From buying materials to covering transport costs, renting space to hosting an exhibition, community-based creative groups across Scotland have been making astute use of small grants from Creative Lives.

With money from the Scottish Community Alliance's 'Pockets & Prospects' fund, Creative Lives administered two rounds of funding in 2021/22, with a third due in summer 2023.

Microgrants of £300 have been given to 54 creative groups across Scotland via two rounds:

• Together Again grants to help groups re-start after Covid
• Keep on Creating grants to help groups meet rising costs 

Craft & Coffee @ Goudies were delighted to receive the microgrant from Creative Lives. We bought some items that we could make and hopefully sell at a local craft fayre, and invested in a microwave, microwave kiln and glass. We very much appreciate the microgrant which kept us going in supplies for almost a year!

The Abbey Theatre had been closed for almost two years when were eventually allowed to open back up. As everything had been untouched and unused for so long, when we turned the lights on most of the bulbs blew! We also had to put in hand sanitiser stations around the premises. The grant from Creative Lives has gone a long way in allowing us to reopen and put on productions again.

As well as helping groups cover costs for tangible items and services, we've been delighted to find that the act of applying for funding, receiving the money and spending it has had a positive impact on the way groups operate.

Hoy Youth Hub purchased acrylic and watercolour paints, pencils, paper, canvases, jewellery, felting kits and crochet kits, clay and a mini potter’s wheel. The engagement level was amazing, everyone came and had a go. Our grant request was entirely driven by the young people based on what they wanted to try, and it has sparked their imagination and ideas for future projects and shown them that their voices are heard.

Here are the groups we've helped so far - click on the name to read about their activities and how the grant helped them.

• Abbey Theatre Club, Arbroath
• Adventure Circus SCIO, Perth
• Arria Voices, Cumbernauld
• Arts4All, East Kilbride
• Belhelvie Community Trust, Aberdeenshire
• The Brock, West Lothian
• Castlemilk Cooks Up Memories, Glasgow
• COAST Autism, Hamilton
• Craft & Coffee @ Goudies, Maybole
• Creative Hands, Ullapool
• Creatively Exploring Gigha, Isle of Gigha
• Curious Pilgrims, Shetland
• Dalmellington Brass Academy, East Ayrshire
• Dounby Art Group, Orkney
• Dundee Dramatic Society, Dundee
• Dunfermline Junior Chorus, Fife
• EcoCD, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway
• EKTA Elderly Care Forum, Glasgow
• Feis air an Oir, North Sutherland
• Feis Spe, Badenoch & Strathspey
• Fèis Taigh Dhonnchaidh, Isle of Lewis
• Fraserburgh & District Men’s Shed, Fraserburgh
• Grey Matters Active Ageing, Helensburgh
• The Hidden Gardens, Glasgow
• Hoy Youth Hub, Orkney
• Inch Park Crafties, Edinburgh
• In Print, Glasgow
• Inspiring Families Development Network Scotland, Renfrewshire
• Jura Music Festival Committee, Isle of Jura
• Knit ‘n’ Natter, Dundonald, South Ayrshire
• Knit and Natter, Craft and Chatter, Forth, South Lanarkshire
• Krafty Hookers, Falkirk
• Kingdom Theatre Company, Kirkcaldy
• Laughs & Lullabies, Stenhousemuir
• Lochgelly Band, Fife
• Magic of Showbiz Drama Group, East Renfrewshire
• Mainly Music Ruchill, Glasgow
• Moffat Youth Theatre, Dumfries & Galloway
• Oban Open Draw, Oban
• Orkney Art Club, Orkney
• Performance Collective Stranraer, Dumfries & Galloway
• Ridge, Dunbar, East Lothian
• RIG Arts, Greenock
• Roots & Growth, Black Isle
• The Sad Song Club, Edinburgh
• SambaYaBamba Youth Street Band, Glasgow
• Sewing2gether All Nations, Paisley
• Sharpen Her: the African Women's Network, Glasgow
• Spit it Out, Edinburgh
• Stewarton Bands Support Group, Stewarton
• Stornoway Thespians Youth Drama, Isle of Lewis
• Survivor Arts Community, Glasgow
• Triple Act Theatre & Arts, Ardrossan
• Writers Ink, Glasgow

[Main image: Feis Spe participants rehearse in Carrbridge Village Hall; Above right: participants of the Writers Ink group in Glasgow]