If your community wants to refurbish your village hall, develop new local services or come up with a long-term plan for community development, then a new service run by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and the Crofters Commission can help you make the most of the funding programmes that are out there. The Rural Direct service will offer advice, support and technical expertise to help rural community access funding including the new Rural Priorities scheme. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead formally launched the service today, 9th June 2008, by taking the first call to Rural Direct’s helpline from Judith Johnson of the Langholm Initiative in Dumfries and Galloway. Speaking at the SCVO’s Inverness office Mr Lochhead said, “This Government wants to see communities able to make the most of the grant funding available to them. I want community groups to be fully equipped to maximise the opportunities available to them in the sustainable economic development of rural Scotland. Rural Priorities in particular will deliver real benefits for the people of Scotland and is a one-stop shop for farmers, crofters and others living and working in rural Scotland.
In the past year Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and Crofters Commission have been awarded a total of £295,000 for 2008/09 by the Scottish Government to help rural Scotland make the most of its potential.
I want to see rural Scotland maximise the investment this Government has made available and look forward to seeing the results in coming years.”

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9 June 2008
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