funding

Alyth Show (or at least part of it) heads back to its roots

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At least part of the Alyth & District Agricultural Show will be returning to Alyth this year, thanks to a grant from our Community Projects Fund.

The Show hasn’t been able to be in Alyth for several years due to lack of a suitable venue, and hasn’t taken place at all since 2019 due to the covid pandemic.  When the Show Society decided to go ahead with an event this year, they made some changes to make the Show viable, one of which was to split the event into two.  

The traditional Industrial Tent will now be replaced by a Root & Produce Show to be held in Alyth Town Hall in November.  The grant from our Community Projects Fund will help towards the costs of hall hire, hall set-up, promotion and advertising.  The Society also plans to buy some seeds and recipe packs to encourage people who may not be able to afford them to take part, along with small medals and trophies for young prize-winners

Mel McFadden of the Society said:  “We hope to expand the schedule of what used to be the Industrial Tent to include home-grown produce.  We hope that this will encourage the community to take up growing some home produce, have a go at baking or some of the home crafts covered by competitions. By including a children’s section we hope to encourage children to garden, bake and create.

“Bringing at least part of the Alyth & District Agricultural Show back to the town will be a popular decision with Alyth residents. It will encourage more people to take up gardening, home cooking or some crafts.  Gardening and growing your own vegetables is great for both mental and physical health, and good for the environment as well.”

ADT’s Community Projects Fund distributes the community benefit funds provided for Alyth by the operators of the Tullymurdoch Windfarm, some five miles north of the town.  Applications to the fund are judged by an independent panel of volunteers drawn from across the community.  The next deadline for applications to the fund is 15 July.  Apply at https://lovealyth.org.uk/projects/alyth-community-projects-fund/

ADT helps Alyth to be even sparklier

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Alyth is going to be even sparklier this Christmas, thanks to a grant from our Community Projects Fund.  The Alyth Christmas Lights Association is investing £2000 in a new Christmas tree centrepiece for the Market Square as well as new stars for Airlie Street.  They will replace old lights, many of which have been brightening Alyth’s Christmas for more than 20 years.

The official Christmas lights switch-on in the presence of Santa Claus in late November has been a highlight of the Alyth calendar for more than 30 years, with hundreds of people turning out to enjoy the display.

Lorraine Ogg of the Lights Association said:  “The lights are a real feel-good factor for the town.  They really cheer everyone up when the winter nights are getting longer and help set the festive mood!”

As well as the centrepiece and stars, the Association is considering other additions to the display, scheduled for the big switch-on on 25 November this year.

ADT’s Community Projects Fund distributes the community benefit funds provided for Alyth by the operators of the Tullymurdoch Windfarm, some five miles north of the town.  Applications to the fund are judged by an independent panel of volunteers drawn from across the community.  The next deadline for applications to the fund is 15 July.  Apply at https://lovealyth.org.uk/projects/alyth-community-projects-fund/

Some of last year’s new lights

Latest Update on Sawmill:  Seeking Volunteers!

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Work is finally about to start on an ambitious project to transform the Millhaugh site into a gathering place to benefit the whole Alyth community.  Having secured funding from the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund and the Scottish Land Fund to purchase the site, we have commissioned contractors for the first phase of works – clearing debris and making safe the large sheds and derelict buildings on the land.

view of derelict buildings on Millhaugh site
Image courtesy of Richard Wilkins/Blairgowrie Advertiser

Starting in June and lasting up to eight months, the works will involve stabilising and making safe the former corn mill, Millhaugh House, the former sawmill building and sheds, and the old Scout hut, as well as removing disused fuel tanks and generally tidying up the site in preparation for Phase 2 starting, it’s hoped, later next year.  At this stage, there are no plans for new building on the site, and the works will comply with SEPA and PKC recommendations about how to best take care of the Den of Alyth, with Millhaugh as a new hospitable and accessible entrance to the Den and public education space which is covered but out of doors.

The Millhaugh project is responding to one of the priorities in the Community Action Plan by acquiring the sawmill site in town and undertaking work to make it a safer, more educational and more accessible entrance to the Den of Alyth.  We are now looking for volunteers to join a programming committee for the Millhaugh site.  This group will determine how we make the space available to all within the town for gatherings, events and educational programming.  If you would like to express an interest in this committee, which will begin meeting later this year, please do get in touch via millhaugh@alyth.online   We want to make sure that this important new space reflects the interests of our town!

