For a Fairer & More Sustainable World.

The Pebble Trust has a vision for a more sustainable, fair, and low-carbon society, where constraints on fossil fuels lead to a more localised economy with stronger, more resilient communities.

What Type Of Projects Do We Fund?

All projects that we support have to meet our charitable objectives  and in particular must contribute to reducing our dependency on fossil fuels and finite resources.

Your project should seek to address the climate emergency and ways of living that are consistent with the resource limits of the planet. We are particularly interested in:

  • Applications from grassroots organisations challenging current unsustainable practice
  • Applicants attentive to equality, equity and fairness
  • Small to medium size projects where Pebble Trust funding forms a major part of project costs
  • Projects where our funding will make a real difference to making the project happen

Grants are currently restricted to a maximum of £10,000.

Who Can Apply?

We accept applications from charities, community groups, businesses or individuals provided they can demonstrate that the proposed project meets our charitable objectives and will benefit the wider community.

Which Geographic Areas Can We Support?
  • We prioritise applications for projects in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, specifically Argyll and the Islands, Caithness and Sutherland, Inner Moray Firth, Badenoch & Strathspey, Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross, Moray, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides and Shetland
  • We will also consider applications for projects that have a strategic Scotland-wide impact
  • We have a small annual budget for projects from the global south to support our commitment to fairness
When Should You Apply?

We accept applications any time of the year – there are no set periods or deadlines. We aim to let you know the outcome as soon as possible. We may contact you to seek clarification or further information.

What Don’t We Fund?

We are unable to support:

  • Projects that don’t benefit the wider community or only benefit one person
  • Work that has already taken place
  • Projects outside our geographical area
  • Individual students or student research projects

Email your completed form to us.

We recognise that digital literacy, access and internet connectivity are not universal. If completing an online written application presents a barrier, please contact us

Please check our Application tips and FAQs before completing and submitting your application.

Applications will be judged against the following criteria:

1. Extent to which the application meets our objectives  (max 10 points):

  • Impact on climate change and reduction in fossil fuel use
  • Increase in local resilience, i.e. less reliance on global markets and non-renewable resources
  • Greater local knowledge and awareness of sustainability issues
  • Contribution to the circular economy

2. Credibility of applicant and project managers (max 5 points):

  • Strategic vision
  • Financial management
  • Operational resource
  • Track record

3. Value for money (max 5 points):

Efficiency and effectiveness. To judge this we need:

  • A reasonable breakdown of costs and evidence that they have been adequately researched
  • Information about how many people are involved, the breadth of engagement in the community, and the scale of expected benefits
  • Evidence of partnership working
  • Likelihood of success, taking account of any preliminary research already undertaken
  • Scale of likely benefits compared with the amount of grant requested.
  • Ensure your outcomes are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely
  • Contribution from the project group. Depending on the nature of the project, this might be volunteer hours and effort, local fundraising, donated supplies, etc

4. Lasting benefits arising from project (max 5 points):

  • Lasting outcomes
  • Continuation of project beyond funded period

5. Extent of any negative implications against Pebble Trust objectives (max 5 points).

6. Working towards fairer communities and societies (max 5 points).

  • We are working on listening, learning and reflecting on the ways in which inequality, inequity, racism, and uneven distributions of power are woven into structures and institutions in society. We are currently reviewing our own processes to ensure that we are actioning our commitment to fairness. We will be looking to our grantees, our prospective applicants, and those we work closely with to share learnings on this. Please comment on your efforts, learnings or interests in advancing fairness, equity, and justice.

Is your project eligible for funding?

Your application

  • Consider how to define your project. If your project is part of a bigger programme of work then please tell us how your project fits into that in the project description box
  • Include all the works that will be required to achieve the outcomes that you identify
  • Ensure that the project description, costs, anticipated outcomes and completion date are all consistent
  • Your expected outcomes should be ‘SMART’:
    • Specific – Make your outcomes clear and succinct
    • Measurable – Whatever your expected outcomes are, make sure they are quantified
    • Attainable – Be aspirational but realistic
    • Relevant – Do the outcomes support your project aims?
    • Timely – Set a specific timeframe in which to achieve your outcomes
  • Keep to the maximum word count unless the extra information is essential to your application

What are the grant conditions?

