Tag: funding

PDSA passes 500,000 remote appointment milestone

PDSA, the vet charity for pets in need, has carried out a remarkable 500,000 phone appointments since the start of lockdown, as demand for the charity’s services has surged due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, the charity – which provides free and low cost vet care to the pets of owners who are suffering from financial hardship – introduced a new phone appointment system back in March during the first lockdown.

Since then, the scheme has meant over half a million remote appointments have been provided to poorly pets and their owners, ensuring they could still receive the vital veterinary advice they needed, despite lockdown restrictions. 

PDSA Vet, Paul Manktelow, said: “Sadly, even during a pandemic, our pets can still become sick or get injured and need urgent veterinary treatment.

“When the first lockdown started looming, it was clear that we needed to drastically adapt the way we worked across our 48 Pet Hospitals around the UK to help keep everyone safe and help stop the spread of Covid-19, while still providing support to desperate pet owners seeking our help.

“Providing remote consults has allowed pets to access the essential veterinary care they need, while freeing up the space and time needed in our pet hospitals to treat the sickest pets and emergencies in a socially distant manner..

“Thanks to kind support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we were able to quickly develop new ways of working, allowing many of our dedicated vets and nurses to work from home providing vital pet advice remotely.

“Leading into the first lockdown we started offering our first remote consultations. Within weeks we were delivering around 2,000 phone appointments daily, which has now risen to over 2,300 a day.”

Remote consultations have enabled PDSA staff to help all but the most serious cases over the phone, offering advice, and posting out or delivering essential medications. This ensured the charity could keep their vet teams, owners and pets safe while continuing to provide life-saving emergency treatments at its Pet Hospitals.

Hazel Johnstone, Longterm Partnerships Manager at People’s Postcode Lottery said: “Pets have been a lifeline for so many people during the lockdowns this year – providing companionship and helping improve mental wellbeing for owners during incredibly difficult times. 

“So for those who face financial hardship causing increased worry when a pet falls ill during the pandemic, it’s vital they’re able to continue to access veterinary care. By supporting the development of these remote consults for PDSA, players of People’s Postcode Lottery have ensured that hundreds of thousands of pet owners always have somewhere to turn, even during the darkest of times.”

But PDSA is now facing a double threat – the pandemic has resulted in PDSA’s income decreasing by £3m a month in 2020 due to all fundraising events being cancelled and its charity shops temporarily closing their doors.

This is coupled with an expected increase in unprecedented demand for its services as many more pet owners fall on hard times.

PDSA Vet Paul Manktelow continued: “Delivering half a million remote appointments in eight months just shows what vital assistance PDSA provides for a huge number of pet owners. For many, we are their only emergency service – a safety net when times are tough, but we rely entirely on generous public support to keep our charitable veterinary services running.

“As we enter what is likely to be a challenging winter, we know many people are facing extremely difficult times through no fault of their own, and their pets are a lifeline, providing unconditional love and comfort during these worrying times. We greatly appreciate every donation, to help us to continue to be there for much-loved pets in need.”

To find out more about PDSA, its Pet Care Crisis Emergency Appeal and how you can help, visit www.pdsa.org.uk/whywematter

The Welcoming shares in funding to prevent destitution

Scotland takes steps to mitigate UK funding policy

A further £278,784 is being made available to six organisations supporting people subject to No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). 

The grants will support projects in Edinburgh and Glasgow which are helping people subject to the UK Government policy which imposes conditions on someone due to their immigration status and restricts access to welfare, housing, and financial support.

The projects receiving support focus on access to essentials, including food, clothing, essential travel and digital access.  Outreach and advocacy support will also be delivered to help people understand and access essential services and maintain support networks. 

The Scottish Government has repeatedly urged the UK Government to suspend its policy to enable people to access public services and health advice during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is a second round of funding and brings the total grants awarded through the Immediate Priorities Fund specifically for NRPF support during COVID-19 to £553,174.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “These projects are part of the Scottish Government’s efforts to provide support for everyone living in our communities during COVID-19 and contribute to our overall response to the pandemic.

