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The Council has a number of settlement trusts which support projects under a wide range of categories including education, arts, local communities and the environment.Check the website for a full list of trusts and for contact details for each.You can apply for funding from a Settlement Trust if it falls under the following categories:- Prevention of Poverty- Advancement of Education- Advancement of Religion- Saving of Lives-Advancement of Citizenship- Advancement of Arts- Advancement of Public Participation in Sport- Provision of Recreational Facilities- Advancement of Human Rights- Promotion of religious or racial harmony- Promotion of Equality- Advancement of Environmental Protection- Relief of Those In Need- Advancement of Animal Welfare- Analogous Purposes- Advancement of Health

Funding is available to stage an event from 13th September - 8th October 2025 as part of the Highlands & Islands Climate Festival.There are two stages of funding available exclusively for Community Groups:- £150 event contribution- Invitation to apply for funding and support for Marketplace style larger events Marketplace:They are looking to partner with a lead organisation in each area of Highland and Orkney (they already have a partnership event underway in planning for Shetland) to host similar events. You can either work as a collaboration across many organisations or nominate yourself as the lead organisation for your area to bring partners together. Your event should bring together a wide range of groups in your area and include a range of activities. HICH can support with funding including venue & equipment hire, refreshments, activities, marketing and cover some staffing and organisational costs.They have funding available and also can provide Community Development Officer support and the support of their wider team to help you to plan and deliver the event. Their one criteria is that within your event there should be time and space for a Climate Engagement workshop which they will either provide the tools or the staffing to support. Community views from that engagement will help to shape HICH's Climate Conference on 8th October 2025. All events funded must be confirmed with dates/time by 22nd August 2025 for inclusion in the Highlands & Islands Climate Festival Programme. Your event must be environmentally sustainable.

The National Lottery Film Festival and Screening Programme Fund supports organisations who are looking to produce film festivals and screening programmes in Scotland for a public audience.Activities supported by the fund should increase the reach, impact and diversity of film screenings and events for communities throughout Scotland and meet Screen Scotland’s Audience Development priorities:- Scotland has a diverse screen culture, showcasing the best contemporary and heritage films from Scotland and around the world, raising up new or unheard voices.- Communities across Scotland have access to shared spaces with meaningful, relevant, and enjoyable opportunities to engage in screen culture.- Scotland’s venues, festivals and platforms are sustainable - financially and environmentally - and are positive places to visit and to work within.This fund is project funding, not core organisational funding. However, they encourage using the fund to cover core costs that directly relate to the delivery of your project and development of your team and organisation during the project dates. They encourage you to secure additional funding from other sources, such as sponsors, partners, charities, private or other public funding, to help deliver and expand your programme. Applicants may apply for personal access costs for the project team in line with Creative Scotland’s guidelines.This fund will support activity happening between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026, and for up to 31 August for applications for Development Funding.

Inspiring Scotland’s Creative Communities programme aims to support and empower communities to develop cultural activities that benefit individual and collective well-being. The Creative Communities Scotland Fund will distribute grants to grassroots community-led organisations in Scotland to develop and deliver projects that harness the power of creativity in supporting people and communities.The programme is based on the premise that cultural activity has broad, interlinked benefits for people and communities, and that a participatory approach can lead to greater impact and drive unexpected outcomes. This Fund is focused on supporting communities who face barriers to engaging with cultural activities because of social, economic, cultural, physical or other challenges. This reflects the aims of the Scottish Government’s Culture Strategy to widen access and ensure culture is valued and made accessible to everyone. Successful applicants will join the portfolio of charities which make up the Creative Communities Programme, becoming part of a community of practice facilitated by Inspiring Scotland to share ideas, challenges and approaches with others delivering similar work. Alongside peer learning, charities benefit from capacity building support through 1:1 advice, portfolio events and access to Inspiring Scotland’s pro-bono Specialist Volunteer Network. Your project will support the Creative Communities outcomes. Your project must support at least one of these outcomes:- 1. Provide the opportunity for people to engage in creative arts that they would not have otherwise, have fun and feel joy and pride.- 2. Bring people together, building connections and reducing loneliness.- 3. Help participants develop a wide range of improved skills for life, learning and work.

The Argyll and the Islands Community Led Local Development (CLLD) Fund has been provided by the Scottish Government's CLLD programme. The delivery will be overseen by the Argyll and the Islands Local Action Group (LAG) and will be administered by Argyll and Bute Council as the Accountable Body. The principles of bottom up, partnership, integration, innovation, co-operation, networking, and area-based approaches will apply to the fund.Projects must demonstrate that activity will advance inclusion, equality, and diversity, and support one or more of the main fund priorities for 2024/25 which are: - Eradicating child poverty - Growing the economy- Tackling the climate emergency- Ensuring high quality and sustainable public services Applications will be managed via Aspiring Places. Aspiring Places is a new digital space for community groups and organisations across Argyll and Bute to share information about projects that they would like to carry out. The Council's vision is to create a vibrant bank of community projects that supports joint working and connects community groups to funding, making Argyll and Bute an even better place to live, work, and visit.