- Area:
- Scotland
- Programme:
- Supporting 21st Century Life
- Release date:
- 7 4 2009
More support and training for foster families across Scotland is to be made available after the Big Lottery Fund today announced a grant of over £300,000 to enable the Fostering Network to continue its work north of the border.
Based in Glasgow but benefiting the whole of Scotland, the Fostering Links project will also help to reduce isolation by setting up an outreach service for foster families in rural Scotland.
The Fostering Network is amongst 13 groups today sharing in £2,799,958 from BIG’s Supporting 21st Century Life programme which aims to improve and nurture relationships between people, families and communities.
Announcing the funding Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Alison Magee, said: “One of the major themes emerging from today’s funding is the need for more support to be available for families, including single parents, foster families and young carers. Foster families in particular rely on this support to produce the best possible quality of care for their children and young people. Without it these families can feel isolated. That’s why I am delighted that the award to the Fostering Network in Scotland will also be used to deliver an outreach service for foster families in rural Scotland.”
There are over 3,000 foster carers in Scotland providing care in their own homes for some of the most complex and vulnerable children. Today’s funding will be used to provide training for foster families in order to develop their role in providing the highest possible quality of care for their children or young people. The Fostering Links project will also provide a series of workshops to enable foster carers to exchange best practice.
Sara Lurie, Director for Scotland, said: "This award from the Big Lottery Fund is fantastic news for foster carers and for the thousands of children and young people they care for across Scotland every day. Fostering Links will help bring foster carers and fostering services together to meet the challenges of 21st century foster care, improving participation, building stronger connections and gaining the skills needed. We're grateful to have the opportunity to make such a difference."
Marjorie Ruddick, a foster carer who has taken part in the Fostering Links Project, said: “I have been a foster carer for over 25 years in the north of Scotland, and living in a rural area meant that in the past I could often feel isolated and unsupported. However, since the Fostering Links Project began, supports within foster care have been strengthened. Through my involvement I have been able to attend focus groups with foster carers and other members of the social care team, to participate in consultations on key issues in the profession. I now feel more supported and involved, and have recognised that I am part of a team.”
Over 200 families throughout Aberdeen are to receive additional support to help them cope with everything from money management through to healthy eating, thanks to a grant of £114,734. The award to Homestart Aberdeen will be used to recruit and train volunteers who are usually parents themselves to visit families at home and offer them support in accessing a range of services including their local credit union and money advice.
Georgette, Cobban, Senior Co-ordinator, Homestart Aberdeen, said: “This application to the Big Lottery Fund was a team effort with both staff and families involved. It’s a great confidence boost for all those who took part, knowing that their views and ideas have been heard and respected. Home-Start has been working in Aberdeen for the last 22 years and I think the secret of our success is that we truly listen to families and we all work together to find solutions to the difficulties they are facing. This funding over the next three years will ensure that we can continue to do this and reach out to more local families.”
Lorraine Simpson from Aberdeen is a grandmother and main carer for her two small grandchildren. She said: “I am so glad Home-Start has got this lottery money. It helps parents and grannies like me to meet others and share ideas and experiences good and bad. Many parents are so isolated and Home-Start really understands what it is like to be a parent. I hope that the lottery funding will enable Home-Start to help more children and their families across Aberdeen.”
Young carers in Sutherland will be given time out to make new friends and get a break from their caring situation at home, thanks to a grant of £269,873. Over the next five years TYKES (The Young Karers East Sutherland) will support 70 young carers to attend youth groups and other social events that will allow them to be children first and have fun.
Tykes project manager Myra Clark, said: "I am absolutely delighted at the news of our award from the Big Lottery Fund, and thank everyone involved for their confidence and support in our project. The difference the award will make to our project is huge. As the award is for five years funding it means that the pressures of continually looking for funds to continue our service to many young carers in our area is now somewhat eased and also means that we can put some longer term plans in place, giving a more sustainable service to the young people."
