Highland company Cairngorm Windows invites community groups to bid for share of £6000 to ease poverty and stress for families at Christmas
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A Highland company has launched a novel scheme inviting community groups to bid for cash to ease poverty and stress for families at Christmas time.
Cairngorm Windows, the region’s largest windows manufacturer, has donated £6000 to the Highland Third Sector Interface (TSI) to drive forward the initiative.
It will enable two £500 donations to groups for projects in each of the TSI’s six areas – Inverness and Easter Ross, Lochaber, Badenoch and Strathspey, Caithness, Sutherland, Skye and Wester Ross.
Iain McKenzie, Highland TSI development manager for new projects, described it as a "wonderful gesture" which would allow the organisation to do something completely different to help over the festive season.
"This new fund will ensure there will be Christmas joy for some children whose families have faced their worst festive season in years after being hit by the Universal Credit cut and rising heat and lighting costs," he said.
"It might be a special meal or ensuring kids have presents to open.
"We leave it to local folk to come up with ideas they could put in place and send them to us. We’re hopeful it will make a real impact on families and help give them a better Christmas than might otherwise be the case."
He said poverty was still a major issue in the area with three of the top 15 officially most deprived areas in Scotland in South Kessock in Inverness, Milton near Invergordon and Milnafua in Alness.
"Against the backdrop of the pandemic, Cairngorm’s impressive intervention is an opportunity for community groups to bid for the cash by outlining how they would spend it," Mr McKenzie said
Chris Dowling, joint managing director at Cairngorm, said the company decided to put something back into the areas where it generates business, by working with the Highland Third Sector.
"We hope our funding will help to alleviate poverty and possibly address loneliness and mental health issues, which can be particularly acute at the festive period," he said.
"It’ll be encouraging to hear what suggestions come forward from the different Highland TSI areas for best use of the money.
"Hopefully, this opportunity will trigger enthusiasm and fresh thinking from local groups as to what they propose doing."
The two best proposals from each area will be selected by the end of the month.
Cairngorm, which employs 100 people at its Inverness base, refurbished and reopened its Thurso premises this year after a blaze in 2019.
