Tag: National Lottery Community Fund

A bright new future for thousands of young Scots thanks to Young Start funding

Ten youth led projects share over £600,000 

Today (Wednesday 15th December), projects paving the way for young people in Scotland to gain new skills will be sharing in £600,000 of Young Start funding. 

The additional funding comes as a lifeline to many young Scots, whose services and opportunities for learning and gaining experience have been negatively affected by the pandemic. 

Edinburgh Young Carers Project has been awarded over £99,000. The project works with young carers aged 16-25 years who are no longer at school and who are providing unpaid caring support to someone.

Through the creation of a Transition Plan, created with the Young Adult Carer (YAC), the project will identify the carers strengths and look at things they need support with.

Association for Black Engineers (UK) Limited has been awarded £49,300 for its NextGen Coding Club, based in Aberdeen. 

The club focuses on levelling out the inequalities for opportunities for young people from a mixed ethnic background, specifically around opportunities within engineering career paths. 

Cyril Ishabiyi from the project said:  “The underrepresentation of minorities in engineering and technology is well documented.

“Studies from EngineeringUK show that despite the fact that 31.8% of UK domiciled undergraduate qualifiers are from BME backgrounds, only 7.8% of professionals are in the engineering sector.   

“The NextGen Coding Club is a youth-led initiative that exists to address this gap by creating an environment in which young people develop their interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and where they develop skills of coding, teamwork, creativity and leadership, skills that will equip them to be innovators of the future.   

“Now we will be able to reach out to more people from disadvantaged communities and provide them with the necessary equipment to consolidate their learning, and ensure they experience the fun and practicality of not only engineering, but technology as a whole.

“Furthermore, leadership courses will be given to the participants, to ensure their soft skills are also second to none.” 

 

Young people on the remote island of Tiree will benefit from £46,814 of funding for the Tiree Community Development Trust. With a population of only 800 people, this funding will benefit almost all the young people on the island in some way.   

The group will use the funding to support a broad range of wellbeing and volunteering opportunities, helping young people to flourish.  

Willie MacKinnon, Youth Activities Coordinator said: “Living in such a remote setting can be incredibly difficult for some young people.

“The funding means we can keep delivering the activities which really have become paramount to the children and young adults in our community to have a well-rounded experience of growing up. 

“Some of the young people who benefit from our services go on to become volunteers, passing on what they’ve learned to the younger kids, and in turn, gaining leadership experience. We’re so proud to see so many of the service users go on to study youth work or teaching on the mainland.  

“The pandemic has been hard for everyone, but being part of a very small island community, it’s been so easy to see how people can become isolated. The various activities we run – from football and hockey to a chess club and a sci-fi group – really have been a lifeline to many of the young people taking part.” 

Near Inverness, The Cantraybridge Café and Enterprise Shop receives £60,000 which will be used to re-open their onsite café, located within the grounds of the specialist further education college.  

Hazel Clark, CEO of Cantraybridge, said: “Our café was closed a few years ago and has been greatly missed by all at Cantraybridge and the locals who visited regularly.  

“The funding will enable us to re-open our café and provide that wonderful link between the young people who attend and the local community. We have many groups in our community who enjoy visiting Cantraybridge, the cycling club, Church groups and local schools to name a few.  

“Previously, we found that our young people gain so much more than just skills in cooking, baking and customer care. They grow in confidence and the difference in their self-esteem is quite remarkable.

“We have found that our young people take such a pride in their achievements and the joy they experience when a customer compliments them is priceless.”   

Announcing today’s awards, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “Young people across the country have faced an enormously difficult period over the last 20 months. We’re thrilled to have been able to commit another £600,000 to projects across the country which are dedicated to improving the future of young Scots.    

“We are always keen to support projects which put Scotland’s young people at the heart of the development and running of services. If your group has an idea how you would make this happen, then we’d love to hear from you.”   

Groups wanting to know more about Young Start, and how it can support them should visit https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/youngstart or contact 0141 846 0447.   