June board meeting tomorrow (Monday)

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screenshot of Alyth Online calendar

It’s our monthly board meeting tomorrow, in Nonnina’s Kitchen, Barony Church, Commercial Street, starting at 7.00pm. Come along and see what we’re up to just now – all welcome! And don’t forget: you can keep up to date on forthcoming events via the Alyth Online calendar – https://alyth.online/events/category/calendar/

Grant awarded to help Alyth Musical Society

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Alyth Musical Society in their 2023 production of “Sister Act”

People in Alyth will continue to enjoy, and gain valuable skills and experience in staging, high quality musical entertainment helped, in part, by a grant from Alyth Development Trust (ADT).

ADT has awarded £2000 from its Community Projects Fund to Alyth Musical Society (AMS) to assist with the increasing production costs of its annual musical, which has been enjoyed by generations of Alyth people.

AMS put on its first production over 70 years ago, but the increasing costs of venue hire, costuming and musical expertise in the last couple of years threatened the continuation of this much-loved fixture of the local calendar.

Albert Halliburton of AMS explained:  “Our 2022 production of ‘Hello Dolly!’ incurred a significant loss, and this year we were facing increased costs for hiring rehearsal space and the performance venue.  This year’s production of ‘Sister Act’ also required additional paid musicians, putting the costs up still more. Increasing ticket prices to cover the whole deficit would have made them very pricey for many in the community, so the grant from ADT is of immeasurable assistance.

“Our annual productions are about much more than giving local people a great night out with live entertainment.  Our cast and crew – almost all local people themselves – get the opportunity to perform in, work backstage on props, lighting and staging, and front-of-house in ticketing and customer service.  Learning the nuances of preparing and putting on a stage show are very fulfilling and, especially for the younger generation, can teach valuable skills and experience.”

George Hall, chair of ADT, said:  “Alyth Musical Society is an important and established cultural asset for Alyth which has been delighting local audiences for decades.  We’re pleased to be able to help it continue to deliver a great experience for cast, crew and audiences alike.”

ADT’s Community Projects Fund distributes the community benefit funds provided for Alyth by the operators of the Tullymurdoch Windfarm, some five miles north of the town.  Applications to the fund are judged by an independent panel of volunteers drawn from across the community.

New picnic benches for Jubilee Park

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new picnic benches in Jubilee Park, Alyth

Three new wheelchair-friendly picnic benches have now been installed along the new path in Jubilee Park. The benches, equipped with bbq hotplates, are the latest improvements to the Park organised by the Jubilee Park Working Group, using grants they secured last year from SSEN Transmission’s Drumderg Windfarm, Perth & Kinross Council’s Community Investment Fund, and Alyth Development Trust. The funding had already enabled to Group to install seating on the path and a brand-new hammock swing in the children’s play area (https://lovealyth.org.uk/news/early-christmas-present-for-alyth-with-new-jubilee-park-funding/).

Funding secured for another year of Alyth’s Food For Thought

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The Food for Thought team: Darren, Pamela and John

Alyth’s unique community initiative Food For Thought is looking ahead to another year of successful support for low income households, thanks to a total of £20,000 sourced from two local windfarms.

Alyth Development Trust has allocated £10,000 from its strategic funds, which come from the community benefit money donated to the town by the operators of the Tullymurdoch windfarm, north of Alyth.

In addition, ADT secured an additional £10,000 from SSEN Renewables, operators of the Drumderg windfarm, through their community funding scheme.

Food For Thought was set up by local volunteers at the start of the Covid pandemic.  Initially a service to help deliver prescriptions and other essentials to local people during the lockdown, it has since expanded into permanent premises in the centre of the town where people can get food, household supplies and information.

Managed since 2020 by Darren Gracey, the hub collects surplus food supplies from local shops and producers and makes them available to all on a “take what you need, pay what you can” basis.

“We’re supporting low income households across the Alyth area and helping to reduce food waste,” says Darren.  “It’s a great way of getting help to people who need it but don’t like asking for it.  The service is available to all, and aims to support the community in any way we can.   The new funding gives us stability to plan and make our operations more effective over the next year.”

George Hall, chair of ADT, said:  “Food For Thought has become a key part of the Alyth community in just three years, channelling resources more effectively and directly to those who need it most.  It’s a resource for the town that we value enormously, and we see this new funding very much as an investment in Alyth’s resilience and spirit.”

ADT grant secures Alyth Bike Park future

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The immediate future of the Alyth Bike Park has been secured thanks to a grant from ADT’s Community Projects Fund.

The Bike Park is a network of trails and jumps built especially for mountain bikes on the slopes of Alyth Hill, with different sections suited to different levels of ability.  It is currently operated by the Alyth Hill Users Group (AHUG) through a lease agreement with landowners Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS).  

