Funding for a better future

June 28th 2024

Community funder aiming for bigger bang from its bucks.

Community funder aiming for bigger bang from its bucks

Millions of pounds a year are on offer to local charities and community groups that show how they will improve the quality of life in Shetland in the coming years.

The goals of boosting wellbeing and reducing disadvantage across the islands are at the heart of Shetland Charitable Trust’s (SCT) new strategy for 2025-2030.

With its 50^th anniversary approaching in 2026, SCT has fine-tuned its vision for Shetland as “a place to live a happy and confident life, surrounded by a community that encourages and supports everyone”.

While other small communities around the country can only dream of £9 million-a-year grant payouts, SCT is looking to increase the impact and the benefits from such funding.

The first glimpse of the reshaped strategy in action is the opening this week of the new Large Grant Scheme. Charitable organisations are invited to bid for funding for up to five years, potentially safeguarding the community services they provide at a time of cutbacks and closures across the country.

Trust chair Robert Leask said: “I’m conscious how fortunate we are to have extra funds available in Shetland focused on improving the quality of life, especially to help those who could benefit most. This is certainly not true for most communities across Scotland.”

SCT wants all interested groups to show how grant money would have a positive impact on the trust’s quality of life goals – promoting a more equal and inclusive community with services that are accessible to all.

They will be asked to show how they are responding more effectively to different voices in the community and how the impact of any grants will be felt across the islands.

Mr Leask said: “Integral to the new strategy is our desire to work more closely with the groups that we fund to maximise the benefits for all and to highlight all the positives that flow from their efforts.”

SCT’s grant funds come from the profits it generates by growing the community funds invested across world stock markets, valued recently at around £430m.

The Large Grant Scheme is open to charitable organisations with a turnover of at least £50,000 a year. Groups can seek funds to pay towards their running costs as well as projects that they plan.

Applications can be made now, through SCT’s website. The deadline is noon on 30^th August.

For more information

Contact: Shetland Charitable Trust - mail@shetlandcharitabletrust.co.uk - Tel: 01595 744 994

Media Contact: John Robertson - noostmedia@gmail.com - Tel: 07775 407 796

Testimonials

The funding COPE Ltd receives from the Shetland Charitable Trust supports us in many ways. It allows us to develop and maintain a strong foundation to our core business and assists us to provide on-going employment skill development opportunities to people with disabilities living within Shetland. COPE Ltd highly values the support provided to our organisation by The Shetland Charitable Trust.

“The substantial grant made to us by Shetland Charitable Trust every year allows us to provide first-class facilities and dedicated staff to underpin sporting success among people of all ages and abilities in the islands.”

Having this core funding from the Charitable Trust means that we can use that money where we need it at any given time. It's multi-year funding which really takes the pressure off. To have the funding to keep going is really important as it is improving the lives of disabled folk in Shetland.

The funding that we get from the Charitable Trust pays for part of staff support and matching with other funders. Without local funders we wouldn't have national funders, and without either of those funders, we wouldn't be able to do this, so funding from the Shetland Charitable Trust is incredibly important.

The funding Shetland Arts gets from Shetland Charitable Trust is about making sure the organisation can thrive, access other funds, and deliver on behalf of the community of Shetland. Our funding from the Shetland Charitable Trust really helps us with our conversations with national funders because it shows that we're working on behalf of what the local objectives and priorities are.

The Access to Leisure scheme was introduced to allow folk to be able to get access to classes and activities for a lower cost. I feel that the SRT play a critical role in every community across Shetland and that's all down to the funding of the Shetland Charitable Trust that we're able to maintain that.

Unpaid carers do an amazing job looking after people 24/7 in their own homes, keeping them living at home safely, and they really need help to do that. Thanks to the funding from Shetland Charitable Trust, we've been able to employ a deputy manager, recruit more care attendants, and provide overnights. We're also really grateful for the funding because it means that everybody can get the service for free.