Scotland’s Winter Festivals aim to mobilise the people of Scotland and those with an affinity to Scotland to join in the St Andrew’s Day, Hogmanay and Burns celebrations, boosting Scotland’s key tourism and events sectors and the wider economy, enhancing community engagement and raising Scotland’s international profile.

Our diverse ethnic and cultural minority communities are key elements of Scotland’s past, present and future so we want to ensure that your story, history, and narrative plays a full part in Scotland’s Winter Festivals.

The 2020/21 SWF programme will be a bit different to previous years due to the extraordinary events of this year.

For St Andrew’s Day 2020, we are encouraging local community groups to come together and celebrate Scotland’s national day by performing an act of kindness in their community – something that celebrates and promotes inclusion, diversity, and togetherness.

  • Monday 25th January 2021 – Burns Day.
  • Proposed activities can take place from Friday 22 January to Sunday 31 January.
  • Deadline for applications: Friday 22 January – or 7 days before your proposed event.

BEMIS Scotland are calling on our communities to begin 2021 with a positive celebration of Burns Night on January 25th 2021. Burns Night offers us the opportunity to share food together – in person if restrictions allow in tier 1 and 2 areas, or online if in tiers 3 or 4. Alongside food, music, poetry, and storytelling are all parts of a multicultural Burns night and can form part of any event. So please, consider joining us and others across the country by taking part in our Scottish Winter Festivals small grants scheme and bring multicultural Burns Nights to homes across the country

How much funding is available?

Constituted, charitable and non-profit organisations or community groups can apply for grants of up to £1,000 to hold an appropriate event around Burns Night.

It is very important that in your budget response in the application form you outline clearly what each cost is related to. We expect that this programme will be over-subscribed, and we will need to prioritise what we can fund for each project.

How to apply

Read the full Guidelines document, then complete the application form, and return it to festivals@bemis.org.uk

This fund is now closed

Funded Groups

OrganisationAwardEvent DateEvent
Church House£415.0023/01/2021Online Burns Supper and meal packs
Heart of Braehead In Partnership with Stirling North Parish£500.0023/01/2021Burns Meal and Activity Kits
Stronger Together Enterprise£700.0023/01/2021Online Family Burns Night and food delivery
Ahl Al Bait Society£1,000.0023/01/2021Middle Eastern Burns Night fusion
Nepalese Himalayan Association Scotland£1,000.0023/01/2021Online Burns Night and food parcels
Crookston Community Group£1,000.0023/01/2021Online Burns Supper and Burns food parcels
Women In Action£1,000.0024/01/2021Virtual Burns Night
Maryhill Integration Network£970.0024/01/2021Online Burns Night
Living Solo Initiative£950.0024/01/2021Online Burns Night and food delivery
Confederation of Fujian in Scotland U.K.£1,000.0024/01/2021Chinese Burns Night
Outdoors For You£800.0025/01/2021Virtual Burns Supper
Govanhill Baths Community Trust£700.0025/01/2021‘This is Not a Burns Night​’ poetry event
Inhouse Events£620.0025/01/2021Burns poetry board in Queen’s Park
Sharpen Her: the African Women’s Network£1,000.0025/01/2021Burns Night with an African Twist
Stirling School of English£800.0025/01/2021Online Burns Supper
MADE4UINML2£880.0025/01/2021Online Burns Night
Mist and Mountain Creative Residency£700.0025/01/2021Online poetry event
International Women’s Group£1,000.0025/01/2021Online Burns Night
B.J.O. Amara Association£1,000.0025/01/2021Burns Night for Newcomers
Milan Senior Welfare Organisation£995.0025/01/2021Online Burns Night and food delivery
Isaro Community Initiative£1,000.0025/01/2021Online Burns night and treats delivery
Sikh Sanjog£1,000.0025/01/2021Burns Supper with a Twist!
Fife Centre for Equalities£200.0025/01/2021Burns Night Dancing and Bagpipes
Heartstone£1,000.0025/01/2021‘Celebrating ‘Home’ with Burns
Poverty Truth Community£403.0025/01/2021Online Burns Supper
Ethnic Minority Forum East Dunbartonshire£585.0028/01/2021Online Burns Supper
Empower Women for Change£420.0028/01/2021Online Burns Supper
Licketyspit£1,000.0028/01/2021Porridge & Play BURNS Zoom Sessions
Mboho Ndito Akwa Ibom Scotland£900.0029/01/2021Online Burns Night
Pumpherston Community Council£1,000.0029/01/2021Burns themed afternoon tea
Dumfries and Galloway Multicultural Association£800.0030/01/2021Online Burns Day and hampers
Freedom from Torture£1,000.0030/01/2021Online Burns Night
Scottish Indian Arts Forum (SIAF)£1,000.0030/01/2021Indo-Scottish Burns cultural festival
Sikhs in Scotland£1,000.0030/01/2021Online Burns Night
Jhankar Beats£970.0030/01/2021Indian and Scottish Burns Night
Organisation for Nepalese Culture and Welfare£1,000.0030/01/2021Burns musical and arts programme
Giffnock & Newlands Hebrew Congregration£800.0030/01/2021Kosher Burns Supper
African and Caribbean Elders Scotland£850.0030/01/2021Online Burns Supper
Afroscots United£700.0031/01/2021Online Burns Night
Mbikudi CIC£900.0031/01/2021Virtual Burns Day Talent Show