SCRAN Academy, People Know How and Dads Rock are among six Edinburgh projects to share in £247,582 funding from The National Lottery Community Fund announced today.
Scran Academy receives an award of £10,000 to deliver free hot meals to vulnerable people across the North of Edinburgh, working with local partners to ensure gaps in service are covered.
John Loughton, Founder and Chief Executive of Scran Academy, which is based at Fet Lor Youth Club on Crewe Road South, said: “COVID-19 has hit our communities rapidly and created serious implications for many of our most vulnerable people.
“Scran Academy and our partners have been able to repurpose and rapidly respond to help offer over 10,500 delivered ready meals to those elderly, frail, facing food poverty or socially isolated.
“The support from The National Lottery demonstrates a trust and understanding in us as grassroots providers to ensure no-one went hungry or alone from day one.
“In many ways agencies like ours have become not only the sole source of hot food and human contact, but like a fifth emergency service. Everyone deserves the dignity of a safe hot meal and safe human interaction; that’s we do, thousands of times every day across the city.”
There’s also £10,000 for Crewe Toll-based People Know How.
The charity will use the funding to help cover the cost of refurbishing and delivering over 200 computers to those in need of support during the coronavirus outbreak.
By refurbishing donated computers, delivering them to people’s doorsteps, and providing follow up phone support, People Know How aim to support members of the community to stay connected, find support or home-school their children.
Dads Rock will provide a wide range of online support to 1,000 families across the city over the next six months thanks to a National Lottery award of £9,950.
Thomas Lynch, Service Manager, Dad’s Rock, said: “Every year we work in deprived areas to help dads, children and families in need of support through free playgroups, mentoring of young dads and delivering antenatal and parenting workshops.
“Thanks to this funding we have been able to respond quickly to the impact of COVID-19 and support our beneficiaries at this difficult time. We are now providing online workshops to parents, including antenatal and Raising Children with Confidence.
“We are also supporting our Young Dads online and, on the telephone, providing music tuition online and providing support to all our families through videos and social media.
“Through these activities parents feel supported and have the tools they need to fully support their children, even in lockdown.”
Biggest award of all goes to Edinburgh Development Group (Scotland), based at Craigmillar’s Castlebrae Centre, who receive almost £198,000.
This group will use the funding over three years to develop two further care co-operatives, using learning from the model previously operated within the City of Edinburgh.
The new co-operatives will be centred around South Queensferry and will involve a community of interest (people with disabilities) and a workers co-operative which will provide a range of support.
The project will work directly with 45 people and involve at least ten volunteers.
Intercultural Youth Scotland (£10,000) and Love Learning Scotland (£10,000) were the other Edinburgh-based projects to receive funding.
Across the country 141 groups, from charities to smaller voluntary led community projects, are receiving funding raised by National Lottery players for a range of activities, many of which will help people to support each other through the COVID-19 crisis.
Projects funded include those that will deliver emergency care packages to vulnerable Scots, those providing online and telephone support to isolated people, as well as projects that will bring people together and give hope for the future once the lockdown is over.
Announcing today’s funding, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Director, Neil Ritch, said: “In these difficult and unprecedented times, it’s heartening to see the way Scottish communities are coming together to provide each other with support.
“These awards, made possible by National Lottery players, recognise the hugely valuable and important contribution that Scotland’s voluntary and community sector plays in boosting the health, wellbeing and morale of local people.
“Many of them have found innovative ways to keep their communities connected during the current crisis, whilst others will support people in the future when they can physically come back together to make great things happen in their community.”
Over the next six months the National Lottery Community Fund will focus its funding in Scotland on those projects that supporting organisations and communities to respond to the challenge of COVID-19.
To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk