Loch Duart kicks off new community fund with BioMar
Schoolchildren, teachers, community groups and sports clubs in Sutherland and North and South Uist are benefiting from a fund launched by local salmon farmer Loch Duart and its feed supplier, BioMar.
The Loch Duart and BioMar Community Fund has already financed staff room makeovers at Durness primary school, and Kinlochbervie primary and high schools, a wellbeing day for school and nursery staff, and some of the costs of a project to involve children in building and racing an electric go-kart.
The staff room makeovers included new kitchen units, counters, painting, appliances, utensils, crockery, and table and chairs.
Targeted help
Rebecca MacInnes, Loch Duart’s human resources manager and Community Fund administrator, said: “It’s an honour to announce some of the successful projects which have become the first recipients of the new Loch Duart and BioMar Community Fund.
“With a focus on supporting schools and health and wellbeing, we are ensuring that the funding goes to groups who really need this extra bit of money to carry on their important work.
“We’re looking forward to sharing more news about the projects we’re supporting across Sutherland and the Uists.”
Improving lives
Mike McLeish, sales and business development director at BioMar Scotland, said the company was delighted to supply sustainable salmon feed to Loch Duart. It has been working with the fish farmer since the beginning of last year.
“As part of this relationship, we have partnered to set up the Community Fund to ensure that the communities around Loch Duart’s farming sites have access to funding aimed at improving people’s lives through a range of amazing projects,” added McLeish in a press release.
“We look forward to seeing how these brilliant communities use our funding to transform the Uists and Sutherland.”
Salmon Pool
Loch Duart, owned by a US-based sustainable investment fund, produces more than 6,000 tonnes of salmon annually, much of which goes to the food service market.
It first established a community fund in January 2019, when it launched the “Salmon Pool” with Cargill Aqua Nutrition, which was Loch Duart’s feed supplier at the time.
Prior to the Salmon Pool, Loch Duart had made a number of donations to community causes, including £10,000 towards the re-wiring of Scourie Village Hall in 2017.
