More LEADER awards for enterprising Moray projects

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Members of the Moray LEADER team with one of the successful entrepreneurs

Three local enterprises have been awarded almost £140,000 in funding by the Moray LEADER Programme for projects that will expand their operation and develop new markets for their products.  These include high quality timber processing, coffee roasting and on-farm milk vending.

The awards are announced in a week when the LEADER approach is being celebrated across Scotland, with a reception in the Scottish Parliament and inspiring stories of LEADER funded projects throughout the week on the Scottish Rural Network website.

Moray LEADER Programme Manager Norman MacAskill said: “We are delighted to be announcing these new awards in a week when the LEADER approach is being celebrated across Scotland and by MSPs in the Scottish Parliament.

“Our message, along with colleagues from LEADER Programmes in other areas, is that we must value and continue this community-led approach to economic and community development that contributes so much to the future prosperity and wellbeing of rural Scotland whatever happens to European funding in the future.

“Moray has now invested more than £2 million in businesses and communities across Moray, and we are currently assessing more than a dozen new funding applications to add to that total.”

The most recent awards from Moray LEADER are:

Logie Timber have been awarded £53,820.47 towards the purchase of three items of modern milling equipment that will expand the production capacity for converting softwood and hardwood logs into high quality furniture grade wood and other new products. The funding will also enable the processing activities of the mill to be carbon neutral through the installation of solar PV panels.

Green Bridge Coffee Company has been awarded £24,168.65 for a project designed to upgrade their production and sales capacity, including the purchase of a 10 kg roasting machine, a smoke filtration system, grinder and packaging machine.

Lower Mill of Tynet Farm were awarded £60,225 to develop an on-farm milk vending facility, to sell organic whole milk directly to the public.

Stories celebrating the LEADER approach across Scotland are available on the Scottish Rural Network website at http://www.ruralnetwork.scot/news-and-events/news/leader-past-present-and-future-event-report and under the hashtag #LEADERlegacy on social media.