The Ardbeg All Islay Fund

June 5, 2023

Supporting 28 Local Projects in its First Year

In its first year of funding bids, The Ardbeg All Islay Fund Panel was very pleased to have received 41 submissions from all over Islay.  Charitable organisations which applied for funding towards projects included intergenerational activities, sporting, heritage and capital purchases. The Fund will distribute a total of £1million over the next five years.

As anticipated, the timeframe for feedback to applicants was delayed due to the high demand for funding. The total request for funding in year one was over £700k, with the panel having the hard task to fund only £180k this year.  This was not a task taken lightly, and each panel member handled it diligently and professionally. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the panel members very much for their valuable dedication to volunteering to be on the panel. The SID team looks forward to continuing to grow the partnership with the panel to strengthen the fund’s processes ready for the fund opening in year two (January 2024).

The Ardbeg All Islay Fund is pleased to award 28 local charities to grow or continue their excellent community work in the next coming months.  A full list of awards will be published on the South Islay Development website.  (www.southislay.co.uk)

Ruth Thomson, CSR Manager at The Glenmorangie Company said: ”Ardbeg is delighted to support and develop enterprising and sustainable projects across the whole of the island, and the panel was impressed with the calibre of applications received. We look forward to seeing the projects selected this year grow and develop following the distribution of the funds. ”

The fund is pleased to support the following projects in 2023:-

Islay Karate Club – The club will support members of the community to access karate lessons, covering everything they will need to start including uniform, equipment, insurance and grading.

The Museum of Islay Life - The museum will be safeguarding, displaying, and promoting the twelve thousand years of the island’s history. The museum would like to build an extension to this to provide adequate room for its collection thus preserving Islay’s precious and irreplaceable cultural heritage.

Islay & Jura Youth Wind Band – The support from the fund will reinvigorate and raise the band's profile and sustainability, benefiting the lives of young people and the wider community of Islay & Jura. Securing new instruments for young musicians and enhancing their learning experience through visits to mainland music events and playing alongside professional musicians.

Pat McGrann, Chair at SID said “South Islay Development is delighted to be the linchpin for the distribution of the unique and generous donation of The Ardbeg All Islay Fund. The panel of local folk has worked very hard considering all the applications.   There is plenty of activity and enterprise to support and develop our community.  We look forward to monitoring the successful grants and encourage all those disappointed to consider round two next year.  I’m sure there are plenty of ideas waiting to be funded.”

The Ardbeg All Islay Fund encourages all applicants to reapply next year and applicants are invited to work with Alyson MacGillivray SID Development Manager, to receive feedback to strengthen their application in year two. A programme of workshops will be considered in the Autumn ready for the fund reopening in January 2024.

Funding Awards - Year One

Ballygrant Hall - £3,000

Bowmore Community Association - £1,500

Bowmore Lunch Club - £2,500

Bridgend Bowling Club - £1,000

Bruichladdich Hall - £2,500

Islay & Jura Bump to Birth - £4,850

The Cantilena Festival - £1,000

The Finlaggan Trust - £5,000

Feis Oigridh - £18,946

Friends of Portnahaven Church - £3,000

Greater Kilmeny - £6,000

Islay & Jura Youth Wind Band - £12,000

Islay & Jura Community Enterprise - £4,000

Islay & Jura Highland Dancers - £12,000

Islay Archers - £5,000

Islay Pipe Band - £2,500

Islay Rugby Club - £4,970

Islay Book Festival - £4,000

Islay Natural History Trust – £5,000

Islay Karate Club - £4,460

Museum of Islay Life - £19,000

Port Ellen Playing Fields - £5,000

Port Ellen Christmas Party - £500

Port Ellen Mother & Toddlers - £2,000

Port Ellen Sports Day/SID –  £2,500

SideKick - £24,000

Sonas Childcare/SID - £11,500

Portnahaven Hall - £2,000


South Islay Development Logo
​​South Islay Development is a registered charity (SC042384)
and company limited by guarantee (SC400320) registered in Scotland.

Registered Address:
The Ramsay Hall, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, Argyll, PA42 7BY.
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Website Design © 2024 Ben Shakespeare Photography.
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