Another seven grants totalling £16,900 have been awarded in April by Shetland Community Benefit Fund which manages the money from the Viking Community Fund. Grants have been awarded to projects in Whalsay, Yell, Fetlar, Burra, Walls and Northmavine.
The largest award, of £10,000 is for the Brough Lodge Trust on Fetlar. The island's community council supported the grant for an outline design and 3D model that will be used in the making of a promotional video to attract investors and other funders. The trust's aim is to create high-quality visitor accommodation linked to cultural 'retreats', particularly on subjects such as knitwear and music.
Trust chairman, Pierre Cambillard, thanked both the community benefit fund and the community council for their support. He said the trust hoped the project would bring real benefit not only to Fetlar but more widely to Shetland.
The Cullivoe Up Helly Aa Committee in Yell is to benefit from a grant of £5,000 towards the cost of renovating the galley shed.
Royal Voluntary Service groups in Whalsay, Northmavine and Walls are to receive a total of £900 to support social events once the covid restrictions are eased. The Australian-themed Outpost on East Burra, where the various animals are popular with families, is to get £500 towards an accessible aviary.
Burravoe Parent Council on Yell has been awarded £500 for towards the cost of its new polycrub. The parent council thanked Yell Community Council and the community benefit fund for the grant which will help educate the children about growing their own food and work with others in the local community.
Since the community benefit fund's grant scheme started in February a total of £63,800 has been awarded and this has helped support projects with a total value of over £158,500. The community benefit fund's Advance Grant Scheme will run during the construction of the Viking wind farm and is open to projects supported by any of Shetland's 18 community councils.
Full details of the grant scheme are available at www.scbf.org.uk/ags
