Spring funding boost from Drone Hill Wind Farm
Greencoat Drone Hill Community Fund Panel awarded £29,380 in its Spring funding round, contributing to a diverse range of projects. All six funded projects take account of the current pandemic but are looking ahead to a longer-term impact too.
Grantshouse Community Council and Reston Community Company were each awarded significant grants to purchase ride-on mowers, enabling them to properly maintain woodland walks and amenities around the Eyewater and Riverside Park respectively. Both areas offer wonderful outdoor environments that are enjoyed and well-used by residents – as emphasised during the recent coronavirus situation.
Indoor activities also received a boost. Eyemouth High School Parent Council was awarded funds to purchase treadmills and gym mats as part of their determination to revamp the school’s fitness suite. The new equipment will enable generations of pupils, teachers and other users to enjoy regular exercise no matter the conditions outside - and hopefully foster active lifestyles long into adulthood.
Cookery was at the heart of two grants awarded. Outside The Box Development Support Ltd was awarded funding to continue its innovative LINKS (Linking Ideas for Nourishment, Knowledge and Support) project offering workshops, events, shared cooking and eating sessions for individuals and families across the local area.
Based in the old Post Office in Gavinton, The Learning Space provides a positive educational learning environment for children and young people requiring additional intensive support to overcome barriers to learning. A grant from the Drone Hill Fund will contribute to the costs of purchasing gas burners for their ovens, enabling children with significant additional support needs from across the region to get involved in baking and cooking, together with specialist 1-to-1 support.
“The Learning Space is a small rural charity that works with young people experiencing barriers and challenges in their lives. The funds generously given by Drone Hill Community Wind Farm will help us to complete the renovation of the old Gavinton bakehouse ovens which are over 100 years old. We look forward to making pizza and bread with the young people soon.”
David Ward, The Learning Space
A grant was also awarded to “Berwickshire Coastal Arts: One Coast, Many Voices” to enable a professional recording of its “People and the Sea” stage production. This stage show will involve a range of art forms including song, music, dance, visual art and film, showcasing a collection of personal stories from interviews with local residents about their lives on the Berwickshire coast. The final production will be performed in Eyemouth and hopefully in Edinburgh as part of an International Storytelling Festival. The main production costs are covered by Creative Scotland, and Drone Hill’s grant funding will pay for over 100 DVDs to be produced for local libraries, schools and village halls so that generations of local residents can re-live the dramatic stories which will make up the production.
Eleanor Logan, project manager for the “People and the Sea” production, is ensuring the project reflects coastal life in the current pandemic:
"We are currently in the process of writing our production – with the community. With all of our lives changed by Covid-19, the production will of course be exploring the impact on Berwickshire coastal towns and how they are demonstrating amazing resilience and community spirit. Being able to record the final production means we will be able to share this wide and far for years to come, so we are really delighted to receive it. Many thanks to Greencoat, the volunteer Panel and Foundation Scotland.”
For more information and to find out how to apply, visit the Greencoat Drone Hill Community Fund page.