Tag: communities

New round of Wellbeing Fund open for applications

The second round of the Scottish Government’s Wellbeing Fund is now open to applications from voluntary sector organisations providing crucial services to people as a result of coronavirus.

The Fund is being delivered through an innovative model which involves national organisations and funders working alongside Third Sector Interfaces from across Scotland’s 32 local authorities.

The first round closed on 30 April having received over 1,000 applications, with half of applications already assessed and more than £6 million approved for funding so far.

Awards have been offered to support a wide range of activity across all communities in Scotland.  From creative learning packs, online exercise classes and increased phone contact to support the mental health and wellbeing of veterans and young people, to grocery and baby essential parcels for those who are self-isolating.

So far the majority of applications have been from local organisations working within a single local authority, and early analysis indicates good targeting towards areas of deprivation and those experiencing greater vulnerability.

The most common beneficiary group in round one was children and families followed by older people, and almost 60% of projects aimed to support mental health and wellbeing.  Around £4 million of applications related to food preparation and distribution.

The second round of the Wellbeing Fund is open to all voluntary sector organisations that did not apply or receive funding from the first round.

Applications from organisations working to support people facing financial or employment difficulties are being particularly encouraged, as well as applications from organisations working with minority communities.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “I am pleased the Scottish Government continues to be able to support the vital work of Scotland’s third sector in providing a wide range of support for vulnerable communities at this difficult time.

“Through the first phase of funding, charities and social enterprises helping families and children were among the main beneficiaries and, as the second phase of funding is launched, we would particularly welcome applications that provide financial advice or employability support.”

Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), one of the national funding partners, said: “I am pleased we are able to build on the success of the first round of the Wellbeing Fund and bring much-needed funding to voluntary sector organisations.

“Across Scotland, the sector is providing vital services and support to the people who need it most. New needs are emerging as the full impact of the pandemic unfolds and it is important that those needs are addressed. The partnership of government, grant-makers and local and national infrastructure organisations has been fundamental to making this work.”

Anthea Coulter on behalf of the TSI Scotland Network said: “The third sector has responded swiftly and safely in a complex and changing environment to protect and support the most vulnerable in our communities.

We are delighted that the TSI Scotland Network’s local knowledge is being recognised and understood and we are proud to be helping to ensure that funding gets through to these frontline organisations,  leveraging across Scotland the Network’s local connections, relationships and knowledge to continue this vital work.”

For more information about the Wellbeing Fund, including eligibility criteria and a link to apply – visit the SCVO Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub at https://scvo.org.uk/support/coronavirus/funding/scottish-government/wellbeing-fund.

WhatsApp groups set up as communities pull together

“Street level” messenger groups are springing up across the UK as communities forge new relationships to help each other through the Coronavirus self-isolation crisis.

Messenger apps such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are being conscripted to connect whole streets worried about how to survive self-isolation and loneliness.

Young and old are uniting to help those without and those needing help and support at their time of need.

“A neighbour set up a group and we now have 10 of 12 houses on the street subscribed”, explains Jonathan Ratcliffe, who lives on Windermere Avenue in  Menston, Yorkshire.

Ratcliffe, who is currently running national office agency Offices.co.uk from home, has been in self-isolation since Monday juggling work and family life.

“We haven’t been to the shops this week, life is testing let’s say! John down the road asked on WhatsApp if anyone needed anything, and 30 minutes later we had bread, bananas and paracetamol – it really helps morale”, explained Jonathan.

Being able to draw on neighbours for help and social interaction is going to become a hallmark of the efforts needed to get the country through the next 12 weeks.

“No one knows where this is going and who might need help. We have a 10-week-old baby with a heart condition, and so we are being extra careful”, added Jonathan. “My neighbours help now will be paid back twice over when we are out of isolation– it’s lovely knowing that there is support on our doorstep should we need it”.

Other groups have sprung up locally in Menston supporting streets and even whole estates.

One such group has been set up covering Menston’s Moorfield Avenue by resident David Williams.

“We are in the process of setting up a WhatsApp group to cover our street,” David explained. “We started by dropping a note through everyone’s door, so they knew who to text to join the group. 

“We are then identifying those who need to self-isolate and pairing them up with people who can help out so people can self-organise as much as possible but also stay in touch as things develop.”

Zoe Edwards, who lives in the centre of the village, added: “We have done similar on our road although tricky when some people don’t use or have WhatsApp. We are trying to keep in touch with those people separately”.

