SEVERAL SCHOOLS IN Moray will benefit to the tune of £110,000 from an education support fund provided by the Ministry of Defence.
The cash is provided from a fund that was set up to assist with education projects and initiatives in local schools that are attended by children of service personnel.
With Moray having both RAF Lossiemouth and Kinloss Barracks in the area, that meant five separate applications were made and approved in the latest round of bidding.
Elgin Academy and its feeder primary schools have been awarded £50,000 that will be directed towards part-funding a team of professionals who will help support pupils of military families, while Elgin High School and its feeder primaries get £21,000 that will initiate a Lego-based emotional support service. It is the first time that Elgin schools have successfully applied to the fund.
Lossiemouth High School meanwhile will receive £3000 that will be used to help prepare pupils for the workplace, while Hythehill Primary in the town has been allocated £11,000 that will further develop a nurture early learning agenda introduced to classrooms last year.
Moray Council will receive £25,000 from the fund that will be used in the appointment of a home/school link worker for service families.
Councillor George Alexander, vice-chair of the children and young people’s services committee, said of the funding: “It is particularly welcome at a time of tight budgets and increasing demand on services for military families. These schools have a range of very worthwhile initiatives which this funding will support.”
A spokesman for RAF Lossiemouth said the base was delighted to act as unit sponsor for the applications, adding: “The allocation of five grants locally reflects the very strong commitment of the local education authority and schools to respond to the needs of service children in innovative and creative ways.
“We look forward to continuing working closely with the schools as they support our families and would encourage any establishment which has not yet considered an application to the MoD education support fund to get their thinking caps on as the final funding round will open for applications in early summer.”
The point of contact at RAF Lossiemouth for all applications is community development officer Sarah Riley-Evans who can be contact at los-cdo@mod.uk