Scotland awarded £18m share of UK Community Renewal Fund

Around £218,000 from the UK Community Renewal Fund will fund the programme that will deliver digital skills, financial literacy, and promote good mental health.

Levelling up secretary Michael Gove said the government is backing 477 locally-led, innovative projects that will help breathe new life into towns, villages and coastal communities across the UK.

The UK Community Renewal Fund will pilot imaginative new programmes to boost productivity and grow local economies. The Levelling Up Fund will invest in infrastructure to support economic recovery, while the Community Ownership Fund empowers communities to take ownership of treasured assets such as local pubs, post offices and football stadiums at risk of closure.

Together, the three funds will level up left-behind areas and unleash the potential of people and places right across the country.

The £200 million funding through the UK Community Renewal Fund will also help local areas prepare for the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2022, the scheme that will see UK-wide funding at least match EU money, reaching around £1.5 billion a year.

Projects being funded through the Community Renewal Fund include £187,000 to support the development of electric vehicle charging across whole of the Scottish Borders to benefit residents, the public sector and businesses and ensure maximisation of commercial opportunities and reduction in carbon footprint.

Argyll and Bute is set to benefit from over £2 million of UK Community Renewal Funding from a total allocation across Scotland of £18.4 million. More details about the successful projects can be found on the UK Government website.

Successful initiatives include:

• A new Seaweed Academy – help to create the UK’s only dedicated seaweed industry facility, near Oban, offering training, education and business development - £407,715
• MACC Hydrogen Futures – a feasibility and design project to help establish a green hydrogen production and distribution facility - £184,793
• Driving economic growth through a bounce back curriculum that includes employer focused education and training in remote and rural areas. - £275,253
• West Coast UAV Innovation Logistics and Training Hub – after successfully trialling unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) or drones to transport medical supplies to islands.
  Funding will commission a business case to support the further use of drones - £173, 400
• Access to ethical and responsible means of carbon sequestration will be made available to organisations looking to offset their carbon emissions  - £265,200
• The Dunoon Project Stage 2 – Funding will help expand the project team looking to develop a nearby forest into a world class tourism offering - £359,652
• Curriculum development for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Hubs projects - £102,000 towards the production of materials to deliver learning via a new council project
• Tarbert recovery and regeneration - £262,395 to establish a team to complete business plans and planning applications as a prelude to a £13 million transformation project to regenerate Tarbert

Councillor Robin Currie, policy lead for the economy and economic growth, said: “Fostering innovation and expertise across Argyll and Bute is absolutely essential in attracting more jobs and investment to the area.

“We are delighted with the scale of the award for the area which will help drive positive change improving places for our communities and attracting further investment. The council works hard to source and secure funding opportunities to help grow the area. We are pleased that the hard work has paid off and communities will benefit from a range of innovative projects. We look forward to showcasing the very best Argyll and Bute can offer.”