116 voluntary sector organisations to benefit from new fund
Charities supporting children, families and adult learning have been awarded £12 million, the Children’s Minister has announced. Continue reading Happy New Year for some with £12 million funding annoucement
Anger and anxiety over funding debacle
Third sector umbrella organisation EVOC is to seek answers to funding queries following the uncertainty caused by Tuesday’s Education, Children and Families committee meeting.
The meeting was expected to recommend that organisations that had received funding in 2015/16 would be given the same amount as last year, while successful new applicants would receive 50% of their bid. However the key report was withdrawn on the eve of the meeting, leaving scores of community organisations in the dark over their futures.
Following the decision to withdraw the grant recommendations paper before Tuesday’s meeting, EVOC approached the Executive Director of Communities and Families for clarification and she has agreed to respond to questions collected by EVOC on behalf of organisations affected.
EVOC’s Children, Young People and Families Network development worker Sarah Wade said: “If you wish to raise a question please email me at sarah.wade@evoc.org.uk by 10am on Monday 14 December.
“This will enable us to collate questions from the Sector and submit them to Gillian Tee as soon as possible. Please include the name of the organisation you represent when you contact me – this will not be included with your question. For those organisations who have already been in touch with me, I will include the questions you have already raised.”
Email sarah.wade@evoc.org.uk or call 555 9133 for further info
Continue reading EVOC looks for answers on third sector grants
Scotrail cash for culture projects
ScotRail has launched a new Cultural and Arts Fund, worth £80,000 to local communities across Scotland. The Fund will award £40,000 by the end of January 2016, followed by £10k each quarter until January 2017. Continue reading All aboard for arts funding
Simplified application process will ‘support activity which puts people in the lead at the heart of their communities’
Big Lottery Fund Scotland has opened a new five-year £250 million funding scheme. With a focus on helping people and communities most in need, groups across the country can apply to share these life-changing funds. Continue reading New multi-million Lottery fund open for business
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT – #VOTEGYC
We promised you big news – and here it is! We’re delighted to announce that Granton Youth Centre is one of the finalists for the RBS Skills and Opportunities Funding. Continue reading Granton Youth Centre needs your help!
Funding will support communities to reduce and prevent sectarianism across Scotland
Community projects tackling sectarianism at a local level will benefit from £3 million of funding for the year 2015/16, the Scottish Government has announced.
Following on from the Scottish Government’s investment of £9 million over three years this latest round of funding will be used to support a wide range of projects committed to tackling sectarianism at a grassroots level throughout Scotland.
Among those to receive funding is Leith’s Pilmeny Development Project, who will use their £20,000 allocation to ‘help challenge community tensions and encourage better integration of the religious groups that make up the Leith community’.
Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, Paul Wheelhouse, announced that £2.3 million is to be allocated to 38 community projects throughout Scotland – and the Scottish Government is currently identifying further activities to benefit from the remaining cash.
Mr Wheelhouse said: “The Scottish Government is committed to tackling sectarianism. We have already invested £9 million over the last three years to support, among other things, community-based efforts in dealing with sectarianism and this additional £3 million of funding will allow the issue to continue to be addressed at a local level.
“No one should have to face discrimination or prejudice in any form in 21st century Scotland. It is never acceptable and it will not be tolerated.
“We welcome the fact that religiously aggravated offending is falling and is now at its lowest level in a decade – last year alone there was a 15% decrease. However we will continue to do all that we can to address the issue of sectarianism in Scotland.
“Communities are at the heart of our work to tackle sectarianism and that is why we have committed a further £3 million to support this agenda and to continue to work with, and in, local communities to tackle this issue in the most appropriate way.
“We are confident that these projects will help us to continue to reduce sectarian attitudes and behaviours and help to finally rid Scotland of the prejudices of the past.”
For a full list of projects to receive funding see below:
NOTE: Police are investigating an incident of sectarian graffiti sprayed on a West Lothian church at the weekend. St Andrew’s RC Church in Livingston was plastered with anti-Catholic messages between 7pm on Saturday and 9am on Sunday morning.
