Community organisations receive £700,000 funding

Shetland has received the second highest amount of community funding per head in Scotland during the coronavirus crisis.

Community organisations in the isles have been allocated almost £700,000 of Scottish government funding since the onset of the pandemic.

These funds were set aside to support communities across Scotland which have been affected by coronavirus.

At £49 per person, the isles came second only to Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles) in per capita funding.

Financial support was available across four main funds, with anchor organisations such as community councils receiving £245,200 from the Supporting Communities Fund.

Charities, community groups, social enterprises and voluntary organisations have received £232,100 from the Third Sector Resilience Fund.

The food fund, which addresses food insecurity caused by the pandemic, accounted for £104,000 of funding and the wellbeing fund has supported organisations across the third sector to the tune of £115,000.

Additionally, nearly £400,000 has been distributed through the government’s hardship fund.

Shetland received the second lowest total funding in Scotland, closely followed by Orkney, with Glasgow City receiving the most funding (£24.2 million).

However, island communities made up the top three of community funding per capita.

A £350 million package of emergency funding was announced back in March by communities secretary Aileen Campbell.

So far around £192 million of this has been allocated.

Ms Campbell is due to announce the next steps today (Tuesday) at Holyrood to support communities “as we move towards recovery and renewal”.

“When this crisis hit, we proved change could be made rapidly and we must build on that momentum to achieve our long-term goals of reducing poverty and inequality,” she added.