£97,000 Lottery LIFT for Muirhouse Millennium Centre

Muirhouse Millennium Centre is among twenty-seven community groups across Edinburgh are sharing in a £717,108 cash boost from The National Lottery Community Fund today.  

The Millennium Centre receives £97,000 to ‘provide a range of community activities within Muirhouse Millennium Centre engaging approximately 150 local community members and four volunteers.’

Muirhouse Millennium Centre is also the base of LIFT (Low Income Families Together), who run a range of services from the Millennium Centre.

Thanks to an award of £53,463, Leith-based Fast Forward (Positive Lifestyles) Ltd will be able to continue their ‘Ask Dad’ project – a health education and training programme for dads and male carers across Edinburgh and the Lothians -for another three years.

Mark Hunter, Project Officer, Ask Dad, said: “Thanks to this support from The National Lottery Community Fund our ‘Ask Dad’ programme will be able to continue to support dads whose families are going through a period of difficulty. 

“We’re looking forward to developing our work to date, including our Good Conversations programme, supporting parents to have what they perceive as awkward, difficult, or embarrassing conversations with their children.

“We are looking forward to working on our new programme, ‘Dad: The Invisible Parent’ which will support better awareness and understanding by practitioners of the challenges faced by dads, to improve their engagement and communication with dads, towards better outcomes for their children. 

“In addition, by working with parents who feel ignored or unwelcome by service providers, we aim to improve their ability to communicate with services and to understand a service provider’s role and their limitations.” 

Better informed, more confident dads improve the wellbeing of the whole family. They also improve their children’s educational attainment. These impacts are even more profound in the communities affected by poverty and inequality.

An award of £114,344 means that Craigmillar Literacy Trust will continue to provide their support to local families with babies and children up to nine years of age for the next three years.

They will also be able to run their new ‘Express Yourself’ programme for older children and young people aged up to the age of sixteen using digital media and performance to support them to connect with literacy in a way that is more relevant to them.

Kara Whelan, Project Manager, Craigmillar Literacy Trust, said: “This grant will support our work with babies, children, young people, and families in Craigmillar though our early literacy, family literacy and young people’s projects. 

“Our work is relationship based and embedded in our community. We are looking forward to building on the strengths we have and to developing new and innovating approaches to supporting literacy in our community.”

Edinburgh Tool Library receives £9,500 to help with the costs of a Volunteer Co-ordinator who will deliver a bespoke training programme for volunteers as well as making links with other third sector organisations in Edinburgh and will help the group engage with new communities and neighbourhoods across the city.

Chris Hellawell, Founder and Director, Edinburgh Tool Library, said: “This support will allow us to reach communities that we haven’t yet spoken to before, help us enhance the support we give to our community and to produce materials to share with other organisations like ours across Scotland so we can amplify the impart of all the hard work or our volunteers in Edinburgh.  Thank you so much.”

More Edinburgh projects celebrating today include Ama-zing Harmonies, Big Hearts Community Trust, Leith Community Centre, LifeCare and St Columba’s Hospice.

Across Scotland 179 projects are sharing in £5,752,948 today. Announcing the funding, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “Local community groups bring people together to support one another through difficult times.

“Sometimes this is as simple as providing a listening ear and other times it can be a real lifeline connecting people who might otherwise be lonely and isolated. Each of the projects receiving funding today in Edinburgh remind us of the power of social connections and the difference that community projects can make to people’s lives.

 “National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raise is helping to support this vital work.” 

 The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and more than £30 million a week is raised for good causes across the UK.

Thanks to National Lottery players, last year we awarded over half a billion pounds (£588.2 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK. Over eight in ten (83%) of our grants are for under £10,000 – going to grassroots groups and charities across the UK that are bringing to life amazing ideas that matter to their communities. 

Scotland’s Social Action Inquiry is looking for Guides

My name is Darryl Gaffney du Plooy, and I am one of the Co-leads for the Social Action Inquiry (Scotland). The other Co-lead is Deborah Menezes.

We are currently looking for people to help shape the direction of the inquiry. We have given these roles the name of Guides because lived experience will be crucial  for us to navigate sensibly and sensitively through the complex landscapes of Scotland’s Civil Society.

