A new van to help deliveries from the Eday shop is just one of 181 projects being funded  from the Rural & Island Communities Ideas into Action (RICIA) fund.

The Eday community has been awarded £52,435 “To purchase a new Ford E-Transit Van to provide a low carbon delivery service for goods to and from Eday Community Shop.”

Also in Orkney the Sanday Community has been awarded £10,663 “To continue and expand their programme of creative workshops using waste materials, and to make minor improvements to their workshop hub, enabling local makers to sell their crafts.”

Friends of the Hoy Kirk have received £2,574 “To invest in new signage and create QR code signs to attract more visitors to the centre and to enable them to support 3 local folk museums.”

Soulisquoy Printers, Stromness have received £3,264 “To deliver 2 printmaking programmes over the winter period – one for adults with will increase cultural activities for people on Orkney; one for young people at Kirkwall Youth Cafe.”

The Congregation of St Margaret’s Church have been awarded £2,099 “To provide a warm sociable space for anyone in their communities (South Ronaldsay and Burray) over the winter period.”

The Orkney Student Pantry located at the Orkney College campus of UHI has been awarded £1,000 “To further establish their student pantry: supporting the donation and redistribution of the food supplies to student and faculty within the Orkney campus of UHI.”

Transition North Ronaldsay has received £4,989 “To expand their existing plastic waste recycling project by creating a domestic, visitor and collected waste recycling point, upgrading their workshop space and purchasing the machines required to manufacture new resources from recycled plastic.”

The Rural & Island Communities Ideas into Action (RICIA) fund is a partnership between the Scottish Government and Inspiring Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s £11.6m Rural Community Led Fund has been separated into £7.6million to the LEADER Local Action Groups and £4million as follows: 

• a £1m funding top up to accelerate cooperative projects between the Local Action Groups and new external partners. 
• a £3m ‘Rural Communities Ideas into Action’ fund to be delivered directly to community groups via Inspiring Scotland with input from Local Action Groups. 

Rural Affairs Secretary in the Scottish Government Mairi Gougeon said:

“We are working to ensure local communities are empowered to tackle local challenges.

“This investment comes at a critical time for our rural and island communities, who are disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis compared to the rest of the country.

“I wish all the successful community groups well as they now look to take forward these projects and make a positive difference to their local areas.”

In total Orkney projects received £77,024 from the Rural Communities Ideas into Action fund

Inspiring Scotland CEO Celia Tennant said:

“We’re delighted to continue to support the Scottish Government to deliver the Rural and Islands Communities Ideas into Action Fund. 

“We know local, grassroots groups are best placed to respond to the needs and opportunities most important to their communities.  We look forward to working alongside successful applicants and will support them to make meaningful change in their local area.”

Click on this link for the full list of projects awarded funds: Inspiring Scotland