The Windermere Avenue group: 10 houses have joined out of 12

  • 18 people have joined the group
  • Age ranges from 38 to 75
  • One house currently in self-isolation

Resident Alison Wilson in Menston is using the platform to forward-plan a big party to celebrate the community spirit locally in Menston: “Once this is over, we need a massive big street/village party to cheer ourselves up and thank everyone for their kindness and community spirit”.

“Creating support groups now is really important. Being able to ask for help should you need it is going to be a lifeline for many people, young and old – the love and support I’ve seen on our street for neighbours has been humbling”, concluded Jonathan.

Extra funding to help communities affected by Coronavirus

An additional £350 million will go to those most affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell announced yesterday.

The funding will be made available to councils, charities, businesses and community groups and designed to be flexible, cutting down on red tape to enable them to respond swiftly and according to local need for people impacted economically or through reduced contact with society, including anyone struggling to access food.

Ms Campbell said allowing a high level of flexibility was the best way to ensure they were most effective: “This pandemic will disrupt lives like never before and cause financial hardship and negatively impact on our wellbeing.

“Be assured, however, that protecting and supporting people during these unparalleled times is the absolute focus of this government.

“Our funding package will be focused on delivery, not bureaucracy or red tape. Local authorities, local businesses, community groups and the third sector know and understand the support needs of their communities the best. Where people and organisations have solutions or ideas, I want to hear them.”

“Unless we work with local partners the impact of our investment will not be felt by those that need it most. So my message today is – if we can help you to help the people of Scotland then we will.”

The emergency funding package will be allocated to existing funding streams through several new funds, with the £95 million package direct to local authorities made up of:

£50 million in Barnett consequentials from the UK Government’s hardship fund is being passed direct to local authorities to support their own local resilience, support and hardship plans.

£45 million will be added to the existing Scottish Welfare Fund which makes Community Grants and Crisis Grants available to those in immediate need. This more than doubles the current £35.5 million fund, which is administered by local authorities. They will be given more flexibility in how it is used to ensure they can fully support people in financial crisis, including workers in the ‘gig economy’.

In addition:

  • a £70 million Food Fund will help organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors address issues of food insecurity, especially for older people, and families who may not be able to rely on free school meals
  • a £50 million Wellbeing Fund will help charities and others who require additional capacity to work with at-risk people who may be worst affected by the crisis, including homeless people and those experiencing fuel poverty
  • a £40 million Supporting Communities Fund will be used to support the rapidly growing and inspiring community efforts at a local level which will be vital to national resilience, including supporting people at risk because of age, isolation, carers, homeless people and asylum seekers and signposting people to sources of help such as applying for benefits
  • £50 million will go to meet an anticipated increase in applications for the existing Council Tax Reduction Scheme and Scottish social security benefits
  • £20 million will be allocated to a Third Sector Resilience Fund, to help ensure the health and continued viability of the third sector organisations affected by cash flow and other problems, which have a key role to play in our national response
  • £25 million will be kept in reserve to allow swift and flexible responses to rapidly changing circumstances

Pennywell up for RICS Social Impact Award

  • RICS publishes shortlist of developments which are transforming the everyday lives of residents
  • 35 schemes across nine award categories have been nominated from Shetland to Dumfries
  • Winners to be announced in April

RICS (Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors) in Scotland are set to vote on a shortlist 35 construction projects to mark their role in transforming communities and the everyday lives of people.

Published this week, the shortlisted construction schemes include ELEVEN from Edinburgh, including Pennywell Phase 2 (residential), Edinburgh Printmakers (heritage, leisure),  King’s Stables Road (commercial) (above) and Ciaran’s House, CLIC Sargent Home from Home (healthcare).

Announcing its support for the Prince’s Trust to help more young people take up careers in property, the awards mark the impact of construction on communities across the country – with voting to take place ahead of the RICS Scotland ceremony on 23 April.

A UK grand final will be held later in September for those successfully nominated from each region – with property expert David Brooks Wilson leading a panel of guest judges to select those projects worthy of the top award.

Matthew Howell, RICS UK Managing Director, said: “The real estate industry plays a vital role in Scotland, and our refreshed awards celebrates the positive impact that our professionals can have on people’s lives and the best of what is built.

“This year’s shortlist features some of the best talent in our profession, and the new Social Impact Awards recognises the significant value these projects have brought to the communities around them.  The judges will have their work cut out deciding on who gets the top award with so many top projects involved.