We are inviting applications from any age and all backgrounds. We have produced Easy-Read materials and are welcoming applications sent via video and audio file for people who prefer these forms of communication. 

As well as the option to submit a written application The full details on how to apply can be found at Good Moves or on our Social Action Inquiry Website.

We appreciate that our deadline (12 noon, 22nd of October) might be too short for some people but we would like to communicate that we will be looking to recruit more Guides in 2022.

I also wanted to mention that we will also soon be ready to share with you a programme of activities for us to listen, learn and build bonds with people, places, and communities in Scotland.

Our intention is for the activities to mirror our approach to the inquiry, as in, focusing on relationships, being inclusive & participatory, and orientating energy towards action.

If either or both of these developments interest you, please share and if you would like to get in touch feel free to do so. We will be delighted to hear from you.      

Best wishes

Darryl Gaffney du Plooy

Co-lead Social Action Inquiry

Darryl@socialaction.sco

Invitation for Guides of the Social Action Inquiry in Scotland 

Do you want to live in a Scotland where communities   can make positive differences to their way of life? A Scotland that values social action and helps to make it happpen?  

We invite you to be part of our Social Action Inquiry team to shape the direction of the inquiry by adding your voice and experience into the inquiry process 

What is the Social Action Inquiry? 

The Social Action Inquiry is being set up to find out more about how communities can take action that makes a difference. It will look at what helps, and what gets in the way. It’s hoped that it will help influence how Scotland rebuilds after the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Inquiry’s vision is: 

A Scotland which recognises the value of social action and its potential to enable us to overcome the challenges we face in the 21st century.  

This independent inquiry will be led by people with direct, lived experience of Scottish communities which have felt powerlessness over decisions affecting their own lives, and that this power has been exercised by others. 

It will support people to find their voices, take action, and use what they learn to help create wider change.  For more details, see our website – socialaction.scot 

To help the Inquiry we are inviting people to become Guides.   

What will a Guide do?  

To allow for the Inquiry to create a more inclusive and sustainable journey the Guides will help  shape the direction of the Inquiry.  For more details on the role please download our invitation to become a Guide file below (General or Easy-Read versions). 

Work, Hours and Pay. 

The Guides will meet once a month for one full day, online or in-person.  

The Guides will be offered £200 per day for their time.  

The panel of Guides will be reviewed every six months. This is to ensure diverse perspectives can contribute into the Inquiry.   

I would like to be a Guide. How do I do that?   

You can choose apply that in four different ways:   

  1. Write your answers on our application form (attached below).  
  2. Write a personal statement (no more than 1000 words) telling us why you would like to be a Guide.    
  3. Send us a video, no longer than 10 minutes, telling us why you would like to be a Guide. 
  4. Send us an audio file, no longer than 10 minutes, telling us why you would like to be a Guide.   

 We have chosen these four different ways because we know writing applications can be difficult for people. Guiding questions with how to design your application can be found by downloading the ‘Invitation for Guides’ file below (General or Easy-Read versions)  

When is the closing date for applications?  

Applications are open until 12 noon on the 22nd of October  

We will let people know if they are being invited to an interview by the 29th of October.  

Interviews will be arranged for the week beginning the 1st of November.    

How to submit your application.  

 A copy of the application can be downloaded below.  

 Completed written applications should be sent to hello@socialaction.scot  

Video and Audio Files should be sent by WeTransfer, or via the communication platforms Telegram or  Whatsapp to 07867 181 040.   

Please send a confirmation email to hello@socialaction.scot  informing us which platform you have used to submit your application.   

If you would like to speak to someone above being a guide before you apply or have any additional queries regarding the role or any information noted above, please email:  hello@socialaction.scot    

Downloads

Invitation for Guides Easy Read

Invitation for Guides

Application Form Easy-Read Version

Application Form

Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

Privacy Statement and References for Video and Audio File Applications 

National Lottery funding helps Scottish community groups begin COVID-19 recovery journey

Over £2.2m of National Lottery funding is today being shared by 103 community groups across Scotland.  Many of the charities and voluntary organisations receiving awards will provide vital support and activities for people as they begin to meet up with others again post pandemic.

