Scottish Government Minister praises legacy of Tyne & Esk community funding

Funding community groups and small rural businesses helps increase and enhance the services they provide but it has a much wider reach – helping groups make connections with like-minded organisations and creating a lasting legacy.

Positive outcomes

These positive outcomes were celebrated at a meeting recently, involving recipients of Tyne & Esk Community Led Local Development (CLLD) funding and members of the Local Action Group (who make the funding decisions) with special visitor Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands. 

Significant investment

Since November 2022, the Tyne & Esk Programme has awarded over half a million pounds to 52 projects supporting local rural communities, individuals and businesses advancing inclusion, equality and diversity within rural areas of East Lothian and Midlothian.

Lasting legacy

Local Action Group (LAG) Co-chair Anne Hastie said: “This was a great event, celebrating the success of the CLLD programme in assisting projects and learning more about everything they have achieved. It was also an opportunity for fellow LAG members to hear about the success of the projects and the experience those running them have had with CLLD. It was great to hear such positive feedback and to see further links being created within the Tyne & Esk area and really demonstrated the legacy of CLLD.

Share achievements

“Having Mairi Gougeon attending on the day was a real boost to everyone and a chance for her to hear what’s been achieved so far and our thoughts on how funding can continue to be beneficial in our communities in future.”  

Making a difference

Ms Gougeon said: “These projects have shown the real difference that community led investment makes. They are an example of how support from the Tyne and Esk CLLD programme is improving services and enables local people to have a say in what works for them.

Helping rural communities

“More than £29 million of CLLD funding has been invested in rural communities across Scotland since 2021, delivering over 1,000 projects across rural and island communities in partnership with rural organisations and I look forward to seeing even more projects taken forward with the £9 million for CLLD in the latest budget.”

In attendance

Speakers at the event at Edinburgh College, Milton Road, included: 

• Rab Campbell, Growth Director and Maddie Kortenaar, Marketing Director at Social Value Engine Ltd, who discussed the function of their tool, which calculates a monetary value based on the social return on investments of funds like CLLD. They calculated that, in 2022/23 the social return on investment of the fund was £4.86 for every £1 of funding, rising to £7.32 in 2023/4. Social value outcomes range from the creation of volunteering opportunities to reductions in carbon emissions to the social benefits to young people. 
• Robert Gillies, Volunteer Trustee at Harlawhill Day Centre, who talked about using funding to refurbish the centre’s toilet facilities. All the toilets for centre users now have new floors, wall boards, plumbing, heating and are designed to be Dementia friendly with the use of colour and artwork. Work on the centre’s minibus has also been funded. 
• Cheryl Brown MBE CF, Chief Executive and founder of Midlothian Sure Start, and Gemma Laidlaw, Centre Manager at Penicuik Family Learning Centre. In 2022/23 Midlothian Sure Start received funding to purchase a video conferencing system to support training as well as other IT equipment and technology to take mobile payments and donations in the six family learning centres and at their Head Office. Outdoor play equipment was also purchased to enhance the Forest School experience. In 2023/24, they received funding to support the development of an Open Kindergarten approach to early years family support. In 2024/25, they have been awarded funding to turn a room within their Penicuik Family Learning Centre into a high-quality baby room, to meet a need identified by local residents.
• Trudi Cueto, Partner at Carfrae Farm which, in 2022/23, received funding to purchase a milk vending machine and re-useable bottles. The milk is supplied by a local dairy farm. The funding also helped with advertising the service locally. In 2024/5, they received further funding to improve signage to direct visitors to the farm and to buy a bottle washer and equipment for a hot food takeaway. 
• LAG Member Hilary Smith and Observer Dr Lesley Kelly who have been involved with Tyne & Esk for a number of years, gave an overview of their positions within CLLD and the positive outcomes of their involvement. 

More about the fund

The Rural Communities Development Fund is part of the Scottish Government’s Community Led Local Development Rural Programme. It involves community decision making from the ‘bottom up' by dedicated volunteers who form a Local Action Group (LAG).

Projects that have benefited have a focus on supporting communities, individuals and businesses advancing inclusion, equality, and diversity within rural areas of East Lothian and Midlothian.