Stevenson Welcomes Funding for Peterhead Forest School

Stewart Stevenson, SNP MSP for Banffshire & Buchan Coast, is delighted at the announcement that £9000 will be awarded to The Adventure Academy CIC - which will be used to run a forest school in Peterhead for local children.

The funding from the Communities and Family Fund will cater for youngsters aged five to eight, encouraging them to explore and learn about the forest around them.

Mr Stevenson said:

“I am delighted that £9000 has been awarded to The Adventure Academy CIC and that some of this money will be used benefit children in Peterhead so that they learn from outdoor play and the flora and fauna around them. This is vital in the digital age when it is all too easy for children to be unaware of the excitement offered by the great outdoors and what can be found there.”

Andy Hart, director at The Adventure Academy CIC, added:

“This Communities and Families funding will make a huge difference to the local community; it will allow local children to experience the outdoors through exploration of the forest. We’re excited to see impact this exploration will have on the children’s development. Now we have the funding we’ll be able to establish a local Forest School and hopefully see it flourish!”

Across the country, 17 community led projects are sharing in £136,130 from this small grants scheme which is supported by the Scottish Government and Big Lottery Fund and aims to improve the lives of children eight years and under.

Maureen McGinn, chair of the Big Lottery Fund Scotland Committee, said:

“This funding will help to improve the physical and mental health of parents, carers and children in many parts of Scotland. From outdoor play in Aberdeenshire through to support for mothers with post natal depression in the Scottish Borders, these projects will make a huge difference where they’re needed most.”