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The purpose of the Trust is to hold and distribute funds for charitable purposes as set out in the Trusts governing. These include: - the prevention or relief of poverty- the advancement of education- the advancement of religion- the advancement of health- the saving of lives- the advancement of citizenship or community development- the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science- the provision of recreational facilities, or the organisation of recreational activities, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the persons for whom the facilities or activities are primarily intended- the advancement of environmental protection or improvement- the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage- the advancement of animal welfare.Previous grantees have included Aberlour Child Care Trust, Chest Heart and Stroke (Scotland), Fife Young Carers, Pitlochry Theatre, and RNLI (Anstruther).

Better Breaks is a funding programme of the Short Breaks Fund, operated by Shared Care Scotland on behalf of the National Carers Organisations and the Scottish Government. The purpose of the Short Breaks Fund is to increase the range, availability, and choice of short breaks for unpaid carers and those they care for across Scotland.The Better Breaks programme funds a wide range of short breaks projects and services, including activities and breaks for:- Disabled children and young people without their carers- Families to enjoy together- Young/sibling carers with the person they care forProjects must be able to evidence how their activities will benefit both children and young people with disabilities and their carers, by providing a break from their normal routine. These breaks should increase opportunities for children and young people to engage in activities they enjoy, give carers a break from their caring role, and improve wellbeing for all involved.

Grants are available for projects that will help to mitigate the impact of long or frequent involuntary separation for families, spouses, and serving personnel, including reservists and their families.The programme will need to address one or more following outcomes:- Families feel more able to manage the impact of loneliness or isolation during periods of separation.- Families experience fewer challenges during reintegration after deployment or extended separation.- Improved mental health and wellbeing for serving families.- Improved understanding of effective models of support for serving families.Please visit the Trust website for full guidance notes.

The Fund aims to support businesses in the tourism, creative industries and food and drink processing sectors, and social enterprises in any sector, across the Highlands and Islands to reduce or green their energy usage. Projects can include anything that helps businesses or social enterprises to reduce or green their energy usage and make progress towards achieving net zero carbon emissions, for example energy efficiency measures, renewables, or waste management. HIE will prioritise projects based in remote and rural areas where applicants may be eligible for up to 50% funding.

The Neighbourhood Ecosystem Fund seeks to inspire, encourage, and enable communities to explore and deliver ambitious ecosystem restoration projects locally. It also seeks to raise awareness about the importance of local ecosystem restoration and address barriers faced by community-led efforts. They are most interested in funding the development stages and successful organisations will also receive professional fundraising support to move their projects from development stage to delivery.Your project must focus on one (or more) parts of ecosystem restoration. These are:- Connecting nature corridors- Habitat and species restoration- Freshwater and wetland restoration- Coastal and marine initiatives- Control of invasive non-native species impacting on nature- Enhancing and connecting nature within villages, towns, or citiesThis Fund is supported by the Carman Family Foundation, the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, which is managed by NatureScot, and others. Inspiring Scotland is administering this funding.

The ARIA Fund empowers local communities to address their unique challenges. As part of the Scottish Government's Community Led Local Development (CLLD) programme, ARIA operates through a bottom-up decision-making process, with funding priorities and project selections determined by representatives from the local area who form the Local Action Group (LAG).There are 2 funds: the Main Fund, and Community Asset Maintenance Fund.Main Fund:Projects must demonstrate fit with at least one of the ARIA Fund priorities. These include:- Community Wealth Building- Quality of Life- Community Led Tourism (CLT) - Enterprise- Net ZeroCommunity Asset Maintenance Fund:The Community Asset Maintenance Fund supports the production of a property condition register (also known as a repairs register). This assesses the internal and external condition of the building and includes a costed schedule of repairs alongside a proposed maintenance plan with indicative dates for periodic upkeep (e.g., external decoration, gutter clearance, etc.). ARIA also offers a £2,000 sinking fund to help finance repairs.

The Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) supports communities to engage with, participate in and benefit from the energy transition to net zero emissions. CARES can support a wide range of projects including installing renewable technologies in community buildings, community benefits and shared ownership. The CARES Development Fund is designed to help communities take that first step on their community energy journey. First steps include:- Raising awareness of your energy project idea.- Completing an options appraisal to understand the types of projects you might carry out.- Completing a first step feasibility study to see if your idea might work.- Funding for some staff time to progress your idea.To be eligible for this fund you should be at an early stage in developing your own community energy project or have an opportunity to investigate shared ownership of a commercially owned renewable energy project. This fund is all about getting started for either community-owned renewable energy projects or investigating shared ownership (where community groups make an investment in a commercially owned renewable energy project).