Twelve Edinburgh-based projects have received funding in the latest round of awards. The Action Group (above) receives the biggest award – over £124,000 Improving Lives funding – to deliver an 18-month isolation reduction project making connections for people with learning disabilities, autism and other support needs.

Other succesful projects including Hidden Door, Steps to Hope and Water of Leith Trust receive awards of up to £10,000.

Sleep Scotland’s Teens+ Project is an Edinburgh based learning service for students with additional support needs which help them flourish and move on towards a more independent lifestyle.   

Thanks to an award of £10,000, they will be able to run a year long programme of activities and support which will address the negative impact of COVID-19 on their students who reported feeling more anxious, isolated, and disconnected as a result of the pandemic. 

Shaun Jempson, 34, from Edinburgh, who has additional support needs and who is a student at Teens+ said: “I found lockdown a bit sad and very hard at times as I couldn’t go out with my friends and there wasn’t much do to other than sitting around the house. 

“I felt bored and really lonely. The staff at Teens+ helped me to learn things like independence skills, group work, maths and writing which helps me to work towards my future goals.  I am excited to learn the new activities because it’s good to try new things and it will help me meet up with people again and learn coping strategies.

Welcoming the funding, Gail Burden, Teens CEO, said: “At Teens+ we believe everyone with additional support needs deserves to thrive. During COVID restrictions it’s been really difficult for our students to keep connected with their peers and they’ve told us that they feel more isolated and anxious as a result. 

“This National Lottery funding will help us to run new activities designed to build confidence and wellbeing.

“Our students will be able to be with their friends again through a programme of fun and educational activities that they will design themselves.  This will make a huge difference in helping our students move on from COVID-19 and reconnect with their friends and the wider community.”

African Lanarkshire for Mental Health receives £7,630 to deliver as series of NHS led workshops to help alleviate any fear and anxiety around getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

The group, who will work with families in the Motherwell area, will also be able to work with people who have additional COVID-19 related mental health issues.

Bethin Kambale, African Lanarkshire for Mental Health said: “These workshops will help give people clear information about the vaccination and help improve their mental health. 

“Many of our members are talking about being scared to go to work because of anxiety of catching the virus and we want to help them feel more confident about moving on with their lives post COVID.”

Across Scotland, 103 community projects are today sharing in £2,140,644.

  

Announcing the funding, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “It’s great to see a such a variety of projects being funded to help people of all ages and backgrounds begin to adapt and recover from the pandemic whether it’s supporting more people like Shaun learn new skills and begin to meet up with friends and families or helping those who may feel scared and anxious to take those small steps back to normality.

“As groups are beginning to bring people together again National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money, they raise is making a huge difference helping to re-connect people of all ages in communities across Scotland.”  

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Thanks to National Lottery players, last year we awarded over half a billion pounds (£588.2 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK. 

Over eight in ten (83%) of our grants are for under £10,000 – going to grassroots groups and charities across the UK that are bringing to life amazing ideas that matter to their communities. 

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk  

A beating Heart for Newhaven!

£792,000 for Victoria Primary School community project

A primary school in Newhaven, which was about to fall empty, is set for a new role at the centre of the community following an award £792,000 from the Scottish Land Fund.

On hearing news of its successful application, Rodney Matthews, Chair, Heart of Newhaven Community, said: “This grant will cover the purchase price of the property and help with initial development costs.

“While the date when the children will move into their new school in Western Harbour is not yet known, we are now able to move forward confidently with our plans for what is a much-loved icon of Newhaven.”

In the project’s latest newletter, released this morning, The Chair told Heart of Newhaven supporters: “The site of Victoria Primary School IS going to be the Heart of Newhaven Community!

“This time last year the City of Edinburgh Council approved our request to take over the school and reduced the valuation price by £85,000 because of what we’ve promised to do, especially for the very young, the elderly, isolated and most vulnerable.  Provided we could pay them£700,000, they would sell the site to the community.    

