- Area:
- Scotland
- Programme:
- Investing In Communities
- Release date:
- 11 9 2012
A new initiative aimed at preventing homelessness amongst ex offenders and their families in Aberdeen, Inverness and Perth has received Lottery funding worth £889,317, the Big Lottery Fund announced today (TUES 11 September).
Also in the north of Scotland, over 100 young carers will benefit from today’s £1.2 million investment as Skye & Lochalsh Community Care Forum receives a grant of £358,054.
Announcing the funding, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn, said: “The Big Lottery Fund supports projects across the length and breadth of Scotland that aim to improve the quality of life of individuals most in need and their families. In Aberdeen, Inverness and Perth, today’s funding will help ex offenders and their families to find accommodation as a means of providing stability and preventing the revolving door back to prison. Across the wider Highlands region over one hundred young carers will also benefit from this investment giving them the time and space to explore their own ambitions and enjoy some well deserved respite.”
An initiative that aims to break the link between a lack of stable accommodation and the cycle of reoffending today receives £889,317. Shelter Scotland, along with partner organisations, Sacro and Inverness Badenoch and Strathspey CAB, will provide housing support and advice to over 1,800 offenders from Aberdeen, Perth and Inverness before and after release over the next three years. Families of prisoners will also be supported with their housing and benefit needs.
A shortage of social housing, problems with affordability and the perception of ex offenders as risky or undesireable tenants are just some of barriers which lead to many becoming homeless on their release. This new project will support ex offenders to overcome these challenges and to reintegrate back into society.
Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “We are delighted that BIG has decided to back this innovative project. The funding will enable us, along with Sacro and Inverness CAB, to provide high quality, comprehensive advice, advocacy and support on a range of housing issues for prisoners and their families.
“Preventing homelessness amongst prisoners helps prevent reoffending. Keeping people out of prison has not only social benefits but also economic benefits - reducing the burden on the public purse by £44,447 per prisoner, per year.
He continued: “This project will support prisoners to maintain their accommodation through their prison sentence, responsibly give up their accommodation where appropriate and help them access housing and support on release from prison. This project will play a vital role in helping prevent prisoners and their families from becoming homeless.”
Young carers in the Highlands caring for loved ones who are chronically ill, have a disability or are affected by mental ill health are to benefit from an award of £358,054 to the Skye & Lochalsh Community Care Forum. The group will now be able to provide a range of training and learning opportunities, awareness raising sessions in schools, one-to-one support, respite breaks and social activities for 120 young carers aged between 5 and 18 over the next five years.
Marjory Jagger, Manager, Skye and Lochalsh Young Carers, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this award which will provide much needed security and development opportunities for young carers in Skye and Lochalsh. The service is privileged to be led by young carers and with Big Lottery Fund support their creativity and enthusiasm to develop skills will be maximised to help them achieve their social and educational potential. This grant will allow us to develop our partnership working with support agencies and business networks to help promote the confidence, wellbeing and safety of our young carer community.”
Today’s funding is part of a wider package of 9 Scotland grants totalling £4.4 million, For a full list of all of today’s successful projects across Scotland visit http://news.biglotteryfund.org.uk/newsroom-sco.
Further Information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office 0141 242 1458
Public Enquiries Line: 0870 240 2391
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Further Information
- 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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