A challenge fund worth £150K for community projects to grow Gaelic is being launched by Gaelic development agency, Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

The Taic Freumhan Coimhearsnachd fund will be available in each of the next three years is to support community- focused initiatives that seek to strengthen learning and usage of Gaelic and match the objectives of the National Plan for Gaelic.

The fund is open for applications from community organisations, voluntary groups, small businesses and other organisations that wish to promote grass root Gaelic language activities in communities or networks.

Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said:

“I am delighted at this focus on a community-based approach to strengthening and extending the language. Gaelic is a national language. We must recognise it on that basis and support it across all our communities, from areas where it is well established, to others where it is growing – such as parts of urban Scotland.

“The Scottish Government is committed to securing a sustainable and successful future for Gaelic in Scotland and the release of this funding to Bòrd na Gàidhlig is yet another step towards achieving that goal.”

Bòrd na Gàidhlig will consider funding requests up to the value of £5k per project. The Taic Freumhan Coimhearsnachd fund is now open for applications and will close at 5pm on Friday 14 November 2008.

The types of project that could be considered under the fund include:

• Out of school/college leisure and sports activities for children & young people eg. developing radio and broadcasting, drama, arts or sports skills
• Gaelic medium youth activities, clubs and workshops
• residential weekends for young people or adults  
• Gaelic medium music sessions and training for young musicians
•  learning resources and recreational events for families
• conversation groups and informal learning opportunities for adult learners
• Gaelic medium social opportunities for Gaelic speaking adults
• opportunities for lapsed or less fluent speakers to increase their confidence and fluency
• projects supporting community organisations and voluntary groups to increase their bilingual provision
• Gaelic columns in local newspapers
• training for Gaelic speakers to deliver social and leisure activities

Interim Chairman of the Bòrd, Arthur Cormack said:

“The Taic Freumhan Coimhearsnachd fund is an exciting new initiative to encourage the growth of Gaelic in communities and arose from the successful Communities Conference held in Lewis in early September.

“Supporting work in communities is going to be crucial if Gaelic is to continue to develop and the number of speakers is going to be increased over coming years.  Projects in communities can often make a big difference between the language being used or not, and this scheme has been put in place to encourage communities to plan innovative projects that impact positively on Gaelic in their local areas.”

Rosemary Ward, Acting Chief Executive at Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said:

“I hope that a great number of locally based groups will be encouraged to apply for assistance to progress initiatives that will help support the use of Gaelic in their communities. Use of Gaelic in communities is absolutely critical to the successful revitalisation and growth of the language among future generations and the Bòrd wishes to invest in community initiatives to help realise this objective.”

Further information and application forms for Taic Freumhan Coimhearsnachd are available by contacting Bòrd na Gàidhlig on 01463 225454, or email tabhartas@bng.org.uk or on the Taic Freumhan Coimhearsnachd webpage.