The Macaulay Institute in Aberdeen is looking for proposals for funding support to projects related to crofting and other land-based enterprises on Lewis.

The Lewis Endowment Fund was set up over 75 years ago through an endowment from Dr T.B. Macaulay of the Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, which also led to the creation of the Macaulay Institute itself.

As the highly successful son of a Lewis family, Dr Macaulay wanted to return something to his native land and the Lewis Endowment Fund is one of his enduring legacies. The connection between the Macaulay family and Lewis endures in other ways, and Dr T.B. Macaulay’s Canadian grandsons will be visiting Lewis in early November to find out more about their family history and their grandfather’s legacy.

The Lewis Endowment Fund can provide a total of about £5000 a year to projects that will directly or indirectly benefit crofting or other land-based enterprises on Lewis. We are really looking for proposals that will help secure the viability of existing, successful initiatives or add value to new ones.

Dr Richard Birnie, who manages the Fund on behalf of the Macaulay Institute, said: “We work closely with the Scottish Crofting Foundation and the Crofters Commission in evaluating the funding applications and because of the quality of the proposals that we have received this year, exceptionally we are funding 4 projects with a total value of £7440. The Brue and Tom Buidhe Folds of Pedigree Highland Cattle are receiving funding towards the installation of webcam technology for remote monitoring of stock and the creation of an internet interface both for local schools and wider educational purposes.

“The Lewis & Harris Cattle Producer Group have support for a benchmarking project which aims to quantify costs and performance of cattle herds and compare these against Scotland standards, and against results in other peripheral areas where similar initiatives exist. Lewis & Harris Horticultural Producers have funding towards the purchase of an enclosed trailer for the storage/transport of existing market equipment used weekly at Stornoway Produce Market. The Lewis & Harris Sheep Producers Association have funding towards the development of a web-site for direct sales of Lewis & Harris Lamb. We are hoping to fund a similar number of projects in 2007.”

SCF Vice Chairman Neil MacLeod said: “This is a really helpful fund which has done a lot of good already this year for crofting in Lewis. From the Lewis & Harris Sheep Producers Association perspective we are well under way with our website which we expect to benefit sheep producers throughout the island as a result of better returns for finished lambs. It will also have knock-on effects, we hope, for the viability of the abattoir and local hauliers. I know that the other groups assisted are also seeing the benefit of the support from this fund. Money is available to groups or individuals to develop ideas which will benefit crofting in the islands and I would encourage anyone with a good idea to get in touch with the Macaulay Institute.”

Anybody interested in finding out more about the Lewis Endowment Fund, and how to apply for funding, should contact Dr Birnie at the Macaulay Institute in Aberdeen on 01224 498200 (r.birnie@macaulay.ac.uk ) or visit http://www.macaulay.ac.uk/lewisfund. The deadline for applications is the 31st October and successful applicants will be informed by the 31st December.

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The Macaulay Institute is the premier land-use research institute in the UK. Two hundred and seventy staff are based at the Macaulay Institute at Craigiebuckler in Aberdeen. The Macaulay Institute aims to be an international leader in research on the use of rural land resources for the benefit of people and the environment and is involved in research across the globe; from Scotland to Chile and China. More about the Macaulay Institute can be found at www.macaulay.ac.uk.

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