ARDBEG LAUNCHES £1MILLION DONATION FOR ISLAY TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY

South Islay Development (SID) is delighted to be working in partnership with Ardbeg Distillery to identify and fund projects the length and breadth of Islay over the next 5 years. A £ 1 million fund, THE ARDBEG ALL ISLAY FUND, has been established following the sale of a rare Ardbeg 1975 cask sold to a private investor for £16m. The fund will benefit organisations, projects, and enterprising activities across the whole of Islay.  SID and Ardbeg have worked together over several years in the planning of a new Community Hub for Port Ellen. 

£200,000 will be available annually over a 5-year period from the fund. It is vitally important that the fund is set up and administered diligently and to this end there will be a panel of 7 people recommending, advising, and approving all applications. 2 SID directors, 5 members of our community and one Glenmorangie Company director. This will take time and commitment from the panel and SID are seeking expressions of interest from those who may be interested in joining the advisory panel. Experience of funding applications be may an advantage.

John Findlay, chair of SID commented: ‘This is a real one-off donation to Islay, and we are now very excited to see and hear about the projects and ideas across the island which this money could help.’

Working together, SID and Ardbeg will launch THE ARDBEG ALL ISLAY FUND early in 2023, inviting applications from groups and projects right across the island which meet some of the following criteria:

• Supporting Active Lives: ensuring access to a range of physical and healthy activities;
• Building Community Resilience: helping residents access learning and training, supporting carers to access external services or supporting local cultural activities and facilities;
• Enhancing The Environment: establishing or supporting environmental schemes such as CO2 reduction, recycling, or land use, including biodiversity improvements and peatland restoration. 

So, get your thinking caps on! There is still some work being done to establish the exact timeline for the launch date and application forms are being drawn up, but expect to hear more in the New Year, both in the Ileach and on SID’s social media pages.  

Please direct any questions or express an interest in being on the panel

to Alyson MacGillivray at southislaydevelopment@gmail.com or pop into the office for a chat.