Funding awarded to heritage projects in Coigach and Assynt
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Eleven heritage projects in Coigach and Assynt have been awarded a total of £23,938 through the Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape Partnership (CALLP) Community Grants Scheme.
Projects benefiting from funding include archaeological research into the historic local processing of kelp, support for low level guided story walks, and support for the restoration of Culkein jetty.
Boyd Alexander, Scheme Manager, Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape said:
“Our community grants are made thanks to National Lottery players. I’m delighted that CALLP is to be able to support such a wide range of local natural and cultural heritage projects throughout Coigach & Assynt.
These modest awards are matched by in-kind contribution and additional funding, leading to a combined investment in the area’s heritage worth over £85,000, allowing the projects to have a significant impact. It is a particular privilege to be able to give small projects initiated by individuals valuable funding that means plans can be turned into reality.”
Julia Barton, grant awardee for #LitterCUBE project said:
“I am delighted to receive this award. I look forward to working with the CALL communities to continue Littoral Art Project’s focus on the importance of littoral zones, beaches and coastal waters. Our future beach cleans and the #LitterCUBE project will raise awareness of the serious environmental threat from plastic pollution and recognise the amount of finite resources that the plastic pollution along our shoreline represents.”
Willie Jack, Chair of the Assynt Development Trust said:
“We are delighted that Energy Trust Scotland and Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape Partnership have had the confidence to support us in our aim to make the E-Bike scheme a reality for Assynt residents. These bikes will not only help with carbon reduction and improve the health of the users, they will also help to reduce some of the pressure on our public transport.”
Over the three years the Community Grants Scheme has been running, grants totalling over £72,000 have been awarded to ten individuals and 18 local organisations. These modest awards are matched by in kind contribution and match funding for projects with a combined total worth of over £225,000, allowing these heritage projects to have significant impact.
The CALLP Community Grants Scheme offers grants to community projects that complement those taking place through the wider Landscape Partnership Scheme and provide benefit to people living within the project area. Grants of up to £5,000 are available to organisations and £1,000 to individuals. Grants are awarded up to a maximum of 75% of the total project cost.
Applications for funding will re-open in January 2020. These grants are made possible with thanks to players of the National Lottery through the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Scottish Natural Heritage.
This year’s successful grants are listed below:
| Applicant | Amount | Title and Description |
| Assynt Crofters Trust | £5,000.00 | Culkein jetty restoration: renovate the old ruined pier and jetty at Culkein Stoer |
| Jan Kilpatrick | £995.00 | A journey through Elphin – past and present: interpretation of built and natural feature of the township, through creation of a community created, wall hanging. |
| Julia Barton | £1,000.00 | CALL #LitterCUBES: community beach clean and analysis of beach plastic litter, assembled into a sculpture to be displayed at the International Edinburgh Science Festival in April 2020. |
| Assynt Field Club | £1,516.00 | Workshop in National Vegetation Classification for Assynt and Coigach Upland Habitats: NVC training provided by Ben and Alison Averis. |
| Jenny Grant | £1,000.00 | Children’s book: illustrated children’s picture book based on the landscape and heritage of Coigach and Assynt. |
| Assynt & Coigach Creatives | £1,827.00 | Assynt & Coigach Creative Trail & open studio initiative: attractive map-based trail guide guiding visitors around the CALL area to places where locally made creative work can be seen and purchased. |
| Isle Martin Trust | £5,000.00 | Integrating Isle Martin: employment of a part time Access Officer to liaise with individuals, the local and wider community to coordinate visit to the island. |
| Cathy Dagg | £1,000.00 | Historic uses of kelp in Coigach: Volunteer involvement in excavation of kelp kilns, experimental archaeology, and exhibition |
| Malcolm Bangor Jones | £600.00 | Research historical crofting documents: Research the historical record of crofts in Coigach at the National Records of Scotland, Staffordshire Records Office. Pertinent documents will be copied and the research available as a documentary resource. |
| Griogair MacAllein | £1,000.00 | Low level guided story walks: Support to conduct eight voluntary low-level guided story walks in Assynt. |
| Assynt Development Trust | £5,000.00 | Assynt E-Bike: purchase of E-Bikes, with associated maintenance equipment to hire out to locals at affordable rates and tourists at commercial rates. |