MoD funding is the start of a brighter future

FUNDING will be made available by the Ministry of Defence to support Army families moving to the area with children, who will be settling in local schools.

It is a start, but the area needs continued boosts of support to move forward and avoid any downturn that the loss of the RAF will bring. However, news of the cash, comes on top of last week’s good news about enterprise areas, and creation of new jobs along with the announcement of funding for the River Findhorn flood plan, which will bring some work to the area during the construction phase.

This week Moray MSP Richard Lochhead has launched a young enterprise scheme which at least one Forres business and probably others are using. With talk of a ‘lost generation’ due to the amount of young people out of work, this can only be welcomed and perhaps the spin-off from creation of an Enterprise area could be more similar employment possibilities.

Talking about young people - Forres Academy pupils have been busy showcasing their unique idea ‘The Moray Trail ‘ to parents and staff at the school, with a special evening event. Pupils investigated all aspects of the area they live in, from industry to tourism and then put it altogether into a series of displays. Visit Scotland could learn a thing or two from their unique approach, which also involved creation of Moray - a special locally based cartoon character who greted guests as they arrived. Not exactly Mickey Mouse, but certainly they captured the welcoming spirit of the area, which we know the Army personnel and their families will experience when they start to arrive here in the summer.

One group trying to create a special facility for tourists and local people to enjoy are members of Heritage Forres who are holding a special open day at the Tolbooth later this month where they will showcase the work they have been doing, to draw funding to their project which seeks to restore the historic building - once at the centre of power in the town - to its former glory, making it available as a community asset for everyone to enjoy. They have been working hard for two years to move the project forward and need your support to progress.

Talking about support, this week we hear that the Farmers Market is taking a rest, due to the downturn in trade. It is not unusual at this time of year for the market to rest up, and re-start in the spring, but it seems less likely that this is going to happen. If it is re-instated, and it would be a pity to see it fold, after all the hard work done by organisers, then it also needs your support to continue. Over to you.