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Inverness group hits jackpot with lottery funding


By Andrew Dixon

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Closure of Dunbar Centre Pop-in..Alan Michael at Dunbars Hospital. .Picture: Gary Anthony..
Closure of Dunbar Centre Pop-in..Alan Michael at Dunbars Hospital. .Picture: Gary Anthony..

AN Inverness group which provides a free daily telephone call service to isolated and lonely elderly people across the Highlands has scooped a lottery grant.

Morning Call, which has been operating the service for more than 30 years, has been awarded £10,000.

The group, run entirely by volunteers, also provides regular home visits and a housebound library service.

The money means it will be able to employ its first paid member of staff to help co-ordinate services and meet demand.

Morning Call founder Alan Michael said: “On behalf of all the directors and volunteers of Morning Call I would like to express our extreme gratitude to National Lottery players.

"This award will totally transform this organisation from being a volunteer-run one to being able to employ a paid co-ordinator who will replace the volunteer co-ordinator who has done the role for the last 31 years.

“We will now be able to increase and raise awareness of the benefits of the service which helps to connect isolated, elderly people with the outside world. Thank you very much indeed from everyone involved.”

It is among 136 groups from across Scotland sharing in a bumper package of National Lottery grants totalling £952,883.

Money was also given to the North Kessock Ticket Office Project, which received £5000 to improve the heating system of the refurbished old ticket office.

Inverness High School was given £1768 to upgrade its football kit and provide coaching training for staff.

A National Lottery Awards for All spokesman said: “This is National Lottery money in action, reaching into communities across Scotland making a real difference to the people who live there. The 136 groups receiving funding today showcases the range of projects that can be funded through this programme and the difference that the smallest amounts of money can make.”


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