- Area:
- Scotland
- Release date:
- 21 3 2013
Scotland’s growing need for local food banks, money advice services and community clothing & starter pack projects is to be addressed with a new £10 million fund launched today by the Big Lottery Fund, Scotland.
The £10m Support & Connect fund will run over the next two years and specifically aims to improve local support for people experiencing hardship. In addition the fund will help organisations working with people experiencing hardship in Scottish communities to become much better connected so people dealing with complex problems get the right blend of support they need.
Maureen McGinn, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Committee Chair, said: ““Across the country we see families and communities in difficulty, dealing with greater challenges, many of them struggling to cope with the financial, emotional and physical pressures of day to day life.
“Enabling people to navigate these challenges is at the heart of our work at the Big Lottery Fund (BIG). As part of our response, we are making £10 million available over the next two years for our Support and Connect fund. This new fund is designed to do two things; improve local support for people experiencing tough times, as well as assisting organisations working within communities to deliver support in a more joined-up way so that everyone can get the help they need.”
BIG’s £10 million Support & Connect fund will offer two year funding packages and aims to support the following:
• Welfare advice & rights
• Financials skills, services and advice
• Activity to address food poverty including food banks, lunch clubs & breakfast clubs
• Clothing, starter packs & household goods
• Activity to address fuel poverty
The latest information from the Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) survey illustrates the need for this funding, with many families with young children are now worse off than they were in 2005/6. The GUS research shows:
• 37% of the poorest families are experiencing severe material hardship
• 25% of families with young children are living on an income of less than £11,000 a year.
Support & Connect is open to applications from today (March 21). For those projects which are looking for immediate funding there is a fast-track closing date of May13, 2013. However for those organisations requiring more time to work up their plans there is a later closing date of September 6, 2013. For more information please go to www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/supportandconnect or you can call 0300 1237110.
For more press, media or picture information contact
Emma Whitfield Big Lottery Fund Scotland Press Office 0141 242 1415 / 07880 737157 emma.whitfield@biglotteryfund.org.uk
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Notes to Editors:-
• 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 its inception in 2004 BIG has awarded close to £6bn.
• 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 £29 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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