LEADER funding for six Orkney projects

Six local projects have secured support from the latest round of LEADER funding.

The Orkney Islands £2.5million LEADER Programme offers funding for small-scale, pilot projects led by the local community, or that are in the local community’s interest, with the aim to promote economic and community development within Orkney.

• The Ness of Brodgar Development project will see the appointment of a full-time manager for the Ness, to concentrate on developing the full potential of the site as an excavation of world-importance, as an educational resource and to explore the potential to be a sustainable visitor attraction for the benefit of the Orkney economy.
• The Birsay Community Association’s funding will go towards creating a community play park in the site surrounding the Birsay Hall.
• Stromness Community Council will put the cash towards a new multi-purpose community space in the grounds of the Stromness Town House.
• Digital Media Orkney will provide a platform for enhanced digital communications activity, promoting Orkney’s tourism, food and drink, creative industries and energy sectors, coupled with promotion of Orkney’s communities and activities.
• Orkney Historic Boat Society gained funding to complete feasibility study to help determine the viability of establishing a “boat haven”, which, it is hoped, would incorporate interpretation of Orkney’s maritime heritage and would serve as a base for a boat building training programme and boat restoration.
• Westray Development Trust’s community growing project will provide professional greenhouse structures to enable the growing of a small, but experimental, range of produce to sell to the local community, creating two jobs in tending the produce.

To date, over three funding rounds, the Orkney LEADER programme has awarded grant funding of over £460,000 to eight community driven, innovative projects, with a total value of over £1 million of project investment.