CASH totalling £8,300 is being pumped into Langholm and Eskdalemuir by a one-off windfarm grant scheme.
Muirhall Energy, which is building Crossdykes windfarm between Lockerbie and Langholm, announced that it had a £100,000 pot of money to distribute on a first-come, first-served basis.
OutPost Arts, based in The Look Out in Langholm High Street, was awarded £2,500.
The grant will go towards the Langholm – A Creative Place project which will deliver programmes, sessions and clubs.
The vision is to help inspire increased levels of artistic expression, creative qualifications and skills development in Langholm.
The project focuses on two key outcomes: improving arts provision for young people; and improving health and well-being.
This one-year programme of creative activity will reach groups which, they believe, will benefit enormously from accessing and engaging with the arts.
Langholm, Ewes and Westerkirk community council has received £800.
This will pay for new and replacement of old lights to illuminate the front of the parish church and the war memorial in Buccleuch Park in Langholm.
The Upper Eskdale Development Group has been given £5,000 to help fund a development manager’s role at the Eskdalemuir Hub, taking on the management of the hub, marketing and publicity to increase the self-sustainability of the project and ensure its future.
Coaching
Curling coaching sessions at Lockerbie Ice Rink received £2,500 to allow all children’s coaching sessions to be free in 2019/20.
This includes the Curling’s Cool programme for all primary schools in Annandale and Eskdale and the after-school clubs.
The ice rink club committee received £2,500 to replace skating and curling equipment.
Jason Morin, Muirhall’s project manager, said: “We’re very excited to release the first round of committed funds for the Crossdykes Initial Investment Fund.
“We have been inundated with applications from a huge variety of interesting and exciting projects, which has been very encouraging.
“If we have yet to contact you after the submission of your application, please don’t be discouraged. This has no bearing on the likely success of your application.
“Additionally, we’d be pleased to welcome more applications over the coming weeks. The funds will be distributed until the pot is empty.”