SPAR Scotland has awarded a combined £13,000 to two inspiring local causes through SPAR’s 2026 Community Cashback grant scheme, helping grassroots groups continue their vital work across Scottish communities.
This year’s recipients, Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU) and Missing Pets Dundee & Angus, each play an important role in supporting people, animals and the environment in their local areas.
Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit Receives £10,000 Grant
The Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU), based in northeast Scotland, has been awarded a grant of £10,000 to support its work in marine conservation, field research, education and emergency wildlife rescue.
The charity helps fill a critical gap in local environmental protection, inspiring community stewardship and supporting future conservationists through hands-on learning, public training and citizen science opportunities.
The Community Cashback grant will provide important financial support at a time when wildlife charity funding remains highly competitive. The funding will help CRRU continue delivering both operational and ecological benefits, including:
- Vital project funding: supporting field research into the seasonal distribution and migration patterns of minke whales along the outer Moray Firth coastline.
- Policy influence: helping gather robust scientific evidence to inform management of the Southern Trench Marine Protected Area.
- Resource security: contributing to essential tools for data collection, student project support and data analysis.
- Rescue continuity: supporting CRRU’s 24-hour volunteer marine mammal rescue service, which helps sick, injured and stranded whales, dolphins and porpoises.
Reflecting on the importance of community support, CRRU said:
“Giving back to the community creates a powerful sense of purpose and connection.”
CRRU began its charity work in the late 1990s after founder Dr Robinson identified a need for accessible field training, marine mammal research opportunities and emergency rescue support in northeast Scotland. Today, the charity continues to provide the training, equipment and research infrastructure needed to inspire and support the next generation of marine conservationists.
As a small, highly specialised charity with no salaried staff and low operational overheads, CRRU relies heavily on public donations, corporate sponsors and charitable grants. Funding helps maintain essential equipment, support targeted research projects and respond to the challenges created by changing environmental conditions.
Missing Pets Dundee & Angus Awarded £3,000
Missing Pets Dundee & Angus, a volunteer-led community Facebook page that has been helping reunite lost and found pets with their owners for around 13 years, has received a £3,000 Community Cashback grant.
Jenni Paton from Missing Pets Dundee & Angus said:
“To be lucky enough to receive this grant is amazing and it lets us all carry on with what we do for pet owners, without the financial worries.”
The funding will help the group continue purchasing vital equipment, covering repairs and replacements, keeping its van on the road, and supporting volunteer fuel costs, driver insurance and drone pilot insurance.
Jenni added: “We do what we do because we are all animal lovers and care. Helping our community get their pets back safely is paramount. Sometimes, sadly, this means helping owners find closure when a missing pet has passed away. We retrieve and scan them, and help return them home to be laid at rest.”
For the volunteers, the work is deeply personal. Jenni said: “Having lost my own pet and never getting closure, I know only too well that horrible feeling of never knowing. Closure is always better than constantly searching endlessly for your pet that’s never coming home.”
The group’s biggest ongoing challenge is funding. Its ground search volunteers give their time around full-time jobs, while a dedicated small team supports searches for escaped house cats in the evenings. Jenni said the volunteers are “invaluable”, adding that the group could not continue without their commitment and teamwork.
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