Scots to nominate community projects for funding

Residents from across Scotland are being encouraged to nominate the projects or organisations that have made a difference to their local communities - with funding of up to £2,000 each up for grabs.

The Provident research found that only 69 per cent of Edinburgh residents value living in an area with a sense of community. Picture: Jane Barlow

The funding will be delivered by Provident’s Good Neighbour Community Programme, which invested more than £1m into the community during 2015.

Until 9th May, the public can nominate good causes across Scotland and the North with an online submission. A shortlist of the top four nominations across this region will be announced next month.

Once the shortlist is announced, local people will again get the chance to vote to decide on their winner.

The programme is announced as recent research carried out by Provident found that only 69 per cent of Edinburgh residents value living in an area with a sense of community, compared to 76 per cent in Glasgow and 81 per cent in Aberdeen.

In comparison, other larger capital cities such as London (69 per cent) and Cardiff (66 per cent) score lower for valuing community spirit.

However, the research found that an overwhelming 89 per cent of Aberdeen residents get along well with their neighbours, making it the highest scoring city in Scotland and one of the friendliest cities in the UK. Of the cities surveyed, Aberdeen was also shown to be the safest and well-maintained in Scotland.

In a poll of 2,800 people across 30 cities in the UK, the findings suggest the most neighbourly cities are also some of the happiest. The findings also reveal difference between cities in Scotland, with 89 per cent of Aberdeen residents saying they would happily greet people in the street compared to 77 per cent and 68 per cent of Edinburgh and Glasgow residents.

Glasgow and Aberdeen residents were more likely than Edinburgh dwellers to know their neighbours’ names, while 5 per cent more people (47 per cent) in Aberdeen and Edinburgh regularly used their local amenities compared to Glasgow.

Andy Parkinson, Provident’s Home Credit Director, said: “We believe that people in Scotland do have pride in their communities and sometimes just need a helping hand to develop it and improve it.

“No matter how small the project or organisation, I’d encourage people to nominate those who deserve support to continue their great work.”

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