Seniors residing in Stornoway can get financial help with fuel bills and relieve hardship by applying to the Stornoway Welfare Fund.

The newly created fund is an amalgamation of three legacy trusts, the Dr J L Robertson’s Bequest, Provost’s Coal Fund and the William Cook Mackenzie Trust.

As a consequence of this, funding up to £100 for home fuel bills is limited to assisting residents within the Burgh of Stornoway boundaries. To be eligible, applicants must be resident within Stornoway, in receipt of a state pension, and provide evidence of difficulty meeting their fuel costs.

There are also grants for pensioners of up £100 available to “provide comforts to elderly residents of the Burgh of Stornoway.” For example, appropriate furniture or equipment not normally provided by health and social care services.

A third grant stream offering individual grants of up to £100 is also available to residents of the Burgh of Stornoway in “hard or needy circumstances.”

Meanwhile, grants of up to £500 per year are available to constituted community groups to assist with projects of general amenity in the Burgh of Stornoway, which is not already funded.

The trustees are the councillors for the Stornoway North and Stornoway South Wards. They will meet quarterly to consider fund applications.

Applications are now invited. For further information or to request an application form, phone 01851 822613 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..