Funding body CAN Do!

Now just weeks on, it’s emerged that the good causes involved are to get even more cash in a second bite of cherry - after it was announced that an extra £8872 is to be divided amongst those same organisations.

The original windfalls were made via more than £20,000 worth of Scottish Government cash in the second round of Cumberanuld CAN funding that has been tirelessly co-ordinated by Cornerstone House Centre.

And in a move well timed for the pandemic, the centre has now successfully negotiated for more cash on the table for every single recipient.

This means that the six most-voted-for proposals will receive a 20% top-up to their original award, with a further 21 organisations benefiting significantly from an extra 55% funding.

Mary McNeil, Development Manager at Cornerstone explained that time pressures meant that a decision had to be made in regard to the cash.

She explained: “With not enough time available to conduct another comprehensive process before the funds require to be distributed, a decision was taken to upgrade the funding pot from £20,000 to £28,872.

“As a result, Bethlehem House of Bread Food Bank, the overall winner of the Community Voting Survey, will now receive £1200 instead of £1,000 to deliver its proposal of financing a part-time worker, paying volunteer expenses and maintaining Food Bank vehicle upkeep during the early part of 2021.

" This will enable the organisation to provide a valuable emergency food provision service to around 240 people per month.

“Equally, projects facilitated by North Lanarkshire Women’s Aid, Cumbernauld Resilience Group, CACE Older People Active Lives, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Care and Palacerigg Community Farm will also be bolstered by a £200 upgrade.

“Meanwhile, 21 organisations who were initially only partially-funded for their proposals will now receive £1032 each.

"That is more than 100% of the funds they originally requested.”