“I’m also delighted to be supporting The Prince’s Trust in getting young people into construction.  Our shortlists, showcase projects which have been turning people’s lives around, whether that’s through apprenticeships for young people, rehabilitating ex-offenders or regenerating towns and cities to make them more inclusive, and we hope that promoting these will encourage more talent into a profession that can really make a difference.” 

Chair of the award judging panel David Brooks Wilson said: “The real estate sector is an important part of the economy, and this year’s shortlist shows the power of built environment professionals to make a positive impact on society and our communities.

“It features the breadth of work and contributions that our professionals and wider industry make and the difference this profession can make.”  

The awards are divided into nine award categories to include the best examples of development in the commercial, education, healthcare, heritage, infrastructure, land & rural, leisure, residential and student accommodation sectors – with an overall winner also due to be announced.

RICS Social Impact Awards – Scotland Shortlist 2020

Project                                                Region                                      Categories

4 North                                                Edinburgh                                Commercial
Aberdeen Art Gallery                          Aberdeen                                Heritage
Baird’s Close Two                               Edinburgh                                Student Accommodation
Bertha Park High School:  A new
school for a new community               Perth                                       Education
Ciaran’s House – CLIC Sargent
Home from Home                               Edinburgh                                Healthcare
Collective, Caltonhill                           Edinburgh                                Leisure
Cunningham House                            Glasgow                                  Residential
Cupar Burgh Chambers                     Cupar                                      Heritage
Dundee Regional Performance
Centre for Sport                                  Dundee                                   Leisure
Edinburgh Printmakers                       Edinburgh                                Heritage, Leisure
Gairloch Museum                                Gairloch                                   Heritage, Leisure
Glenrothes Energy Network               Glenrothes                              Infrastructure
INTO Academic Centre                      Stirling                                     Education
Kelvinside Academy                           Glasgow                                  Education
Kirn Primary School                            Dunoon                                   Education
King’s Stables Road                           Edinburgh                                Commercial
Mixed-Use Development
National Centre for Children’s Literature
and Storytelling at Moat Brae             Dumfries                                  Heritage, Leisure
North Sighthill Regeneration              Edinburgh                                Residential
NGHA Offices                                     Glasgow                                  Commercial
Ochiltree Community Hub                  Ochiltree                                  Leisure
Panmure House – The Home
of Adam Smith                                    Edinburgh                                Heritage
Pennywell Phase 2                             Edinburgh                                Residential
Perth Transport Futures Project:
Phase 1 Crieff Road                           Perth                                       Infrastructure
Pittodrie Street Student Accommodation:
Getting it right for student living          Aberdeen                                Student Accommodation
Powell Hall & Whitehorn Hall             St Andrews                             Student Accomodaton
Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice Glasgow                                  Healthcare
Robroyston Railway Station               Glasgow                                  Infrastructure
Shawbridge Street                              Glasgow                                  Residential
TECA-creating a world-class
events and leisure complex                Aberdeen                                Commercial, Leisure
The Balfour                                         Orkney                                    Healthcare
The Fraser Centre                              Tranent                                    Leisure
The GRID Building                              Edinburgh                                Education
The Registers                                     Edinburgh                                Commercial
University of Glasgow Campus
Development                                       Glasgow                                  Education
Woodside Health and Care Centre    Glasgow                                  Healthcare

A Tale of a Divided Britain

  • New polling for the UPP Foundation sheds light on the public’s domestic priorities following the election
  • People who live in Scotland among the most positive about their local area
  • Access to NHS, cost of housing, and declining high streets are seen as the biggest challenges
  • People are positive about the role universities can play in their area, but awareness is limited, and almost a third of people in Scotland have never visited their local university
  • By over a 4.1 ratio, people from Scotland would prefer that graduates return to their local area after graduation – by far the most in the UK

New polling for the UPP Foundation, the registered charity founded by University Partnerships Programme (UPP), carried out by Public First, shows a stark divide between the various communities in Britain as to how they feel their local areas have fared over their time living there.

At a time when much political attention is being given to how to ‘level up’ areas of the country that have fared less well in recent years, the polling shows a great divide between how different parts of their country see their everyday lives.

A divided Britain – and the view from Scotland

There are sharp differences in how people view their community by the type of area they live in, by their age, and by their financial circumstances.

