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Lottery fund invests £7.1m in Scotland communities

Area:
Scotland
Programme:
Investing In Communities
Release date:
1 3 2007
Community support groups across Scotland are celebrating awards totalling £7.1 million for 21 projects announced today by the Big Lottery Fund (BIG).

The grants from BIG’s Investing in Communities funding portfolio back a range of initiatives – from developing family mediation services to establishing woodland groups – that will bring real improvements to communities and the lives of people in need (full list of projects follows).

Family Mediation Scotland has been awarded £188,742 to support the development of its Child Contact Centres over five years. This project will employ staff to develop and implement nationwide policies, procedures, training, planning, strategy and support the development of new and existing centres.

Mike Reid, Director of Family Mediation Scotland said: “This five-year funding commitment from the Big Lottery Fund has so many positive aspects. It allows us to plan progress with real confidence and to concentrate effort and energy into actually delivering the outcomes. Running a project on short-term funding can be like flying a plane from Edinburgh, landing in Newcastle, taking off and landing in Manchester before taking off and landing in London.  The same distance covered, but with time, energy and money spent that could have been better used to deliver the service.  Five year funding will hopefully consolidate the crucial role contact centres play in the changing requirements for family support services in Scotland, particularly following the Family Law Scotland Act 2006.“

The Community Woodlands Association (CWA) has been awarded £401,607 to provide enhanced network development support to 250 new and established community woodlands groups throughout Scotland. Technical and developmental support enabling improved woodland management and support of a diverse range of project activity will also be delivered.

Association Vice-Chair Ian Whitehead said: “The Community Woodlands Association is delighted to receive this Lottery funding.  The money will significantly increase CWA's capacity to assist emerging and established community woodland groups. An expanded network of professional advisers will be created to support the grass roots groups involved in woodlands across urban and rural Scotland. The Big Lottery Fund will help to secure the real benefits that woodlands deliver for communities, and the funding reflects both the success of the CWA and the rapid growth of the community woodland movement over the past few years.  The CWA looks forward to helping both existing groups and the new groups that are developing as the word spreads."

OrganisationProject DescriptionAmount
Development Trusts Association Scotland LtdThis project aims to increase the number of urban-based development trusts and improve access to support for development trusts in remote areas, thereby creating a connected network throughout Scotland.£635,235
Children and Families Department, City of Edinburgh CouncilThe 'Creating Confident Kids' project will assist 20 primary schools in Edinburgh to deliver an out of school programme to promote emotional health, communication and social skills to complement what is being done in school hours.  Each school will develop an out of school hours activities programme, including using outside resources (eg drama, music, counselling, community creative art and develop a CD with songs about emotional well being thoughts.£929,690
Augment Scotland LtdThe Angus Community Clubhouse will provide greater financial independence, social inclusion and better transferable skills to people with mental health concerns and dual diagnosis. The 'clubhouse' will be a community resource, providing members with the opportunity to take part in all of the running aspects and gain skills to aid recovery. There will also be a community café and craft shop, which will help generate income streams and integrate members with the wider community.£539,542
Fife Employment Access TrustThis project will improve the employability skills of individuals with mental health problems and support them into sustainable employment.  The project will provide tailored support to individuals, including confidence building, support and guidance, counselling and therapy, mentoring and giving ongoing support once in employment.£970,478
Scottish Personal Assistant Employers NetworkThis project will provide a wide range of services including an 'Effective Employers' training and development programme for those disabled people who employ their own support staff. This will ensure they are able to meet their responsibilities as employers and help build their confidence, self-esteem and assertiveness as they take on roles for which they have little or no prior experience.£322,828
North Ayrshire Forum on DisabilityThis project will provide advocacy, advice and support to people with disabilities, particularly people over 50 years of age experiencing loss of social networks, retirement or becoming less physically active.£150,000
Garvald Community Enterprises LimitedThe Engine Shed will provide a three year training programme including work experience in the cafe/bakery the group runs, an organic tofu production and its conference/catering service, which will help 50 adults with learning disabilities move into employment within mainstream workplaces over five years.£276,385
Edinburgh Development GroupThe 'Supporting Older Families' project will raise the self-esteem of older families caring for an adult with learning difficulties as well as providing them with improved access to information, advice and support.£220,412
Argyll and Bute Volunteer CentreThe People Plus project will work in partnership with the Argyll CVS, local authority and other service providers in the Argyll and Bute area to deliver a series of STEPS to Excellence and Breakthrough training courses across Argyll and Bute.  It will also provide supported work placements and further promote volunteering in this remote community.£266,770
PAMIS - Profound & Multiple Impairment ServiceThe 'Futures Project' will provide people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and their families/carers with the tools, skills and confidence to actively participate in the transition from children's to adult services and make informed and sustainable choices. The project will also develop a 'Transition Planning Tool', which will be available for use across Scotland£237,303
Stirling Family Support ServiceThis project will reduce isolation and improve the quality of life for families and carers in Stirling who are affected by another family member's substance misuse.  It will provide family support groups, a home visiting service, a telephone helpline, one-to-one support, counselling and training.£451,903
Alzheimer Scotland Action On DementiaThe Polish and Ukrainian Support Service will work to support and enable members of the Polish, Ukrainian and Italian communities in Edinburgh and the Lothians to become healthier, better informed and positively engaged in community life. It will include one-to-one support, day opportunity programmes, community social events, information and signposting and developing the volunteer base to work with these communities.£200,000
Sutherland PartnershipThe New Futures Sutherland programme will work with 150 people across Sutherland over a period of five years. The project will provide tailored support and mentoring to individuals and will provide this in a location immediately local to the individual.£375,900
Re-Union Canal Boats LtdThe 'Big Boat Build' project will develop practical and life skills, improve volunteering opportunities and engage people in community life in the Edinburgh area. The boat will continue to be staffed by volunteers and be available to a wide range of community groups for activities such as training sessions, staff meetings or simply a fun day out. It will moor and sail on the Union Canal.£148,449
Maxwelltown Information CentreThis project will create a holistic service including intensive one-to-one support, a counselling service, a complementary therapy service and community support groups.  It will run for three years and will benefit 5389 people in the disadvantaged Dundee communities of Hilltown, Stobswell and Fairmuir.£279,653
Calvay Housing Association LtdThis project will provide nursery and childcare places, family support, dedicated youth facilities and services, IT suite and training, community meeting room and a community café to the people of Barlanark in South Easterhouse, Glasgow in it's newly refurbished and extended local community centre.£191,653
Dundee Employment & Aftercare ProjectThis project will benefit 3,600 unemployed people and 1,200 organisations in Dundee over three years.  It will provide an outreach basis for participants seeking to return to work or learning and who are experiencing multiple complex barriers to securing and remaining in employment.  It will include one-to-one and small group training as well as providing job opportunities.£432,261
Monifieth Befriending SchemeThis project provides a befriending service in Monifieth, Angus.  The project will run for five years and will benefit 102 socially isolated people and 7 organisations.£117,422
Volunteer Centre MidlothianThe 'LIVE IT side kicks' project will provide computer training to local residents who may wish to find out how to use computers for activities such as accessing the Internet to maintain contact with family and friends, general letter writing or researching their family history.£56,597
Assynt FoundationThe grant will be used to employ a Development Manager for a further period of three and a half years who will be responsible for developing the 17,950-hectare Drumrunie and Glencanisp Estate.£57,556
Isle of Gigha Heritage TrustThis project complements the Trust’s overall Housing Improvement Project and will ensure the continued community-led regeneration of the Isle of Gigha through strategic investment in the island's Trust-owned commercial housing stock. The project will directly enable the creation of four revenue earning, environment friendly holiday homes from a farm steading, a house refurbishment and the refurbishment of the islands Post Office/shop/house, over the next two years.£266,508

