Further support for drugs services

Awards for 48 projects in latest funding round

More than £15 million has been awarded to a range of projects supporting people affected by problem substance use.

These include residential rehabilitation services, support for those affected by addiction and homelessness and programmes working with children and families affected by a loved one’s substance use.

The number of lives lost to drugs is still too high in Scotland and these funds are vital for those services working on the frontline to help those affected and their families.

Simon Community Scotland is one of the latest recipients, receiving £408,000 to deliver a new Edinburgh-based project, ‘We See You’, offering people who are homeless and using substances a safe space and access to a range of support services.

Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham said: “The National Mission funds have now supported 300 projects but we know there is much work still to do.

“These organisations save lives and we want to support them so they can extend as far into their communities as possible and offer people the support they need when and where they need it.

“Through our £250 million National Drugs Mission, we are focused on supporting everyone affected by problem substance use, delivering real change on the ground and implementing evidence-based approaches to improve and save lives.”

Simon Community Scotland CEO Lorraine McGrath said: “We are delighted to have been awarded funding for our ‘We See You’ project in Edinburgh.

“The project brings a wide range of partners together to work with people who often feel excluded from services, creating an inclusive response that improves health, saves lives and challenges what is possible.

“Simon Community Scotland has been driving service change and innovation in reducing drug deaths and harms within the population we support. This is an exciting step towards achieving even greater health improvement in Edinburgh.”

These recent awards for multi-year funding are made through the Corra Foundation which supports the Scottish Government with its funding processes as part of the National Drugs Mission. £65 million has been awarded through Corra over the duration of the National Mission to support third sector and grassroots organisations.

A total of 300 grants have now been made from the funds set up as part of the National Drugs Mission.

CORRA Foundation – drug services funds