Funding

Volunteers are wanted for the Contin Community Fund Panel in Ross-shire.

The panel will be a group of local volunteers which will meet twice each year to make decisions on the applications to the community fund linked to the EDF-ER Corriemoillie Wind Farm. 

Rural Secretary Fergus Ewing has outlined the future of the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS).

The Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) is part of the £1.3 billion Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) 2014-2020. It provides essential income support to farming businesses in remote and constrained rural areas.

In this article, West Lothian LEADER tell us about an innovating heritage project that has received LEADER support.

Fourteen projects across Argyll and the Islands have secured a share of almost £612,000 of LEADER funding - awarded to community-led projects that support economic growth and development across the area.

The Prince's Countryside Fund is currently open for applications until 13 April 2017.

This fund provides grants of up to £50,000 to innovative projects that will provide a lasting legacy to the individuals and communities they seek to benefit. Through the grant programme, more than £1 million each year goes to projects across the UK.

The grant programme currently aims to tackle the following key rural issues:

Skiffs, trails and augmented reality. You might ask what these three things have in common.  Well, they were among the many ideas discussed at the LEADER Cooperation Exchange event on 15 and 16 March in Ayrshire. 

Ayrshire LEADER have teamed up with Crowdfunder to launch a new online platform for groups, organisations and businesses to raise money, awareness and support using the power of the crowd.

Ayrshire LEADER's Local Action Group (LAG) is the first in the UK to embrace this fundraising concept with the launch of #Crowdfund Rural Ayrshire.

Funding from Angus LEADER has helped to enhance rural advice services in the area.

The Angus Financial Inclusion Partnership (AFIP) received an award of £4,000 from the Angus LEADER Programme, via Angus Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), to help carry out a rural advice feasibility study. The Partnership has been looking at ways to break down financial barriers faced by rural residents when accessing services.

The Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) allocates European Union and Scottish Government funding for economic, environmental and social projects throughout rural Scotland.

In 2015, the Scottish Government commissioned an independent report into the previous SRDP, which ran from 2007-2013. It provides a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of the programme, highlighting both achievements and areas which needed to be improved for the current SRDP.

Ruth MacDonald from the Scottish Rural Network Support Unit reports from the Agri-Innovation Conference held in York on 31 January 2017.

From new ideas to tackle feather pecking in hens to improving the carcase traits of Swaledale sheep, this event provided plenty of inspiration for people looking to try something new in the agricultural sector.