Highland 2007 today announced the successful communities and voluntary groups throughout the Highlands and Islands that are to receive funding from Communities Scotland for events to promote the area’s culture.

Highland 2007, which promotes the Highlands and Islands as a great place to live and to visit,   invited applications from projects and events to contribute to the year-long celebration of Highland culture.

To apply for funding, not-for-profit organisations consulted their local housing associations or registered social landlords (RSLs) to submit an application. Applications of up to £30,000 were made for events and projects to promote the area and celebrate its unique culture.

Commenting on the successful projects, David Nicol, Communities Scotland’s area director, said: “The spread and range of the successful applications is a great boost for Highland 2007.

“The community and voluntary groups with their local housing associations have illustrated their commitment to their local communities and the people who live there, or who visit them.

“Communities Scotland’s support of Highland 2007 through our Wider Role funding recognises the willingness of local housing associations to work with the wider community to enrich the lives of people who live in the areas in which they operate.”

Fiona Hampton, director of Highland 2007, added: “We were delighted with the response to this funding programme. The quality and creativity of the events and projects proposed was fantastic and we wish we could have supported more.

“We are confident that the groups that have been successful will help to leave a lasting legacy for a number of communities well beyond the Highland 2007 celebrations this year.”

The successful applications for funding and the housing association which promoted their events or projects to celebrate Highland 2007, are:

• Benbecula Community Association - £5,000 (with £5,000 also contributed from Highland 2007 Arts Capital Fund) (Hebridean Housing Partnership)
  Funding for Equipment of the Balivanich Community Centre. This is currently under construction with a view to opening in December 2007. The equipment will include a sound system, projector and screen, portable stage, tables and chairs. The equipment provided will allow for a wide variety of arts, cultural and social activities.
• Clan MacQuarrie Community Centre - £30,000 (Hebridean Housing Partnership)
  The construction of a community centre in the village of Borve, Isle of Lewis. The new centre will combine a cultural performance space with a social area. It will combat social exclusion by providing participation opportunities to people of all backgrounds in a welcoming environment. Construction will begin in autumn 2007 with completion planned for summer 2008. Other funders include Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and the Big Lottery Fund.
• Bayble Boat Owners and Pier Users Association - £10,000 (Hebridean Housing Partnership)
  This is phase two of a project to improve the harbour and beach area at Bayble, Point, Isle of Lewis for the benefit of boat users, the local community and visitors. The project is in partnership with the residents association and community council. The funding will contribute to the environmental works and social amenities area such as a picnic area, new toilet block, landscaping, pathways and a bridge.
• Theatre Hebrides - £7,000 (Hebridean Housing Partnership)
  The Theatre Company’s play, The Callanish Stoned, opens in Stornoway on 12 October 2007 then tours Scotland, Wales, Northern and Southern Ireland. This funding will go towards employment of local people in the Western Isles, performers, makers and administrator.
• Pulteneytown People’s Project - £30,000 (Albyn Housing Association)
  Pulteneytown Environmental Art Project – A community arts project which will upgrade the environment of Bremners Walk in Pulteneytown, Wick by involving the community in artwork both to lay on the ground and as standalone art pieces. This funding will be for specific pieces of artwork of which there will be eight in total all taken from design concepts initiated by members of the community of Pulteneytown.
• Calman Trust - £8,000 (Albyn Housing Association)
  Monsterness – To bring a large group of vulnerable or potentially vulnerable young people with different life experiences and skills from across the Highlands to build and launch a huge balloon model of the Loch Ness Monster onto Loch Ness. It will be unveiled at a public launch from Urquhart Castle grounds on the afternoon of Saturday 13 October. (The project is to raise awareness of the issues and circumstances surrounding youth homelessness as the Trust want to demonstrate that the experience of homelessness for young people is the real monster under the surface of the Highlands.)
• Golspie Film Society – £2,100 (Albyn Housing Association)
  Sutherland Archive Project – To purchase equipment which will enable the Society to digitise film and slides from all over the Sutherland area. This will then allow it to be shown all over Sutherland, Scotland and further afield for educational, cultural and social purposes.
• Milton community Woodland Trust - £6,000 (Albyn Housing Association)
  Milton Community Woodland Trust Logbuilding and Logbarn upgrades. This project is in preparation for the delivery of the Trusts Stepping Stones project and to enable continued delivery of their wide range of arts and crafts activities and community events.
• Dunain Community Woodland Association - £5,000 (Albyn Housing Association)
  Highland 2007 Children’s Forest – To educate and involve children in our natural environment and to restore some indigenous tree species back into an area once dominated by the Caledonian Forest. With the involvement of three local schools up to 1,200 trees could be planted during 2007.
• Inverness City Centre Management - £15,000 (Albyn Housing Association)
  Festiveinverness Winter Festival – A temporary ice rink in Falcon Square, Inverness which will form the centrepiece of plans for a winter festival. The theme of the festival will reflect Eden Court’s annual Pantomime – this year, Peter Pan and Friends. The festival will run between mid-November 2007 and January 2008.
• 18th Inverness Scout Group - £2,000 (Albyn Housing Association)
  To provide four Canadian canoes with paddles and safety equipment for expeditions along the Caledonian Canal. Scouts and Guides will become more self-reliant, more motivated and able to work as a team.
• Viewfield Garden Collective - £5,000 (Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association)
  Viewfield garden and path, Portree – To make a path into the community garden which is being restored. This will provide outdoor activity for people with mental health problems, where they feel safe, develop confidence and learn new skills.
• OK Skate - £4,000 (Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association)
  The group has purchased a mobile half pipe for Skateboarding, BMX and roller blading. This funding will allow the portable half pipe to go to eleven sites around Skye and Lochalsh and will promote healthy sporting options of a different kind to the area.
• Moving on employment project - £5,000 (Hjaltland Housing Association, Shetland)
  Mental health recipe book, Job Crew Project – To raise awareness and reduce stigma of mental health problems by producing a recipe book which will contain information on mental health problems. It will be designed by clients themselves. This project is in partnership with Adult Literacy and Shetland Arts.
• Shetland College - £1,750 (Hjaltland Housing Association)
  Local learning for local history – This project will build links in rural and island communities between local learning centres and local history groups. The college’s network of learning centres will offer training in computing, digital photography, digital storytelling and scanning to local groups. This will enhance the skills of the group to research, record and share local history.
• Shetland Arts - £10,000 (Hjaltland Housing Association)
  Independent Living Project, Quoys sensory garden – To create landscapes at the upcoming Quoys development that offer a wide range of sensory experiences for people with disabilities. An opportunity for tenants to work alongside a commissioned lead artist to plan the garden area drawing on the influences of the environment and heritage of the area. (Independent Living Project provides supported accommodation for adults with learning disabilities. It is project-managed by Shetland Islands Council’s education and social care services.)
• Kinlochleven Community and Sports Centre - £6,000 (Lochaber Housing Association)
  Kinlochleven’s Winter Sunshine Festival – Aims to build community spirit over the winter months through offering mainly traditional music and arts events at the local community centre.
• Artsplay Highland – £4,000 (Cairn Housing Association)
  Crossing the boundaries across generations – To establish and improve links between older people in sheltered housing and young people from local schools to reduce social isolation of older people and highlight the value of their experiences. Two artists will be appointed to link the generations through collections of stories and sharing internet skills. A website will be dedicated to the project.
• Art Steering Group and Inverness Riverside Churches Association - £4,850 (Cairn Housing Association)
  Identity and Spirituality Project – Five art workshops and events for young people will be held across Inverness to explore the themes of identity and spirituality. An exhibition of the work produced will be held in the city centre, local churches and community centres.