COVID-19: Message from our President

Charity work and recent donations

The Edinburgh Sutherland Association is a small charity, which holds fundraising events for good causes in Sutherland. Each year we donate the money we make to individuals and small community groups. Since 2011 we have raised and donated over £21,000 to the following worthy causes in Sutherland:

1st Brora Cubs; 1st Golspie Brownies and Guides; The Assynt Fallen 1914-18 Project; Attitude Cheerleaders (Golspie); Bonar Bridge OAP Group; Brora Community Theatre Group; Brora Scout Group; Brora Scout and Guide Hall Group; Caladh Sona (Talmine); Dornoch Academy Drama Group; Dornoch Allsorts Afterschool Club; Dornoch Beach Regeneration and Improvement Group; Dornoch Festival Week; Dornoch Firth Campus; Dornoch Heritage SCIO; Drumbeg Village Hall; Dunrobin Castle Piping Championships; Durness Village Hall; Elphin, Ledmore and Knockan Community Association; Farr Edge 2000 (Bettyhill); Fèis an Iar Thuath (Scourie); Feis Chataibh (Golspie); Fèis Ghallaibh; Firths and Fjords: A Coastal History Conference (Dornoch); Golspie High School; Golspie Primary School PTA; Gledfield Primary School (Ardgay); Kinlochbervie Football Team; Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust; Lairg and District Learning Centre; Loth and Helmsdale Flower Show Society; Move It Monster Club (Brora); North Coast Connection; Rosehall Primary School; Rosehall Youth Club; Scourie Community Development Company Ltd; Skerray Village Hall; Strath Fleet Buttons & Bows; Strathnaver Hall; Strathnaver Museum; Sutherland Care Forum; Sutherland Provincial Mod; Sutherland Schools Pipe Band; Sutherland Sessions (Golspie); Taigh na Gàidhlig Mhealanias; Transport for Tongue; Tongue Football Pitch Project; Tongue and Melness Youth Group Avatar Project; and West Sutherland Fisheries Trust.


We also providing funding to the Glasgow Short Film Festival to support bringing ‘Lost Treasure’, an unfinished short film from 1955, shot mainly in and around Achmelvich, with a newly commissioned soundtrack, home to Assynt. The Screen Machine was then able to show the film in Lochinver.


We also supported young individuals from Bonar Bridge, Dornoch, Farr, Lochinver, Lairg, Rogart and Tongue with various activities, including accommodation, overseas placements and internships, summer courses, materials, research projects and preparations for competitive sporting events.


We are very grateful to all those who have assisted with events and fundraising to date. We can only donate to local good causes if we raise money through fundraising, donations and sponsorship.


COVID-19 and call for donations

Due to COVID-19 and the related lockdown, we have been unable to raise funds with our usual events since mid-March. We had hoped to hold a quiz and also planned a Sutherland ceilidh in Lairg in June.

In order for us to continue to support good causes across the county, we need your support now more than ever. We urge our supporters to donate directly to the Association, so we can continue to support individuals and community groups in need across Sutherland.


We are delighted that Facebook has agreed to us having a donate button on its platform, allowing you to donate with ease. For clarity, Facebook does not take a commission, so all your donation will come to us for distribution to worthy causes in Sutherland. Of course, you do not have to use the donate button to donate, so please get in touch if you would rather donate or support in other ways. We also hope to host some virtual fundraising events in the near future.


We appreciate that COVID-19 and the related lockdown has had a devastating impact on everybody, so we completely understand that times are tough for many and finding money to donate to charity is harder than ever. However, we would urge anyone who feels that they can afford to donate to please do so, even if it is only a few pounds.


Over the coming months we hope to be able to raise some money to assist good causes again. We will use alternative methods to raise such funds, but we need your support.


With thanks, Andrew.