A range of local projects from litter-picking initiatives to schemes designed to help protect rare insects across the Cairngorms National Park have been awarded a total of £130,000 to help them overcome the impact of Covid-19.
The Cairngorms Recovery Fund was launched in August by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and the Cairgorms Trust, to help communities and local businesses recover from lockdown.
A total of 13 projects all throughout the national park have benefitted from the funding, which was designed to help groups struggling after not receiving similar support from national or regional schemes.
The fund selected groups based on its four guiding principles of supporting projects that are environmentally friendly, that support employment, help the well-being and economic growth of Cairngorms communities, and those which support the long-term aims of the national park.
Some of the initiatives to benefit from the cash include the Aboyne and Upper Deeside Rotary Club’s litter-picking efforts, planting along the River Truim tributary of the River Spey, and the RSPB’s “Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms” project.
A total of 27 applications for a share of the cash were submitted.
Willie Munro, board member of the CNPA, said: “We were delighted to see so many strong local projects being put forward.
“With a limited pot of money we had envisaged supporting six to eight projects, but I am delighted that we have been able to award funds to 13 projects from across the Cairngorms National Park.
“We hope this funding will bring a boost to the local economy and employment ,and help to deliver a sustainable future for the communities in the national park.”
The Cairngorms Trust gave £30,000 to the fund.
Roger Clegg, chairman of the trust, said: “Lockdown has been particularly hard for rural communities.
“It is vitally important to support their recovery, particularly those groups who may struggle to access funds in other ways.
“It was fantastic to see the innovation and passion that came through in the applications and we are proud to be able to contribute to some really worthy causes.”
