The Executive's Scottish Rural Partnership Fund is made up of three grant schemes allocated each year to projects and organisations aimed at tackling issues such as improving parents' access to affordable childcare.
An innovative scheme to create out-of-school facilities in the Highlands is to receive 50,000 from the Rural Challenge Fund (RCF) to set up three out-of-school clubs in areas currently without any. The Out of School Care Federation (OOSC Fed) is leading the GROOVE (Great Recreation, Outstanding Opportunities, Valuable Experiences) project in the Highlands to set up and run childcare in the rural communities of Beauly, Culbokie and Muir of Ord. The OOSC Fed provides training and advice to out-of-school clubs, but this would be its first time as a provider.
OOSC Fed executive manager Kath MacLennan, said the federation felt 'over the moon' about the funding. She said that there were plans for around 500 new houses to be built in the next few years, but that without childcare many families might choose to relocate.
The Scottish Executive funding will create 96 childcare places, 16 term-time after-school places and 16 holiday places for children aged four to 12 at each of the three sites.
Although there will be dedicated staff in each area, employees will be able to provide cover for the other two areas if needed to combat the problem of finding relief staff in rural areas.
There are plans to develop a central bookings database so that parents can access information about activities taking place at all three sites, offering greater flexibility and choice.
Ms MacLennan said that joining the services together would increase their chances of sustainability. 'We're hoping to get them all off the ground by June. It gives us a chance to pilot this way of providing out-of-school care to see if it can be self-financing,' she added.
Research carried out by OOSC Fed has found that on average, out-of-school clubs in rural communities in the Highlands and Islands have annual shortfalls of 6,000.
Lochboisdale Amenity Trust Safe Play Project in South Uist in the Outer Hebrides is to receive 50,000 from the RCF to create a new play area for around 250 local children. The Trust's development worker, Clem Sim, said this would replace the only outdoor area for children, which is 'a dilapidated, bumpy piece of ground with a rusting swing' and parents would no longer have to make a 40-mile round-trip to reach the island's only other play area. The grant will be used to build an enclosed multi-sports area for football and basketball and a playground for younger children.
Highland Pre-School Services has been given an award of 50,000 for the Play Direct project in Inverness. The scheme will offer mobile creche services and combat the problem of part-time employment in rural areas by offering staff work in local nurseries and playgroups, as well as the creche. There are also plans to develop a sitter service.
Other awards include around 6,000 to buy specialist music and sports equipment for children with additional needs at Annan After School Care in Dumfries and Galloway, and to fund staff costs.