The Barrack Charitable Trust is donating more than £106,642 to 25 charities throughout Scotland in its latest tranche of two rounds of donations for 2026.
The Belmont Community Cinema is a major beneficiary this time around, received £25,000 funding towards capital costs for the refurbishment of the cinema, specifically essential repair and conservation works.
Belmont Community Cinema is a grassroots charity established to restore and reopen the historic Belmont Cinema in Aberdeen City Centre for the benefit of the local community. The overarching aim is to conserve this valued cultural and heritage asset and bring it back into active community use as a centre for film, heritage and the arts.
Gemma Cruickshank, Funding & Development Manager of Belmont Community Cinema said: "We are incredibly grateful to the Barrack Charitable Trust and thank it for its generous support of the Belmont Cinema project.
“As we work towards reopening this much-loved cultural venue, donations such as this are invaluable in helping us preserve an important part of Aberdeen's heritage to create a vibrant, accessible cinema for future generations of the city’s community to enjoy."
Trust Chair, James Barrack added: “We recognise the special place the Belmont Cinema holds in the hearts of many people across Aberdeen. The Trust is proud to support efforts to bring this much-loved venue back to life and help safeguard an important part of the city’s cultural heritage. We look forward to seeing the positive impact the reopened cinema will have on future generations.”
Other local charities being support this time around include All Life Chances, Children First, Garlogie Beam Engine Trust, Kids Out Aberdeen, Next Level Foundation, Northfield Community Learning Association, The Living Well Project, The Girls’ Brigade and Teenage Cancer Trust.
A £5,000 grant has been awarded to Teenage Cancer Trust to support its Outreach Clinical Nurse Specialist service in Aberdeen and surrounding areas, which provides vital care and support to young people with cancer across the local area.
Bernadette Sampson, Trusts and Foundations Manager of Teenage Cancer Trust said: “Not all young people with cancer are treated on one of our specialist Teenage Cancer Trust units. Some choose to have their treatment closer to home, while others may live too far away and be unable to afford travel costs, or to leave their work, studies, family behind. This generous grant from The Barrack Charitable Trust ensures that young people with cancer can receive the age-appropriate and specialist care they deserve, no matter where they live.”
James Barrack said: “We are committed to supporting organisations that make a tangible difference in communities across Scotland. This latest round of grants reflects the breadth and quality of charitable work being undertaken throughout the country and we are delighted to provide funding that will help these organisations continue delivering lasting benefits for those who rely on their services.”
Established in 2009 by Knight Property Group Founder and Chairman James Barrack, The Trust is solely supported and funded by Knight Property Group. It aims to assist organisations cope with the decrease in charitable donations for specific projects due to the economic climate faced at the time. Over the years, the Trust has donated more than £1.7m to over 250 registered charities throughout Scotland.