Local Recovery has been positive about the investment provided by the Community Ownership Fund since its launch in 2021, with a range of smaller-scale, local projects benefiting from funding all across Scotland and the rest of the UK.

The UK Government has now announced the COF’s largest funding round yet – with 17 new projects to benefit from a total of £8 million investment, more than half of the fund’s £13.6 million total so far.

We are expecting a pause while the proposals for Round 4 of the fund are unveiled – however potential projects can still get in touch for initial feedback on their application. More details are available at the UK Government’s Delivering for Scotland website here.

Local Recovery is actively encouraging community and voluntary groups to get involved – and see if a project close to them may be eligible for support.

Projects funded in the December 2023 window include:

·        An unprecedented £2 million toward the regeneration of King’s Theatre in Edinburgh.

·        £300,000 toward the re-opening and regeneration of Benholm’s Lodgings (also known as the Wallace Tower) in Seaton Park in Aberdeen.

·        £300,000 toward further restoration of the historic cottage linked to the founders of Harley Davidson, in Brechin.

·        £50,000 toward a community bicycle recycling project being run by Gordon Rural Action through The Bikery charity bike shop in Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

·        Over £1 million toward 3 different projects in Argyll and Bute: Cove Sailing Club are receiving almost £480,000 toward their new clubhouse, the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust is receiving almost £250,000 toward renovation of the Gigha hotel and Tarbert Bowling Club are receiving almost £290,000 for redevelopment of its closed tennis courts into a multi-use games area.

·        Over £175,000 toward 2 different projects in Falkirk: £100,000 is being received by the project establishing Bailliefields Community Hub and the Global Family Care Network non-profit is receiving £77,520 toward the installation of infrared heating.

·        £60,000 toward Concrete Garden in Possilpark, North Glasgow for their Back Garden project.

·        Over £2 million toward 2 different projects in the Highland region: almost £2 million is being received by the Old Clyne School redevelopment project in Brora to create a heritage hub and visitor centre (further to the £300,000 awarded to the same project in June)  and the Shieling Community Centre in Gairloch, Wester Ross is receiving £128,189.

·        Almost£200,000 toward Findhorn’s Park Ecovillage Trust in Moray to help rebuild their ecovillage.

·        £282,000 toward the North Ronaldsay Trust’s ‘The Pund’ hub project in Orkney, supporting the development of an island community hub.

·        £550,000 toward the Fair Isle Bird Observatory in the Shetland Islands.

·        £411,250 toward “The Bank” community and arts hub in Dunblane Square.

·        £550,000 toward the West Calder and Harburn Community Development Trust in West Lothian, who are developing The Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre, a learning centre on the history of the Scottishco-operative movement, the first of its kind.

Photograph © Mike Hume, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0

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