- Area:
- Scotland
- Programme:
- Investing In Communities
- Release date:
- 10 4 2013
The Big Lottery Fund Scotland today (10 APR) announces its latest package of funding worth over £8 million to 15 projects across Scotland.
Projects helping families affected by HIV, combat veterans and young female offenders share a total of £1,781,367 from the Investing in Communities fund.
Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn, said: ““These awards, made through our Investing in Communities programme, will bring real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need across Scotland. Today’s funding will help the Terrence Higgins Trust, Combat Stress and Up-2-Us’ Time for Change provide valuable support to some of the most vulnerable groups in our society. All three are excellent examples of projects which make a positive difference to people’s lives.”
More people than ever before are living with HIV in the UK, reaching an estimated 96,000 people in 2011. Over 6,000 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in 2011. Terrence Higgins Trust has been at the forefront of supporting and helping people living with HIV for three decades.
The Trust's Confident Families project will use their Investing in Communities grant of £792,587 to support families affected by HIV across central Scotland, reducing their sense of exclusion and helping them to cope better with their situation. Confident Families will provide one-to-one advice on a number of issues including welfare rights, debt, health and social care, living with HIV and safer conception. They’ll also highlight other useful services, and will offer family group work sessions on topics such as parenting skills and HIV disclosure.
Counselling sessions will be available for individuals and families to work through key issues that people are struggling with. Social activities will be offered to children and young people affected by HIV and these will include educational content on issues surrounding the virus. Family residential weekends will be provided to allow families to come together through mutual activities and group sessions will be held to allow families to speak freely about HIV and its effects which include issues such as isolation, unemployment, poverty, stigma and poor mental health.
Robert McKay, National Director for Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland, said: “We are thrilled to receive this funding. Being diagnosed with HIV is such a life-changing event for the individual concerned but the knock-on effect on their loved ones can often be overlooked. Friends and family members need support too, especially if they don’t know much about the condition themselves. They may not realise that HIV is a manageable condition, that people with the virus can live long and healthy lives, have fulfilling relationships and even choose to start a family of their own. By helping friends and family to come to terms with a loved one’s diagnosis, our new Confident Families project will strengthen the support networks of people affected by HIV across Scotland and improve their lives immeasurably. We are very grateful to BLF Scotland for funding this important work.”
David is a 34 year old gay man living in Glasgow. He was diagnosed with HIV in 2008 after contracting it from a partner. He was diagnosed after being unwell for eight months and had to spend some time in hospital which helped him come to terms with the diagnosis. David found it difficult to tell his family and friends about his illness but believes he is lucky that his family are supportive. He takes his medication at night, is keeping well and tries not to dwell on it too much. He’s made a conscious decision not to let the diagnosis dominate his life, living according to the quote “I don’t live with HIV, it lives with me”. David is sure the Confident Families project will help by giving those diagnosed new ways of seeing themselves and being positive about being HIV Positive. He’s found that, in a strange way, it has inspired him, given him a bit of a kick and he’s currently studying for a health and social care degree so that, in time, he’ll be able to help others.
The Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society, commonly known as Combat Stress, is the UK's leading charity specialising in the treatment and support of British Armed Forces Veterans who have mental health problems.
Thanks to today’s award of £628,780, the existing Community Outreach Services in Scotland will be expanded to include addiction expertise with the addition of two Community Psychiatric and Addiction Nurses and a Community Outreach Administrator. Based in Scotland’s central belt they will have specialist knowledge of alcohol and substance misuse disorders. Clients experience a range of mental health issues as a result of their experiences of combat. This increase in resources means they will be more able to respond to the high levels of demand for help from Veterans and ensure they engage and remain with the treatment programmes.
Garrett Taylor, Director of Operations from Combat Stress said: “Combat Stress has 94 years of experience in delivering effective mental health treatments that allow Veterans to successfully rebuild their lives.”
"This new funding is a great step forward for Combat Stress. It means that we can expand our Community Outreach service in Scotland to include expertise in alcohol and substance misuse. This development will enable Combat Stress to reach out to more veterans and will complement our residential treatment programmes, and 24-hour Helpline, which all rely on continued public, charitable and Government support.”
Donald followed his father and joined the army as a dare with his younger brother. The fifty-three year old, who has two grown up children, went on to join the Scots Guard in London serving in Kenya, Northern Ireland on two occasions and then the Falklands, which would have a detrimental impact on his life for the next 30 years.
In 1982, as Donald and his colleagues were preparing for the trooping of the colours in Chelsea, they were called to go to the gymnasium, a moment which would change his life forever. Looking back at the news that he would soon be embarking on war he recalls:
“We gathered in the gymnasium and were told that we were going to the Falklands. This was the first time I had actually been called to go to war and I remember thinking could I actually shoot? We spent two and half weeks on board the QE2. During this time we were prepared physically for what we were going to face on arrival by shooting sand bags. The army training just kicked in and we realised we had a job to do and this was our purpose. However nothing could prepare me for what I was to witness. Aeroplanes came out of nowhere, colleagues were blown to bits in front of me and the bodies of friends and Argentines lay around. It was really hard. The nightmares haunted me.”
After returning to public duty, he became increasingly bored with army life and began drinking heavily every night and getting involved in fights.
Donald continues: “When I returned to duty following my time in the Falklands I realised there was no support. I became increasingly aggressive and drink was a big issue and my family wouldn’t speak to me. Back then there was no such thing as PTSD. You were seen very much as a coward if you admitted to having a mental health problem. There was, and still is, a stigma attached to PTSD, preventing many, especially men, from stepping forward and seeking help.
“Everyone around me realised I had a problem, except me, but I couldn’t do anything to address the issue until I admitted there was a problem. It wasn’t until I met Colonel Bannatyne while working in the office at Whiteford House in Edinburgh that I learned about the help I could receive from Combat Stress. The first step I took was to go to my GP, who also knew about Combat Stress.
“Thereafter I visited Hollybush House and with the trust I have built with Fiona Mason and Tricia Campbell my life has changed for the better. I’ve tried to kill myself and had it not been for the support that Combat Stress has delivered through its services at Hollybush House I wouldn’t be here today.
I’ve taken relaxation classes to help overcome my paranoia and I’ve also found the EMDR really useful. We call it the Star Trek machine. It’s a one-to- one session and it feels like you are on a train. The train stops and it would take me back to my time in the Falkland’s, allowing me to relive everything that has haunted me from the war. I can see, smell and taste everything. The memories then gradually disappear and I can’t see the bodies any longer.”
With the help and support Donald has received from Combat Stress and the staff at Hollybush House he is gradually starting to get his life back on track. He has stopped drinking, has received help to overcome his violent behaviour and by eating healthier food and gardening he has lost four stone in weight. He also has a new dog, called Biggles, who he rescued from a dogs home. Biggles is by his side constantly and he takes him out for walks five times a day. Donald believes that both he and Biggles have been given a new start in life.
Young female offenders between the ages of 15 and 20 who are at high risk of re-offending will receive help from the Time for Change (TfC) project. Operated by Up-2-Us, a voluntary organisation and charity, TfC provide care and support services to vulnerable and high risk young people.
The Time for Change project will use their grant of £360,000 to work with girls who have been referred from Cornton Vale Young Offenders Institute or secure accommodation. Intensive one-to-one support including counselling, role-modelling, practical advice, 24-hr crisis support, and social activities will help to build a trusting relationship and social responsibility. This guidance will help the young women address their challenging behaviour and make positive steps to improving their relationships, health and employment prospects.
Olive Arens, Up-2-Us Project Manager, said, “We are delighted about the award for Time for Change project because it means our work is able to continue and grow, especially as the grant will cover a big part of the costs over three years. As well as helping individual girls and young women, the Time for Change project will also contribute to some of the long-term research studies about what the best approaches are for helping young women. As Angela and Belinda’s experiences show, they are facing real adversity at a critical stage in growing up and at a time when life should be exciting and full of new challenges but without the pitfalls that these young women are experiencing.”
Angela (name changed) is 19 years old and has been working with the team for a year. She is doing really well and justifiably proud of achievements. She has her own flat near her family and new friends from work.
Angela said, “I first met Time for Change (TfC) when I was in a bad place as I was in prison, taking drugs and had no confidence, goals, or control of myself. They encouraged me to better myself and my circumstances, and showed me that there’s more to life than drink, drugs and prison. As I have a criminal record I have had a lot of social workers and through-care workers in my life but relationships were never there because as soon as I started to feel like I could let my guard down I’d get a new worker. I think TfC is a great service because the support is ongoing. I now work and have my own life and no longer take drugs or get into a state where the police are involved. I’ve had the chance to grow with help and become a better person thanks to TfC.”