For more information regarding this release contact George Anderson at:Big Lottery Fund Press Office (Scotland): 0141 242 1415

Notes to Editors

  • The Big Lottery Fund rolls out close to £2 million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across the UK most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project. The largest of the Lottery good cause distributors, BIG has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004.
  • On 1 December 2006 the Big Lottery Fund was officially established by Parliament and at the same time assumed the residual responsibilities of the dissolved National Lottery Charities Board (Community Fund) the New Opportunities Fund, and the Millennium Commission. The Fund is building on the experience and best practice of the merged bodies to simplify funding in those areas where they overlap and to ensure Lottery funding provides the best value for money.
  • UK-wide, the Big Lottery Fund will distribute through its new programmes and allocations funding worth over £2.6bn between now and April 2009.  Updated information on the Big lottery Fund’s new programmes is available at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/publications.htm
  • Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to Good Causes. As a result, over £19.5 billion has now been raised and more than 250,000 grants given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.

SCOTLAND

The Big Lottery Fund has £275 million to invest in Scotland’s communities before 2009 as follows:

  • £231 million for the Fund’s Unified Investment Plan (Investing in Communities)*
  • £20 million for the Young People’s Fund
  • £24 million for Awards for All (until 2006)

The Fund’s future funding plans are detailed in the manifesto ‘Investing in Communities'.

*Investing in Communities is the Big Lottery Fund Scotland’s new funding portfolio, which consists of four investment areas: Growing Community Assets, to help communities obtain, improve, develop, manage, sustain and protect assets that will help them become stronger and more sustainable; Life Transitions to support people at times of change in their lives – at different life stages and in different circumstances; Supporting 21st Century Life to provide support to people and communities to deal with the pace of change, enjoy positive relationships, improve quality of life, and establish connections across 21st century society; Dynamic and Inclusive Communities (DINC) to fund improvements to the capacity and infrastructure of national, intermediary or second tier organisations, to allow communities to engage in civic society and influence civic processes so that they can build strong and more inclusive local communities.


Tags

Organisation Types

  • Voluntary or community organisation

Beneficiaries

  • Voluntary and community sector organisations

Themes

  • Stronger communities

Category

  • Regeneration
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