The lease agreement requires AHUG to have insurance in place, but raising enough money to cover the annual premium has always been a challenge.  The £1500 grant from ADT will take care of insurance for another year from June, and help AHUG to ensure ongoing maintenance with the help of volunteers.  ADT is also giving AHUG an additional £322 for equipment to help with path maintenance.

Without insurance and maintenance, FLS would require the Park to be dismantled, depriving cycling enthusiasts of all ages from Alyth and beyond a much-loved venue for their sport and leisure pursuits.

Marcus Brown of AHUG said:  “The Bike Park is used by families, children and adults, who are encouraged to get fit and spend time outdoors.  It is an established venue (tourism), attracting not just locals but visitors to Alyth as well.  In the past, an active bike club in Alyth ran dedicated events and competitions, but these relied on volunteer organisers and haven’t taken place for some time.

“We hope that getting the insurance and maintenance secured for another year will provide a basis on which to develop more organised activities and fund-raising for the Park, if we can attract more volunteers.  We’re very grateful to ADT for the grant which is a big boost to our plans.”

ADT’s Community Projects Fund disperses community benefit funds which come to the community of Alyth from the operators of the Tullymurdoch windfarm north the town.

Caption – Kenny Moyes of the Explorer Scouts (left) with Marcus Brown of AHUG, together with some Explorer Scouts helping with maintenance on the Bike Park.

Arts & Crafts Guild leaves creative legacy

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The Guild was established in 2013 to showcase and support workers in ceramics, woodland skills, art and drawing, willow weaving, paper and fabric work, photography and drystone walling.

Their first big project – Alyth Creates in 2017 – was enthusiastically received in the town and was well supported by local businesses, groups and organisations. It was such a success that the event was repeated with ever growing numbers of participants in 2018 and 2019. Sadly the onset of the pandemic and the associated restrictions meant that the event for 2020 had to be cancelled despite being planned and largely organised. The ongoing uncertainty made it difficult to plan ahead and so the Guild and its activities were forced into abeyance for a time. 

Now, sadly, the Guild has concluded that it is time to wind up its activities and pass the baton to other people and organisations by creating a restricted fund within the resources of Alyth Development Trust to fund art projects that will benefit the Town.  This helps to provide a legacy from the Guild and is a tribute to the dedication and hard work of its members and supporters. The new Fund will be open to applications for between £500 and £2000 from within the Alyth Parish Boundary from groups and individuals for arts projects that will benefit the town.  Keep in touch for more details of how to apply.

Alyth Development Trust would like to thank Ron and the Guild members for all their hard work and contributions over the years and wish everyone well with future activities.  Their work has truly helped make Alyth a better place to live.

Massive moment for Millhaugh!

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A major grant from the Scottish Land Fund means that Alyth Development Trust’s project to create a brand new community asset at Millhaugh in Alyth looks like becoming reality.

The grant of £76,744 will be added to funding of nearly £94,000 already secured from the Scottish Government, allowing ADT to acquire the site and begin refurbishing existing buildings where possible, demolishing unsafe structures and tidying up the site generally.

Once this first phase is complete, ADT plans to redevelop Millhaugh for a range of educational, environmental, social, and tourism-related activities.  This will be guided by a wide-ranging public consultation and the formation of a community steering group to decide what sort of activities the redeveloped site could best be used for.

Aerial view of the Millhaugh site

Millhaugh, close to the heart of Alyth, currently contains several derelict mill, shed, storage and abandoned residential structures and forms the natural entrance to the Den of Alyth woodland and riverside walk areas, which are a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The Millhaugh regeneration project responds directly to the findings of last year’s Community Action Plan (CAP) for Alyth.  The CAP was developed through a very extensive community consultation that engaged hundreds of individuals and groups throughout the community and generated six main themes for action over the next few years.

The CAP consultations identified the Millhaugh site as one where community ownership and re-development would make a massive contribution to all the CAP themes:  repurposing derelict sites, developing new community and recreational spaces, promoting new events and activities, enhancing biodiversity and protecting habitats, and supporting tourism in the area.

Once a significant employer in the town since the 19th century with a cornmill and later a sawmill, Millhaugh has been vacant and unused since the 1980s, becoming increasingly derelict and attracting some vandalism and anti-social behaviour.  The current owners are enthusiastic about seeing the site move into community ownership and become a public space that will benefit the whole town and create a new natural entrance to the Den of Alyth.

View of the derelict sawmill today (courtesy of Richard Wilkins/Blairgowrie Advertiser);
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