£300,000 Dream Fund Shortlist Announced

16 January 2012


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Promising Start To The Year For Shortlisted Charities



Ed's Cycle Coop, part of the Ramblers Scotland project (photo courtesy of Ed's Cycle Coop) Ed's Cycle Coop, part of the Ramblers Scotland project (photo courtesy of Ed's Cycle Coop)

Eight collaborative charity projects in Scotland are in the running for this year's People's Postcode Lottery Dream Fund. Successful projects will share a total funding pot of £300,000. Winners will be announced at a special event in Edinburgh later this month.



The Dream Fund was launched last year. It introduced a brand new way of funding charity projects across Scotland. Dream Fund seeks to encourage charities and organisations to join together to deliver a large scale ‘dream’ project. The funding is supported entirely by players of People's Postcode Lottery.



The eight short-listed entries to the Dream Fund fall into three categories.  These categories reflect important areas to players of People's Postcode Lottery:



Active Lives

  • Waterways Trust Scotland (partnered with Glasgow Watersports and British Waterways Scotland)

  • Ramblers Scotland (partnered with Paths for All Partnership and Transform Scotland)



Climate Change

  • John Muir Trust (partnered with Highland Perthshire Ltd)

  • The Ecology Centre (partnered with Kingdom Housing Association)

  • WWF Scotland (partnered with Fife Diet)



Volunteering

  • Young Scot (partnered with Transition Linlithgow, Greener Kirkcaldy, REAP Scotland, Moray)

  • Alzheimer Scotland (partnered with The Scottish Football Association Museum Trust)

  • Community Food Initiatives North East (partnered with Aberdeen Foyer, Grampian Housing Association, and North East Scotland Credit Union)



The announcement of the short list was welcomed by John Downie, Director of Public Affairs at the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO). “With the continuing adverse economic and financial environment, 2012 will inevitably be a challenging year for many community and charitable organisations, with many sure to experience staff cuts as well rising demand for their services.



For these organisations, worried about their future, initiatives such as the Dream Fund will inspire many Scottish charities to be more creative and look to how they can really make a difference to local communities.”



Last year, four projects shared a funding pot of over £328,000. These included Edinburgh’s Innertube London Style Underground Cycling Map and a Community Project on the Island of South Uist. The overwhelming success of the projects has demonstrated how charities and organisations working together can provide an experience and knowledge share.



Winners will be announced on Tuesday 31 January at a special event to be held at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.