Dunedin Canmore and Port of Leith Housing Associations among projects t0 receive People and Communities Fund awards
Projects which promote healthy eating, IT skills and household budgeting will receive more than £690,000 funding to tackle poverty and inequalities in Edinburgh, it was announced this morning.
Fourteen projects from across the city have secured a share of the Scottish Government’s People and Communities Fund (PCF) to change disadvantaged communities by providing advice, training or voluntary opportunities.
These include Port of Leith Housing Association’s Canny Budgeting which will receive £35,000 to offer advice to residents on tackling fuel poverty, more than £10,000 for Dunedin Canmore Housing Ltd’s Digital Skills for All for IT workshops and £23,000 for Broomhouse Health Strategy’s healthy eating classes.
The 20 More project, will receive £37,000 through PCF to empower local people and help households save £20 a week, through training opportunities which will allow them to gain skills and qualifications in community development, and benefits and energy advice, at the project’s community shop.
Speaking on a visit to the 20 More Community Shop and Serenity Café which is also operated by Comas, Community Empowerment Minister Marco Biagi said: “Every community in Scotland has different challenges and aspirations and there is no one-size fits all approach to tackling poverty.
“That’s why our People and Communities Fund is giving communities in Edinburgh the power and confidence to shape their own futures.
“With household budgets under pressure, it’s great to see a project like 20 More looking for ways to save 600 of the area’s most vulnerable families at least £20 a week and helping to ease some of the stress of paying their bills.”
Ruth Campbell, Chief Executive of Comas said: “We are so pleased that the Scottish Government is focusing on empowering communities, as sustainable change must be community-led and start from the grassroots. This grant enables us to put local people in the driving seat and builds their capacity for community-led action.
“Training local people in benefits advice and energy saving will directly impact on wellbeing in this community. It will also help some residents gain employment in these growing sectors, so the grant will have a strong ripple effect.”
See below for the full list of projects to receive PCF awards:
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/regeneration/community/pcf/awards
‘An interest in science at an early age can last a lifetime’ – Dr Stephen Breslin, Glasgow Science Centre
More than 3 million people have visited Scotland’s science centres in the last five years, Science Minister Alistair Allan announced yesterday as he committed £2.75 million for the coming year. Dr Allan made his announcement on the eve of the programme launch for this year’s Edinburgh International Science Festival.
The Minister announced increased funding in 2015-16 for all four Scottish centres – Satrosphere in Aberdeen, Dundee Science Centre, Glasgow Science Centre and Edinburgh’s Our Dynamic Earth.
More than 658,000 people visited the centres in 2014, an increase of 12.6% compared to 2010‘s visitor numbers.
Highlights in the past 12 months included the opening of Scotland’s Time Lords galleries at Our Dynamic Earth and the Ice Station Antarctica exhibition, which travelled to Dundee from the Natural History Museum in London.
Speaking after a visit to Glasgow Science Centre yesterday (above), Dr Allan said: “I am absolutely delighted that the many new activities, exhibits and revamped galleries have delivered a great year for our science centres and continued to build up visitor numbers.
“This increase is a tribute to the staff and their efforts to encourage more people of all ages to visit the centres. Our schools will always encourage children enjoy the science they are learning, but there is so much more that families and adults can experience at the science centres with engaging exhibitions and events that stimulate debate and discussion around science.
“This year Scotland has a key role to play in the international celebrations for Year of Light 2015 as one of our finest physicists James Clerk Maxwell is remembered. This means that there are even more events on offer and I would urge all parents, young people and everyone with a spark of curiosity to look and see what is taking place near them and get involved.”
New attractions planned this year include a major new exhibition Powering the Future that will open in Glasgow in the Autumn and an exhibition at Our Dynamic Earth on the work of CERN and its Large Hadron Collider.
