There has been almost unanimous approval of the volunteers’ achievements. Personal compliments were received on every occasion volunteers were working at the loch. Facebook and other social media carried hundreds of messages of approval. We have always made clear that, the work could never have been achieved, without the financial support of BBFC.
Forres Area Credit Union’s school savings clubs are partnerships between local primary schools and the Credit Union. The pupils are trained by FACU staff, to run the school savings clubs, with adult supervision – either staff, parents or volunteers. The pupils develop in numeracy, literacy, team building skills, confidence in handling money. They develop a firm savings habit to give a solid basis for money management in early adulthood.
Thanks to the Berry Burn Community Fund, Speyside Paddlers now has more appropriate equipment to help the club deliver a wide range of paddling experiences to people in Strathspey seeking to develop a new outdoor activity, to develop paddling skills and to do this safely.
We are delighted to launch the new Grantown Try Tri website (www.try-tri.co.uk) Chairperson, Rebecca Mackellar has been working with the voluntary committee and Drumnadrochit based RedKite Internet to produce a website that is up to date with the expectations of competitors and compliant with the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). It would not have been possible to launch if it were not for the funding. It has significantly helped the committee to become compliant and competitors can view the site on a mobile device too. These features as well as linking with an online booking agency are important for the annual event which takes place on Sunday 8th September 2019.
The Cameron’s Project supports older people, over the age of 50, living in the Forres Area, to stay connected to their community and reduce social isolation. The project recruits and trains Cameron’s Champions to support a range of activity afternoons as well as visiting individuals regularly, on a one to one basis. Activities range from craft afternoons to gentle seated exercises, during which time volunteers and the Older Person’s Project Worker can offer information on support available within their community.
There are opportunities for individuals to get out and about within their community with the support of a Cameron’s Champion.
Rafford Village Hall has become increasingly popular as a venue for regular fitness and craft classes, the Village Café, parties and weddings. Each year about 2,500 people visit the hall and there has been a growing need for disabled access and parking spaces. The path was in a bad state of repair requiring extreme caution by those who found walking difficult, especially in bad weather and dark nights.
We are grateful to the Berry Burn Community Fund and to each group and individual who generously donated to make the hall a safer and more pleasant place to visit, gather and create community spirit.
BEFORE AFTER
With thanks to the Berry Burn Community Fund, the Pagoda in Grantown on Spey was able to host the Annual National Puppet Festival. Performances included an Eco Drama, puppet making workshops and a high tech puppet show about Robert the Bruce.
Adults and children alike were enthralled by the performances and delighted to be part of a festival which brought live theatre to a new generation.
The youth section of Forres in Bloom are regenerating the Wee FIBees Garden. The fence, partly funded by Berry Burn Community Fund, will provide shelter for their plants, additional security and surfaces to install outdoor musical instruments and art work.
The Forres Youth and Families Outreach Project has continued to support and provide meaningful opportunities for the children, young people and families of Forres throughout this year in the face of unexpectedly challenging circumstances. These opportunities included monthly Messy Church sessions, a week-long Summer Holiday Club, lunchtime SU Groups in the primary schools, a Youth Drop-In at Tesco Costa, seasonal family events and a Family Support Service (for the first half of the year). The success of the Project has been due in no small measure to the hard work and dedication of paid staff and volunteers alike.
The funding from the Berry Burn Community Fund has meant that we have been successfully able to manage the huge increase in referrals that were much higher than actually anticipated. It meant that we were able to successfully support 92 young people with full school uniform and warm winter clothing, allowing them the opportunity to return to school, smart, confident and ready to learn. Due to the rising number of referrals we were really grateful to the Berry Burn Community Fund, it has been invaluable and we couldn’t have supported all the referrals without the funding.