March 13, 2013
Joined up funding, please
Although many different grant making trusts exist, when all’s said and done, the two principal sources of funding for the community sector are Big Lottery and Scottish Government. It has long been a source of frustration that there seems such a lack of inter-connectedness – both between these two big funders and between their various internal streams of funding. While accepting that there are many competing priorities that need to be addressed, surely we should be avoiding situations like the one now facing Lanark Community Development Trust.
13/03/13
Julie Gilbert, Hamilton Advertiser
A £500,000 project to revamp Castlebank Park has been awarded more than £195,000 to get things underway.
But the project hangs on the rest of the money being found, and a bid for £240,000 from the National Lottery has been turned down.
The project is being run by the Lanark Community Development Trust, a group of residents who are leasing part of the park from South Lanarkshire Council.
The £195,326 already received came from the Climate Challenge Fund, and it will be used to turn the disused tennis court area into a horticultural hub where schools and other groups can come and grow vegetables, etc.
It will also pay for a gardener to be employed for 18 months and train the community in how to cultivate correctly.
But the trust also need to renovate nearby former saw mill buildings into accompanying facilities, such as toilets, before the hub can be opened up to the community.
Although the Climate Change money is welcome it is a bittersweet victory, while the rest of the money is yet to be sourced. Sylvia Russell, who is project leader, said: “The Climate Challenge fund grant is fantastic. We’re over the moon about getting it but it’s only a part of what we need.
“We need £500,000 to take the project through.
“We’re pleased about the Climate Challenge award but we’re devastated about the lottery grant .
“We can’t bring anyone to the educational garden or the growing area without the renovation of the buildings – in particular the toilet block.”
The group also hope to install teaching rooms and a shop within the former saw mill buildings.
Castlebank Park was once the grounds of a large mansion house lived in by a wealthy family who were involved in the iron trade.
The house has been converted into flats for council tenants, but much of the parkland and gardens have fallen into disrepair.
The Community Development Trust want to breathe new life into it.
Alongside the work they are doing, South Lanarkshire Council are tidying up paths and the main house driveway, making the whole place more pleasant for the community to visit.
The Trust have got schools interested in the project and are also keen to link up with Motherwell College.
Sylvia said: “Climate Challenge money will be used for the tennis court area
“A high security fence needs to be put up around the area and inside the security fence there are polytunnels and raised beds for growing things.
“Lanark Grammar feel it would be a very useful extra part of the curriculum.
“People can come and get some sort of horticultural training.
“We’re in negotiations with Motherwell College about some way of running training courses there that would be accredited by the college.”
Lanark in Bloom will also be helping with the project.
The Community Development Trust will be working hard over coming days and weeks to source the rest of the funding required to complete the project.