COMMUNIITY GROUPS FROM throughout Moray have been celebrating this week after netting a share of the second £60,000 ‘Money for Moray’ cash handout.
The participatory funding scheme has proven to be a massive hit at Moray has led the way to the rest of Scotland by introducing the funding rounds where small groups and clubs can make their own Dragon’s Den style pitch for funding.
The first event in May saw around 80 members of the public voting for the pitches they felt should receive a share – but at the weekend there were around twice that number listening to pitches at the Grant Hall in Rothes.
Money for Moray was the first participatory budgeting exercise in Scotland to be led by a working group of volunteers drawn from community councils, area forums and the Moray Federation of Community Halls and Associations.
Winning bids for the second round of funding included Mhairi Marwick from Fochabers, who has been organising the traditional music ‘Arc Sessions’ in the town’s Institute building – she was granted £2500. The arts had another boost with Hopeman’s Amateur Dramatic Society being given £3500.
The smallest grant – £450 – went to the Hopeman Floral group to reinstate the rose bed on East Road in the village, while the £5000 maximum was awarded to six bids for a variety of projects in Speyside, Dufftown, Inchberry, Craigellachie, Fochabers and the Moray-wide Handy Person Scheme.
The full list of successful groups:
J’s Pad, Dufftown – Play areas for all disabilities – £5000
Dufftown and District Pipe Band – Pipe band expansion – £2200
Speyside Youth Ltd – Social enterprise fund – £5000
Speymouth Hall Association – Upgrading hall infrastructure – £4308
Arc Sessions – Folk music nights in Fochabers – £2500
Dufftown and District RBL Club Ltd – Gas supply installation – £3669
Portgordon Village Hall – Barometer Café – £4974
Burghead Coastal Rowing Club – Rowing equipment – £493
Aberlour Community Association – Refurbishment of former station building – £2500
Hopeman Amateur Dramatic Society – Transform: The Big Reveal – £3500
Inchberry and District Community Association – Picnic tables replacement – £5000
Craigellachie Village Council – Refurbish tennis pavilion – £5000
Hopeman Floral – Reinstate East Road rose bed – £450
Kinloss Village Floral Club – Nature trail – £4872
Moray Handy Person Service – Expansion of toenail trimming service – £5000
Fochabers Village Association – Public Institute regeneration – £5000
Findochty Water Sports Club – St Ayles skiff community rowing – £820