Lottery funding boost for Aberdeenshire groups
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Five groups in Aberdeenshire are today sharing in £26,328 of National Lottery funding.
Macduff Scout Group received £2564 which will be used to connect their gas heating boiling system to the main gas supply so that they can replace the use of calor bottled gas.
Scout Group Council chairman Colin Buist said: "We have been very fortunate to receive funding from the National Lottery to allow us to upgrade the heating system in the Scout hut to a mains gas system now.
"The LPG tanked gas system we had was all we could budget for when we originally renovated the hut a few years back but it proved to be an expensive and time consuming system.
"The funding from National Lottery has enabled us to upgrade to a hopefully more economic, certainly safer system that needs no monitoring.
"We are extremely grateful for the National Lottery’s support and assistance at this time as we have not managed any fundraising this year at all and without the grant this would have simply been out of our reach."
The Princess Royal Sports and Community Trust in Banff were gifted £9554 to repaint the main areas of their community sports facility creating a more welcoming environment.
Fitness manager at Princess Royal Sports and Community Trust Stuart Davidson said: "We are absolutely delighted to receive this funding from the NLCF, which has helped us to really brighten up the facility and to create a safe and warm environment for users.
"The work has made a big visual impact and really modernised the facility – which hadn't been done for 20 years.
"The upgrade was carried out at the end of lockdown, before we were given the all-clear to reopen.
"We are really looking forward to welcoming people back with all the safe distancing measures in place in line with SportScotland and Scottish Government guidelines."
SensationALL received £5000 to provide virtual activities to young people with neurological disorders and physical disabilities.
Welcoming the funding, Suz Strachan, Service Manager, SensationALL, said: “ Many of the children we work with can’t understand the unwritten social rules that are common sense to most of us.
"Small or seemingly trivial things can trigger ‘meltdowns’ or episodes of anxiety.
"The strategies and techniques we teach helps them cope then they feel over-whelmed or upset, which has been more than ever during lock-down.”
“The funding meant that we were also able to create a free Transition Toolkit pack designed by our team as an invaluable resource for families preparing their loved ones for the return to school or college.
"Distributed to over 20 beneficiary families so far, the packs contain a ‘must-have’ guide for parents/carers with original content and suggestions on how to deal with changes in routine, practical worksheets, resources (such as ‘coping card’ communication tools) and even a sensory item for reducing stress."
The 1st Marnoch Scouts receive £1210 to help keep their minibus in operation for the scout group.
This will help the group continue their work in the community for vulnerable people and those who are shielding.
Boddam Public Hall Committee received £8000 to renovate a dilapidated and unused part of their hall so that it can host community groups including an epilepsy support group and a youth club
Announcing today’s funding The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “In these uncertain times our priority is to ensure that National Lottery money continues to flow to charities, voluntary sector organisations and grassroots groups .
"I would like to congratulate SensationALL on their award.
"Theirs is an important project and will support people now and in the future when they can physically come back together to make great things happen in their community.”
"National Lottery players can be proud to know that money they raise by buying tickets is continuing to make such a difference.”