Other groups receiving Big Lottery Fund grants from the Supporting 21st Century Life programme:
Home Start Denny, Award - £124,137
This project aims to provide intensive practical and emotional support for parents and families with at least one child under five years old experiencing challenging times, such as mental health issues, lone-parent families, learning difficulties and substance misuse. The funding will allow the group to expand its existing service through the provision of a new meeting group, employing an additional family support worker to provide more intensive and better support to families with more complex needs and increase its team of volunteers. It will benefit 140 families and 15 volunteers in Denny, Bonnybridge, Banknock, Camelon and Falkirk.
Rosemount Lifelong Learning, Award - £245,815
Based in Glasgow, this project will increase young parents' levels of confidence, self esteem and assertiveness and will help them develop coping strategies and techniques to assist them in their role as a young person with the responsibility of bringing up a child. The project will support a series of Making A Difference programmes including crèche provision. Courses will include budgeting, stress management, first aid and healthy eating. Activities will also include a 3 day residential course delivered via the Princes Trust 'Get Started' programme. This project will benefit 60 young parents and 60 children.
Growing Together, Award - £51,950
This mother and toddlers group based in St Mungo's Church in Cumbernauld helps carers to increase or improve parenting skills through a series of health workshops and presentations. The project will also help to alleviate or, in some cases, prevent Post Natal Depression (PND). Over five years it will assist 435 careers to feel less isolated and form new support networks. The project will operate for 4 hours per week for 40 weeks of the year.
The Lighthouse Foundation, Award - £261,676
This three-year project will offer a combination of information, advice, guidance and support for families affected by substance misuse from North, South and East Ayrshire. This will include play therapy for children, volunteer befriending, a prison liaison service, group work and mediation with a family member recovering from addiction. This project will directly benefit 900 socially isolated individuals and 12 organisations.
Dundee International Women's Centre, Award - £388,759
This project will provide supported opportunities for socially excluded women from black and minority ethnic communities to build their self-esteem, confidence and skills. They will be supported in a peer-led environment that focuses on the similarities rather than the differences of women from diverse communities. The project will further encourage the development of better relationships and connections between women from different communities and their engagement with mainstream agencies. This five year project will benefit 560 black and minority ethnic women in Dundee.
Community Arts: Open Space, Award - £295,433
This project based in Clydebank will provide a variety of community art initiatives to bring together different generations. It will develop people’s confidence and self-esteem and provide people, including those with mental health issues, young people and lone parents, with the opportunity to take part in community arts based workshops and to become volunteers in their community. The three-year grant will support 380 people, including 50 volunteers.
Eildon Enterprise, Award - £78,760
This project, based in Melrose, will support new migrants, principally from Eastern Europe, who have chosen to live and work in the Borders. A volunteer co ordinator will support local people and more established migrants to act as volunteer mentors/befrienders and assist new migrants to develop improved social networks and become more involved in their local communities. This will enable them build relationships within their new communities.
Home-Start West Lothian, Award - £56,259
This project will provide intensive support for parents and families through an increased team of volunteers. Building on this, Home-Start West Lothian will encourage volunteers to progress to further training, employment or other volunteering opportunities. This project will benefit 30 families and 20 volunteers over two years in the south and west of West Lothian.
Citadel Youth Centre, Award - £151,681
Based in Leith, this project will bring together younger people and older people to reduce intergenerational conflict through a skills sharing and hobby programme. 700 people over five years will take part in activities where young and old can share skills and experience through activities such as knitting and sewing, in door bowls, woodwork and model making or reminiscence sessions.
Up-2-Us, Award - £458,372
This project will support families in crisis in West Dunbartonshire. Targeted at families where their child is at risk of being taken into care, the parents and children will be supported to resolve conflict. This will help families find more productive ways of living together and function better in their community. A support plan will also set out expectations, goals and aspirations of both the child and the parents. Volunteers will support families to enjoy external activities including family outings.
Further Information
For more information contact Landa Rolland at the Big Lottery Fund Scotland Press Office on: 0141 242 1458 or 07880 737 157
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available at: 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 half 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 £22 billion has now been raised and more than 300,500 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
SCOTLAND
The Scotland Committee, led by Chair, Alison Magee, 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 investing in Scotland’s communities through it’s Investing in Communities portfolio as well as the small grants schemes Awards for All and 2014 Communities.
*Investing in Communities is the Big Lottery Fund Scotland’s 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.
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