Final call for applications as Falkirk Flight Community Fund nears closing date

Local groups, schools and charities in the Falkirk area are being encouraged to submit their applications now for the Falkirk Flight Community Fund, created by Mackenzie Construction Ltd on behalf of client Scottish Canals.  The investment behind the Fund comes from Scottish Canals, who have a major programme of engineering works underway along the Forth & Clyde Canal. The closing date of Friday 20th June 2025 is now fast approaching.

Launched earlier this year by leading civil engineering contractor Mackenzie Construction, the fund is linked to the £3.5 million canal upgrade currently underway on the Falkirk Flight of the canal. The works are the most significant investment in the Lowland canals since the Millennium Link Project, with ten lock gates being replaced and essential maintenance carried out across 2025 and early 2026.

The Falkirk Flight Community Fund has been created to give back to the communities most directly affected by the works, particularly those adjacent to the canal locks and groups with links to the canal. Grants of up to £1,000 are available, alongside opportunities to access in-kind support from the Mackenzie Construction team for community improvement projects.

Ross Speirs, Head of Engineering and Infrastructure at Scottish Canals, said:

“We encourage our contractors to engage actively with the communities where they work, and the current fund is one way that we can support good causes in the Falkirk area during the construction activity. We look forward to seeing how the fund will benefit local groups, while we work with partners on transforming the former AG Barr factory at Lock 16 into a Centre of Excellence for Traditional Skills and progressing the essential maintenance works on the canal nearby.”

Gavin Chesney, Contracts Manager at Mackenzie Construction, commented, “Supporting the communities where we work has always been a core part of who we are at Mackenzie Construction. The Falkirk Flight Community Fund is an opportunity for us to give back in a meaningful way while our team is delivering essential infrastructure improvements in the area. We’re committed to creating a positive legacy alongside the engineering works, and we would encourage any local group with a community-focused project to get in touch before the deadline.”

Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organisations, schools, charities, and volunteer-led groups based in the Falkirk area. Priority will be given to projects with strong relevance to the canal or the local communities alongside it. Applications that bring people together, enhance community spaces, support people facing financial pressures, or help individuals reach their potential are particularly welcomed.

The deadline for applications is Friday 20th June 2025. Applications can be found online at: https://www.mackenzieconstruction.com/news-knowledge/falkirk-flight-community-fund/ or by emailing: [email protected]

Successful applicants will be notified from Monday 18th August 2025, with delivery of support thereafter.