Scottish Natural Heritage is offering further funding through its Community Engagement Fund
Projects which aim to connect those in disadvantaged communities with green spaces are being invited to apply for funding.
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has a total of £300,000 available to groups for initiatives which aim to help those in urban areas benefit from nature.
The Green Infrastructure Community Engagement Fund was launched last year, and since then six projects have shared £190,000.
The schemes are all designed to involve people and groups within the community, with an emphasis on helping people see the value of their local green spaces in different ways: for example a project in Cumbernauld aims to increase physical activity and reduce feelings of social isolation amongst those at risk of mental health by encouraging them to volunteer.
SNH chairman Mike Cantlay said: “The projects we saw last year set a high bar and we were delighted to see the enthusiasm people had for engaging with their local communities.
“We look forward to receiving what’s sure to be an equally imaginative set of applications this year. For example, given that 2018 is the Year of Young People, projects may want to think about how to better involve their local youth.”
To be eligible for funding, projects must: be located in a town or city with a population of more than 10,000, with deprived areas given priority; have a total value of between £50k and £120k; primarily involve revenue costs to support the employment of staff or contractors to work with communities and have a planned completion date of no later than 30 September 2019.
