More than £12m granted to Scots groups through lottery fund

More than £12m will be shared between 311 Scottish groups and associations thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund.

Announced on Thursday, the Lottery is granting more than £12m to Scottish organisations, the majority of which will help transform buildings into vibrant community hubs.

More than £7.4m will go towards 11 new community buildings to either develop or new build to create new community hubs.

Among those is The Pyramid at Anderston.

The group, behind the renovation of the B listed building in Glasgow, has received £1.1m to renovate the space so that it can continue hosting a wide range of community groups and welcome many more.

Chairman Tom Moffat said he was delighted with the funding, adding: “The award will enable us to make our iconic building more inclusive and accessible and to continue to be a place for the communities of Anderston and Finnieston to connect, create and celebrate.”

The Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust was granted more than £1m to extend and develop An Laimhrig, a vital community hub.

Business development manager for the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust, Rebecca Long, said: “Eigg was one of the first community buyouts in Scotland and the original build of An Laimhrig completed in 1998 was the very first flagship project undertaken by Eigg’s community.

“It is now 23 years later and with a 70% positive population increase the building is fit to bursting, with Eigg’s only shop, cafe, visitor-facing businesses and community offices unable to keep up with all the demands put upon them.

“This vital expansion will aid the island’s economic, social and cultural development and secure Eigg’s future for the next generation of residents and visitors alike. Without National Lottery players, this award and project would not have been possible.”

The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland chairwoman Kate Still said: “These awards, made possible by National Lottery players, recognise the incredible work happening across Scotland to create stronger, more connected communities.

“I am delighted that some of this funding will be used to transform existing buildings into vibrant community hubs that will carry on the strong community spirit that has been so evident in recent times.

“National Lottery players can be proud to know that money they raise by buying tickets is continuing to make such a difference.”