“The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has just given us that whole amount – and more!

“This SLF was set up by the Scottish Governmentto help charities just like ours working to improve local communities in the ways we have set out for the site, in order for it to become a vibrant hub of activity of people of all generations working and playing together; as we have often said, ‘the beating Heart of Newhaven’.

“All approved. We are now poised to sign two contracts:  one with the SLFand the other with the Councilfor vacant possession of the site on a date yet to be announced, dependent on the completion of building works across the road. When we do get the keys, there will be much work to be done to get the building safe and ready for use, so bear with us. We will go as fast as we safely can.

“There will be plenty of exciting things to share to take us on through the challenge of the months ahead right through the inevitably unknown autumn and winter to come and into the spring of 2022  – when you will really begin to see things happen.”

The Heart of Newhaven funding announcement – and welcome news for three further community projects – was made yesterday (29 July) by Environment and Land Reform Minister, Mairi McAllan (below), while visiting EATS Rosyth.

Last November EATS Rosyth received £284,500 from the Scottish Land Fund in order to purchase a disused Clydesdale Bank Building in order to relocate and expand its community activities around cooking and food.

Ms McAllan said: “Communities across Scotland are achieving great things with support from the Scottish Land Fund. These awards will be a boost to the four communities who’ve worked so hard to keep their projects going through all the challenges of the last year.

“Visiting the Rosyth Community Garden and Orchard has shown the value of placing ownership and decision-making in the hands of local communities.

“By relocating the community hub to the new premises acquired through the Scottish Land Fund, EATS Rosyth aim to expand their existing services and offer a suite of new activities aimed at growing and sharing food, reducing waste, helping the environment, and improving food education.

“These projects will make a big contribution to their communities, to local resilience and recovery.”

Stephen Lynas, Chairman of EATS Rosyth said: “We’re grateful to the Scottish Land Fund for their assistance in helping us purchase the building. Following a successful round of fundraising and getting in place the various consents required, we will be starting the renovation works for our new hub premises in the very near future.

“We’re looking forward to providing a brand-new community facility that will give us with a fantastic platform to grow our services and support our local community in Rosyth and Southwest Fife.”

Other projects benefiting during the current round of funding include Forgan Art Centre, which has been given £292,800 to buy the Leng Home, a disused care home in Newport on Tay and turn it into a space for social and economic activities and to increase social interaction.

Forgan Art Centre Chairperson, Gillian Burch, said: “The management team at Forgan are really delighted that we have secured the funding to buy the Leng Home and take the Forgan Arts Centre forwards onto the next phase of its journey.

“The continued support from our local community, who want to see the Leng Home kept for community use, has encouraged us to keep going and we now look forward to expanding the Forgan Arts Centre in its new home.”

Carluke Development Trust has been awarded £112,000 to buy a two-storey house adjacent to Carluke High Mill, which the Trust already owns. This will allow it to continue its project to reduce dereliction and promote regeneration in the town.

Bill Anderson, Carluke Development Trust, said: “We are delighted to receive support from the Scottish Land Fund for the acquisition of the former Millers House that sits within the Carluke High Mill and ONECarluke Community Growing & Learning Garden site.

“The acquisition of the house will complete the community ownership of the whole site and allow the project to create a larger Community HUB and move into an even more exciting period of delivery and further development.”

And Edinbane Community Company on Skye has been given £135,000 with which to buy three serviced building plots on which it plans to erect six affordable homes that will be rented to the community.

Alistair Danter, Chair, Edinbane Community Company, said: “This is great news for the community who have been working for over three years to tackle the lack of affordable housing in Edinbane.

“We are immensely grateful to the Scottish Land Fund for its support of our community initiative, and we look forward to working with the private developer SLL to deliver six new affordable homes in 2023.”

The new Chair of the Scottish Land Fund, Cara Gillespie, said: “We are delighted to make these awards, the first for our new Committee. 

“It is a privilege to support communities with their efforts to improve where they live. These awards will make a positive difference, strengthening communities and empowering local people.”

