Successful Shetland radio racers team among council grant recipients

Shetland Islands Council’s grants unit awarded 31 awards totalling £132,438 during December and January.

Among those benefiting from funding in December was the Radio Racers Association, which received £500 to help towards the cost of attending the Grampian Car Club Endurance Race.

The four-hour event involved teams from around the country racing their 1/10 scale electric cars in a relay. The Shetland A team won, completing 1,407 laps in the time.

Shetland Baton Twirlers received £2,236 to help with annual running costs. This year the club attended the British Baton Twirling Sports Association’s British Open in Sheffield. The Shellettes came third in the groups category while Ashley Fuller and Siobhan Miller also took third place in the pairs category.

In January 18 grants totalling £112,820 were awarded, including £92,279 to the Hillswick Public Hall to assist with the cost of upgrading and refurbishing the hall.

Filsket Riding Club received £3,520 to help with annual running costs and club representative Monica Johnson said: “Since Filsket Riding Club was started by a couple of local parents in 2006 we have received the backing of the grants unit. Throughout the years we have been able to grow and progress under their support and guidance, and to date we are able to have just over 50 members, and have moved via Trondra to now be based in Lerwick at Seafield.

“Our grant enables us to retain the services of a qualified riding instructor, which allows us to concentrate our fund-raising efforts on our horses and ponies and their welfare throughout the year. Our members enjoy a close-knit learning experience, not only in riding skills but in the care and welfare of animals, and also socialise with other children of varying ages from all over Shetland, developing new friendships.

“We are extremely grateful for the support, guidance and financial assistance from the unit, without which our job of managing the club on a day to day basis would be extremely difficult.”

Scalloway Youth Centre Trust received £1,599 in January to help pay for a building energy survey. The results of the survey will allow the youth centre to identify energy efficient improvements that can be made, in the hopes of running a greener building and saving money on energy bills.

Shetland Junior Table Tennis Association was awarded £2,417 to allow the club to attend competitions on the mainland and host a coaching course in Shetland. Paul Jackson, director of coaching for Table Tennis Scotland, arrived in January to lead a training course for new table tennis coaches and a session with youngsters from the South Mainland.