Belinda (name changed) is 18 and has known the project for over two years. She is more at ease with her situation and has been able to pick up her academic ambitions which were disrupted because of health and when she went into care. Belinda is also in her own home and much more independent.
Belinda describes her experience: “I was in a secure unit for my own safety when I started working with TfC. I felt like I had been abandoned and that I had nobody to talk to or share my problems with. When TfC came along things changed. I built up a relationship with the workers and I felt like everything they were doing I was aware of and their help was actually making a positive difference. I am now in college, doing well and have my own flat. Without help from TfC I know I wouldn't have made it this far. They’ve helped me to get my life on the right track and I am very grateful. Having a close relationship with a worker is like having a best friend who will always be there for you no matter where you are, what the problem is or what time it is.”
Other groups receiving funding today:
Volunteer Centre Aberdeenshire - £326,348
Skills for Volunteers to Overcome Barriers seek to support people who are disengaged from the job market and will focus on those who are economically inactive.
Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Energy Agency - £780,782
The five year Affordable Warmth for Sustainable Rural Communities on Argyll project will provide intensive support to 1500 elderly people and single parent families to enable them to move out of fuel poverty.
Isle Futures - St Ninian's Hall Development Project - £940,222
Isle Futures will develop the community owned and run St. Ninian's Hall in the Isle of Whithorn by building an annexe which will double the floor area and provide a tearoom, village shop and post office, public toilets and storage.
Claverhouse Training - £543,490
SMART Lone Parent Programme will provide long-term, one-to-one support to unemployed lone parents, helping them overcome the multiple barriers which they face to securing employment.
Parents of Autistic Spectrum Disorder Adults - £304,235
PASDA Interactive project will support carers of adults with autistic spectrum disorder, living in Edinburgh and the Lothians, to better cope with their caring role and connect with their peers, local services and resources.
Fife Council - Local & Community Services - £435,502
Fair Isle Primary School - Opportunities for All project works with vulnerable families in Templehall, Fife to improve confidence and skills, increase resilience and improve relationships. The project will work with families facing multiple challenges, including substance misuse, kinship carers, bereavement, mental health issues and parenting support.
Jobs and Business Glasgow - £519,880
Personal Best - Achieving Ambitions project, in partnership with Glasgow City Council, Jobcentre Plus and John Wheatley College aims to utilise the opportunities for volunteering, training and employment arising from staging major sporting and arts events in Glasgow.
Isle of Rum Community Trust - £679,776
Will build a new community owned bunkhouse facility which will provide visitor accommodation, create local employment opportunities, and help secure a more sustainable economic future for the island.
The Haven Caring Counselling Communication Centre - £378,516
The Haven: Caring Connections will support the work of The Haven Centre in Blantyre to care for families affected by a long term illness such as cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and Motor Neurone Disease.
The Star Project - £286,425
Family Matters programme will work with families in the north end of Paisley who are facing poverty and disadvantage and who are struggling to cope with complex and difficult personal circumstances.
Aberlour Child Care Trust - £391,610
Aberlour Family Support Service will provide intensive support to families at risk where one or both parents have an identified learning disability. The project will improve parenting capacity and basic life skills in order to provide a safe and nurturing home environment for children aged from pre-birth up to 12.
Clydesdale Community Initiatives - £915,256
Clydesdale Community Workshops project will create a new enterprise and training hub and expand the organisation’s existing social enterprise. Over four years the project will create new sustainable jobs in social enterprise, and offer vulnerable young people and economically inactive adults with mental ill health or learning disabilities from South Lanarkshire training and work placements.
A list of Investing in Ideas grants in Scotland this April
Frances Chisholm, Press Team Scotland: 0141 242 1458
Public Enquiries Line: 0300 123 7110 Text phone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website:
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £25 billion over £28 billion has now been raised and more than 383,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
• The Scotland Committee has been making Big Lottery Fund decisions on Scottish projects since March 2007. As well as taking devolved decisions on Lottery spending, the Committee, led by Chair, Maureen McGinn, has and will continue to play a strategic role in the future direction of BIG in Scotland.
• The Big Lottery Fund is investing in Scotland’s communities through its Investing in Communities portfolio, as well as the small grants schemes Awards for All, Investing in Ideas, Communities and Families and 2014 Communities.
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