The following conditions will apply to all grants:

  • Must be consistent with the Trust’s charitable objectives
  • The Trust will normally pay grants in advance of expenditure being incurred. For grants paid in instalments, payments after the initial instalment will only be made on receipt of a statement of expenditure to date and a brief progress report
  • Applicants must agree that any assets required with grant finance will be used exclusively to advance the Pebble Trust’s objectives. In the event the grant recipient is no longer in a position to do this, the Trust will retain the right to recover the assets
  • Applicants must be prepared to demonstrate best value if required
  • A final report will be required, together with an account of all expenditure
What Type Of Projects Do We Fund?

All projects that we support have to meet our charitable objectives  and in particular must contribute to reducing our dependency on fossil fuels and finite resources.

Your project should seek to address the climate emergency and ways of living that are consistent with the resource limits of the planet. We are particularly interested in:

  • Applications from grassroots organisations challenging current unsustainable practice
  • Applicants attentive to equality, equity and fairness
  • Small to medium size projects where Pebble Trust funding forms a major part of project costs
  • Projects where our funding will make a real difference to making the project happen

Grants are currently restricted to a maximum of £10,000.

Who Can Apply?

We accept applications from charities, community groups, businesses or individuals provided they can demonstrate that the proposed project meets our charitable objectives and will benefit the wider community.

Which Geographic Areas Can We Support?
  • We prioritise applications for projects in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, specifically Argyll and the Islands, Caithness and Sutherland, Inner Moray Firth, Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross, Moray, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides and Shetland
  • We will also consider applications for projects that have a strategic Scotland-wide impact
  • We have a small annual budget for projects from the global south to support our commitment to fairness
When Should You Apply?

We accept applications any time of the year – there are no set periods or deadlines. We aim to let you know the outcome as soon as possible. We may contact you to seek clarification or further information.

What Don’t We Fund?

We are unable to support:

  • Projects that don’t benefit the wider community or only benefit one person
  • Work that has already taken place
  • Projects outside our geographical area
  • Individual students or student research projects

Email your completed form to us.

We recognise that digital literacy, access and internet connectivity are not universal. If completing an online written application presents a barrier, please contact us

Please check our Application tips and FAQs before completing and submitting your application.

Applications will be judged against the following criteria:

1. Extent to which the application meets our objectives  (max 10 points):

  • Impact on climate change and reduction in fossil fuel use
  • Increase in local resilience, i.e. less reliance on global markets and non-renewable resources
  • Greater local knowledge and awareness of sustainability issues
  • Contribution to the circular economy

2. Credibility of applicant and project managers (max 5 points):

  • Strategic vision
  • Financial management
  • Operational resource
  • Track record

3. Value for money (max 5 points):

Efficiency and effectiveness. To judge this we need:

  • A reasonable breakdown of costs and evidence that they have been adequately researched
  • Information about how many people are involved, the breadth of engagement in the community, and the scale of expected benefits.
  • Evidence of partnership working
  • Likelihood of success, taking account of any preliminary research already undertaken
  • Scale of likely benefits compared with the amount of grant requested
  • Ensure your outcomes are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely
  • Contribution from the project group. Depending on the nature of the project, this might be volunteer hours and effort, local fundraising, donated supplies, etc

4. Lasting benefits arising from project (max 5 points):

  • Lasting outcomes
  • Continuation of project beyond funded period

5. Extent of any negative implications against Pebble Trust objectives (max 5 points).

6. Working towards fairer communities and societies (max 5 points).

  • We are working on listening, learning and reflecting on the ways in which inequality, inequity, racism, and uneven distributions of power are woven into structures and institutions in society. We are currently reviewing our own processes to ensure that we are actioning our commitment to fairness. We will be looking to our grantees, our prospective applicants, and those we work closely with to share learnings on this. Please comment on your efforts, learnings or interests in advancing fairness, equity, and justice.

Is your project eligible for funding?

Your application

  • Consider how to define your project. If your project is part of a bigger programme of work then please tell us how your project fits into that in the project description box
  • Include all the works that will be required to achieve the outcomes that you identify
  • Ensure that the project description, costs, anticipated outcomes and completion date are all consistent
  • Your expected outcomes should be ‘SMART’:
    • Specific – Make your outcomes clear and succinct
    • Measurable – Whatever your expected outcomes are, make sure they are quantified
    • Attainable – Be aspirational but realistic
    • Relevant – Do the outcomes support your project aims?
    • Timely – Set a specific timeframe in which to achieve your outcomes
  • Keep to the maximum word count unless the extra information is essential to your application

What are the grant conditions?

