Forres Golf Course, a community owned facility as part of Forres Common Good, is managed and operated entirely by the golfers. In times when member numbers are decreasing it has become increasingly difficult to find the funding for essential preventative maintenance work. The grant from BBCF contributed 50% towards the cost of the shed refurbishment. The shed is over 50 years old and without this work being carried out it was under threat of losing its structural integrity. The re-painting work, apart from greatly improving the appearance of the building will extend its life for an indefinite period.

  

We received match funding from the Berry Burn Community Fund for a custom built pirate ship to provide more outdoor challenges for the children. It is now being enjoyed by the 40 children that we have registered this year. We expect the ship to last for at least 20 years and will be a huge benefit to all the children that attend in that time. The children are really enjoying the different challenges that the ship provides and it has led to the children choosing to be outside even more than before.

                              

 

Berry Burn Community Funding has enabled Earth for Life to begin rolling out our new ‘Paths

Through the Forest’ ecotherapy recovery model in Moray. This has offered people struggling

with mental ill health a series of progression pathways to develop their confidence and

creativity and sustain their wellbeing longer term, and has provided opportunities for learning

new skills, meeting like-minded friends, accessing local woodlands, gaining qualifications and

improving employability. All this helps our communities become healthier and wealthier. Earth

for Life is very grateful for such support, and would like to thank Berry Burn on behalf of

our programme participants!

   

With the help of the Berry Burn Wind Farm Fund, Rothes Community Ltd, a Scottish Charitable Group, was able to enhance its visitor centre as well as making it weatherproof. We now have a pleasant area for our volunteers to have a welcome break. Our visitors are also enjoying the changes with no leaking gutters to cause problems.

We very much appreciate the financial help from the windfarm fund group and their staff who were there for us throughout.

 

Our aim was to create an attractive festive lights display for Forres town centre to be enjoyed by all during the Christmas 2017 period.  We are grateful to the Berry Burn Community Fund for helping with the costs of installation and maintenance.

                             

The grant from the Berry Burn Fund met the significant cost of hiring the Town Hall as our practice venue for 3 years. Without this financial support, the band may well have imploded and certainly the hugely successful Moray Youth Pipes and Drums Tuition Scheme would never have been conceived. The award allowed us to drive forward the tuition Scheme, develop the main band and to set up a Youth Band in a venue well suited for the purpose. It was beyond the fund raising capacity of the band to generate the Town Hall hire fees and we are all of us deeply indebted to Berry Burn for their support.

   

 

Forres has by a public vote the most beautiful High Street in Scotland, and unquestionably St. Laurence Church is the most beautiful building on it. Comparable buildings of this significance have purchasable guides which record both what is on view and the history of how it came to be there. Thanks to the encouragement of the Berry Burn Community Fund, this is now in place for St.Laurence.

Varis Circus Clan is a community Circus, fire and performing group open to all in our area. We have open practice sessions every Monday night from 6pm at Edinkillie hall as well as occasional training weekends in specific skills.

With our funding we have purchased fantastic new equipment and professional training and we are now developing acts to perform at culture day festival and Belladrum festival. We are open to all ages and skill levels. We have our newly trained stilt troupe of all ages and have some quality new equipment to practice with to ensure there is something for everyone and that any shows we perform will be unique.

  

KCCKC is a well established after school, breakfast and holiday club who provide childcare for all children in the Kinloss and Forres area. Our rented MOD facility was no longer suitable for us so we decided to renovate an unoccupied local authority domestic property to a fully accessible to all commercial premises. With support from BBCF, other agencies, our staff, committee and the local community we are delighted to have completed this project and now have a fantastic fully accessible home from home for the children in our care.

Alves Hall completed a major refurbishment of their premises in January 2018, including a new kitchen and meeting room, upgrading of toilets and improved storage facilities. The building, a former Territorial Army building, was taken over by the community 30 years ago and has hosted local user groups for over 40 years. The hall is now a more attractive venue for current and new users- with improved cooking facilities for users, and an attractive meeting space for meetings or small gatherings. There is improved disabled access at the back door; complementing earlier work providing a ramp at the front door.