Tag: emergency funding

Emergency support for Scotland’s science centres

Scotland’s four science centres are being offered an extra £2 million in emergency funding to help weather the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The money is on top of annual funding of £2.67 million from the Scottish Government, and means they will be able to start to re-open in the autumn, with safeguards in place to protect visitors.

Glasgow Science Centre, Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh (above), Dundee Science Centre and Aberdeen Science Centre collectively attract around 700,000 visitors and engage with a total of 1.5 million people of all ages annually – within the centres and through outreach and community programmes – playing a vital role in supporting education practitioners, schools, families and communities in every area of Scotland.

The four sites support access to public science engagement as part of the Scottish Government’s STEM Education and Training Strategy by stimulating debate and discussion around science and promoting science-based careers across a wide range of audiences of all ages and from all backgrounds.

Since closing their doors in March, the centres – which employ around 400 staff – have continued to engage with school pupils of all ages, teachers, families and the wider public, including via video-based content.

Science Minister Richard Lochhead said: “Our science centres are a valuable national asset, and even though they are currently closed to visitors, they have continued to deliver STEM learning opportunities through the creative and innovative use of online learning.

“From daily online videos and weekly themed home-learning programmes to stay-at-home science and STEM care packages, they have been providing valuable resources to support parents, teachers and young people during the school closures.

“Science, technology, engineering and maths impact our everyday lives and this has never been more relevant than in the current global pandemic. The huge contributions of Scotland’s STEM-related research and industry have being highlighted nationally and internationally throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

“This extra money puts our science centres in a stronger position to continue to showcase Scottish research and industry excellence in STEM, inspiring our young people and supporting their learning, while helping Scotland realise its ambitions as a science and innovation nation.”

Port of Leith allocates vital funding to tackle COVID

Charities and community organisations with practical solutions to tackle the urgent social and economic effects of the COVID crisis in Leith and north Edinburgh have shared additional financial support worth £150,000, Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) has announced.

PoLHA was selected by the Scottish Government to act as a community anchor organisation to identify and support 11 local organisations delivering COVID responses to receive much-needed funding from the national Supporting Communities Fund within a short timescale.

With a remit to fast track flexible access to funding where it is needed most, the programme built on the success of PoLHA’s COVID Response Fund, which distributed awards totalling £50,000 during April and May for community-led interventions ranging from emergency food provision for isolated or vulnerable people to boosting access to vital online services and education during lock down.

PoLHA Group Chief Executive, Heather Kiteley, said: “I am delighted that PoLHA has been able to collaborate with the Scottish Government to administer the Supporting Communities Fund locally here in Leith and north Edinburgh.

“Demand for support from organisations has been very high, reflecting the significant levels of need that exist, particularly among vulnerable people in the local area.

“It has been inspiring to see how organisations have been able to create imaginative and impactful responses to the difficult circumstances presented by the coronavirus crisis. They have shown they can adapt quickly to new ways of working, often in very challenging circumstances, and it’s great that additional funding has been made available for them to keep on making a difference.”

Eleven organisations and projects have been awarded a shared of the £150k funding. These include:

The Edinburgh Remakery which will refurbish 100 computers for distribution to households in Leith and north Edinburgh.  The computers will come with prepaid dongles to support ongoing access to the internet.  Households will be identified via a network of local organisations.

Out of the BluePrint which will make design and print services available to local community organisations to promote services on offer to those not on the internet or who might be in difficulty for the first time and unsure how to access support.

Edinburgh Community Food, already offering a significant number of free or subsidised food parcels, will be able to better cater for BAME families by offering 50 BAME families free appropriate food parcels.  The families will be identified via a network of local organisations.

Other organisations to have received funding include Building Bridges, Citadel Youth Centre, Dr Bells Family Centre, Edinburgh Volunteer Centre, MultiCultural Family Base, Pilmeny Development Project, The Ripple Project and YMCA Edinburgh.

Out of the Blueprint Project Manager Johnny Gailey welcomed the funding, saying: “The community eco-print service is a really timely driver for the Out of the Blueprint studio to reopen, providing our social enterprise with print jobs and income. 

“But more importantly, we hope that through the service, over 120 local projects will be able to get the message out about the local recovery services they are offering to support the most vulnerable in our society over the summer.”

Mike Kerracher, Manager at YMCA Edinburgh added: “Since lockdown began we have seen a continued increase over the impact of restrictions on the many isolated women and vulnerable children who engage in our services.

“Funding will allow us to further expand our provision to give those we connect with meaningful, regular contact and support through 1:1 sessions and online groups, as well providing essential items and resources to manage mental health.”

PoLHA expects to be able to distribute further funds to local organisations that are delivering COVID response services to households in Leith and north Edinburgh during the months ahead.