SMITH WELCOMES BIG LOTTERY FUND BREATHING PLACE GRANTS

2.15.51pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 27th Jun 2007

The Big Lottery Fund has awarded 'Breathing Space' grants to two organisations in North East Fife.

The Big Lottery Fund Breathing Place grants were inspired by the hugely successful BBC-led Breathing Places campaign. The campaign, driven by BBC's Autumnwatch and now Springwatch, has enthused and energised thousands to get involved in community projects to make space for nature. The Big Lottery Fund Breathing Places £5m programme offers Lottery grants for groups, throughout the UK, to create breathing places; these are green spaces that encourage wildlife, nature and community involvement.

Speaking this afternoon, Iain Smith MSP for North East Fife said:

"The development of greenspace areas provides a valuable resource and the enjoyment of greenspace has been shown to be valuable to people's mental as well as physical health.

"I've written to the two organisations that have received the grants and congratulated them on their hard work."

He added: "The Big Lottery Fund has £257 million to invest in Scotland's communities before 2009. It has already supported many projects in North East Fife and I really encourage other local projects to apply and for funding"