Ellon Legion benefits from £10,000 Lottery funding to improve accessibility
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A community facility has benefitted from a £10,000 boost from the National Lottery Community Fund.
Ellon Legion is one of 17 community groups in the north-east to collect a share of £235,673.
The Legion was awarded £10,000 towards their ongoing refurbishments, which will improve the experience for all visitors to the Station Road venue, which is situated behind Victoria Hall.
Not only do the refurbishments bring a breath of fresh air to the building but they also improve accessibility ensuring a positive user experience for all.
The club have been taking advantage of the ongoing pandemic to get the works carried out safely without having to close the Legion.
While a number of refurbishments - including new signage and a new look bar and lounge area - have already taken place, the money from National Lottery's Community Fund will allow them to get underway with building a new wheelchair accessible toilet and baby changing facility, both of which are projects which would have otherwise been delayed while funds were raised.
Ellon Legion's chairman Douglas Watson said: "Ellon Legion is continuing to use the period of closure due to coronavirus to upgrade and refurbish the Legion premises.
"A revamp of the bar and lounge is underway and the management committee recognised that the disabled toilets in the building were not up to present day standards.
"This grant from The National Lottery Community Fund will allow us to make alterations to the toilets within the club including a new wheelchair accessible toilet and baby changing facility.
"In doing so, this will permit disabled and infirm members of the community and young mothers to be able to enjoy the Club’s activities.
"Work will proceed as soon as possible on a new disabled toilet and a new baby changing facility will be included in the work.
"This project is part of the management committee’s drive to make Ellon Legion more welcoming and inclusive for all sections of the community.
Other north-east causes to benefit from the latest round of funding include Aberneccesities, The Garioch Partnership, Banffshire Partnership and Buchanhaven Heritage Society, who secured £9,500 to create additional meeting space.
Thanks to National Lottery players, they are amongst 161 projects across Scotland sharing in £3,931,314 for a range of activities, many of which will help people to support each other through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland chairperson, Kate Still, said: “At the end of what’s been a very difficult year for everyone, I am delighted that these groups in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire have some celebratory news to end 2020.
"These groups are all working so hard to ensure their communities thrive during these difficult times.
"Thanks to National Lottery players, they can now continue their amazing work.”
National Lottery players raise £30 million every week for good causes in the UK, and the National Lottery Community Fund in Scotland is currently focusing its funding on those projects that supporting organisations and communities to respond to the challenge of Covid-19.