“The Scottish Government as well as many stakeholders have urged the UK Government to lift No Recourse to Public Funds restrictions during the pandemic, so far without success.

“Given the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, it is crucial that people can access public services and also health guidance, the majority of which is provided online, keep in touch with friends, family and networks and access the accommodation and support they need to be safe.”

The six organisations receiving funding are:

  • Community InfoSource
  • Govan Community Project
  • Refugee Survival Trust
  • Refuweegee
  • Positive Action in Housing
  • The Welcoming

All are based in Glasgow, except for The Welcoming, which is in Edinburgh.

The funding support is for a 12 week project proposed by the grant recipient in response to the immediate needs of people who have limited support options due to NRPF restrictions.

Under the first round of grants, £274,390 was distributed between the six organisations to support 12 week projects which ran between April and July.

Further support is available to people subject to NRPF through wider COVID-19 response, including:

  • the £350 million Communities Funding Package announced in March (which the Immediate Priorities Fund is part of) provided funding to local authorities and third sector organisations to support people across communities.  This new funding is not restricted by NRPF.ince 23 March, the Scottish Government has provided more than £1.5 million to third sector organisations to enable them to provide emergency hotel accommodation and support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.  This includes people who are rough sleeping or have NRPF.
  • £20 million has been made available to local authorities as a flexible fund to tackle financial insecurity.  This is not restricted under NRPF and Local Authorities can use this funding to support people unable to afford essentials like food or fuel; they can also top-up Scottish Welfare Fund and Discretionary Housing Payment allocations.
  • a discretionary payment, equivalent to the Self Isolation Support Grant, can be provided to people with NRPF who are working on low incomes and would lose earnings where they need to self-isolate.

Projects across Scotland receive funding to promote healthy eating

HENRY to tackle childhood obesity in Lothian

Projects working with young families to encourage healthy eating and good nutrition have been awarded a share of more than £600,000 of funding.

Ten initiatives around Scotland are being allocated funding by the Scottish Government, supported by Public Health Scotland, to help prevent and reduce levels of childhood obesity.

Among the initiatives are the Bump and Beyond Buddies scheme in Tayside, which aims to extend its successful peer support infant feeding programme and a pilot scheme in areas of deprivation in Lothian where 120 family workers and early learning childcare practitioners will be trained to support families in community settings in good nutrition.

The funding is part of the Scottish Government’s ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce diet-related health inequalities.

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “We want children and families to have access to appropriate support to achieve as healthy a weight as possible, no matter where they live and we will continue to support local partners to develop ambitious and effective plans to prevent and reduce childhood obesity.

“We all have a responsibility to work together to help people in Scotland to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and these projects will help address inequalities in obesity between children in our wealthiest and poorest areas.

“As we set out in our 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery plan, our ambition is to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce diet-related health inequalities.”

NHS Lothian will trial HENRY, an evidence-based training package, with family workers and early learning childcare practitioners working across the four local authority areas.

The pilot brings together support for parenting efficacy, family emotional welbeing and behaviour change with information about nutrition, physical activity, oral health and more.

Tracy McGillivray OF NHS Lothian’s Health Promotion Service said: “The Childhood Obesity, Early Intervention and Prevention funding will allow NHS Lothian to work closely with our partners in City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian. 

“The project will work in areas where families are at increased risk of diet-related health inequalities.

“We will be able to provide training to community-based family support staff to have increased knowledge, skills and confidence around the promotion of eating well and ensuring consistent messaging in the importance of establishing good nutrition in the early years.”

Scottish Government emergency funds for Edinburgh youth arts

Emergency funds from the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland are enabling youth arts and music organisations to roll out new activities and initiatives for young people in the Edinburgh area.

Drake Music, Tinderbox Collective and Starcatchers* are among 18 youth music and wider youth arts organisations receiving a share of £1,053,000 to deliver a range of local and national projects, all of which target priority groups of children and young people and provide important work for freelance artists.

