North Highland Initiative

15/10/2026

🌱 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱?

The Community Futures Fund is open to organisations working to make a difference in communities across:

📍 𝗖𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
📍 𝗦𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱
📍 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝘀 & 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆
📍 𝗟𝗲𝘄𝗶𝘀 & 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘀
📍 𝗢𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘆
📍 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱

We welcome applications from a wide range of organisations including:

🤝 Constituted community groups
💚 Charities
🏘️ Community Interest Companies (CICs)
💡 Social enterprises
🌱 Development trusts
…and other formally established community organisations.

If your organisation is working to strengthen your community and has an idea that could make a difference, the 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱 could be for you.

👉 Visit https://www.northhighlandinitiative.co.uk/community-futures-fund/ for full eligibility details and information on how to apply.

We can't wait to hear your ideas!

08/10/2026

🌱 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁?

Every community has its own challenges — and often, the best solutions come from the people who know their community best.

The 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱 is here to support ideas that help communities 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲.

Funding could support things like:

🚐 Community transport and outreach
👨‍👩‍👧 Family, childcare and youth support
💻 Digital inclusion and access to services
🤝 Volunteer development and community collaboration
💡 Pilot projects and new local solutions
🌟 Community development and support roles

It could be a new idea, a pilot project, or a different way of tackling a challenge your community is already facing.

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮? 𝗪𝗲’𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁.

👉 Find out more and apply: https://www.northhighlandinitiative.co.uk/community-futures-fund/

01/10/2026

🌱 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐇𝐈 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝

We’re delighted to announce the launch of a new fund from North Highland Initiative, supporting communities across the North Highlands to build stronger, more sustainable and more connected futures.

Applications open today, the 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔.

The 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝 will provide grants of £𝟓,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐭𝐨 £𝟏𝟓,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, with multi-year funding of up to three years available where appropriate.

That means successful organisations could receive up to £𝟒𝟓,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 to support longer-term community-led work.

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐮𝐬. 𝐖𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝.

Earlier this year, we asked organisations that have previously received NHI funding to share their experiences and tell us about the challenges and opportunities facing their communities.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭.

Your feedback has helped shape the new fund and its two priorities:

🤝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 & 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲

Supporting organisations to strengthen their people, skills, volunteers and long-term sustainability.

🌍 𝐑𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬

Supporting community-led solutions to improve access to services and opportunities, reduce isolation and strengthen connections within rural communities.

Funding could support activities including development and community support posts, volunteer coordination, youth and leadership work, community transport, outreach services, digital inclusion, childcare and family support, and innovative approaches to rural service delivery.

The fund is focused on people, capacity and long-term community resilience, complementing NHI's existing Community Infrastructure Support Programme.

📍 The fund is open to eligible organisations in 𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐒𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲, 𝐋𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬, 𝐎𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝.

Constituted community groups, charities, CICs, social enterprises, development trusts and other formally established community organisations can apply. Partnership applications are also welcome, with one organisation acting as the lead applicant.

Applications open 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔.

Full guidance and the application form is available on the North Highland Initiative website from today.

👉 https://www.northhighlandinitiative.co.uk/community-futures-fund/

First round closes: 𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕

We’re looking forward to hearing from communities across the North Highlands and supporting ideas that can make a lasting difference.

24/09/2026

🌱𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔...

Earlier this year, we asked community organisations to tell us about the challenges they're facing, the opportunities they want to explore, and what would help them build for the future.

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒖𝒔. 𝑾𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅.

And on 1𝒔𝒕 𝑶𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒓, we'll be launching something shaped by what you shared.

Keep an eye on channels... 👀

03/09/2026

We've been blown away with responses to the survey we circulated last month to help shape our new fund 🤩

Thank you for all your feedback, and watch this space for news of the fund, which will be finalised and open to applications later this year!

26/08/2026

📣Our friends over at The Flow Country are hiring!📣

Please see below for more information: 👇

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫, 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞

We are looking for someone with experience of co-ordinating funding applications to help us prepare and submit a project development application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The resulting project will help us realise the full potential of the Flow Country World Heritage Site (WHS) through investment in sustainable tourism, community engagement, skills development, peatland restoration and shining a global light on the World’s first and only peatland WHS. It will build on the findings of our recently completed Sustainable Tourism Strategy and Project Development work, focusing on the theme ‘Peat, People, Planet’.


The post will be hosted by The Highland Council on behalf of the Flow Country Partnership, see the attached Job Outline via the myjobscotland link below for further details.


https://myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/highland-council/jobs/project-officer-highland-wide-485601


The closing date for applications is 𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫.

View details and apply for this project officer role in with Highland Council on myjobscotland

06/08/2026

A lovely write up from Scottish National Rural Network about our CISP grant 😍🙏

Community organisations across the North Highlands are being encouraged to apply for funding through…

05/08/2026

Have you received funding from us before?

Help shape our next funding offering by taking our short survey. Your feedback matters! 👇

We’re busy at NHI HQ gathering the survey results and analysing the data to ensure that our new fund meets the needs of YOU, our amazing North Highland communities. 🫶

03/08/2026

We've had a phenomenal response to our New Fund survey! 🤩 Huge thanks to all who have taken the time to fill it out.

If you are part of a community group or organisation and want to share your funding needs, click on the link below to take part and help us shape a fund that really meets the needs of the amazing groups we work with 💫

Survey closes this Friday (7th Aug), and we're reliably informed it takes less than 5 minutes to complete. Get the kettle on, make a brew and share your views ☕️

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/qZ6CRzch6M

NHI are developing a new funding opportunity and we would love to hear from the amazing communities we serve to help shape it! 💫

Your feedback will help us understand the challenges facing community groups, identify funding gaps, and ensure that future support responds to local needs.

The survey should take no more than five minutes to complete and your views will directly inform the development of the new fund.

The survey closes on the 7th August, click on the link below to have your say and share your needs.
https://forms.microsoft.com/e/qZ6CRzch6M

04/05/2026

April was a great month!

We were able to support 8 community groups spread over 3 counties with our CISP fund (Community Infrastructure Support Programme)

We have funded a whole host of projects, from plants to future proofing. If you have a project you are hoping to realise in your community please don't hesitate to get in touch and see if we can support you too!