwide is becoming much more involved with and supportive.

“We hope that our small donation to them will go some way to making a difference to the children involved at the centre and that they will be able to deliver on some of the projects they have in the pipeline.”

He added: “We have been blown away by the fantastic response to this initiative which we feel confirms our views that £200 can make such a difference to clubs or organisations. We look forward to judging many more applications over 2011.”