The LEADER+ programme in the Western Isles and Skye and Lochalsh was given a financial boost with the announcement today by Allan Wilson, Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning that additional funding of £140,000 has been approved for the programme.

The additional sum brings the total budget for the two year programme to £2,640,000.

LEADER+ is a European Union initiative that seeks to support local rural development strategies, continuing from the LEADER II programme.  It is aimed at encouraging and supporting high quality and innovative integrated strategies for local rural development with a strong emphasis on co-operation and networking between rural areas within  the UK and throughout Europe.

Murdo Maclennan, Chairman of the Local Action Group(LAG) said: "We are delighted to receive the extra funding from Scottish Executive which will enable more projects to be realised. Since the project commenced in October 2002 over 100 projects have been approved and 28 have been completed." 

The overall aim of the Western Isles Skye and Lochalsh Leader+ programme is to pilot and communicate innovative, community led approaches to rural development that will promote the sustainable, environmental, economic and social development of our rural areas.  It seeks to be socially inclusive across all groupings and encourage as many as possible to participate in the development process.  The programme is targeted to give priority to young people and women.  It seeks to prioritise and to encourage their aspirations, allowing them to become more participative within their organisations and within the local community.

Local projects which have been funded through Leader+ programme include the Cearns Women's Health Social Company's two trading subsidiaries, one which provides a crèche facility (Happy Days) and the other running the healthy eating café (Apples and Pears), both located in the new sports centre in Stornoway.  Projects range in diversity from the Balivanich Youth Group Project, which assisted some of the group in attending a 4-day multi-media workshop programme in London to assisting Cuillins FM set up a community radio station to Western Isles Fisheries Trust Try-Angling project which is a transnational project with a local action group in Sweden. 

For more information on how to qualify for funding through the LEADER+ programme contact Rona Macleod (LEADER+ project co-ordinator) on 01851 703703 or Claire Hannah (field officer ) on 01478 612841