Thursa Sanderson, Chief Executive, Drake Music Scotland said: “This funding will enable us to forge ahead with Sound Explorers, a new programme of online activity. It responds positively to the changed learning landscape for young people with additional support needs – offering an interactive and fun way to make music.

“It will directly tackle the lack of access to music making for young people with disabilities and additional support needs caused by the Covid pandemic removing the barriers for those isolating at home and those in the classroom.”

Jack Nissan, Director, Tinderbox Collective said: “The Youth Arts Targeted fund is an invaluable support that will enable us to provide a range of music projects, youth clubs and creative opportunities to hundreds of children and young people at this time, both on-line and in person, as we adapt to the changing circumstances of the pandemic.

“It is so important that all young people have access to positive, social and creative activities like this, and that we do whatever we can to keep these going at this time.”

Rhona Matheson, Chief Executive, Starcatchers said: “On behalf of Starcatchers, Imaginate and Lyra I am delighted that we have secured the Youth Arts funding to deliver the Where We Are project together.

“As well as providing children and young people with the opportunity to engage with, and participate in creative activities in their own communities, it will also provide more than 15 jobs for artists and freelance practitioners over the next year.

“Given the challenges we are all facing as a result of the Covid pandemic, this is an exciting opportunity to initiate a new project that fosters collaboration, creativity and connection.”

Opportunities for young people are also being provided on a nationwide basis through other Fund recipients including Engage, Film Access Scotland, National Piping Centre, National Youth Choir, Scottish Book Trust, Scottish Brass Band Association, Scottish Music Centre, Scottish Youth Theatre and Youth Theatre Arts.

Culture Secretary, Fiona Hyslop said: “Youth music and youth arts organisations across Scotland are playing an important role in the lives of young people during these difficult times.

“This funding will support these organisations to expand their work and provide creative opportunities to young people as well as work and income for the artists and practitioners working with them through these projects.”

These awards are the first to be announced from the Scottish Government’s £3million funding package for Youth Arts. Further announcements will follow regarding recipients of at least £1.2million through the Access to Youth Arts Fund, the £700,000 Small Grants Scheme and £50,000 assigned to the Time to Shine Nurturing Talent Fund.

Iain Munro, CEO, Creative Scotland said: “All the emergency funds currently being delivered by Creative Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government are vital in addressing the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I’m particularly pleased that we are able to announce today the first recipients of this Youth Arts funding which will reach some of the children and young people most adversely affected by the pandemic and provide important work for freelance artists whose opportunities have been so severely impacted by Covid-19.”

The full list of Fund recipients:

Organisation (Trading name) Local Authority Area Funding Amount 
Drake Music Scotland Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Highland £61,880 
Engage National £40,744 
Fèisean nan Gàidheal Highland, National £30,000 
Fèis Rois Highland £64,820 
Film Access Scotland   National £40,744 
National Piping Centre National £37,477 
National Youth Choir of Scotland   Aberdeen, Glasgow, National £64,820 
National Youth Orchestra of Scotland Glasgow, Stirling £30,000 
Scottish Book Trust National £64,820 
Scottish Brass Band Association National £50,680 
Scottish Music Centre National £64,820 
Scottish Youth Theatre National £64,079 
Sistema Scotland Dundee, Aberdeen £50,805 
Starcatchers* Edinburgh, Fife £193,605 
Tinderbox Collective Edinburgh, Perth and Kinross £64,820 
Toonspeak Young Peoples Theatre Glasgow £44,448 
YDance North Lanarkshire £35,892 
Youth Theatre Arts Scotland National £48,939 
  Total: £1,053,393.00 

*Starcatchers led consortium working in partnership with Imaginate and Lyra.

Updates on all emergency funds are being published regularly on this website and publicised through media and social media communications.

