AGENDA
lottery hopefuls wonder if it could be them
Views of the original Tait’s Tower in Bellahouston Park. Plans to rebuild the tower have been submitted to the I
The newspapers had a field day chasing the National Lottery’s first multi-millionaires: soon it will be the turn of ‘good causes’ to discover if they are winners, writes Stephen Naysmith.
With the initial round of applications for National Lottery funding well underway. the first winners will be announced in less than a month.
Money set aside from lottery takings for ‘good causes‘ has been sitting in interest-bearing accounts since the launch in November. and it is estimated there will be £750 million to dispense throughout the UK this year alone. This total will then be sub-divided among the lottery boards handing out Scotland‘s share ofthe lottery cash. Three of the five bodies are almost ready to begin the handouts. with the Millennium Fund and charities board following on behind.
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The Scottish Arts Council‘s lottery board will be the first to make its
decisions known. with the numbers
coming up for some by the end of March. ‘That doesn‘t necessarily mean the cheque will be in the post then.‘ points out director David Bonnar. But many proposals will take longer to consider. ‘We‘re talking about large stuns of money and we won't make up our mind on the spur of the moment.‘ he adds. ‘We have a wide range of ideas to consider. including equipment. refurbishment. new buildings and film production.‘
The National Heritage fund is being administered from London. and as yet there has been only a trickle of applications from Scotland. With announcements due in mid-April. only sixteen of the I38 proposals are from north of the border.
The Millennium Fund is another story. ()f 270 applications. 70 ideas for ways to celebrate the year 2000 come from Scotland. What‘s more. the organisers say they do not have geographical qttotas. so if Scots put forward some of the best schemes. that‘s where the
VALENTINES or DUNDEE LTD
ottery’s Millenniun Fund.
money will go. A short list is to be drawn up in May. followed by more detailed studies and final decisions in September.
Charities face the longest wait after delays in setting up a body to distribute the cash. No money is likely to flow from the lottery until early next year. with the charities board only now sending out draft guidelines for prospective applicants. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is holding consultation meetings to discuss the guidelines. ‘The charities board claims to be interested in the opinions ofcharities.‘ says SCVO's Lucy Pratt. ‘We can have a say in the criteria the applications are judged by.‘
Unlike other lottery funds, the charities board can fund the running costs or salary bills for individual projects. rather than just capital expenditure. (Stephen Naysmith) Ctnrsu/Iulr'mr nreelirtgslor (hurt/res" and voluntary myrrhisu/iwrs are in l:‘(_li/1/)lu;g/I on Monday 20 Marv/r and (I/asgmt' on Wednesday 5 April in (ilusgmr: Further (lentils/rum Eileen (Ira/mm a! SCI/0 on 0/3] 556 3882.
The list looks at some or the major proposals for spending lottery cash in Scotland.
I Tait’s Tower The reconstruction of the tower in Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park has garnered significant support. with a feasibility study funded by the city council. The tower was built for the Empire Exhibition in 1938 but was demolished shortly after. The proposed replacement would include viewing platforms 800ft above sea level. The height ofGlasgow‘s ambition can be measured by the fact that a separate bidder wishes to build :1 Millennium Tower on the former Garden Festival srte.
I Virtual Highland University Highland Region and the Gaelic College have
plans for a new university which will
boast an electronic campus. so students won‘t have to leave home for lectures in the morning —just like a real university! The virtual university would link twelve existing colleges in the Highlands and Islands.
I Forth and Clyde Canal re-opening This has long been an ambition of British Waterways. but the National Lottery offered the first realistic chance of raising the cash. ()bstacles remain. however: apart from a layer of green algae. there are two motorways and Edinburgh's Wester Hailes housing scheme in the way.
I Replanting the Caledonian Forest Another scheme that was already on the drawing board but has been scaled up to catch the eye of the Millennium Board. Basically it involves planting lots of trees to restore Scotland's native woodlands.
I Scottish Opera expansion Scottish ()pera has submitted plans for a £26 million scheme to build a technical centre in Glasgow to house workshops and store sets.
I Jute trade exhibition Attempts to turn Dundee into a viable tourist destination continue with this plan to create a Jute Heritage Centre.
I Hampden expansion Queens Park football club is looking for untold millions to develop the 33 acres of Harnpden Park. of which only eight are taken up by the football ground. It would be. they say. a ‘momentous sports. community and leisure project’. I National Museum development National Museums of Scotland is looking for over £7 million to fit out the new Scottish Museum in Edinburgh‘s Chambers Street. scheduled to open in I998.
ACTION
I Support Tibet The Glasgow Tibet Support Group is holding a stall at Buchanan Street on Sat ll March. 10am—4pm. to mark the 36th anniversary of the uprising in Tibet against the Chinese. I Edinburgh Peace Festival The festival continues until Sun 19 March with a full slate of events. A complete programme is available from the Peace and Justice Resource Centre on 0131 229 0993. Highlights of the festival include a Public Forum on Sat ll March. 10.30am- 1 .30pm at the Scottish Parliament Building. Regent Street. organised by the Edinburgh Peace Forum and the United Nations Association. Chaired by Canon Kenyon Wright. the forum will consider global issues such as aid. trade. charity and refugees. On Thurs [6 March there is a Fair Trade fashion show of the new collections from Oxfam, Tradecraft and Tikal. The show is at the Assembly Rooms. George Street from 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5 (£2) from 0131 229 4541. I E.D.A.c. Showcase The Edinburgh District Arts Council is holding a hustings for Edinburgh’s arts community on Sun 12 March. l2.30—2.30pm at the Filmhouse. Lothian Road. ()rganisations and interested individuals will be able to put forward their views on the future of the arts to the politicians before the new single-tier authority is formed. Tickets from EDAC on 0l3l 529 4878. I lEAF lines Lothian Environmental Action Forum (LEAF) holds its quarterly meeting on Wed l5 March at the Lothian Regional Chambers. Parliament Square from 6.30pm. The meeting will debate the impact of energy use on the environment. Specialists in reducing energy use will advise on practical ways of reducing consumption. LEAF is currently compiling an environmental directory for the Lothians. similar to the Who is Who in the Environment. Scotland and wishes to include information of all local groups and national groups operating in the area. Further information about the directory from Sarah Price on 0l3l 529 3078 (office hours). I Tuzlan Visit A multi-ethnic trade union delegation from Tuzla. Bosnia. is visiting Scotland to speak about the war and their fight against fascism. The delegation will attend public meetings in Glasgow (Thurs 16 March. TGWU Hall. Bath Street. 7.30pm) and Edinburgh (Fri 17 March. City Chambers. High Street. 7.30pm). Further details from the STUC on 0|4l 332 4946. I Conflicts of access The British Association of Nature Conservationists has invited Bob Aitken. countryside recreational consultant and fortner adviser to Scottish National Heritage. to its meeting on Wed 22 March at the National Trust for Scotland. 5 Charlotte Square. Edinburgh from 7.30pm. Aitken will discuss how conflicts over access to the countryside can be resolved. All welcome. £2 (£1 ). I It you have news of any events or courses which you want publicised in this column, please forward them to ‘Actlon’ at The List, 14 High Street, Edinburgh Elli 1TE and include a day- time phone number.
The List lO-23 Mar 1995 5