Funding bids invited for educational projects

Orkney Islands Council is inviting applications to its trust fund for support towards educational projects that benefit people in Orkney.

The General Charitable Trust manages funds bequeathed by individuals and families for good causes.

Grants can be awarded by the Trust to help projects that advance and promote educational activities.

Chair of Trustees is OIC Convener Graham Bevan: “Recent years has seen the Trust put to great use, enriching Orkney’s learning landscape and bringing long lasting benefit to the wider community. We’d urge groups working on educational projects for all age groups to contact our finance team and see if it could be an avenue to support you.”

Previous awards include a grant for extra-curricular music groups at Kirkwall Grammar School, and another for a group of Stromness Academy pupils to help repair and build North Ronaldsay’s Sheep Dyke.

Jane Ellison is Home Economics teacher at Stromness Academy and coordinated the four-day volunteering visit to North Ronaldsay: “In total we repaired over 11metres of Dyke standing at least 6ft tall most of which was from the foundations up!

“Feedback from islanders, parents and pupils themselves has been overwhelming. It is a fabulous feeling indeed to have made such a difference to a small community and youngsters’ lives in such a short space of time.”

Other types of projects the Orkney Islands Council Council General Charitable Trust can support include academic research, help towards gaining experience of a trade, assistance with educational travel costs outwith Orkney, support for individuals or groups involved in music and drama projects, or special projects of an educational nature not covered by day-to-day school or college budgets.

To find out more about the Orkney Islands Council General Charitable Trust – and how to apply for grant aid - email Rachel Shargool rachel.shargool@orkney.gov.uk or phone 01856 873535 ext 2269.

Past projects that have benefited include Other awards include a grant to Westray Golf Club towards the purchase of equipment used to train young golfers, and funds to Papa Westray Primary for a make-over of the shed that houses the school’s three alpacas. You can read more about those in our previous press release.