Huntly area projects receive more than £300,000 from UK government Shared Prosperity Fund
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CHARITIES in the Huntly area have been awarded more than £300,000 from a UK Government fund.
The Huntly Development Trust (HDT), the Scottish Sculpture Workshop (SSW) at Lumsden and Bennachie Leisure Centre will receive cash as part of the scheme.
Announced last week, a total of £302,588 will go to local organisations from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
SSW are to receive the largest grant of £188,605, while HDT will receive £59,313 and Bennachie Leisure Centre has been awarded £54,670.
The top grant will go towards the next phase of the sculpture workshop's Capital Development Project, which has already seen a Community Making Space created in Lumsden.
HDT's cash, meanwhile, will support the creation of two roles to support the organisations No 30 the Square and Greenmyres adventure tourism plans.
The funding means that the jobs will be funded until the end of March 2025.
No 30 The Square will feature – among others – a café, co-working space, retail unit and a cinema within the old Cruickshank's shop.
The new grant-funded job will offer somebody the opportunity to take on the mantle of managing the operation of the multi-use building.
Huntly Development Trust joint general manager Carolyn Powell confirmed that the No 30 role would be advertised by the end of the year, with the organisation hoping to have someone start the job early in the new year.
The other job, centred on adventure tourism plans at the Greenmyers eco-bothy, will support plans to bring family-friendly watersports and wheeled sports to the bothy's idyllic location outside Huntly.
Recruitment for the role will also see somebody taking on the job during the first months of 2024.
Ms Powell said it was "fantastic" to see the level of support for projects in the Huntly area.
"Oh, it's fantastic," she said.
"And it's just wonderful to have this level of support for local opportunities.
"That's really, really important and providing those opportunities is what we're all about."
She added that the funding will make a massive impact on both projects.
"It will make a big difference," she said.
"It’s helping us provide really good opportunities locally.
"Starting a new social enterprise like No 30 takes a bit of time and having support to help during that time to get it established makes an enormous difference.
"The same thing is true of Greenmyres where, with the adventure tourism, we need to build on the foundations that have already been created.
"And this support is fantastic because it means that we can go forward with doing that."
The Shared Prosperity Fund grants were approved by Aberdeenshire Council last week (October 3) and totalled £3.4 million for 21 local projects.
The fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK, investing in communities and place, supporting local business, as well as people and skills.
