Community Fund boost for Oban and Mull youth groups

Six youth groups based around Oban and Mull are set set to benefit from ferry operator CalMac's Community Fund.

Projects from the Oban Café, The Roses Charitable Trust, South West Mull and Iona Development, Air Ghleus, Mull Aquarium and Fèis Latharna were all successful in the latest round of judging. Oban Youth Café will use their award to help support more holiday activities for young people with disabilities and learning difficulties who currently attend its Monday night My Space group. Support from the Fund will enable

The Roses Charitable Trust to organise a programme of outdoors activities for vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in the Oban area. Activities will include coasteering, abseiling, rock climbing, gorge walking and hill walking, with the aim of developing confidence and team building skills. On the Isle of Mull, South West Mull and Iona Development will use their award to organise a Children's Natural Playground Training day. This event will help achieve one of the community's longest standing goals; the creation of more playgrounds. Also on the island

Air Ghleus will offer an opportunity for all children to widen their knowledge and understanding of Gaelic language and culture through tutoring sessions in local primary schools. In Tobermory, throughout the next 18 months Mull Aquarium has a drive to inspire and motivate the next generation of scientists. Thanks to the Fund they will be able to organise extracurricular education sessions increase local pupils their knowledge and understanding of the wider natural world and the marine environment on their doorstep.

Fèis Latharna - Lorn festival in Gaelic - is a voluntary-led community organisation promoting traditional music and Gaelic Arts Tuition to young people. Thanks to their award they will be able to provide five days of Gaelic music tuition and arts activities.

CalMac's Community Fund drives social value by supporting non profit organisations, based in a mainland port or island the company serves, delivering projects to benefit the lives of children and young people living in west coast communities. Organisations can apply for an award between £500 to £2000. So far the

Fund has supported 76 projects from woman's football in the Outer Hebrides, to the Campbeltown Sea Cadets and a Gaelic youth club on Skye. Each application was judged by a screening panel of young people recruited from across the company's network, in partnership with Young Scot and Argyll and Bute Councils's Services team

'The variety of projects put forward in the Oban Lorn and the Isles area really impressed the judging panel - a group of four young men from Oban High School. All these projects will play a big role in widening opportunities and removing barriers facing young people locally,' said CalMac's Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Gordon McKillop.