Communities in the Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway and North Northumberland can now apply for the fourth and final round of funding in Destination Tweed’s Community Grants Scheme.
Just over £50,000 is available in grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 for projects based predominantly within 2km of the River Tweed, and the River Annan from Moffat. The Community Grants Scheme is part of the £25 million Destination Tweed project and aims to support local initiatives with a connection to the River Tweed and its nature, history and stories.
Over £140,000 has been allocated in the first three rounds to 22 projects spread along the river from Tweedsmuir to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Initiatives supported to date include £1,825 for Upper Tweed Community News to develop a photography competition, guided walks of the local area and an outdoor exhibition trail. Greener Peebles is enhancing biodiversity in its community garden thanks to a grant for £8,487, while Newstead Village Community Trust received £9,622 towards the development of the first ever Newstead Sundials Festival in September. The event will share the unique history of the village over many centuries through stories, music and dance, walking tours, hands-on activities and craft demonstrations.
Borders-based Riddell Fiddles, which aims to enable anyone to play the fiddle, has received an award of £7,625 towards the creation of an exciting new musical composition, with performances planned in venues close to the river. Titled “The Meteoric Rise of the Little Egret”, the piece is inspired by the egret – a small white heron, once very rare in Britain, but now regularly seen right along the Tweed.
At Paxton House, a £10,000 Destination Tweed grant is supporting an artist residency, exhibition and engagement activities exploring the deep, complex ties between Granada, Scotland and England and the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade. The scheme has also awarded £9,870 to a partnership project between North East Museums and English Heritage to help fund an intergenerational project in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Inspired by fossils within the museum collections, the initiative will see local schoolchildren create an exciting papier mâché display telling the story of Berwick’s Carboniferous past. The results go on show at Berwick Barracks this autumn.
Charlotte Douglas, Senior Project Officer at Tweed Forum, which leads the Destination Tweed Project, said; “This final round of funding offers a unique opportunity for local groups to bring their ideas and plans to life. The River Tweed has long been a source of inspiration, connection and community so we hope that organisations will come forward to apply for grants that will celebrate its rich heritage, wildlife and stories.”
The deadline for the final round of community grants is Wednesday 11 June. Further details are available on the Destination Tweed website where a map showing eligible project areas can be viewed. Information is also available by contacting Charlotte Douglas at Tweed Forum on 01896 849723 or by emailing info@destinationtweed.org
Destination Tweed’s Community Grants Scheme is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is open to charities, community interest companies, community groups and not-for-profit organisations.