Funding will support communities to reduce and prevent sectarianism across Scotland
Community projects tackling sectarianism at a local level will benefit from £3 million of funding for the year 2015/16, the Scottish Government has announced.
Following on from the Scottish Government’s investment of £9 million over three years this latest round of funding will be used to support a wide range of projects committed to tackling sectarianism at a grassroots level throughout Scotland.
Among those to receive funding is Leith’s Pilmeny Development Project, who will use their £20,000 allocation to ‘help challenge community tensions and encourage better integration of the religious groups that make up the Leith community’.
Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, Paul Wheelhouse, announced that £2.3 million is to be allocated to 38 community projects throughout Scotland – and the Scottish Government is currently identifying further activities to benefit from the remaining cash.
Mr Wheelhouse said: “The Scottish Government is committed to tackling sectarianism. We have already invested £9 million over the last three years to support, among other things, community-based efforts in dealing with sectarianism and this additional £3 million of funding will allow the issue to continue to be addressed at a local level.
“No one should have to face discrimination or prejudice in any form in 21st century Scotland. It is never acceptable and it will not be tolerated.
“We welcome the fact that religiously aggravated offending is falling and is now at its lowest level in a decade – last year alone there was a 15% decrease. However we will continue to do all that we can to address the issue of sectarianism in Scotland.
“Communities are at the heart of our work to tackle sectarianism and that is why we have committed a further £3 million to support this agenda and to continue to work with, and in, local communities to tackle this issue in the most appropriate way.
“We are confident that these projects will help us to continue to reduce sectarian attitudes and behaviours and help to finally rid Scotland of the prejudices of the past.”
For a full list of projects to receive funding see below:
NOTE: Police are investigating an incident of sectarian graffiti sprayed on a West Lothian church at the weekend. St Andrew’s RC Church in Livingston was plastered with anti-Catholic messages between 7pm on Saturday and 9am on Sunday morning.
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