COVID-19 Support Fund

Over 50 community groups and organisations benefit from vital COVID-19 funding from Bòrd na Gàidhlig

Over 50 organisations and community groups promoting Gaelic projects throughout lockdown have been awarded funding from Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s COVID-19 Support Fund.

The fund was opened earlier in the Summer in response to the global pandemic, with a total of £100,000 initially available to qualifying applicants. Due to unprecedented demand, the Board agreed to provide a further £90,000.

Funding was made available to help these organisations continue and expand their work online; to share resources and training; and to ensure they are best placed to recover from the current situation.

Stòrlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba, which receives annual funding from Bòrd na Gàidhlig, has been awarded an additional £32,300 to fund an array of educational resources for use in blended learning or learning at home.

Among the other groups which have received funding are the Horshader Development Group, in the Western Isles, to employ a Project Officer for their Healthy at Home initiative. The project aims to enhance the wellbeing of residents in the community by creating social and learning opportunities through the medium of Gaelic, and to also develop the language.

Robhanis Theatre Company, based on the Isle of Lewis, will be recording a series of Gaelic plays to be made available as free podcasts while Tional, the new Virtual Gaelic Music Festival run by Hands Up for Trad has also successfully applied for Bòrd na Gàidhlig funding.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will use its funding to create a new platform to provide the public with important safety information through Gaelic. This will be developed online as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

And STÙR/DUST will present a digital community project, fusing scenes from Greek masterpiece Antigone performed in Gaelic, with traditional music, new poetry compositions, vox pops, newspaper headlines and archival footage. A powerful examination of the lives that we are living under the pandemic, the project aims to provide a means of bringing communities together, of talking, singing, remembering and finding a way of going forward.

The University of Glasgow, Mount Cameron Primary School in East Kilbride, and Fèis Phàislig, an arts organisation that promotes interest, education and participation in traditional music and Gaelic culture across Renfrewshire, are also among the successful applicants for this vital funding.

Mairi MacInnes, Bòrd na Gàidhlig chair, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for all organisations, and we are delighted with the response to our COVID funding scheme.

“It fills us with enormous pride to witness the benefits of our funding for Gaelic speakers and communities throughout the country during these difficult times. A range of projects are now under way
and we firmly believe that these will be invaluable to everybody who has the opportunity to get involved with them.
“Bòrd na Gàidhlig continues to drive the development of the Gaelic medium, and this form of funding will continue to play a major role in what we set out to achieve.”

Bòrd na Gàidhlig runs funding schemes at different times through the year. However, if you have a proposal for a project at any time during the year when there is no suitable funding scheme open for applications, contact them directly by email at tabhartas@gaidhlig.scot, or by phone on 01463 225 454.

Urras Ceann a Tuath na HearadhNorth HarrisPlaywrights’ Studio Scotland / FuaighGlasgowOilthigh Ghlaschu (University of Glasgow)GlasgowÀrd-sgoil Phort RìghPortreeComhairle Mhoireibh (Moray Council)Moray