£80,000 boost for groups in Eskdale: Windfarm cash aids projects for people of all ages and abilities

MORE than £80,000 is being pumped into Eskdale, thanks to funding from a windfarm.
Among the groups to receive funding are Langholm Playcare, Langholm Initiative, Gilnockie hall, Langholm show and a public defibrillator project in Eskdale.
The Dumfriesshire East Community Benefit Group (DECBG), which manages the community benefit fund for ScottishPower Renewables’ Ewe Hill 16 windfarm, awarded almost £145,000 to 12 applicants, on Tuesday.
In Eskdale they were: Eskdale Agricultural and Pastoral Society (purchase of sheep gates £3,700); Eskdalemuir Community Council (Eskdale defibrillator project £17,415); Gilnockie public hall committee (roof maintenance £3,600); Langholm Playcare (running costs £15,000); Langholm, Eskdalemuir, Ewes and Westerkirk parish church (external disabled access at Langholm £12,685); Langholm Initiative (Richer Lives: Next Steps £20,000); Muckle Toon Adventure Festival (MTAF 2019 £7,500); Upper Eskdale Development Group (Pool and a Pint £1,252).
The Langholm Initiative award is for two years.
The project, led by project manager, Jason Railton, will bring together anti-poverty work, employability and skills development work to help give people of all ages the skills and opportunities they need.
Jason said: “This project will work towards providing training, work-readiness skills, financial education and basic life skills.
“We’ll work with partners to help inspire enterprise, ensure our young people have as many opportunities as their peers in Dumfries and Galloway and provide a programme of training to boost skills.
“Langholm and Eskdale have had a tough time but this project will help people to realise the multiple opportunities just around the corner.
By helping people, particularly young people, to realise there is enormous potential, we think this project can help to encourage the area to thrive.
“Not many people are aware of growing industries in our region such as the arts, renewable energy, hospitality, tourism and care.
The project follows three years of successful employability and enterprise work, during which the Initiative delivered more than 100 accredited qualifications and helped 18 people into work.
Jason, who led the Dumfries and Galloway Council-funded Richer Lives anti-poverty project, added: “We see a lot of commonality between the anti-poverty work and the employability work so combining them into one project will help to deliver support more efficiently.

“We still have some match-funding to secure before we can begin but this is a great start to what I hope the community agrees will be a great project.”
Anyone interested in learning more about the project can contact Jason on 013873 80914 or email jason@langholminitiative.co.uk
Langholm Playcare’s award is for core costs and not its activities.
Morag Johnstone said: “It will pay for items such as phone bills, rent and stationery and will be a good help.”
Playcare is also applying for funding from the council’s Tackling Poverty fund and urges everyone to vote for it.
It wants the money to establish a regular, productive and considered health and well-being programme to encourage healthier choices in young children and for its parents and child groups, Read, Play Sing, Sensory Play and Baby Group.
Voting is in Lochmaben primary school from 11am to 3pm on Saturday, April 27 or people can register to vote online at https://dumgal.participate.io
Michell Jardine, chairwoman of Langholm show, said they needed the new gates for public safety so it was really good to get the award.
They had to borrow gates from Teviothead and their own wooden hurdles were not high enough to stop sheep from jumping out.
Joyce Bell, a trustee of Langholm, Eskdalemuir, Ewes and Westerkirk church, said the grant would pay about a third of a disabled access ramp.
She said: “Langholm church is a listed building so the ramp has to be built with stone which matches.