First funding awards from Tyne Esk LEADER

Tyne Esk LEADER approved six projects in their first round of funding.

A total of £267,000 was awarded to the six projects, which include community, farm diversification and enterprise projects. The Tyne Esk LEADER programme covers Mid- and East Lothian.

You can find information on the approved projects below.

And you can find out more about the Jerba Campervans' project in their Case Study.

Community

Kirkbridge Restoration, £18,000, 60%

This project will allow the penultimate phase of the restoration of a historic bridge at Humbie to take place, meaning access to a popular walking route will remain in place. The project is being undertaken by an individual member of the community using his own time and resources for match funding.

Volunteer Development Co-ordinator, Leuchie House, £14,561, 59.3%

This North Berwick based care home for short term respite stays is dependent on their substantial volunteer base to deliver critical services. The appointment of a Volunteer Co-ordinator will improve the functioning of the service, ensure existing volunteer receive essential training and allow recruitment of new volunteers, all of which will ultimately enable the social enterprise to expand.

St Gabriel’s Church Hall Refurbishment, £89,678, 32.8%

St Gabriel’s Hall is an important community facility in Prestonpans which provides space for several community groups. The need for improvement, including to access for less able and disabled people, has been a stumbling block to its wider use. This project aims to address this, providing the hall management committee a sustainable funding stream for years to come.

Farm Diversification

The Chalet for All, West Meikle Pinkerton Farm, £60,650, 50%

The project will see the applicant develop a second chalet at their site near Dunbar specifically tailored to special needs, autistic, disabled or elderly visitors. 

Rural Enterprise

East Lothian Food and Drink Borough Market Promotion, East Lothian Council, £34,005, 59.6%

East Lothian Food and Drink Business Improvement District is the first of its kind in the world, with participants paying a levy to fund activities for the common good. This project, co-ordinated by East Lothian Council  Economic Development Department, would see 20 businesses attend a week-long event at the UK’s epicentre for luxury goods, Borough Market London to promote their products and encourage visitors to the region. Unfortunately this project has stalled since the award was made so will not be proceeding.

Campervan Elevating Roof Workshop, Jerba Campervans Ltd, £51,000, 60%

This innovative business provide campervan refurbishment to the UK market. The money for this project will allow them to develop a new facility on their site near North Berwick to provide an innovative and recently patented piece of roof elevating equipment, enabling them to expand and compete on a European level.

More about LEADER across Scotland

You can find out about LEADER across Scotland in the LEADER section of our website, where you can also submit an Expression of Interest form if you have an idea for a project.

And watch our short film below to find out more about six inspiring projects that received funding in the LEADER 2007-2013 programme.

Scottish LEADER programme from ScottishRuralNetwork on Vimeo.