ASSYNT RESILIENCE GROUP
Assynt Community Council, Community Care Assynt, Connect Assynt and Assynt Development Trust working together
The Supporting Communities Fund – Funding to support a community response to Covid-19.
In March 2020, the Scottish Government announced an investment of £350 million to support local communities and households across Scotland in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. These funds included the Supporting Communities Fund which was established with an initial £10 million investment and was targeted through community anchor organisations. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) distributed the funds on behalf of the Scottish Government to anchor organisations within the Highlands and Islands. HIE aimed for a targeted approach working closely with partners and communities to identify key anchor organisations with the ability to deliver and distribute funds to the grassroots level.
HIE approached Assynt Development Trust to see if the Trust was willing to act as Assynt’s community anchor organisation for this purpose and to invite the Trust to develop an application to the fund to support the Assynt community. Working together with Assynt Community Council (ACC), Community Care Assynt (CCA) and Connect Assynt (CA), an expression of interest was submitted, then following further discussions a final application cost at £29,008 was submitted to HIE in mid-April 2020, which was accepted in full on 29th April 2020.
The grant funds have been able to be used with some flexibility in responding to impacts of Covid-19, but aiming to fulfil the following stated and agreed on activities and outputs across Assynt:
Assessing and managing risk and provision of information resources
Hot daily meal deliveries to isolated and high-risk individuals
Local food bank establishment and operation
Provision of consumables and equipment including PPE
Contingency fund including support to enable working with other groups
Supplies collection from outside Assynt