UK Government funding secured to further support Orkney projects

Orkney Islands Council has been allocated a further year of funding through the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Previous funding awards totalling £1.77m since 2022 – have been used to support the Multiply project in Orkney and the continuing development of the Islands Deal projects. 

Over 200 adult learners in Orkney have brushed up on their maths and numeracy skills over the last two years through the Multiply project. 

Multiply offers a variety of free and flexible courses and initiatives designed to increase learner skills around numeracy, IT, employment opportunities, managing bills and budgeting.

Courses are open to adults over 18 who would like to increase their numeracy skills, gain a qualification or increase their confidence with numbers. 

Courses are being delivered by a variety of providers including the Council's Learning Link, Voluntary Action Orkney and Orkney College UHI.

A number of community groups have accessed Multiply funded training through Voluntary Action Orkney including the Sanday Men’s Shed, the Orkney Youth Cafe and the Papay Development Trust.

Some of this year’s funding package of £581,775 will be used for the continuation of four FTE posts at the Council.

Two FTE sit within the Council’s Community Learning and Development and Employability Service and support the Multiply project, with the other two Funding Manager posts, within the Sustainable Regeneration and Arctic service and will help maximise opportunities to secure external funding.

The remaining funding, a mix of capital and revenue, will be used to support projects and activity over the coming year.

Since 2022, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has also supported the development of the business cases and early improvements associated with three Islands Growth Deal projects.

The Pier Arts Centre - as part of the Creative Islands and Wellbeing Project, a joint islands project delivered with Shetland Islands Council and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) - will deliver a Creative Hub, refurbishing the former Stromness Post Office and improved residential facilities for creative practice at the Links House in Birsay.  

The Islands Centre for Net Zero has received support to secure and create a base in the Orkney Research Innovation Centre ensuring there is appropriate technology to support collaborative working and reach to maximise participation across the islands within Orkney but also with Shetland and the Western Isles.

Also in receipt of support was the Orkney Research Innovation Campus which has helped with the development of the business case as part of the Islands Growth Deal and early improvements to the buildings.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund was initially launched as a central pillar of the UK Government’s Levelling Up Agenda providing £2.6 billion in funding across the UK.

The original objectives of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund was to support the UK Government’s delivery on each of the levelling up objectives to:  

• Boost productivity, pay, jobs and living standards by growing the private sector, especially in those places where they are lagging.  

• Spread opportunities and improve public services, especially in those places where they are weakest.  

• Restore a sense of community, local pride and belonging, especially in those places where they have been lost.  

• Empower local leaders and communities, especially in those places lacking local agency. 

The focus for the funding during 2025/26 aligns with the ‘five key missions’ set by the UK Government with a specific focus on communities and place, supporting local business and people and skills. 

The Islands Growth Deal is a £100 million investment over 10 years into Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles from the UK and Scottish Government supporting a range of joint and island specific projects and programmes.