Perthshire North MSP, John Swinney, has welcomed a new raft of funding being invested in community groups across Perthshire.

As part of the Big Lottery Fund’s “Investing in Ideas” programme, Perth College will benefit from a £4,000 grant whilst Rural Housing Scotland will receive £10,000 for new projects across areas including Blackhaugh Farm and Tombreck.

The £4,000 granted to Perth College will allow a pilot project of “Digital Ninjas” to take place. The new Ninjas will be young volunteers who will be paired with older people in the community in order to offer advice or training in using digital technology or otherwise help to eliminate their digital exclusion. Rural Housing Scotland’s £10,000 grant, meanwhile, will allow small community groups to fully research prospective home ownership by Mutual Home Ownership Societies in an effort to reduce rural homelessness and poor housing conditions.

Speaking about the funding, Mr Swinney said:

“I am delighted that groups across Perthshire North are, once again, benefiting so significantly from the Big Lottery Fund. Yet more hardworking groups, with innovative ideas, will now have the opportunity to test their ideas as a result of this funding.

“Rural housing and home ownership is obviously a matter of real importance to people in this area. I hope the studies undertaken by Tombreck and Blackhaugh Farm’s community groups can lead to some positive action in the future to help ensure people living in rural areas can do so in good quality, affordable accommodation.

“Perth College’s “Digital Ninja” project is another excellent initiative and one that I hope will benefit everybody involved. In 2016, nobody should feel overwhelmed, or left behind, because of advances in technology. I hope the new Ninjas from Perth College will be able to help any older people in our communities who are perhaps being excluded from what others might consider everyday activities, simply because they do not know how to use the latest technology. This is an excellent, community initiative and one that I hope can bring our communities closer together.”