Funding available to create and promote employment opportunities in the North Highlands

19th November 2013

The Highland Council has re-launched its Deprived Area Fund to help create employment opportunities and tackle poverty, with �100,000 of funding is available for parts of Caithness over the next three years.

The Deprived Area Fund has disbursed a total of �1.248m to deprived areas across the Highlands over the last 3 years. The money has been used to provide grants to assist 38 community led projects focusing on helping people learn new skills and get into the jobs market.

The funding is mainly used to support Pulteneytown People�s Project who run a range of activities and learning programmes which give a boost to the local economy and local people.

The Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee will play a key role in determining how money is used over the coming three years and members are inviting organisations to apply before the closing date of 6 January 2014.

Chair of the Committee, Councillor Deirdre Mackay said: �This funding provides real benefit to those who need it the most. We want to give communities support to develop and run activities that can improve the quality of life and boost regeneration for many years to come. I am pleased that the decision on how the best use of how money is spent local will be taken by our Area Committee. Tapping into this knowledge of local need will ensure the allotted money has the most impact and stimulates social and economic change.�

Applications are invited from community and third sector organizations and the funding will be available over the next three financial years. Applications for projects over this period will be considered as well as shorter term proposals. Application forms and details of the assessment criteria are available from the Council�s website www.highland.gov.uk/daf. The closing date is Monday 6 January 2014.

An Area based strategy for the use of the funds will be considered at the February meeting of the Area Committee.