Photograph: Anne Binckebanck, courtesy of Drake Music

Foundation Scotland’s crisis support surpasses £6 Million

Over 1.3 million people reached to date and essential ‘winter-ready’ funding available

Foundation Scotland, Scotland’s community foundation, has announced the total amount distributed through their dedicated crisis fund now exceeds £6 million to date. 

This significant level of funding breaks all its previous records and illustrates the continued and growing needs coming from groups supporting those most vulnerable throughout the country.

The community foundation is today stressing that the Response, Recovery and Resilience fund remains open. 

Foundation Scotland is now particularly eager to support groups to get ‘winter-ready’, so they’re better equipped to deliver essential services through the darker, colder, winter months ahead.

For example, to enable groups to extend counselling and wellbeing services remotely, to purchase all-weather protective clothing, to create virtual energising activities through the cold dark months or to offer phone-based companionship for the isolated.

Helen Wray, Head of Programmes at Foundation Scotland, said: “It’s been a long seven months since the crisis began, we hoped we’d be able to get back to a little more normality by now.  However, it looks unlikely that restrictions will ease any time soon and we’re painfully aware the next few months will bring even more significant challenges as the nights get longer, darker and colder.

“The emotional, physical and financial impacts of lockdown are becoming increasingly problematic, lives have been turned upside down.  Sadly, there are even more people in Scotland experiencing extreme hardship, isolation, loneliness and fear.  

“However, we’re always encouraged by the resilience and strength we see in our communities.  Groups across the country are coming together to urgently deliver essential and critical services to those most in need.  

“We understand our support is needed more than ever. Crisis grants enable dedicated groups to offer vital services in protecting the most vulnerable from long-term impacts.  Therefore, our fund will remain open to applications for support where it is needed most.   

“For example, wellbeing services like virtual counselling and befriending will be even more important. Volunteers might need all-weather protective clothing to support those in need safely and awnings and heaters to provide services outside.  We are, however encouraging groups to apply as soon as they can.” 

The community foundation’s Response, Recovery and Resilience fund, delivered in partnership with the National Emergencies Trust, has to date supported over 1.3 million people across Scotland. 

A total of £4.6 million in small grants have been distributed to 1,188 dedicated organisations delivering vital support to some of the most isolated and vulnerable people across the country.  A further £1.4 Million has been invested in strategic grants to national charities such as Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland, Shelter Scotland and the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) to deliver higher-level strategic support throughout the pandemic.

With the pandemic likely to impact on services well into 2021, the Foundation is now preparing to enter the Resilience phase of the fund. 

From 1st December the fund’s renewed focus will be on providing support to organisations to look even further ahead, to future proof their services more long term.

The continued restrictions will undoubtedly increase demand for many services delivered by small organisations, so it’s vital they’re equipped to continue meeting the needs of their local communities. More details on the Resilience phase will be available on the Foundation’s website in the coming weeks.

Since launching the dedicated Response, Recovery & Resilience Fund in March, the Foundation Scotland team have worked hard to assess an overwhelming level of applications ensuring vital support reaches those most in need as quickly as possible. 

Recent figures revealed that since the start of the crisis the Scottish funder has received almost the same number of applications in the last six months as it received in the whole of the previous financial year.

The Foundation Scotland Response, Recovery & Resilience Fund continues to welcome applications between £1,000-£5,000 from constituted community groups and registered charities. 

The funder is eager to distribute funds quickly and is appealing to eligible groups to apply as soon as they can.  Unlikely many other funding streams previous applicants are eligible to reapply to access further support needed. 

For more details, eligibility criteria and to apply online visit https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/

Culture Collective Fund launched

New £1.5million initiative launched 

Deadline for Expressions of Interest:  5pm, Wed 18 Nov 2020 

A new £1.5million Scottish Government initiative launches today to establish a network of creative practitioners, organisations and communities to respond to the impact of COVID-19. 

The initiative will also provide employment opportunities and actively engage people in shaping the future cultural life of their community. 

