A local community council has been awarded £2,500 from Dumfries & Galloway Housing Partnership’s award-winning Community Pride Fund.

Lochrutton Community Council received the grant from DGHP’s Nithsdale District Management Committee (DMC).

The money has been used to buy a set of vandal-proof binoculars and stand. The binoculars will be situated on their new observation platform, which was funded by Sulwath Connections, Community Biodiversity Action, at the loch edge in Lochfoot. The platform and

observation point is for use by the whole community.

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Ewan McGowan, vice chair of Lochrutton Community Council, said: “Thanks to the money we received from DGHP’s Community Pride Fund we were able to purchase the binoculars, which has completed the viewing platform.”

Anne Coupland, a member of DGHP’s Nithsdale DMC, added: “It was good to see the school children involved in an outdoor project like this, which involves studying wildlife. We, as a DMC, were delighted to support such a worthwhile project.”

Children from Lochfoot Primary School have helped to plant trees and flowers in the area and have been involved in drawing pictures of local wildlife for the display boards.

The viewing area will be used by the local school as well as those visiting from other areas, for educational visits and projects.

The Community Pride Fund was first established to encourage tenants and others to work together to improve the local communities around Dumfries and Galloway. The 2011 fund has just opened and is now accepting applications for this year’s funding.

(GK)