GoFibre, celebrating a year of its GoFurther Fund, has awarded grants to three charities in Aberdeenshire and Angus. Each charity received £3,000 from the £50,000 fund aimed at transforming local lives through work experience opportunities, skills development, health promotion, and climate change initiatives.
The Haven in Aberdeenshire, Kirrie Connections, and North East Sensory Services in Angus were selected from numerous applicants. These funds will support their vital projects, from combating social isolation to enhancing dementia care and sensory services.
Starkeeper Morton, CEO of The Haven, said: ‘This funding is a game-changer, allowing us to continue to support those who need it most. Our unique mission focuses on prevention rather than crisis response, which often makes securing funding challenging. We are incredibly grateful to GoFibre for backing our efforts to enhance the lives of individuals in our local Stonehaven community.’
One Angus charity to receive funding in the second round of funding is Kirrie Connections. The dementia support hub located in Kirriemuir provides support and creative activities for people living with dementia and their unpaid carers. The funding is set to be instrumental for the charity’s ‘Pathfinders Project,’ which collaborates with local artists, practitioners and innovators to deliver enriching art and cultural experiences to those affected by dementia. This two-year initiative leverages innovative techniques to unlock and nurture the creativity and potential of its members.
Graham Galloway, Trustee at Kirrie Connections said: ‘We are immensely grateful for the support from GoFibre. This funding will be valuable in expanding our Pathfinders Project and allow us to provide even more opportunity to people living with and impacted by this challenging condition through the power of art.”
Another charity benefitting from the GoFurther Fund is North East Sensory Services (NESS), an independent charity providing the first integrated sensory services across Angus. The funding boost will enhance peer support and social groups for over 6,250 individuals with sight or hearing loss in the region by fostering social and cultural activities and promoting positive peer interactions. Specifically, the funds will cover volunteer training and related expenses, enabling NESS to offer enriching activities that support and engage those with sensory impairments.
Neil Conaghan, Chief Executive Officer at GoFibre, said: “These three organisations are already making a difference across their communities, and their incredible efforts reinforce the idea that this kind of grassroots support can genuinely create a better future for the next generation. That’s why it is important for us to recognise and boost the incredible work of charities and organisations across Scotland.
“There has been a clear response from local communities that there is a continued need for the work of organisations like The Haven, Kirrie Connections and North East Sensory Services and we are incredibly proud to be able to support them in their mission to continue transforming local lives[CM1] .”
