The Highland Council's City of Inverness Area Committee has approved funding to support a range of regeneration projects across the area.

Councillors agreed to fund 11 projects from the Community Regeneration Fund totalling £574,181.67.

Community Regeneration Funding is an umbrella term for funding streams available for communities/organisations to access and support economic regeneration and sustainable development in Highland. This round of funding includes the Highland Coastal Communities Fund and the Place Based Investment Programme. The allocation of these Scottish Government funding streams is devolved to Area Committees and decision making on which projects should receive funding sits with Elected Members.

Leader of Inverness and Area and Chair of City of Inverness Area Committee, Cllr Ian Brown said: "The high demand for these funds resulting in this special committee held today demonstrates the local need for and importance of directing funding to the heart of community led projects.

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"The projects approved today were done so according to RAG rating formula and the Committee had to make difficult decisions as the fund was oversubscribed. The projects awarded demonstrate economic recovery; community resilience; mitigating impacts of the climate/ecological emergency and/or addressing the challenges of rural depopulation.

"On behalf of the Area Committee, we would like to thank all the applicants involved, many of which are community volunteers. We wish the projects awarded funding today the best of luck and look forward to progress reports coming to Ward meetings in the future. For those with award conditions, details of these will be provided by the Community Regeneration Fund team."

Inverness has a funding allocation of £574,181.67. Applications were received for 11 projects totalling £663,318.57.

Highland Coastal Communities Fund (capital/revenue) - £11,861.67

Place Based Investment Programme (capital) - £562,360

Total funds available - £574,181.67

Projects awarded Community Regeneration Funding at City of Inverness Area Committee Committee on 23 March 2023 are as follows:

• Dalneigh Play Park Project - £55,228.06

• South Kessock Residents Association, South Kessock Play Park - £55,000.00

• The Ledge SCIO - £100,000.00

• The Elsie Normington Foundation, The Haven Centre Project - £80,669.30

• Highland Council, Whin Park Refurbishment  - £68,161.43

• Inverness YMCA, Wheelchair Lift - £17,000.00

• Lovat Shinty Club to Create a new Community Area - £146,261.21

• Community Action Raigmore Estate for purchase of shack - £20,000.00

• Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust, Improved pathways project - £20,000.00

• Velocity Cafe and Bicycle Workshop, Mums on Wheels Inverness - £7,610.00

• Crown Connects SCIO, Crown Connects with Ukraine - £4,251.67