FDT are pleased to announce that at our recent FDT board meeting Karen Astill was elected as the new chair of FDT. FDT would like to give a big thank you to our previous Chair, Brian Higgs who will remain a director of the board.

We were also delighted to welcome four new board members, Alasdair Laing, Sue Boulton, Tony Pinner and Dawn Nicolson.

FDT launched our Winter Support Grant at the beginning of December to help those in our community most severely affected by the cost-of-living crisis pay for wood, coal, gas, and oil to heat their homes this winter, and we anticipate that it will run until the end of February, or until all the allocated funds have been used.

We are delighted to have been able to help over 60 households so far and as members of the FDT we would like to ask for your continued help, to reach those who may not have seen our posts yet, by spreading the word to neighbours, friends or relatives who live in the Finderne area* who might wish to apply, that support is available.

One-off grants of up to £500 per household are available and there will be no means testing or intrusive questions to answer. We will ask what the money will be used for, to know what challenges our community is facing and to potentially inform future projects.

For further information, please contact either our Development Manager, Jan MacPherson, or our Development Officer, Ian Chorlton at hello@findernedevelopmenttrust.com or phone 01309 221026. You can download an application form from our website, or at the following LINK.

* The Finderne area is defined by the Finderne Community Council area.