Crown Estate Scotland fund will benefit Annandale North

Councillor Stephen Thompson welcomed news of the opening of the new Scottish Crown Estate’s “Sustainable Communities Fund”. It can benefit constituted, not-for-profit groups with charitable aims, within 5 miles of the perimeter of the Applegirth Estate in Annandale North ward, Dumfries and Galloway.

Awards are between £10,000 to £50,000 for a one-year period.

https://www.crownestatescotland.com/what-we-do/sustainable-communities-fund

This fund, along with the Coastal Communities fund, has been created since responsibility for Crown Estates Scotland was devolved to Scottish Ministers. There’s no shortage of examples where almost immediate and direct improvements can be made by having the power and responsibility in Scotland’s hands, and this is one where the revenue generated in Scotland can more directly benefit the communities that help to generate it.

Stage 1 expressions of interest have a deadline of 1200 on 8th October 2020

Those subsequently invited to progress to Stage 2 will be given 10 weeks to prepare a full application, with decisions to be made by 7th April 2021

Details are available on Foundation Scotland’s website: https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/…/crown-estate…/

Basic Criteria:

  • Only constituted groups, with a governing document, can apply
  • A bank account must be set up in the name of the group
  • There must be at least 3 unrelated members on your management committee. Committee meetings must have a quorum of at least 3 unrelated members present.
  • There must be no related cheque signatories and a minimum of 2 required to sign on payments.
  • Majority of your committee cannot be family/related.
  • Your community must be situated up to 5 miles from the Scottish Crown Estate’s rural estate.

The fund, which runs along similar lines to the Coastal Communities fund has been devised to help the regeneration of “places” by supporting improvements to buildings or community spaces, making these places more attractive, accessible, and beneficial to the community or to create self-sustaining community enterprises.

Awards are between £10,000 to £50,000 for a one-year period.