Rafford Village Hall awarded £15,000 from UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Villagers are using a five-figure grant from the government to enhance community connections.

Rafford Village Hall and Rafford-based community interest corporation Naturally Useful is investing £15,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in their Rafford Growing Roots (RGR) project, aimed at better connecting the village’s people of the past and present to its beautiful countryside.

Hall committee member, Lisa Wolff, and Naturally Useful’s, Amy Neville, submitted the application for RGR, which was among 26 finalists vying for a share of £109,000 in Moray.

“It’s fantastic to be part of a project that is all about natural materials and building community,” said Amy. “This is is also what we’re all about.”

Lisa and her husband John Finch run plant-based soap and skin cream business, Bee Home Cottage, in Rafford.

Some of the funding will be used to offer free and affordable workshops, as well as events on topics ranging from foraging and fermenting to botanical dying, sewing and willow planting.

Lisa said: “By providing more than a dozen free workshops led by experts on land, plants, food and soil, we are supporting livelihoods while enriching knowledge, skills and connections in the community.”

In collaboration with the Findhorn Bay Festival, a ‘Grow and Share Harvest’ community lunch will be prepared by Rafford’s Marcassie Farm Kitchen, using vegetables, fruit and meat grown, foraged or raised in the area. The event will feature live entertainment including bespoke storytelling and poetry by Forres-based Margot Henderson, inspired by stories of Rafford’s past and present.

Rafford’s residents were invited to a ‘Memory Tea’ drop-in at the village hall on Thursday, August 15. Tea, coffee and cakes were provided. Residents - present or past - are also invited to share stories, photos or other memorable artefacts with Rafford Village Hall for future events and historical exhibitions. Email raffordvillagehall@gmail.com if you would like to contribute.

Also, in partnership with Film Forres, a screening of ‘Six Inches of Soil’ at the village hall will feature a show and sow exhibition by local compost/soil experts.

“The committee is always looking for innovative ways to evolve our hall,” said Lisa, “to maintain its legacy as the welcoming, caring heart of our evolving and creative community.”

As the hall looks ahead to celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2025, a community co-design workshop will envisage what the future of the village playfield could look like. Burgie-based landscape designer and regenerative sustainability advisor, Dr Isabella Guerrini de Claire, will facilitate.

Field enhancements will start with living willow structure planting days in January. The community will be invited to plant a play hut for children, potentially leading to other enhancements.

And a short documentary produced by Wester Lawrenceton-based Diana Mosterd, capturing people with connections to Rafford’s land and community will also be shown as part of the celebrations.

“Rafford’s Growing Roots focuses on connecting community around the beautiful village in which we are so fortunate to live, work or volunteer,” said Lisa. “It’s a wonderful way to bring together all ages and walks of life around our common love for food, nature and community connections.”