Community / Over £225k handed out to community groups through Viking fund
GYMNASTS, Vikings and the Vidlin marina are among the recipients of the latest tranche of funding from the Shetland Community Benefit Fund’s (SCBF) community grant scheme.
Over £225,000 was awarded through the scheme in the 2025/26 funding year, from 1 September onwards.
Community councils across the isles chose to support a total of 22 projects, including £33,840 for the Vidlin Marina Association to repair and resurface the road to the marina and slipway.
Bressay Up Helly Aa committee received £1,000 to buy new tools for the galley shed, while the Whitedale Social Club was given £3,480 to replace windows and a fire door.
As well as that, a further 11 projects which “sustain and develop the local community” were directly approved by SCBF through its tier three community grant scheme.
The largest grant was a £43,380 boost for Shetland Community Connections, which will be split across the three years from April 2026 for its Sharing Stories project.
Manager Jane Haswell said they were “delighted” to receive funding for the next three years.
“This funding will enable our highly successful trial project Sharing Stories to become a fixed part of the support we offer,” she said.
“Loneliness and social disconnection are recognised as having a major negative impact on people of all ages across Shetland.
“With this funding we can now reach more people and with matched support relationships based on interests and experiences we can support to help make connections to improve lives.”
Other projects receiving support include £15,000 towards the Viking Genes Shetland Screening project, £7,377 to Mind Your Head to continue their Wellbeing 1000 club in the North Mainland and £5,337 to the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation to produce new wheelhouse cards for shellfish fishermen.
Shetland Gymnastics Club also was awarded funding for a spring floor in their new dedicated facility in Cunningsburgh.
Julie Grant of Shetland Gymnastics said the gymnasts “will greatly benefit from being able to train on a competition floor at home now”, without having to travel to the mainland.
“All gymnasts in Shetland will be using it which will help improve all their floor skills. It’san amazing piece of equipment for the club to be able to purchase.”
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