Tag: stronger communities

Funding to help local communities thrive

Boost for North Edinburgh community organisations

More than 80 grassroots initiatives across Scotland will share in over £3 million funding to help deliver more ambitious community projects and activities and enable them to generate their own income.

North Edinburgh’s Heart of Newhaven and R2 are among the projects to be awarded Strengthening Communities Programme funding.

To date the Strengthening Communities Programme has helped hundreds of organisations to develop and improve their work with local communities and boost local economies.

This latest tranche of funding for 2026-27 will back community organisations to deliver local projects including spaces for business, improving access to employability and skills services, family and young people’s activities, and health and wellbeing support.

The First Minister announced the funding on a visit to the Usual Place in Dumfries – a charity that supports young people with learning disabilities to develop skills, gain qualifications and access employment.

First Minister John Swinney said: “Local organisations are best placed to understand what their communities need and how to deliver it. This programme helps to support and empower community initiatives to deliver what their area needs most – whether that is spaces for small businesses, culture and sport activities, or employability support.

“By providing this funding, we are helping organisations to become more financially resilient and develop the means to generate income for themselves. This will not only help boost local economies, but in turn help these projects generate more funds to serve wider community needs.

“The Usual Place is a fantastic example of this type of initiative. Their work to support young people with additional support needs to build community connections and friendships, and develop the skills needed to access employment, helps to improve peoples’ lives and future opportunities. I was pleased to visit the charity and see first-hand the difference it is making for people in Dumfries.”

Craig McEwen, Chief Executive at The Usual Place said: “Following a very difficult year for The Usual Place, we are now in a much better financial position.

“With the interim funding found to give us breathing space and now the success in securing funds through the Strengthening Communities Programme, we have the space to create capacity to implement some strategic changes, decided by the Board of Trustees, to enable us to diversify our income streams to ensure a more stable future for The Usual Place.  Over the past ten years we have put back into the economy of Dumfries and Galloway £9.8m, so our value speaks for itself.

“We thank the First Minister personally, and the Scottish Government for believing in the work we do in reducing the disability employment gap here in Dumfries & Galloway and beyond.”

STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES PROGRAMME

FUNDING BY ORGANISATION 2026/27

Organisation Name / Funding 2026/27

Active Communities £39,461

Annan Harbour Action Group £47,000

Antonine Sports Centre £44,980

Ardrossan Community Development Trust £40,679

Arisaig Community Trust £46,604

Assynt Development Trust £17,000

Belhelvie Community Trust £26,325

Bluevale Community Club £51,952

Bute Community Land Company £17,760

Campsie Memorial Trust £21,750

Castlemilk Community Football Trust £53,000

Community Development Company of Nesting £25,300

Comrie Development Trust £53,000

Cromarty Community Development Trust £33,100

Culbokie Community Trust £30,277

Dalbeattie Community Initiative £53,060

David Livingston Trust, Blantyre £31,500

Development Coll £41,597

Dufftown and District Community Association £18,825

Dunvegan Community Trust £26,661

Eday Partnership £18,000

Glen Urquhart Rural Community Association (GURCA) £8,500

Glengarry Community Woodlands £20,000

Go Golspie £40,000

Gorebridge Community Development Trust £48,169

Grow 73 £18,688

Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust £40,647

Heart of Newhaven £47,356

Helmsdale & District Development Trust £30,000

IG – Great Bernera Community Trust £39,048

Inspired Community Enterprise Trust (ICET) (The Usual Place) £25,402

Isle of Canna Community Development Trust £12,537

Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust £25,355

Isle of Luing Community Trust £27,000

Kilmadock Development Trust £10,049

Kinloch Historical Society £35,000

Kinlochleven Community Trust £24,110

Kinning Park Complex £42,500

Kirkcolm Community Trust £9,500

Kirkcudbright Development Trust £32,500

Kirknewton Community Development Trust £35,000

Lesmahagow Development Trust £60,504

Linlithgow Community Development Trust £34,885

Lochwinnoch Community Development Trust £25,773

Lockerbie Old School £53,500

Maslow’s Community SCIO £44,847

Midsteeple Quarter, Dumfries £56,420

Minginish Community Association £24,000

New Cumnock Development Trust £44,563

Nith Valley Trust £32,444

North Edinburgh R2 Co-ordinator £56,205

North Glasgow Community Food Initiative £29,388

North Ronaldsay Trust £23,000

One Dalkeith £36,057

Pollok United Nethercraigs CIC £46,498

Portgordon Community Trust Limited £28,723

Possilpark People’s Trust £32,700

Rannoch Community Trust £43,722

Roseneath Pennisula West CDT £44,500

Ruchazie Growing 21 £40,000

Sandness Community Development Group £22,028

Scalloway Community Development Company £38,468

Scourie Community Development Company £12,000

Shapinsay Development Trust £20,000

SHAX £50,500

Sleat Community Trust £38,601

South Islay Development Trust £20,000

South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust £33,990

Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry SCIO £10,000

Stow Community Trust £36,382

Stranraer Development Trust £47,000

Stranraer Water Sports Association £35,690

South West Arts & Music Project (SWAMP) £20,000

Take a Bow Development Trust £48,320

Tayport Community Trust £48,638

The Furniture Project, Stranraer £40,500

The Pavilion, Glasgow £37,987

Three Kings Cullen Association £40,800

Tiree Community Development Trust £22,650

Torridon and District Community Association £46,090

Unst Partnership £37,288

Whitburn Community Development Trust £37,195

Wick Development Trust £26,030

Please note that all funding amounts are subject to due diligence.

Big Noise in Wester Hailes!

Sistema Scotland has announced that a new Big Noise programme will begin in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh in spring 2022. The project will work in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council and with Clovenstone, Canal View and Sighthill Primary and Nursery Schools.

Big Noise Wester Hailes will work initially with all children in Primary 1 and 2. Over the course of its first year, the programme will expand to reach all nursery to Primary 3 age children, approximately 400 participants in total across the community.

Big Noise will grow year on year, retaining the involvement of the children as they age, and introducing the next generations of nursery and Primary 1 children. It will ultimately work with babies through to school-leavers in Wester Hailes, as well as offering opportunities to stay involved in the programme as adults. 

Big Noise is a high-quality music education and social change programme, where the symphony orchestra becomes a community which supports children and young people to gain vital life skills such as confidence, resilience, creativity and aspiration.

Through music and nurturing relationships, from infancy to adulthood, Big Noise supports participants’ wellbeing and helps them reach their full potential.

The programme also aims to strengthen the amazing communities where it is based; developing relationships with participants and their families based on mutual respect, trust and a commitment to work together and tackle inequalities for the long term.

While there are currently four Big Noise programmes, operating in Raploch (Stirling), Govanhill (Glasgow), Torry (Aberdeen) and Douglas (Dundee), this will be the first Big Noise programme to be based in Scotland’s capital city.

Independent evaluation of the Big Noise model by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health has shown that taking part in Big Noise helps children to improve their concentration and language skills, enhance their problem solving and decision making, increase their self-esteem and develop strong friendships and support networks.

Benny Higgins, Chairman of Sistema Scotland, said: “Sistema Scotland believes that all children and young people have great skills, talents and potential. We also know that many of Scotland’s communities face long-standing inequalities and challenges that make it extremely difficult for children to achieve their hopes, ambitions and dreams.

“The impact of Covid-19 has greatly exacerbated these inequalities. Now more than ever, we must think and act creatively to ensure Scotland’s children are given the opportunities and support that they deserve.

“Our charity is committed to ensuring that more children and communities across Scotland are able to take part in Big Noise and I am delighted that Wester Hailes will be the home of the next Big Noise programme.”

Councillor Ian Perry, Education, Children and Families Convener for City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I am extremely pleased to welcome Sistema Scotland to Edinburgh.

“I very much look forward to seeing the Big Noise programme in action, working with and supporting children, young people and families within the Wester Hailes community.”

Nicole Killean OBE, Chief Executive of Sistema Scotland, said: “We are greatly looking forward to starting a new Big Noise programme in Wester Hailes which will work in partnership with children, young people, families, schools and the community for many years to come.

” We also hope to work alongside local charities and community groups to bring additional support and value to Wester Hailes.”

Sam Laidlaw, mother of three from Wester Hailes, said: “Big Noise coming to Wester Hailes is such a great opportunity. Taking part in Big Noise will help the children grow their confidence.

“I’m excited to see the joy in the children’s faces as they explore music and movement. They will also come away from the programme with the ability to play a musical instrument by the time they leave high school which is great.

“I think Big Noise will help bring the community together and bring people together from different areas of Wester Hailes. I think it will bring a sense of pride to the community.”

Nicola Benedetti CBE, internationally-renowned violinist and official Big Sister to the participants of Big Noise, said: “Sistema Scotland’s consistent dedication to quality and expansion is an inspiration to all of us and I am so excited that they are finally in Edinburgh with this new Big Noise programme at Wester Hailes.”