Grantown Health Centre amongst four town projects to benefit from windfall
Grantown Health Centre has been named as one of four causes in the town to receive a funding boost as successful applicants in the 32nd round of Berry Burn community funding.
The practice was given £5000 towards its Grantown Health Centre Equipment Fund.
The cash will go towards additional furniture for patient areas following the on-going refurbishment and extension to the medical centre.
Dr Julie McIlwaine, Interim Practice Manager at Grantown Health Centre, said the funding will enable patients to reduce the amount of travel they have to make to attend appointments.
She said: "We are delighted to receive such a significant donation from the Berry Burn community fund which will be used to purchase furniture for our new extension, which is almost finished.
“The additional space will be used by health board employed staff meaning patients can be seen locally and this will reduce the need to travel.
“It also means we can continue to train students and GPs, which is essential for the future of the NHS, especially rural general practice.
“The overall refurbishment and extension, many years in the planning, has been a significant amount of work and investment, however we are delighted with the upgraded, more environmentally-friendly building.
“It is a clean, bright space to work in and we hope it is welcoming for patients also."
Grantown Golf Club, who were seeking funds to provide a unique golfing experience using hickory clubs, has also benefitted.
The club has received a grant of £5681 to bring in more visitors by building on its links with legendary golfer Bobby Cruickshank, a former world number one who played in the 1920s and 1930s and hailed from the town.
Elsewhere, 1st Grantown-on-Spey Guides received £5000 so their youngsters could attend Girlguiding Scotland’s Amsterdam Adventure, and Grantown Grammar School Gardening Club was given £2433 for its Science and Gardening Outside project.
Overall, grants totalling £81,493 were issued to help to finance 13 projects spread across the Berry Burn Community Fund (BBCF) area of Moray and the Highlands.
The funding group said that applications received amounted to more than twice the pot of funds available, and that “it was not possible to help everyone, no matter how worthy the cause.”
Fund chair Harvey Morton, said: “As in previous rounds there were many good applications and the requested support far exceeded the funds available.
“It is always regrettable that the fund cannot meet all the applications for good projects that meet the criteria of BBCF.”
This latest round brings the total contribution to date towards local causes in the area from the Berry Burn Community Fund to £2,065,075.
The Community Fund receives an index-linked annual budget of £246,964 from international renewables company Statkraft, whose 29-turbine Berry Burn wind farm lies between Forres and Grantown-on-Spey.
It is overseen by eleven volunteer fund members, living and working within its operational boundary which takes in the community council areas of Forres, East Nairnshire, Grantown-on-Spey, Cromdale and Advie, Speyside, Heldon, Findhorn and Kinloss, Finderne and Dyke Landward.
This annual budget is spread over three awards rounds held during the year.
The date of the next Berry Burn Community Fund awards meeting is February 24, 2025, with the closing date for applications January 20, 2025.
Details of how to apply, including an application form, and contact details for the administrator, can be found online at berryburncommunityfund.co.uk.