Grants of between £100,000 and £300,000 are available to organisations from the Culture Collective programme through Creative Scotland.  

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “We recognise that culture is more important than ever to Scotland’s collective wellbeing and prosperity.

“And place – where people, location and resources combine to create a sense of identity and purpose – is at the heart of realising the full potential of communities across Scotland and supporting them to respond creatively to the challenges posed by COVID-19. 

“The national Culture Collective pilot programme’s approach to establish a network of creative practitioners, organisations and communities reflects the ambition both of our Programme for Government and the Culture Strategy for Scotland.” 

Iain Munro, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland said: “The Culture Collective will spark new thinking and promote collaboration locally and across Scotland as we respond to the impacts of COVID-19 on the sector and communities.  

“Through the support provided by the Scottish Government, cultural organisations, local partners and creative practitioners will have the opportunity to work together, establishing important employment opportunities and developing new models of creative community engagement and participation.” 

Funding guidance and full information is available on the Creative Scotland website. 

Creative Scotland will be hosting an online Information Session about the initiative on Thursday 12 Nov, 15:30 – 16:30. 

Registration is available via the Culture Collective Programme page on Creative Scotland’s website. 

The Culture Collective programme is part of a Scottish Government package of COVID-19 emergency funds for creativity and culture being administered through Creative Scotland: 

  • £3.5million additional funds for Creative Scotland’s Open Fund which is open for applications to individuals and organisations on a rolling basis. 
  • £3million Youth Arts funding package comprising of at least £1.2million through the Access to Youth Arts Fund open to applications until Thursday 12 November; the £700,000 Small Grants Scheme which was  open to applications until Monday 2 November; £50,000 assigned to the Time to Shine Nurturing Talent Fund, and anadditional £1,050,000 allocated to support a number of targeted national and local area youth music and wider youth arts organisations. These organisations were invited to apply for the Youth Arts Targeted Fund by Tuesday 13 October. 

Previously announced funds from the Scottish Government are: 

Updates on all emergency funds are being published regularly on the Creative Scotland website and publicised through media and social media communications. 

£15 million to help young people’s mental health through the pandemic

Funding of £15 million is being made available to respond to children and young people’s mental health issues, with a focus on those  brought about by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The funding will be distributed to local authorities to support a local response for five to 24-year-olds, their families and carers.

Of this, £11.25 million will be for services in response to the pandemic, such as support for children who are struggling emotionally due to returning to school under new restrictions.

The remaining £3.75 million will be the first instalment of an annual £15 million fund to provide new and enhanced community mental health and wellbeing services. These new services will have a focus on prevention, early intervention and the treatment of distress.

Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey said: “The pandemic has been very hard for everyone, but for many children and young people it has been particularly difficult.

“Families have told us they need more support for mental and emotional distress and for their wellbeing and resilience, delivered in a community setting. By providing funding to tackle the impacts of the pandemic, alongside a separate fund to provide long term mental health and wellbeing support, we aim to deliver help where it is needed.

“This funding is in addition to supporting the recruitment of an additional 80 mental health professionals to work with children and young people, and our recent announcement of a further £3.6 million to help provide more than 80 additional counsellors in every college and university in Scotland over the next four years. We are also ensuring that every secondary school will have access to a counsellor.”

COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People Cllr Stephen McCabe said: “The wellbeing of our children and young people is of upmost importance to local authorities and has been a particular priority in recent months due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“This funding will allow local authorities to continue their work to support  young people’s mental health and wellbeing needs arising as a result of the pandemic, and to implement new and enhanced services, providing early support for children and young people experiencing wellbeing issues, and their families. These actions will help ensure the best outcomes for our children and young people in the short and longer term.”

Joanna Barrett, NSPCC Scotland policy and public affairs manager, said: “We know that many children in Scotland have suffered difficult and traumatic experiences over the past few months.

“During lockdown, we saw a rise in contacts to Childline about mental and emotional health issues, with some children saying they had experienced suicidal thoughts. Our counsellors heard from children struggling with family relationships, sharing that arguments, increased parental stress levels and abusive home environments had impacted their mental health.

