Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford has hailed a £135,000 lottery award to Strichen Community Park as a massive boost for the community.
The new MP has been working with the Directors of the Community Park for some time now to assist in the lottery funding bid. The application also received the support of local MSP Stewart Stevenson.
The Strichen Community Park Company will save the gateside lodge of the estate, where author Lorna Moon was inspired to write her most famous novel Dark Star, with their grant of £135,000 transforming it into a community cafe and providing locals with a much needed community run and owned venue.
“For a small village like ours this news is a huge thing. This is the final piece of the jigsaw as we will now have a fantastic building and park for both locals and tourists to enjoy. The lodge restoration will be a place for people to meet up, have a coffee and a snack and hear about the history of Strichen. On behalf of the Strichen Community Park Committee, our fantastic volunteers and all the residents of the village, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Big Lottery Fund for their help.”
The parents of author Lorna Moon were employed by the Strichen Estate. Born Nora Helen Wilson Low in Strichen in 1886 s died in New Mexico in 1930 from tuberculosis and her ashes were returned to Scotland to be scattered on Mormond Hill beyond Strichen. Scottish Director Alison Peebles is currently writing the script for Dark Star to the epic story to the big screen.
The group who have overwhelming local support worked with their new local MP Eilidh Whiteford to gather support for their project, welcoming news of the grant she said:
“This is good news for Strichen as the Lodge will be a great new amenity for the village. I’m delighted that the hard work of the volunteers who run the Community Park has been rewarded, and I was very glad to be able to offer them support during the application process.”
Local MSP Stewart Stevenson added:
"My congratulations go to the Strichen Community Park directors for their hard work in successfully landing this huge lottery award. I wish them the very best for the future in developing what will undoubtedly be a huge asset for the Central Buchan area."