Montrose Port Authority has reached a £360,000 donation milestone for local initiatives with a five-figure contribution to the town’s award-winning community trust.
It handed over £10,000 at Links Park in a move Montrose Community Trust say will help them supercharge efforts to help some of the town’s most vulnerable residents.
And it represents impressive backing by the port for local charities and social enterprises in the past three years.
Community groups, schools and a host of other worthy causes have benefitted.
The Montrose Community Trust backing has come at an ideal time as the festive season approaches.
Christmas helping hand with Montrose Port Authority donation
The money will help deliver a series of winter initiatives to tackle issues like poverty, men’s mental health and social isolation in older adults.
Among those is the Festive Friends programme over the Christmas period.
Last year it helped over 100 adults with the offer of a hot meal, entertainment and friendly company at Montrose Football Club.
The less able were supported via a hamper delivered straight to their door.
In partnership with Tay FM’s Cash for Kids Mission Christmas, the Trust will also run their annual toy appeal.
Around 600 gifts are available for families each year to ensure every child has a present to open on Christmas Day.
Other long-term initiatives the money will help include the Free Kicks poverty and food security project and The Changing Room.
It has brought a mental health improvement for 100% of the men who have taken part.
The schemes are part of a continuing success story for Montrose Community Trust, which invested more than £1.8m into local projects and helped 5,000 participants in its first decade.
The trust relies entirely on donations, sponsorship, grants and funding.
Montrose Community Trust hails ‘positive impact’
Community Trust chief executive Peter Davidson said: ‘’We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering and continued support of Montrose Port Authority.
“This invaluable contribution provides crucial support to our charity – and subsequently our beneficiaries – during the festive season.
“Their generosity ensures that we can continue making a positive impact on the lives of those who need it the most.”
Port authority chief executive Tom Hutchison said: “As a trust port, community is at the heart of everything we do.
“We are really proud of our contribution towards local charities and social enterprises in the past three years as we want to have a positive impact on our community.
“We are delighted to offer our support to Peter and his team at Montrose Community Trust as we’ve seen for ourselves the real difference that this funding can make to so many lives in Montrose and the wider Angus region.
“This year has been challenging for many people, and the work that the trust is doing is vital to ensuring that we come together as a community to support one another not just as Christmas approaches but throughout the year.”
