SNP MSP’s for the South of Scotland Emma Harper and Joan McAlpine have welcomed the news that The Stove Network has received a £269,265 award from The Big Lottery Fund’s Our Place Initiative which will allow them to employ a full time Creative Development Worker.
The Creative Development Worker will be based permanently at Lincluden Community Centre to support culture and heritage through expressive arts in Lincluden and Lochside in North West Dumfries. The Stove Network will employ a local person for the post and will provide a one-year apprenticeship which will then allow them to run a three-and-a-half-year program. The aim of creating the post is to develop community led projects in Lincluden and Lochside.
Welcoming the Big Lottery award, Matt Baker from the Stove Network said:
“The Stove Network has been working with local people in Lincluden and Lochside for the last 6 months to bring forward a very exciting idea for community development in North West Dumfries. The Creative Development Worker will be based at Lincluden Community Centre and will involve a great opportunity for a local person to lead the project with our support and we look forward to a long working relationship with North West Dumfries”.
Carole McCann is a local community connector volunteer met with Emma Harper to discuss plans for community development as a result of the Big Lottery Award. She said:
“This ancient place is just one of the beautiful areas that we have local to us. There is money out there to help develop our places, but we need the people to get involved and tell us what their ideas for community development are. The people in our communities are our greatest asset.”
Commenting, Ms Harper said:
“I was delighted to hear that The Stove Network has been awarded this amazing sum to train and employ a full time Creative Development Worker. This post will allow the residents of Lincluden and Lochside to put forward their ideas to help develop their communities which will provide them with many different skills and opportunities. This project will have such a positive impact on both the residents and the local community and I would like to offer my assistance to The Stove Network and communities in North West Dumfries in implementing this project.”
Joan McAlpine MSP added:
“I am delighted that The Stove Network will be able to take its work into the heart of West Dumfries. I have backed them from the start and supported their successful applications to the Scottish Government’s agency Creative Scotland. I was delighted when they were awarded £100,000 from Creative Scotland for their town centre building and also when they were one of the first projects in Dumfries and Galloway to get three year funding from the agency. The Stove Network is rightly held up as a role model for arts delivery across Scotland.”