“So this investment by the Scottish Government to address these issues is crucial for the recovery of our younger generation. But it is important we also remember and support our very youngest and most vulnerable members of society, those under five, who cannot voice the impact the pandemic has had on their mental wellbeing.”

Supporting emergency services this winter

Additional funding for more ambulances and staff

Additional funding of up to £11 million is being given to the Scottish Ambulance Service to help improve capacity and resilience this winter.

Up to £10.5 million will be used to put 148 new staff in place across the country before the end of the year. It will also provide 24 extra vehicles for the service in Scotland, including 8 ambulances which will be stationed in Glasgow and Lothian – two of the busiest areas.

The funding will also help reduce the need for staff to be on stand-by in some of the more rural areas, with £500,000 being used to ensure priority stations including Aviemore, Golspie and Oban have crews available 24/7.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Our ambulance staff continue to work extremely hard under difficult circumstances which are being experienced across our healthcare services. I am extremely grateful for their dedication and commitment.

“This additional investment will allow the Scottish Ambulance Service to put additional capacity in place in two of the busiest areas in the country, as well as supporting staff in some of the more rural areas through increases in staffing and reduction of requirement for staff to work on-call shifts.

“We continue to support the service and ensure they have the right resources in place across Scotland to continue to deal with increasing demand.”

 Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service Pauline Howie said: “This £11 million funding is fantastic news and will allow us to boost capacity in two of the busiest regions in Scotland through investment in new staff, new ambulances and new specialist vehicles.

“It will also allow us to support staff in some of our more rural areas though increased staffing and a reduction in on-call shift working.

“This winter is expected to see increased demand on healthcare services across the country and our top priority continues to be our patients and staff.

“These additional resources will ensure we continue to deliver the very best patient care to communities while supporting our fantastic staff who have been doing an amazing job each day in the most challenging of circumstances.

“We continue to recruit at pace across the country to strengthen our dedicated workforce – a workforce who have all been remarkable this year.”

Arts organisations act to broaden diversity

New opportunities to help broaden socio-economic diversity in the cultural sector 

Seven Scottish arts organisations are to host year-long paid creative fellowships designed to broaden socio-economic diversity in the arts as part of the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries programme. 

Thanks to £100,000 funding from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, the Bursaries will support early-career development of creative professionals such as artists, curators and producers from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds, across Scotland. 

The seven host organisations and the roles being offered in Scotland are: 

Applications for the Bursaries for Edinburgh Printmakers and The Workroom/Tramway are now live, while Aberdeen Performing Arts, ATLAS Arts, Eden Court and Red Note will launch their application dates soon with updates posted on their websites and social channels. 

Lilli Geissendorfer, director of Jerwood Arts, commented: “I’m delighted that Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries Fellows will be hosted across Scottish arts and cultural organisations. 

“They all applied to be part of the programme before COVID-19 had been identified, so it is heartening that making their organisations more diverse and inclusive is still high on their agenda despite the additional challenges they are facing.

“It speaks to the resilience I have been inspired by from all corners of the arts and cultural sector in recent months to find the silver linings in the bleakest of times and commit to creating a stronger sector that everyone will benefit from.” 

Shân Edwards, CEO, Edinburgh Printmakers said: “We are excited to be taking part in the Fellowship programme at this time. As we emerge from the shock of lockdown and begin to rebuild our programmes, we need to reconnect across boundaries and tackle inequality.

“Edinburgh Printmakers has a strong track record in training and development, and it has never felt more urgent to overcome a lack of accessible, quality, professional experiences and opportunities.”  

Previous Scottish host organisations includeNational Theatre of Scotland, Dundee Rep & Scottish Dance Theatre, The Common Guild, Glasgow International and the Royal Lyceum Theatre. 

Joan Parr, Director of Arts & Engagement, Creative Scotland said: “Fair access to careers in the arts is a pressing issue facing the sector, and hearing diverse voices enriches us all.

