Funding

Crofters across Scotland will be able to apply for larger sums of money to upgrade their housing under the Croft House Grant.

To help ensure more crofters and their families can benefit, the government is increasing the grant rate for home improvements from 40% to 60% of the total project cost – with a maximum grant of £38,000.

This month the Scottish Government published its National Strategy for Economic Transformation. This sets out the priorities for Scotland’s economy as well as the actions needed to maximise the opportunities of the next decade to achieve our vision of a wellbeing economy.

Support for community groups bringing people and communities together to tackle isolation has been launched today.

The £3.8 million Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund is part of a new plan, Recovering our Connections, that aims to reduce inequality by bringing people from communities across Scotland together.

The award-winning Be Your Best Self personal development programme for Women in Agriculture is an integral part of the Scottish Government’s vision to make Scottish agriculture a fairer, more inclusive industry, where farm succession is not determined by gender, training is accessible to everyone, and more women take on senior roles in agricultural organisations.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon officially opened a new training college in Glasgow to mark the beginning of Scottish Apprenticeship Week this week.

City Building’s new state-of-the-art training college in Springburn will house up to 250 apprentices across a range of disciplines, providing hands-on training opportunities in plumbing, furniture making, decorating and joinery.

Paths For All have recently launched the Ian Findlay Path Fund which supports the improvement of local paths within and between communities, making it easier for people to choose active travel and public transport for everyday journeys.

Specialist advice on animal welfare can help keep your livestock in good health and make your farm practices work for you.

Scotland’s NHS has become the first national health service in the United Kingdom to stop using an anaesthetic which has a high global warming potential.

Desflurane, used as an anaesthetic during surgery, has a global warming potential 2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide.

14 projects across the UK have been awarded £250,000 by The Prince’s Countryside Fund (PCF) through their “Supporting Rural Communities” grants programme, supporting over 17,000 people in the British countryside.