First local funding from Crown Estate fund agreed

The first cash awards have been made from the recently launched Shetland Crown Estate fund, with seven organisations receiving funding for local projects.

At a recent meeting of the fund panel, stage two applications were considered and awards totalling £184,672.54 were made.

The highest amounts, £45,000 and £40,692, were made to Shetland Golf Club and Cope Ltd respectively.

The golf club will use the money for an indoor training and practice centre, while social enterprise company Cope intends to buy a new van.

Others to benefit were the Brough Lodge Trust (£10,000 for Shetland Peerie Makkers), Sandwick Carnegie Hall (£11,274 for a winter warmth project), Shetland Food and Drink Ltd (£17,880 for a Taste of Shetland trailer), Unst Partnership Ltd (£32,000 for a recycling centre) and Walls Regatta Club (£27,825 for upgrading equipment and facilities).

The SIC, which administers the scheme, will consider applications in January 2021 from another six organisations which have made funding requests for over £50,000.

The grant scheme is financed from net revenues generated by Crown Estate assets in Scotland. It is designed to mobilise change and deliver positive outcomes for Shetland and its communities, by supporting projects which invest in infrastructure, build community capacity and develop community assets.

The scheme is open to charities, community organisations, social enterprises and other community or public bodies to apply to, and can provide grants of between £10,000 and £100,000.

The next Shetland Crown Estate Fund panel meeting date is Monday 15th March 2021. 

SIC development committee chairman Alastair Cooper said: “I’m pleased to see these first grant awards made, so that the Shetland community can benefit from this Crown Estate funding.

“I’d encourage other local groups to consider making applications for eligible projects in future, so that we can maximise the long-term opportunities of this funding source.”

• The Brough Lodge Trust’s Peerie Makkers project, which provides free hand-knitting tuition to primary school pupils, is now expected to resume in 2021 (see separate story).