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From Sanday to South Ronaldsay – The Orkney Fund Awards £120k to Community-Led Projects
Projects in Orkney receive financial support from the Orkney Fund.
Twelve community-led projects in Orkney have received financial support from the Orkney Fund.
Just over £120k of funding was allocated to projects following a meeting of the Orkney Fund Board on 26 September 2025.
The funding is for capacity building, which focuses on strengthening an organisation’s ability to successfully deliver a project – and can include activities such as training, developing skills, feasibility studies, or securing necessary resources and support.
Successful applicants are spread across Orkney and cover a broad range of community priorities including sports facilities, heritage projects, arts and culture, and agricultural developments.
West Mainland Agricultural Society secured funding for the next phase of their Dounby Show Park development. The funding will cover architectural fees, planning applications and building warrants as the group works to enhance the park facilities.
The Stenness Community Association, which received support for their outdoor community centre development, said:
“This funding is a vital step in helping our small volunteer team build the capacity needed to continue delivering on our vision.
“Phase 1 and 2 is almost complete and we look forward to opening the playpark in the near future. This funding allows us to now progress with essential feasibility work for Phase 4 and ensures the long-term sustainability of this ambitious, community-driven project.
“We are deeply grateful for this support, which brings us closer to creating a community space where people of all ages and at all stages of life can come to play, learn, socialise and participate in the outdoor environment.”
The Pickaquoy Centre secured funding for a feasibility study into building a covered 3G synthetic sports surface arena for all-year use. The facility would provide weather-independent training and competition space for local sports clubs and community groups.
South Ronaldsay & Burray Development Trust, awarded funding for their Tomb of the Eagles feasibility study, commented:
“We’re very grateful for this award of £15,000 from The Orkney Fund, which will enable us to explore all options for the renovation of property and the steading at Liddel Farm.
“Part of our remit for the Tomb of the Eagles site is to encourage sustainable development in our community in the future, and so the opportunity to explore the provision of much needed housing in the South Parish is welcome.
“The old Simison family farmhouse is an integral part of our story, and we’re anxious to renovate the original farmhouse as sympathetically as possible.”
On Rousay, The Crafthub at The Space will use awarded funds to bring the facility up to current building regulations, health and safety requirements, and accessibility standards.
Stephen Hagan, Chair of the Orkney Fund Board, said:
“This round of funding demonstrates the strength and diversity of community-led initiatives across our islands. The projects span mainland Orkney and the isles, building the foundations for sustainable community development that benefits all Orcadians.”
“We look forward to supporting more communities in future funding rounds as we continue to invest in Orkney’s potential.”
Successful applicants will receive grant award letters with guidance on claiming eligible project costs, enabling communities to progress their projects.
It was announced in March last year that the county was to receive £20m of Levelling Up funding from the UK Government, allocated over a 10-year period. The initial allocation covers capacity building, with main capital funding to be released by the UK Government from April 2026.
The funding came specifically from the Levelling Up Fund’s ‘Long-Term Plan for Towns’ funding stream, which sees ten-year endowment-style funds allocated to local areas, with Boards then set up locally to make decisions on how the funds should be spent.
Over 800 project ideas were submitted through an Orkney-wide community engagement strategy in Summer 2024. These ideas have played a key role in shaping the Board’s priority funding themes, helping to ensure the greatest possible impact from the available funding.