Our Dynamic Earth’s Chief Executive, John Simpson, said: “We are thrilled to hear that funding for Scotland’s science centres has been confirmed by the Scottish Government for the year 2015-16. This will allow us to expand and deliver events which engage with local Community Groups and Schools across Scotland who would otherwise be unable to come to the Centre. In addition to our Charity Golden Ticket, which gives free access to Dynamic Earth for 25 Lothians based charities, the scheme has now been extended to include five local primary and secondary schools.
“Looking to the year ahead, Dynamic Earth will be bringing new films to Scotland’s only fully digital 360° planetarium cinema, hosting a dynamic exhibition on the work of scientists in Cern using the Large Hadron Collider, introducing visitors to new, as yet un-tamed, arrivals in our Rainforest, and allowing guests to race against our very own dinosaur to find out if they will become a winner or dinner!
“Our ability to make such investments and to be able to engage with young and old on the wonders of our Planet in such a way is only possible thanks to the ongoing support of Scottish Government.”
Dr Stephen Breslin, Chief Executive of Glasgow Science Centre, said: “An interest in science from an early age can last a lifetime, and this funding will help us to bring science to life in an interactive way through our education programme. We want to inspire our young people to be excited and stimulated by the opportunities that science offers and for them to study and achieve qualifications in science, technology, engineering and maths in the future.
“We are excited about the year ahead and the enhancements we will make to our visitors’ experience through redeveloping exhibition spaces in the Science Mall, creating new education and public programme and working with our partners from academia and industry. We are thankful to The Scottish Government for supporting our mission and helping us to promote science and technology through thought-provoking and exciting experiences.”
The funding package announced today includes revenue funding of £2,500,000 plus £250,000 to support school visits and community engagement. They will receive:
Satrosphere, Aberdeen £250,150 (up from £226,010 last year)
Dundee Science Centre £340,800 (up from £312,220 last year)
Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh £926,350 (up from £869,090 last year)
Glasgow Science Centre £982,700 (up from £922,680 last year)
Edinburgh’s Science Festival programme is launched today. Go to http://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/
Deadline for applications is THIS FRIDAY (30 January)!
Postcode Community Trust has launched a Community Grants programme, through which charities can apply for anything between £500 – £20,000 to deliver projects that positively impact on their local community.
Funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, applications for £2,000 or under are open to organisations that are not registered charities (although registered charities may apply for this smaller amount if they wish). Applications for between £2,000 – £20,000 will be open to registered charities only.
The Community Grants Programme will be accepting applications for projects that meets one or more of the following funding themes:
All regions in Scotland and Wales are eligible to apply for funding in each funding round. However, only certain areas of England may apply – please see the website below for full details.
For more information on how to apply, visit the Postcode Community Trust website.
LOCAL CHARITIES INVITED TO COME AND TALK FUNDING
Charities working in and around Edinburgh and the Lothians are invited to come and have a face to face chat about funding opportunities with Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland.
An advice surgery will be held all day on Tuesday 10 February at the Foundation’s offices on Gorgie Road in Edinburgh. The Foundation is particularly keen to hear from grassroots charities which benefit disadvantaged people and who need funding to continue their work.
Unlike many other funders, the Foundation’s Henry Duncan Awards programme will contribute towards staff and running costs, as well as new projects and services. And charities which have had a grant before can also apply again. The advice surgery gives charities the chance to find out if they meet the funding criteria and to get tips on how to fill in the application form.
Fiona Duncan, Chief Executive, said: “Our next deadline for applications to the Henry Duncan awards is 23 March so this is the perfect opportunity for groups to get some face to face advice before they apply.
“We want to give our money away to good causes doing great work in their communities to make a difference to people’s lives. So we’ll be as helpful as we can, explaining the application process and whether their work fits with what we fund. I’d encourage all community based charities in Edinburgh and the Lothians working with disadvantaged people to book an appointment.”
Appointments are held at Riverside House, 502 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh, EH11 3AF. They last for 45 minutes and can be booked by calling 0131 444 4020 or emailing enquiries@ltsbfoundationforscotland.org.uk
