Pillar Kincardine has been short-listed to become the latest recipient of funding from Scotmid Co-operative’s Community Connect initiative – the charity could be awarded up to £15,000 to further their services.
Community Connect was initially trialled in the North of Scotland last year and enables Scotmid members to award good cause groups in their local area with funding of either £15,000, £7,500 or £2,500. The funding is generated via the sale of single use carrier bags and the groups are short-listed by a Scotmid member selection panel.
The other short-listed groups in Scotmid’s North Member Region are Inverness Foodstuff and Laurencekirk Memorial Park.
Previous recipients of £15,000 awards from the opening two cycles of Community Connect were Dundee’s Eighteen and Under and Highland Cycle Ability Centre.
Scotmid members collect votes by swiping their Community Connect card after every in-store purchase and then cast their votes for their preferred good cause group at Scotmid’s North Region Ordinary General Meeting in Brechin on 2 October.
Pillar Kincardine are a small voluntary organisation based in Stonehaven supporting people in and around Kincardine and the Mearns, who are coping with serious emotional, social or mental health difficulties.
Pillar will use the Community Connect funding to organise weekly support groups, designed to equip those suffering from mental health problems to manage their mental health and increase their involvement in their local community.
Chairman Mike Maas-Lowit said: “As the Chair of the Board, I am delighted that Pillar is being considered for the Scotmid Community Connect Award. This reflects the hard work and dedicated enthusiasm of our volunteers and members in keeping this wonderful organisation going.
“With the Community Connect funding, we are looking to take our current work a step further and continue to develop our weekly groups for those in recovery from mental illness and those looking to better manage their mental health and well-being.
“We want to help provide people with the tools to not only improve their mental health, but also to build their community connections, and help increase their sense of community.”