  • Across Britain, while 30% of people who live in cities say that their local area has improved (39% the same, 25% worse), this figure decreases to 22% of those who live in large towns, and only 17% for those who live in small towns – almost half of the figure for those who live in cities.
  • Across Britain, younger people are the most positive. 31% of those aged 18-24 believe their local area has improved (38% think it is the same, 21% has got worse), but only 26% of 35-44 year olds, and 14% of 55-64 year olds – fewer than half as many seeing improvement as the 18-24s.
  • Scottish residents are among the more positive, with 25% of residents thinking their area has improved during the time they have been living there – and only 18% say it has got worse. (Nationally, respondents in London, Scotland, and Wales are most likely to feel that their local areas had improved in recent years, and those in the East of England, East Midlands, and the South East are the most likely to believe there has been decline.

Priorities for improving their local area

With the new government making bold statements about regional infrastructure, transport links such as HS2, and relocating major civic institutions such as the House of Lords to ‘level up’ across the country, this polling also sheds light on the public’s real priorities for improvement in their area.

When asked about their various priorities for improving their local area, people across Scotland thought that:

  • 56% of people thought that high streets in decline was one of the most important issues in Scotland – the second highest in the UK after the North East
  • 44% of voters stated that access to local NHS services was a key priority
  • 48% said the cost of housing was one of the most important issues

These are going to be important issues to many voters – and their new MPs – in the coming years.

Effectiveness of civic institutions in improving local areas

Although voters across Scotland are familiar with the local civic and other institutions active in their local area, they have typically low levels of satisfaction with how well they are performing to improve a local area.

  • Local MPs / MSPs  – 22% of respondents think they’re doing a good job for their local area
  • Local government / council – 21%
  • Local businesses – 30%
  • Local cultural institutions (museums, galleries etc) – 39%
  • Local universities – 44%
  • Local sports clubs and teams – 34%
  • Local hospitals – 37%
  • Local charities – 37%

The role of universities in improving local areas

Universities have been increasingly focussed on the role they can play in their local area in recent years. Despite the expansion of higher education, the public’s overall awareness of the 19 universities across Scotland – who between them educate over 240,000 undergraduates a year is relatively low, but people are optimistic about their potential.

  • Almost a third of people (31%) have never visited their local university in Scotland
  • 44% of people in Scotland think that the universities are doing a good job to improve the local area
  • 65% of respondents in Scotland want universities to play a greater role in their local economy, and 53% of the public agree that universities can and should be involved in the delivery of government services in a local area.

One of the issues often raised in policy debates is whether it is better that graduates return to their home communities after studying, or whether it is better if they migrate to the UK’s larger cities. This research shows that by an over a 4:1 majority – 50% to 12% – people in Scotland would prefer graduates to return to their local area after studying.

The polling was conducted as part of a project looking at the role of universities, as part of their civic responsibilities, to help address the government’s levelling-up agenda. A final report will be published in the Spring.

Richard Brabner, Director of UPP Foundation said: “Our post-election polling points to a divided Britain and underlines the need for the government to double down on its focus on towns to help ‘level up the country’. But although Scotland has its own government for many areas, the Westminster Parliament and Scottish MPs, and MSPs, will need to think about how to improve Scotland as well as other areas in Britain.

“Organisations embedded in their communities will be key to revitalising areas across Scotland. Local institutions and civil society should be supported by government to deliver this agenda.

“Taking the higher education sector as an example, it is clear that there’s a real appetite amongst universities to support  ‘left behind’ places in their regions, and the public is extremely positive about the role universities could play too.

“However, with a third of people having never visited their local university in Scotland, there is much for our sector to do to engage all parts of our society.

“To grow trust and support, universities should be particularly focussed on demonstrating their public value to areas which do not benefit from having a university on their doorstep.”

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Scottish residents: “We need communities, not just homes”

Two-thirds of people in Scotland feel that too much focus is being placed solely on the construction of new homes, as opposed to rounded communities with supporting infrastructure, a new report has found. Continue reading Scottish residents: “We need communities, not just homes”

Zakia’s home for lunch

Zakia Moulaoui worked up an appetite for her Big Lunch at Montgomery Street Park yesterday – she’s just returned from an epic 17 day journey  visiting towns, cities and places from Edinburgh to Orkney (and back again) as one of the walkers who has led Team Scotland of the Eden Project’s Big Lunch Community Walk.

Continue reading Zakia’s home for lunch