Salmon farmer delivers £18,000 Christmas gift to communities
Forty-three community groups and local causes across Scottish Sea Farms’ farming regions are set to benefit from grants of up to £500 from the salmon producer’s Heart of the Community Trust as farm managers play catch-up with a Christmas giveaway of more than £18,000.
The money was earmarked to be given to causes nominated by farm managers, but the extra workload caused by Covid-19 restrictions meant many didn’t find the time to allocate money to good causes this year, SSF said in a press release.
Heart of the Community coordinator Georgie MacKenzie said: “In addition to the main fund which gives out grants of anything from a few hundred pounds to £10,000, each of our farm managers is given £500 annually to support the local cause or causes of their choosing. It's a great way of ensuring that the money goes where it's needed the most.
£18,280 remaining
“This year, however, with the coronavirus taking up everyone's focus from March onwards, only a small number of farm managers had been able to allocate their awards, with the result that there was still £18,280 remaining in the fund.
“To ensure local causes benefited before the year was out, each farm manager was asked to nominate projects in their communities where the funds might make a real and positive difference to those struggling because of coronavirus.”
The initiatives chosen range from food banks, mental health charities and befriending schemes, to community hospitals, nursery groups and aid for refugee families in Scotland.
Library books
The Oban offices of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the Samaritans also stand to benefit, as do several local schools.
Alan Tangny, manager of Spelve farm on the Isle of Mull, didn’t have to think for long about how to spend his £500, which will go to Salen Primary School. As a father of five, he has four children currently at the school, two of them in the pre-school, and his eldest was also a pupil there.
The money will new library books at the school, where Covid conditions are creating a particular problem. “They are having to quarantine books that are taken home so having extra books will be a big help,” said Tangny.
The funds will go towards fiction and non-fiction titles and should be on the shelves when the children return in the New Year.
Wildlife centre
SSF’s Northern Isles regional manager Richard Darbyshire chose Fernvalley Wildlife Centre, a popular visitor attraction on Orkney which overlooks Tingwall harbour from where SSF’s Wyre team operates.
“As with so many local organisations, it's been a tough year financially for the centre after being forced to close for months,” said Darbyshire. “£500 won't fix all of the problems that come with that but if it helps the Fernvalley team to continue looking after the animals then it's money well spent.
“We are involved in a lot of projects on Orkney already, but the community allowance is for causes farm managers think are important and need help. This project fits the bill perfectly.”
SSF’s Heart of the Community Trust, which marks its 10th anniversary next year, has given more than £1.3 million to community causes since it was established in 2011.
