COMMUNITY FUND AWARDS OVER £70K TO SUPPORT LEISURE ACTIVITIES!

17th July 2019

The Caithness & North Sutherland Fund has committed over £70k to six community projects in its latest round of grant awards.

CNSFund Chairperson David Glass said "This latest investment supports improvements to recreational amenities and events in Caithness & North Sutherland, helping to ensure that people living and visiting our area can enjoy a high standard of leisure activities. All of these projects are overseen by volunteers who work hard to improve the quality of life for our communities and we are pleased to support them in achieving their plans."

Helmsdale Golf Club was awarded £20,000 towards the costs of a new precision cut fairway mower to help the club maintain and improve the Helmsdale community golf course and promote golf tourism for the area. The nine-hole golf course sits along the hillside of the Strath of Kildonanan and is an important amenity for the small rural community of Helmsdale.

North Coast Entertainments was granted £18,137 towards infrastructure costs to hold a new Scottish/Celtic music festival event in Dunnet. The funding is for a welfare cabin unit that will serve as the event control centre and welfare area. The Tunes by the Dunes music festival is a two-day music event that will be held in September featuring top Scottish/Celtic artists and local artists. The group also aims to establish the festival as a regular annual event.

North Apex Gymnastics Club was awarded £10,000 towards new gymnastics equipment and competition leotards. The new equipment and costumes will enable the club to develop and progress young people in gymnastics as well as improve the recreation and sport amenities that are available in Caithness.

Reay Golf Club was granted £10,000 to help refurbish the Reay golf club clubhouse with new double-glazing windows and doors. The refurbishment will improve the energy efficiencies and long-term sustainability of the building to create an attractive and modern recreational facility.

Wick Amateur Swimming Club was awarded £9,395 to host a five-day summer swimming camp that will be held in Wick and Thurso swimming pools. The camp will bring national level swimming coaching to Caithness and will improve access to sporting and training opportunities for young people aspiring to participate in competitive swimming.

Lybster Golf Club was granted £3,000 towards purchasing a low maintenance hybrid greens mower to help maintain the 9-hole golf course in Lybster to high standards, providing improvements to a valued recreational facility. The unique golf course is one of the shortest in Scotland and is very popular with a wide range of golfers of varying age groups and abilities.

The CNSFund is funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and distributes money to community projects that increase the attractiveness of Caithness and North Sutherland as a place to live, work and invest. Applications are assessed on a quarterly basis and information on how to apply can be found at the CNSFund website, www.cnsf.org.uk or by phoning 07841 204 982. The deadline for applications for the next funding round is the 27th of September.

Since its inception the CNSFund has committed over £2M to 161 different projects in the Caithness and North Sutherland area. The total value of these projects is estimated to be in excess of £8M.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority provides £4M funding via DSRL; £1M at the start of construction and £300,000 pa from 2014 to 2023.

Funding is distributed in line with the NDA socio economic policy.

The Board Directors of Caithness & North Sutherland Fund comprises (i) up to three Highland Councillors from Caithness & North Sutherland nominated by the Highland Council; and (ii) up to six individuals appointed to represent the local community as a result of an open application process.