17 projects awarded Community Regeneration Funding across Lochaber
Lochaber Area Committee met yesterday (Tuesday 23 January 2024) and agreed to fund 17 projects from the Community Regeneration Fund totalling £445,001.80 from a total of £540,708.21 awarded for the Lochaber Area.
Community Regeneration Funding is an umbrella term for funding streams available for communities/organisations to access and support economic regeneration and sustainable development in Highland. This round of funding includes the Highland Coastal Communities Fund, Place Based Investment Programme and UK Shared Prosperity funding with allocations and decision making of eligibility devolved to Lochaber Area Committee and its Elected Members.
Lochaber Area Committee Chair, Cllr Kate Willis said: “The Committee has been overwhelmed by the volume of applications received from across Lochaber. 22 applications were received, which is the highest number to date and demonstrates the strength and importance of directing funding to the heart of community led projects. 5 of these were eligible to be re-directed to the Community Led Local Development Fund and were successful in securing funding from that source. This meant that there were 17 applications to consider today.
“The decisions agreed today were done so according to an approved red, amber and green RAG rating formula. The projects demonstrate: economic recovery; community resilience; mitigating impacts of the climate/ecological emergency and/or addressing the challenges of rural depopulation.
“Further details on each project will be brought to future ward meetings for progress reporting. On behalf of the Area Committee, we would like to thank all those involved in submitting applications, we wish all the projects every success.”
Lochaber has a funding allocation from a mix of capital and revenue funding programmes:
Highland Coastal Communities Fund (capital/revenue)
Place Based Investment Programme (capital)
UK Shared Prosperity (separate capital and revenue allocations)
Total funds available - £540,708.21
Projects awarded Community Regeneration Funding at Lochaber Committee on 23 January 2024 are as follows:
- Shopmobility Lochaber SCIO - £12,000
- Lochaber Hope - £56,000
- Knoydart Farm CIC - £29,025
- Eigg Trading Ltd - £8,802
- Voluntary Action Lochaber – £65,000
- Linnhe Leisure – £76,840
- Road to the Isles Facilities Group – £34,532
- High Life Highland – £11,428
- Green Fingers – £15,000
- Fort William Marina & Shoreline CIC – £10,000
- Fort William Town Team SCIO - £9,862.80
- Morvern Games and Gala Week Committee – £30,500
- Isle of Canna Community Development Trust – £13,800
- Ardgour, Glensanda Development Trust – £12,000
- Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge & Achnacarry SCIO - £19,690
- Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust – £14,000
- Kinlochleven Community Trust – £26,522
In total, Lochaber Members awarded £445,001.80 of available Community Regeneration Funding, leaving a balance of £95,706.41. Members agreed to ringfence these remaining funds within the 2023/24 allocation to deliver area priorities identified through work to develop an area based plan. This will be subject to full applications being brought to a future committee meeting.
The full report, including the applications submitted for the Community Regeneration Funding can be found here (Item 9).