Environment

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon recently launched the Scottish Charity Awards 2020, encouraging organisations from across the country to apply. 

The annual awards are organised by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and celebrate the fantastic work that charities and community groups do every day to help those in need and raise awareness of important causes. 

YouthLink Scotland has launched a new small grants programme to support young people to take part in Scotland's Year of Coasts and Waters 2020.

The Scottish Government-funded programme will make grants available to local groups and organisations offering informal learning opportunities for young people to explore the nature, history and culture of Scotland’s lochs, rivers, shorelines and waterways.

A total of £45,000 is available.

The closing date for applications is 1pm on Friday 14 February 2020.

A new podcast dedicated to rural Scotland and it's various industries has launched today, Monday 13 January.

The OnFARM – Food, Agriculture and Rural Matters podcast has been launched by Scene & Herd PR and Marketing and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and a new dedicated website.

Scene & Herd PR and Marketing are working with industry experts, successful business owners and key organisations to increase public and inter-industry awareness of Scottish rural enterprise and its stories.

A groundbreaking bid to help save Scotland’s almost-vanished mountaintop forests and their wildlife is being launched by Trees for Life, with the creation in the Highlands of what is thought will be the country’s largest planted area of rare high-altitude woodland.

Conservation charity the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is celebrating after its newly launched Hebridean Whale Trail was a finalist in a major award announced at a glittering event in London on 4 December.

Natural Environment Minister Mairi Gougeon joined primary school children from St Margaret’s Primary School in Montrose for the launch of a blue carbon citizen science project, led by University of St Andrews and the Scottish Government’s Blue Carbon Forum (Monday 2 December). 

The Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms (RIC) project has won a UK National Parks Volunteer Award. TV presenter and explorer Paul Rose presented project officer Gabrielle Flinn with the award at the Kendal Mountain Festival in November.  The awards were sponsored by Columbia Sportswear.

News from Auchinleck Community Development Initiative

The Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) is now open for applications.

Help and funding is available for communities, charities, local authorities, housing associations and rural businesses looking to install renewables and get local energy projects up and running.