A number of schools in Moray are set to benefit from the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) education support fund.
They will receive £110,000 from the fund which was set up to help with projects and initiatives in local schools whose pupils include children of service personnel.
Moray Council – which has RAF Lossiemouth and Kinloss Barracks within its area – has had five separate applications approved in the latest round of bidding.
Elgin Academy and its feeder primaries have been awarded £50,000 which will part-fund a team of professionals to help support pupils of military families, while Elgin High School and its feeder primaries will receive £21,000 to initiate a Lego-based emotional support service for pupils.
It is the first time that schools in Elgin have been successful in applying to the fund.
Lossiemouth High School has been awarded £3000 towards a project which prepares pupils for the workplace, while Hythehill Primary in Lossiemouth has bid successfully for £11,000 to further develop the success of last year’s funding to integrate a nurture early learning agenda into all classrooms..
Moray Council is also to be awarded £25,000 which will fund the appointment of a home/school link worker for service families across the area.
The funding was welcomed by Councillor George Alexander, vice-chairman of the council’s children and young people’s services committee.
“It is particularly welcome at a time of tight budgets and increasing demand on services for military families,” he said.
“These schools have a range of very worthwhile initiatives which this funding will support.”
A spokesman for RAF Lossiemouth said the base was delighted to act as unit sponsor for the applications.
“The allocation of five grants locally reflects the very strong commitment of the local education authority and schools to respond to the needs of service children in innovative and creative ways.
“We look forward to continuing working closely with the schools as they support our families and would encourage any establishment which has not yet considered an application to the MoD education support fund to get their thinking caps on as the final funding round will open for applications in early summer.”
The point of contact at RAF Lossiemouth for all applications is community development officer Sarah Riley-Evans who can be contact at los-cdo@mod.uk
Date Added - 12/01/16