The following conditions will apply to all grants:

  • Must be consistent with the Trust’s charitable objectives
  • The Trust will normally pay grants in advance of expenditure being incurred. For grants paid in instalments, payments after the initial instalment will only be made on receipt of a statement of expenditure to date and a brief progress report
  • Applicants must agree that any assets required with grant finance will be used exclusively to advance the Pebble Trust’s objectives. In the event the grant recipient is no longer in a position to do this, the Trust will retain the right to recover the assets
  • Applicants must be prepared to demonstrate best value if required
  • A final report will be required, together with an account of all expenditure

Penny Edwards

Trustee

Penny began her career in nature and woodland conservation, with an employment history spanning the Central Scotland Countryside Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust, and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. Within the environmental field she has considerable experience of business and strategic planning, community engagement, volunteering and project and programme management, all of which were put to good use in her own environmental consultancy.

In her second career Penny established Falkirk Wood, a local timber processing company which provided characterful local hardwood timbers into local markets. This was sold as a going concern in 2008. She now runs Stoneybank Furniture Workshop, a small furniture and upholstery business.

Penny has worked in a voluntary capacity for a wide range of environmental organisations. She is a past Trustee of Transition Black Isle and is a past Chair and current Director of the Culbokie Community Trust which is working to develop a new community hub in the village.

Penny lives on the Black Isle and her spare time is spent in the garden and in the local countryside.

Martin Sherring

Trustee

Most of Martin’s working life has been as a chartered accountant, including 9 years with Price Waterhouse (now PWC) in London and 12 years as Finance Director of Canvas Holidays. He also worked with Penny Edwards as a partner in Falkirk Wood, and when that was sold he retrained and briefly carried out consultancy work on domestic energy before putting his training to use in the construction of his and Penny’s new Passive House in Culbokie, one of the most northerly in Britain.

Martin is also a trustee of Transition Black Isle and The Highland Good Food Partnership, and a director of Scotland the Bread. He enjoys being outdoors, in the garden or the hills.

Nicolas Gubbins

Trustee

Nicholas worked in the field for the Nature Conservancy Council for 10 years before joining Scottish Natural Heritage where he focused on policy and project development around the wide area of sustainable development. In 2000, he moved to Highlands and Islands Enterprise where he was Head of Community Regeneration, working on community development programmes and social enterprise initiatives.

He was the founding CEO of the Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company and then Community Energy Scotland which has supported hundreds of community energy projects of all sorts across Scotland. He retired from CES in 2021. Along with being a trustee of the Pebble Trust, Nicholas is a director of HISEZ & helps with the work of Community Energy Malawi.

Sarah Allen

Trustee

Sarah began her career as an Adviser with the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), Scottish Natural Heritage (now NatureScot) and Highland Council. She also worked in a self-employed capacity producing short broadcasts for BBC Radio Scotland on rural issues, and as a consultant for Rural Analysis Associates.

From 2002-09 Sarah was appointed to the board of the Crofters Commission (now Crofting Commission) and subsequently chaired the Scottish Government’s Review of the Bull Hire Scheme. She also worked as a Regional Assistant for a Highlands & Islands MSP, managing constituents’ casework.

More recently Sarah was Head of Tenant Farming at the Scottish Land Commission which focussed on promoting good relationships between agricultural tenants and landlords. To assist this, she set up a mediation scheme which subsequently led to her becoming a Trustee of Scottish Mediation.

Currently Sarah is a consultant at BiGGAR Economics helping to deliver their ethos of “meaningful impact” in their increasing portfolio of innovative community and rural projects.

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Custom mega menu, created with the theme’s page builder.

Custom mega menu, created with the theme’s page builder.

Catriona Mallows

Trustee

Catriona grew up on the shores of the Cromarty Firth and has since returned to her Highland roots. She has worked in Scotland, Canada and New Zealand in community development, rural and environmental policy and campaigning, and research.

She currently works as a Research Associate with the Centre for Mountain Studies at the University of the Highlands and Islands, where she has interests in coastal and mountainous ecosystems and the people who depend upon and contribute to them, rural community development, and land reform.

She loves running in the hills, climbing, or being by the sea.

Julie Shortreed

Administrator

After studying languages, Julie spent the first part of her career in the European travel industry working in France then for 9 years with Canvas Holidays as Contracts Manager. After returning to study in 1999, she spent her second career in Information Services at Abertay University.  Julie took early retirement and moved to the Black Isle in 2017.

She joined The Pebble Trust as administrator shortly afterwards. She spends most of her spare time in the outdoors, cycling, hillwalking or kayaking as well as trying to develop an edible and wildlife friendly garden.

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