Trust taps into a rich seam of funding

The CRT team are delighted to have secured £750,000 from the Scottish Government for the 2021-22 programme.

CRT was founded more than two decades ago to help regenerate coalfield communities following the devastating pit closures.

Since then it has invested more than £20 million, including here in Clydesdale which was hit hard by those closures.

The funding will help the trust continue to tackle issues that impact former mining communities, including higher than average unemployment and children living in poverty and poor health – issues exacerbated by Covd-19 and lockdown measures.

A report commissioned by CRT from consultants Social Value Lab, published before the pandemic, found that almost a third of coalfield neighbourhoods were in the most deprived 20 per cent of Scotland.

According to the trust, the pandemic has had a major impact on coalfield areas, such as negative effects on finances and physical and mental health and well-being.

During the pandemic CRT supported communities in a range of ways, including via its Coalfields Emergency Response Fund, partnering with charity Glasgow Caring City to get soap to people across the country to slow the spread of coronavirus, and its Adapt and Thrive Programme.

CRT is calling on politicians from all parties to consider the needs of Scotland’s coalfield communities when MSPs take their seats in their constituencies after the summer recess.

Nicky Wilson, chair of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust in Scotland, said: “We would like to thank the Scottish Government for its ongoing support in helping us tackle social and economic issues that continue to impact many former mining areas.

"Over the past year we have worked with our communities to address problems that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and we will continue to do so.”

CRT has welcomed a new head of operations for Scotland, Stuart Douglas, who has more than 30 years experience in public, community and third sector roles.

Stuart said: “I hope to bring additional resources to coalfield communities and work to support areas that have been affected significantly by the pandemic.”