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Aberdeenshire MP Richard Thomson highlights two funds for resilience and mental wellbeing in rural communities


By Kirsty Brown

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North-east MP Richard Thomson has highlighted two sources of funding for rural communities looking to become more resilient and promote mental health recovery post-pandemic.

The Prince’s Countryside Fund provides grants for projects that are working to create resilient rural communities, meanwhile Support In Mind Scotland is providing micro-grants to support and promote mental health recovery.

The Prince’s Countryside Fund will support community-led projects that are pursuing innovative and strategic solutions to the challenges facing their rural area and improving the long-term viability and resilience of their community.

Successful projects will do one or more of the following:

  • Support people to resolve existing and emerging community issues, circumstances, and priorities
  • Build rural community resilience
  • Develop innovative and replicable projects
  • Enable leadership and community planning

Successful projects will demonstrate how they are addressing one of more of the following objectives:

  • Improving the economic or social resilience of a UK rural community
  • Reducing isolation for people living in rural areas through improving service provision
  • Creating a rural community fit for the future

The next deadline is October 11.

Local groups and organisations across Scotland’s rural communities are able to apply to Support in Mind Scotland for micro grants to support and promote mental health recovery following the pandemic through community engagement and support approaches.

The next deadline is October 21.

Commenting, Richard Thomson MP said: “As we come out of the pandemic, new issues are emerging ranging from individual challenges with mental health and wellbeing to community challenges such as the retention of facilities.

"These sources of funding can assist with work to address those issues and I would encourage community groups to have a look and see if there is a project to which this could be of assistance.”


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