News from Forth Valley and Lomond LEADER

 

Friday 9 May 2008

FIRST RURAL AWARDS FOR FORTH VALLEY AND LOMOND

Rural development projects in the Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire areas received a welcome financial boost from the first meeting of the Forth Valley and Lomond LEADER Local Action Group.
 
Funding of £2.63 million has been awarded to the rural Forth Valley and Lomond area as part of the Scottish Rural Development Plan.  This funding will support pilot or innovative community projects which help build stronger and richer local communities and business networks in the rural Forth Valley and Lomond area.
 
Three awards were made at the first meeting:
 
CVS Clackmannanshire received £19,000 towards "Learning for Living", an innovative approach to green mapping enabling local communities to chart social and environmental assets in the area. Director Ross Paterson welcomed the award saying:
"CVS Clackmannanshire are very pleased to have secured LEADER resources to allow us to develop an exciting and innovative phase of our work around Green Mapping.
The "Learning for Living" project will be the first in Scotland and among the first worldwide to utilise the very recently launched on line platform called Open Green Map. We look forward to working across the rural communities in Clackmannanshire providing opportunities for local participation in building a unique picture of rural life in the county."

Callendar Estates were awarded £12,400 towards a feasibility study exploring the opportunities for a Countryside Activities Centre in south Falkirk.
Guy Wedderburn, director of Callendar Estates said:
"Callendar Estate has been working with Falkirk Council and local people for several years to develop a network of paths around south Falkirk. The award of grant from Leader is fantastic news enabling us to continue this process and help to complete a path network suitable for as wide a range of different users as possible"

This summer's Jazz on the Lochs received a welcome boost of £2,900. John Martin, Director of the Callander Jazz and Blues Festival, said:
"The funding allocated to jazz on the lochs has definitely launched the boat for this major event, which will be an enormous visitor attraction for both locals and tourists alike. This will really allow us to Jazz up the Trossachs on a regular basis."

Dereck Fowles, Chair of the Local Action Group, said "With this first round of awards, the Forth Valley and Lomond LEADER Local Action Group hopes to demonstrate how we will be investing in innovative rural development projects that benefit communities over the next 6 years. We are delighted to support these first three projects that show imaginative ways in which European money can be used to help revitalise rural communities and conserve the local environment."