MSP welcomes £20,000 funding boost for Inverness and surrounding area

Highlands and Islands SNP MSP, Emma Roddick, has welcomed the announcement that projects in Inverness and its environs will receive £20,000 from the first round of grants from the Scotland Loves Local Fund.

The funding, announced this week, is supporting over 100 organisations, who will receive a share of the £1.5 million funding boost to help revitalise cities, town centres and neighbourhoods across Scotland. They will encourage support for local economies which were impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and help restore local tourism, make town centres more environmentally friendly and sustainable, and support communities to refurbish shop fronts and public spaces ahead of the festive season.

Two Inverness projects are due to receive grant funding of £10,000 each: Visit Inverness Loch Ness, to erect 60 ‘Love Local, Choose Local’ banners at entrances to nine towns and villages and do promotional work for the South Loch Ness Trail, and Inverness BID Limited, to fund a number of guides and a social media campaign to promote the Inverness food and drink industry and independent businesses.

Commenting, Roddick said:

“I am well chuffed that Inverness is the recipient of a hefty £20,000 from the first round of grants from the Scotland Loves Local Fund.

“After the past year and a half, this will really help spur on Visit Inverness Loch Ness and Inverness BID Limited’s work to bring investment to Inverness and its surrounding towns and villages.

“This kind of action reinforces the SNP’s determination to support Inverness as we recover from the pandemic – helping make sure we create a fairer, healthier, greener, inclusive and more sustainable economic recovery.”