New £2 million innovation element added to Empowering Communities Fund

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Charities supporting children, families and adult learning will be invited to apply for a share of a new project fund that will award £2 million over the next two years.

The Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund has already supported over 100 third sector organisations, benefiting thousands of children, families and communities across Scotland, by providing more than £14 million worth of core funding that enables them to deliver their services.

This new element of the fund is designed to enable charities to bid for project funding that will allow them to deliver fresh and innovative ideas, beyond their core work.

Applications will be invited in the summer for a share of £1 million that will be made available in 2017/18, with a further £1 million to be available in 2018/19.

Aileen Campbell, Minister for Children and Young People, said: “Tackling inequalities is at the heart of this government’s ambition to create a fairer Scotland and charities and other third sector groups are crucial in achieving this. The first round of fund allocations announced last year enabled more than 100 organisations across Scotland to plan and deliver work to benefit a range of people in our communities.

“We know ambition and innovation is alive and well in the voluntary sector. This new project fund will support activities or evidence-based approaches that can build on the good work they are doing so far. Funding is in place for the competition to launch in summer 2016.”

The Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund replaced the Third Sector Early Intervention Fund and Strategic Funding Partnerships which ran from 2013 and end this month.

The 2016-17 allocations for the fund were announced in December last year ( see http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/-12-million-for-families-and-communities-20a8.aspx.) Two further awards have been made – to Relationship Scotland and The Spark – bringing the total to £14m.

Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland has been awarded the contract to work in partnership with the Scottish Government to administer and monitor the Fund allocations.

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davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer