The Blackford Community Fund

It also supports activities that enhance quality of life or promote people’s well-being, and foster a vibrant sustainable community.

The Blackford Community Fund was originally established in 2009 as a result of income from a Community Endowment established from a gift by Ochil Developments Ltd to Blackford Community Council. Annual income has subsequently increased with community benefit payments from EDF Renewables Burnfoot cluster of wind farms. 

In the last 5 years, over £83,000 of community benefit income has been received from the EDF Burnfoot cluster. In conjunction with other funds received, this has allowed funding of over £123,000 to support 23 local organisations in delivering 276 projects and activities.

Grants support a wide range of costs and activities, including equipment costs, running costs for local groups, and maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities. Projects that benefit older residents are given particular preference as agreed between Foundation Scotland and the Community Council when the Fund was established.

In 2019, a 10-Year Anniversary Fund Review identified four key areas where the Fund is making a positive difference to the local community:

• Supporting activities and events that help improve the look and feel of the village
• Supporting activity that helps Blackford’s older residents stay connected and feel less isolated
• Helping to bring people together with shared interests, building friendships and a sense of belonging to the community
• Celebrating and developing Blackford’s musical & cultural heritage

These impacts are highlighted below with illustrative case studies.

Supporting activities and events that help improve the look and feel of the village

Blackford is Brighter

Blackford is Brighter is a well-established association of community volunteers, which has been supported annually by the fund since its inception in 2009. The group has been awarded just over £28,800 to date, with awards ranging from £500 - £1,500. 

The group has made some substantial improvements to community spaces around the village, as well as maintaining an annual programme of planting, floral displays and hanging baskets.

Supported by around 10-15 volunteers, the organisation also encourages wider community engagement through regular action days where local residents are welcome to join in and even learn new planting skills. Blackford is Brighter helps to keep the village picturesque, colourful, attractive and litter-free. Their work has been recognised through several awards, including multiple Gold Awards from ‘Take a Pride in Perthshire.’

“We have been in existence for more than 20 years now and know what is successful and what is not. We have reached the stage now where we would be wary of more new projects as the maintenance of what we already have stretches us to our limits. We did have three new volunteers this year which is very encouraging.”

Blackford Gala Day

The Blackford Gala is an annual event which is a cornerstone of the local calendar, with up to 850 residents and visitors taking part each year. Held annually in June, 2023’s Gala week was the 45th year of the event. A local committee organises a week-long programme of community activities each year culminating in the Gala Day Parade. The event is funded through a mixture of local fundraising activities throughout the year, combined with support from the Fund since 2010, totalling almost £24k. Last year’s programme included numerous sports competitions, local treasure hunts, activities for children & families, a day trip for senior citizens, and the ever-popular scarecrow competition.

The committee was especially creative in 2019 and 2020, hosting programmes of virtual and outdoor events to allow the residents to continue to celebrate despite Covid restrictions. One of the most popular ‘lockdown’ Gala activities was a long-distance community barbeque, whereby volunteers delivered disposable BBQs and ingredients to every household allowing each family to celebrate in their own garden or nearby outdoor spaces, creating a sense of community and connectedness.

“It enabled the full community to take part in Gala Day celebrations and engendered community spirit.”

Supporting activity that helps Blackford’s older residents stay connected and feel less isolated

Although Blackford is well served by a wide variety of local interest groups which are open to all ages, participating in such activities can be challenging for older residents due to financial barriers, lack of transport, or venue accessibility for those with mobility restrictions. A number of local organisations have undertaken projects to ensure that their activities are more accessible to older residents and thus encourage participation from people of all ages. Here are some examples of how this has been achieved:

• Blackford Bowling Club – awarded £21,800 for a variety of projects making improvements to the premises including improved wheelchair access, provision of seating for spectators and installing ramps & handrails. All of which improve the overall accessibility of the site and provide increased opportunities for participation by older residents.
• Blackford Parish Church – awarded £4,275 for various community engagement projects including home deliveries of activity packs, establishment of a community garden, and monthly intergenerational lunches which allow residents to share healthy meals together. The primary goal of all the supported projects was to reduce social isolation, which can disproportionally affect older residents.
• Blackford Sings – awarded £6,300 to cover costs for hall hire and professional music tutors to the community choir. Although the choir is open to all ages the majority of members are older residents and the choir provides opportunities to socialise and perform together.
• Blackford Scottish Women’s Institute (SWI) – received £1,621 towards its annual programmes of events, speakers and monthly meetings. Although the group is open to all women in Blackford the majority of current members are over sixty and this group provides especially important social connections for those who live alone.

Helping to bring people together with shared interests, building friendships and a sense of belonging to the community

Blackford Crafters

Blackford Crafters, an arm of Blackford Study Group, is an all-age group which meets fortnightly to work on craft projects together, share crafting skills and build social connections. The group has relatively low annual costs, having been awarded just under £2,500 over the course of 10 years, yet this funding continues to allow the organisation to provide a consistent programme of events for only nominal fees. Groups which encourage shared learning in this manner can help members to build confidence, develop new skills and share their various interests, creating a strong sense of community. The project is an excellent example of how relatively small amounts of monetary support can have a significant impact in helping sustain community activity and support residents’ mental health and wellbeing. 

Celebrating and developing Blackford’s musical & cultural heritage

Blackford Fiddle Group

The Blackford Fiddle Group was founded in 1996 with the intention of facilitating the learning of a musical instrument irrespective of financial circumstances. The group offers a supportive environment where anyone is welcome to come and learn a variety of traditional instruments at their own pace. Having received £17,000 of funding between 2010 and 2023, Blackford Fiddle Group provides instruments for members, arranges professional tuition support and organises various performances for local community groups.

Last year the group noted an increase in opportunities to connect with other local organisations and projects.

“There has noticeably been an enhanced degree of affinity with another local music group and with the local Bowling Club who have invited us to entertain them. In addition, invitations to entertain care homes enable us to involve more younger players, thereby boosting their self-confidence. The group has also been invited to support "Scrufts", a dog show organised by PADS.”

Professional tutors hired by the group work mainly with the younger members to allow them to develop their musical technique, with adult members encouraged to attend the weekly tutoring sessions so that they can begin to develop their own teaching skills. In April 2023, the group arranged an all-day tutoring session, inviting players from other areas, to help attract new members. The event was highly successful and having received positive feedback another event is already being planned for 2024.

With members’ ages ranging from 7 to 70 years old the organisation is truly intergenerational. One particularly inspiring example is of a mother who joined the group in order to be able to play together with her daughter and is now encouraging others to get involved:

“[She] had never played a musical instrument before…However, with her own self-determination and moral support from members and a professional tutor, she has come on leaps and bounds and is now herself making a contribution to the coaching of youngsters. Her own daughter being a junior member was clearly an added incentive. 

“Other adults are following suit which is most encouraging as we need to maximise adult member involvement in tuition and general support to the group.”