- Area:
- Scotland
- Release date:
- 20 9 2012
Over £50,000 will be spent giving Scotland’s children a better start in life thanks to the grants made today by the Communities and Families Fund - a joint venture from the Big Lottery Fund and the Scottish Government.
Today seven groups receive funding totalling £50,972 from the £6 million Communities and Families Fund, launched in May 2012. The multi-million fund aims to give groups working with children aged under eight - including mother and toddler groups, crèches, community nurseries and playgroups - a vital helping hand. Groups can apply for funding from £250 to £10,000.
Maureen McGinn, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund Scotland Committee, said: “These Communities and Families grants go to a variety of projects across the country. From the provision of natural play areas, to positive parenting training, the Communities and Families Fund is helping give Scotland’s next generation the best possible start in life. We welcome applications from projects which benefit children or families of children, aged eight years and under, so I encourage people to call us or visit our website to find out more.”
Impact Arts (Projects) Limited grant of £10,000 is using art to improve the quality of life for children in Glasgow’s East End and help create a sense of pride in the area. Their scheme encourages children to take part in art classes and display their work in a purpose built gallery. Aimed at children aged three to eight; the grant will allow the project to run four different interactive classes bringing together over 100 children and their families.
One Parent Families Scotland run free family play sessions and confidence building courses help single parents from non-working households in Glasgow. Today’s grant of £9,760 will mean One Parent Families Scotland can extend this support system. Two new courses, Peer Mentoring and Moving On, will help existing parents pass on their knowledge to others in similar situations, providing support and helping families become part of their community and get involved in its activities.
A new crèche in Edinburgh’s Restalrig has proved a huge success with over 80 families using it. Dr Bell's Family Centre currently provides support for disadvantaged young families in Leith where they run a crèche, drop in facility and educational classes. The grant of £6,243 will help develop the Restalrig outreach crèche assisting children and families who face severe deprivation. The crèche targets the whole family unit offering support with development, language, and difficult behaviour. Parents will benefit from advice, therapy and educational life skills classes.
The Communities and Families Fund is set to run over the next three years with £4.5 million from The Scottish Government and £1.5 million from the largest of the National Lottery Good Cause distributors, the Big Lottery Fund. To find out more about the scheme and how to apply phone 0300 123 7110 or visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_communities_and_families_fund.
The Scottish Government’s Early Years Taskforce published its Shared Vision and Priorities in March 2012. This paper highlights what needs to be done to ensure the best possible outcomes for our children and the ways families and communities can help improve these outcomes and how services can best be targeted to support them. The Communities and Families Fund is helping to take this work forward.
The remaining four grants announced today are:-
Kentallen and Duror Community Centre £9,702
Located in Argyll, this group will use their grant to purchase and install natural play equipment for children aged up to 14 in the grounds next to Kentallen and Duror Community Centre. The project offers greater access to early learning, play and child, and maternal health support.
Happy House Christian Pre School £1,517
Based in Oban, this grant will help two members of the group through Early Years training after which the group will provide free support to local parents. The grant will fund the training - two modules each for two people with Open College Network - plus accommodation, travel expenses and a contribution towards hall rental costs.
Scotland Yard Adventure £10,000
Thanks to a £10,000 grant this project, based in Edinburgh, can continue its weekly playgroup for children aged three to eight with Additional Support Needs. The group provide tailored and structured play activities and the grant will fund overheads, activity and sensory equipment costs, plus a contribution towards management costs.
Dullatur Village Playgroup, Cumbernauld £3,750
The grant will fund the rental and insurance costs for the village hall where the Playgroup is based, supporting the group in providing its facilities for local children.
Further Information
Frances Chisholm Big Lottery Fund Scotland 0141 242 1458 / frances.chisholm@biglotteryfund.org.uk
For more information about the Communities and Families Fund please go to www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/Scotland or call 0300 1237110
Notes to Editors
- The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 46% 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. BIG 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 £28 billion has now been raised and more than 383,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
- The Early Years Taskforce was set up in November 2011 to provide strategic leadership for the Early Years Change Programme and co-ordinate policy across Government and the wider public sector to ensure that Early Years spending is prioritised by the whole public sector.
- Scottish Government funding will be drawn from the wider £270 million Early Years Change Fund, which includes a Scottish Government contribution of £50 million over the nextfour years.
- The Scotland Committee, led by Chair Maureen McGinn, has been making Big Lottery Fund decisions on Scottish projects since March 2007. As well as taking devolved decisions on Lottery spending, the Committee has and will continue to play a strategic role in the future direction of BIG in Scotland.
- The Big Lottery Fund is funding Scotland’s communities through the Investing in Communities portfolio as well as the small grants schemes Awards for All, 2014 Communities and the Communities and Families Fund.
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