KDP Bulletin, 21 Feb. ’24

Welcome to the KDP Bulletin. 

This week we’re kicking off with our first Good News Story.  We want to brighten up everyone’s day, so don’t forget to share your funny, inspiring, and uplifting stories with us at margo@kdp.scot.
Community groups across Aberdeenshire planted pollinator-friendly and site-suitable bulbs, funded by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund.
Initially, the target was to plant 75,000 bulbs in time for spring, but there was such demand that 317,454 bulbs were finally planted.
The flowers will bloom in stages, adding colour to the area and helping pollinators like bees and butterflies survive throughout the flowering season.
The first flowers will appear this month and into March, when snowdrops, winter aconite, and crocus bloom. Then more blossom from…
  • April to May: wild garlic, wood anemone, and scilla
  • May to June: wild daffodil, grape hyacinth, bluebell, wild tulip, hardy cyclamen, and snake’s head fritillary
  • June to July: allium and camassia
  • September to October: autumn crocus
To know where to visit the flowers as they bloom across the year—as well as see the various community groups that planted them—head to the Big Bulb Plant map.
The GoFurther Fund is committed to transforming local lives alongside GoFibre’s mission of improving rural connectivity and addressing the digital divide head-on. The Fund provides grants to local projects and activities under the following four categories:
  • Creation of new jobs or opportunities
  • Developing skills and the local economy
  • Promotion of good health and wellbeing
  • Contribution to Net Zero targets
Go Fibre are delighted to open the second round of funding from the 15th February to March 31st to community projects and charities based in Aberdeenshire and Angus.
To find out more and apply visit the website. 
An exciting Volunteer opportunity has arisen for a member of the public to be appointed as a ‘Lay’ Chair of the NHS Grampian Organ Donation Committee.  This is a voluntary position to empower a public voice to lead on this important committee.  
The Committee meets 4 times per year in person, at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and pre-meetings are held before each Committee to brief the Chair on the business that will be discussed and to offer any support or information that will be helpful to the Chair.  Any training or additional support will be provided by the Public Involvement Team. 
Please click here to see the role description.  To read about the 10 year vision for organ donation in the UK please click here.
For more information or to express your interest please contact gram.involve@nhs.scot  
Closing date to express your interest is 29 February 2024.
The St John’s Hill Windfarm Community Fund is open and accepting applications from groups and projects which benefit the communities living in the community council areas of:
  • Arbuthnott
  • Catterline, Kinneff & Dunnottar
This year the Fund is £23,161.86, which is split equally between both Community Council areas.  Arbuthnott’s Fund is £11,580.93 and Catterline, Kinneff & Dunnottar has a Fund of £11,580.93 plus an underspend from previous year’s of £6,015.13, giving a total of £17,956.06.
Guidance Notes and Application Forms are available on the KDP website.  
Closing date – 31st March 2024.
The Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership has launched its budget engagement programme and would like to ensure wide representation from across our communities.
They have developed a public engagement page with a short survey which people can access here.
The consultation is open until 26th February.
The British Heart Foundation has opened applications for a Free BHF-Funded Defibrillator, closing on 28 February 2024. 
All eligible UK-based community groups can apply for one package.
A limited number of funded defibrillators are available in each annual funding cycle. Applications will be reviewed monthly against a set of criteria so awards can be made to communities that need them most. Areas prioritised include those with fewer registered defibrillators and communities where local health needs indicate a higher risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. 
To learn more and apply, visit the website. 
OSCR has made some improvements to the online annual return to give more support to complete it accurately.
The main updates are:
  • Pop-up guidance and more information as you are completing the online annual return.
  • New questions to gather more information about charities in Scotland.
  • If any of your answers suggest there may be governance issues which need addressed, you will receive a feedback email with more guidance after you submit your online annual return.
You can find more help and guidance on how to complete your online annual return on the OSCR website. 
A short video on the improvements can be found here.
 
The Tesco Stronger Starts Programme is inviting applications from schools and other not for profit organisation for projects and activities that give children a stronger start in life.  The grants will help provide nutritious food and healthy activities that support young people’s physical health and mental wellbeing, such as breakfast clubs or snacks, and equipment for healthy activities.
Every three months, three local good causes/ projects are selected to be in the blue token customer vote in Tesco stores throughout the UK.  Grants will be awarded depending on the number of votes their project receives. The programme will give priority to projects that provide food security and support to young people.
Find more information here. 
Every year Aberdeenshire Council must prepare and publish a document called a Development Plan Scheme.
This sets out the anticipated programme for the production of the Local Development Plan and how people can get involved in its production.  Recent changes in the law mean that they must publish a draft of the document and consider the views of people who wish to comment.
The Council has now started that process by publishing the draft Development Plan Scheme 2024 and are inviting residents and more than 700 community groups and businesses within the area to give their views.  The consultation runs until March 15.
To find out more and complete the short survey click here.  
Grants of up to £15,000 are available through Community Connect, a funding initiative run by Scotmid. Through the programme, financial support is available to local groups and charities for projects benefiting communities near Scotmid or Semichem stores. Projects should be completed within 24 months of receiving the award.
To determine funding distribution, Scotmid members play a crucial role by collecting Community Connect votes every time they shop in-store. The three Good Cause Groups from the North, East, and West regions with the highest votes will receive financial grants. The group with the most votes will receive £15,000, while the two runners-up will receive £5,000 each.
Applications are currently being accepted and the closing date is 5 pm on the 7th March 2024.
Visit the website for more information. 
The Happy Days Children’s Charity is inviting applications for funding towards trips, respite breaks and group activity holidays for disadvantaged children and young people with additional needs.
The charity awards funding for different types of activities to support families with children aged 3-17 who have a disability, a special need or have been abused.
Grants are available for the following activities:
  • Family Day Trips
  • Family Holiday Breaks
  • Group Day Trips and Visiting Theatre
  • Group Activity Holidays
Applications for family activities are accepted from parents, guardians, grandparents or siblings, as well as GPs, consultants, nurses or social workers.
Applications for group activities are accepted from organisations such as SEN schools and groups, young carers and women’s refuges.
Applications can be made at any time.
More information here. 
KDP is here to help in any way we can.  Please get in touch if we can assist you or your Community group.
 

Mairi & Margo

Kincardineshire
Development
Partnership

www.kdp.scot
07903 156864 

Should you wish to get in touch, our contact details are as follows:

Mairi Eddie              Development Officer              mairi@kdp.scot
Margo Titmuss        Funding & Windfarm Officer   margo@kdp.scot
 
A Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation – SC046327