Also in the news / Also in the news: Library winners, musician funding and more …
THE WINNERS of this year’s Young Shetland Writer competition have been announced by Shetland Library.
Judges Jim Mainland, Mary Blance and Audrey Edwards said they were blown away by the imagination and variety of the writing in this year’s contest.
The theme for 2025 was A Secret, which sparked 302 entries from young people across the isles.
Malin Tallack (Lerwick) was the winner of the 7-9 year category with Secret Steal, while Leah Bruce, from Mid Yell Junior High, won the 10-12 age group with The Arctic.
In the 10-12 dialect competition there was a fourth ever win for Lerwick’s Cora Grant, whose Esme an Da Smugglers impressed.
Winnie Paton, from Voe, was triumphant in the 13-18 category with A Secret’s Cage, marking her third win in three years.
And Beenie-Ann Wood, from Brae High School, clinched the 13-18 dialect prize for Da Northern Rock.
Everyone is invited to the prize-giving evening on Friday from 6.30pm at Shetland Library, where the winners will collect their awards and read their work.
The winning stories will be published on the Shetland Library website, in the New Shetlander magazine, and broadcast on BBC Radio Shetland’s Book Programme later this year.
SHETLAND musicians are among the recipients of over £50,000 in funding from a charity created in memory of Manchester Arena victim Eilidh MacLeod.
Folk and trad musician Yelena Anderson and the Shetland Youth Orchestra were among the over 80 young musicians and youth music groups to benefit.
A total of £53,400 was distributed by the charity, the largest amount of funding they have issued in a single round. Eilidh’s Trust was established in 2018 in memory of the talented 14-year-old musician from the Isle of Barra who died in the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017.
The trust supports music education for young people reflecting Eilidh’s own love of music and her musical ability and enjoyment as a piper with the local pipe band.
The charity has now issued over £150,000 worth of small grants to youth music groups across Scotland. Iagan MacNeil of Eilidh’s Trust said:
“We are heartened to know that our 2025 funding will allow over 2000 children and young people to grow in their talent and confidence.
“While our financial support this year covers a broad range of genres and disciplines in all parts of Scotland, we have seen an increase in requests to help alleviate the costs associated with music lessons.”
SHETLAND Charitable Trust (SCT) has seen its funds grow despite uncertainty in the world financial markets.
The trust’s funds have climbed to £489.4 million as of last week, up more than £58m from the start of the financial year in April.
Trustees at last Thursday’s SCT meeting heard that the success of investments in world markets comes despite continuing volatility and Trump’s rapidly shifting tariff wars.
A report pinpointed strong performance in the technology and AI sectors between April and the end of June, but weak returns from the energy sector with falling oil prices and uncertainty over trade policy.
SCT chair Robert Leask said future generations of Shetlanders would depend on the trust continuing its investment success in the face of major fluctuations in the markets.
It aims to spend the earnings from the invested funds rather than eating into the capital itself.
SCT also held its AGM on Thursday to approve its accounts for last year to 31 March 2025, with grants worth £9.4m spent on community services in sport, leisure, arts and heritage, elderly care and the voluntary sector.
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