Find out which north charities will benefit from Highland Cross cash in 2024
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Four Highland charities are set to receive new vehicles to help their community efforts thanks to a unique event that is marking its 40th anniversary.
Participants in last year’s Highland Cross raised almost £330,000 in what was a record-breaking year.
The coast-to-coast duathlon sees teams of three tackle a 20-mile off-road run through Kintail and Glen Affric before a 30-mile cycle to Beauly, all in aid of raising money for local good causes.
The event’s independent charity selection panel has now revealed the charities to benefit from money raised for the 2024 event, which will be the 40th staging of the Highland Cross.
Cantraybridge College, a further education establishment for young adults with additional support needs, will get a new minibus to allow it to maintain and expand crucial services.
A new van will allow Highland BlindCraft to continue its ethically run commercial charity which employs disabled people and others who may be overlooked for work elsewhere, offering them a supportive environment to gain experience and skills.
Highland Disability Sport have been selected to receive a new minibus to allow them to transport individuals and teams to events in the Highlands or further afield, meaning they won’t miss out on unique opportunities to compete and progress in their chosen sport. The minibus will be available to groups across the Highlands.
Finally, L’Arche Highland will be gifted a seven-seater vehicle which will benefit those with learning difficulties that the charity supports by helping to provide journeys to and from day workshops, outings, health appointments and visiting friends and family.
Volunteers from the four causes will join with Highland Cross’s own volunteers and an array of personnel from supporting business and organisations who help deliver the Highland Cross each year.
Calum Munro, co-founder and organising secretary of Highland Cross, said: “The independent selection panel have identified four brilliant causes and everybody in the amazing community that comes together to make Highland Cross happen will do everything in their power to create a safe and enjoyable event to raise another great sum for these Highland organisations.
“Planning is already well under way and we have identified the fundraising teams eager to take part in this unique coast-to-coast challenge and bring benefit to the folk of Highland.”
As well as identifying the beneficiaries for the 2024 event, the panel also allocated more than £116,000 to seven Highland charitable projects from the money left over from the 2023 event once the major beneficiaries had received their grants in November.
These smaller grants went to: Calman Enterprise, Seaforth House, Highland Action for Little Ones, Inspiring Young Voices, Nairn River Enterprise, Dornoch Beach Wheelchairs and Relationships Scotland – Family Mediation.
John Fraser, treasurer of Highland Cross, said: “The distribution of these grants completes an extraordinarily successful fundraising year. The participants in Highland Cross 2023 have done amazingly well to raise the magnificent sum of £329,378 and we are hugely grateful to them for their efforts.
“Now we turn our efforts to the creation of the 2024 event and look to generate yet more benefit for Highland causes.”
The Highland Cross is due to take place on June 22. Entries for this year are closed.
