Cairngorms Local Action Group

LEADER Programme

LEADER is a rural development fund established by the European Commission and run by the Scottish Government. Its overall aim is “to increase the capacity of local rural communities and business networks to build human capital, innovate and co-operate in order to tackle local development objectives”.

The Cairngorms Local Action Group successfully bid to run a partnership programme in the Cairngorms area on the themes of:

• Revitalising Communities
• Progresive Rural Economies

The Cairngorms National Park Authority have been responsible for the financial management of the LEADER Programme since the foundation of the National Park on 1 September 2003.

The Programme is run by the Cairngorms Local Action Group, comprising representatives from the community, business, youth, and women's groups in the area, along with representatives from the main public sector bodies and are responsible for the consideration and approval process of project applications.  Together they will seek to promote new progressive developments within the area, assess applications for funding, and monitor and evaluate progress against targets agreed with the Scottish Government.

The Cairngorms Local Action Group is supported by the Grants Manager, Patricia Methven, based at the Cairngorms National Park Authority office in Grantown-on-Spey.

The programme runs until 31 December 2012 and is worth approximately £2.58 million European funds. It has been open to applications for assistance since April 2008.

The area covered by the Cairngorms Local Action Group Programme is the old Cairngorms National Park area (prior to 4 October 2010), please refer to the map below. 

For the remaining two years of the LEADER programme it has been decided that Rural Tayside LEADER will continue to cover the Highland Perthshire area of the recently extended Cairngorms National Park.  Where projects overlap the two areas funding from both Local Action Groups may be considered.

The Programme is designed to build on the previous LEADER Programme, to complement other local strategies and the National Park Plan. There is a strong emphasis on supporting new ideas, and projects which help young people and women.

The Programme can also work with groups elsewhere in Scotland the UK and Europe. This co-operation must seek to compliment the aims outlined above.