“With support from The National Lottery these transformative opportunities are being made possible from Skye to Edinburgh, Aberdeen to Inverness, and go some way to ensuring that the most talented people, regardless of background, are given the chance to succeed and contribute to a more vibrant arts sector for us all.” 

Photograph: Felicity Cranshaw. Simone Kenyon, Into the Mountain (2019) produced by Scottish Sculpture Workshop.

Restriction-affected Capital businesses encouraged to apply for coronavirus funds

Edinburgh businesses that have been affected by the current closures and restrictions can now apply for relief from the Coronavirus Restrictions Business Fund.

  • Businesses can apply for Scottish Government relief through Business Closure and Business Hardship Funds from 9am Tuesday 20 October
  • Scottish Government has made £40m available nationally to Scottish businesses impacted by the most recent set of restrictions that saw licensed premises close across Edinburgh

This follows the Scottish Government’s announcement on 9 October that £40m would be made available through one-off grants to support businesses directly impacted by the most recent set of restrictions.

Local businesses can apply online with the grants distributed by the City of Edinburgh Council.

The Business Closure Fund is a grant of up to £3,000 available to hospitality and other eligible businesses required to close (except for takeaways) by these new regulations. Up to £1,500 is available to businesses that are able to remain open but have been significantly impacted by the restrictions through the Business Hardship Fund.

The first round of applications for both funds is open to hospitality businesses that are required to close or operate in a restricted way due to the regulations and are able to evidence a minimum 25% reduction in turnover during the brake period.

Scottish producers or wholesale businesses supplying primarily short-life goods or products to hospitality businesses and some gyms that can show the same reduction in turnover will also be able to apply for the Business Hardship Fund.

Retail and businesses that provide takeaway food as the core and established basis of their operations are not eligible for these closure or hardship funds.

The Scottish Government will also work with business and sector representative organisations to provide additional support through a new £11 million contingency fund for businesses that need support but do not qualify for either of the new Funds.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Our local businesses have been fantastic during the last seven months but there’s no getting away from how difficult this situation is and now more than ever it is imperative that we continue to support Edinburgh’s local traders.

“This funding is to help our businesses survive and to enable them to thrive when they’re able to trade again as normal. Our team are ready to process applications quickly to make sure businesses get this support as fast as possible.

“As well as helping our local businesses access the Scottish Government Funds, we’re looking at other actions we can take to build on the continued support we have been providing since the start of the lockdown.

“Again, I encourage everyone to support where they can: visit your local cafes and unlicensed premises, look out for your neighbours and continue to follow the public health guidance provided.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Edinburgh’s local economy has been hard hit and we need to do everything we can to support them during this incredibly difficult time.

“We are working with the Scottish Government to help our affected local businesses access the funding that has been made available to them and will continue working with them and other partners throughout our ongoing response to and recovery from Covid-19.

“We have to double down on our efforts to support local industries, businesses and jobs in the best way we can: by coming together as one Team Edinburgh and supporting our local businesses and communities.”

The Council has taken previous steps to promote a sustainable economic recovery and support small businesses throughout the pandemic, including:

  • Awarding £112.5m in more than 9,000 Government funded Coronavirus Business Support Grants to local businesses
  • Supporting businesses to gradually reopen safely with a ‘Ready, Set, Go’ advice service, including guidance provided to 20,000 business owners
  • A more flexible approach to licensing to help more businesses apply to use outdoor space
  • Accelerating plans to use the Council’s supply chains to better support local business and stimulate economic growth
  • Creating more space for people to travel to businesses safely and enjoyably through the Council’s Spaces for People initiative, with priority being given to support walking, cycling, wheelchair use and prams
  • Working with the Edinburgh Tourism and Action Group and other partners to support the #ForeverEdinburgh campaign which will gradually market the City as an attractive place for shopping, dining out and visiting with a £55,000 contribution from the Council.