The Scottish Land Fund is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership by The National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

Sandra Holmes, Head of Community Assets at HIE, said: “It’s great to see more dynamic communities taking control of resources for the long-term benefit of their local areas and people.

Having greater control over such assets will help ensure their long-term future. I am delighted we have been able to provide Scottish Land Fund support and wish all the groups the very best in their new ventures.”

Edinburgh disability groups amongst those to benefit from £610K Lottery cash boost

A service supporting autistic adults to set up their own micro-enterprises, a project helping people with disabilities to find love and friendship and a family support project for those living with down’s syndrome are amongst 23 groups in the capital today sharing in £610,119 from The National Lottery Community Fund.

An Edinburgh business mentoring service supporting autistic adults to set up their own micro-enterprises today receives £9,500, IWORK4ME will deliver its service Scotland-wide via face to face and online meetings.

Artist Ruth Mutch trades as Penguin Parade.  She continues to grow her business having increased her range of merchandise from just a few items to over 200. 

Ruth, who is supported by her mother and IWORK4ME, said: “Trying out self-employment and running a micro business with the support of IWORK4ME and my mum has really given me a purpose in life and helped my mental wellbeing and self-esteem. 

“I now feel I have achieved something and am successful whereas before I felt a failure.”

Sue Hope, Development Manager, IWORK4ME, added: “We are delighted with this National Lottery award.

IWORK4ME is a small charity which promotes self-employment as a beneficial career solution for autistic people like Ruth across Scotland.  This funding ensures that we can continue our Business Mentoring service on Zoom and promote the service on social media to a wider audience.”

get2gether supports adults with disabilities to lead their own lives whist finding love and friendship.

Over the next three years, with an award of £150,000, they will provide a range of activities from party nights to exercise classes that reduce isolation and help people realise their full potential.

Marion Smith, Project Manager, get2gether, said: “A huge thanks to the National Lottery for continuing to support us.  get2gether supports adults with disabilities to lead independent, self -determined adult lives. 

“Thanks to National Lottery players, we’ll be able to continue bringing members together through a wide range of activities.”

Based in Edinburgh, but supporting families across the country, Down’s Syndrome Scotland receives £197,214 to deliver essential information, advice and support through a new extended helpline, a live chat facility and other online platforms.

Chief Executive, Eddie McConnell, said: “We are so grateful to have received this funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. It will allow us to continue to provide vital support for people with Down’s syndrome and their families across Scotland.

“Our Family Support team offer specialist support and information to families on a variety of topics via our helpline as well through video sessions.”  

Families with disabled children are to benefit from an award of £9796 to Firsthand Lothian for a programme of one to one and early intervention support.

Bev Read, Director, Firsthand Lothian, said: “This National Lottery funding enables us to provide much needed support for families across the city of Edinburgh who have children with disabilities or are disadvantaged.

“Through our direct 1:1 work with children, engaging them in stimulating activities that both aids their development and are fun, we will help children and families become more resilient.  Thank you so much to National Lottery players for making this award possible.”

Across Scotland, 184 community projects are today sharing in £4,435,695.  

Announcing the funding, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “It’s great to see these community projects being funded in Edinburgh to help people as they recover from the pandemic. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing how these projects improve communities and the lives of local as people as they start to come together again to re-build and re-connect.

“National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raDOgetise is making such a difference to people’s lives.”

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Thanks to National Lottery players, last year we awarded over half a billion pounds (£588.2 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK. 

Over eight in ten (83%) of our grants are for under £10,000 – going to grassroots groups and charities across the UK that are bringing to life amazing ideas that matter to their communities. 

Stroke charity’s Lottery award set to benefit hundreds of survivors

The Stroke Association in Scotland is planning to support hundreds more people affected by stroke as they recover from the effects of their stroke and impact of lockdown in the aftermath of the pandemic.

The charity has received a Lottery award from The National Lottery Community Fund to help develop and expand its peer support offers to help people affected by stroke, rebuild their lives again.

John Watson, Director Scotland of the Stroke Association said: “As well as the physical disabilities caused by stroke, there are many other stroke related difficulties less visible but just as important. For example, a third of stroke survivors in Scotland will experience depression.  

“We are delighted to be granted this award from The National Lottery Community Fund who has recognised the value of our support services and need for them to grow – particularly at this time. Our Recoveries At Risk survey last year highlighted that just under half of people affected by stroke felt less able to cope with the impact of their stroke during lockdown.

“In response to the pandemic, we are delivering new support offers in Scotland that aim to address the psychological impact of stroke – particularly the emotional needs of people affected by stroke.

“We will use the funding to continue and expand the support options for people recovering from stroke throughout Scotland. That support will help stroke survivors connect with local groups, facilitate Zoom meetings, and run face to face support groups.  They will also receive vital information to help with their own self-management.”

 Heather Melville-Hume from Galashiels, was only 43 when she had her stroke two and a half years ago.  It came completely out of the blue.  In an instant, her life changed as she knew it.

Heather was unable to walk confidently or use her lower right arm and dominant hand. The fatigue that came after her stroke was overwhelming. Everything felt like a huge mountain to climb – both physically and emotionally.

And as if that wasn’t hard enough to deal with, Heather then lost her husband who she had been with for seven and a half years.

She said: “Nobody around me had been widowed at such a young age and there was no one I knew my age, dealing with the impact of a stroke.  I was in a very lonely place.”

Heather heard about the charity’s stroke café via social media. And although initially anxious to join online and talk to people, something made her do it.

“I was delighted to feel at first like I didn’t need to say anything.  People were just talking normally about everyday things, and it was very relaxed with a warm welcome by volunteers involved.

“After a while people started to talk about what sort of a week they’d had.  And that’s when I heard some fascinating stories about peoples’ stroke experiences and how they were coping/had coped.  I realised I was not alone, that every stroke comes with its challenges, but there is hope and you can get back to a new normal.

“I am delighted the Stroke Association in Scotland is receiving support from The National Lottery Community Fund.  There is so much value in connecting with strangers with shared experiences in lifting your mood, spirit and importantly raise a smile on the hardest of days.”

ANOTHER BIG WINNER announced this morning was ELREC (Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council), who received almost £100,000.

The Forth Street-based organisation will use the funding ‘to continue supporting isolated women and activities will include exercise classes, arts and crafts workshops, a women’s health forum, and opportunities to practice talking and writing in English.

‘Participants will meet new friends and will benefit from a supportive network, improved wellbeing and increasing social interaction.’

The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Chair, Kate Still: said: “In these unprecedented times, it’s heartening to see the way Scottish communities are coming together to provide each other with support.  

“I would like to congratulate the Stroke Association in Scotland on their award which is testament to the incredible efforts of their staff and volunteers. National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raise is making such a difference.”

£1.5 million Lottery support helps Edinburgh community groups adapt and recover from Covid-19

Edinburgh-based groups helping older people to re-connect, new parents feel less isolated and those with sight loss more empowered are amongst those today sharing in £1,483,518 of National Lottery funding.

The cash from The National Lottery Community Fund is being shared by 30 groups in the city helping local communities adapt and recover from COVID-19. 

As lockdown restrictions begin to lift members of the Royston Wardieburn Community Centre’s Spring Chicken’s group are hoping to reconnect in person and get back to the things they love with an award £9,940.

Neil Saddington, Equalities and Inclusion Worker with the group, said: “Most of the Spring Chickens group are elderly people who experience a variety of different health issues and disabilities.

“This essential National Lottery funding has enabled us to do valuable work to combat isolation and loneliness during the most recent lockdown. Now that restrictions are slowly being lifted, we are looking forward to one to one outdoor meet ups to support some of the most isolated members of the group get out and about again.”

There was more good news for another North Edinburgh project as FetLor youth club has also received National Lottery support.

The club said in a statement: “FetLor are delighted to have received an award from The National Lottery Community Fund.  We plan to use this funding to support our young people as they return to the Club after lockdown. 

“FetLor is a club at the heart of the north Edinburgh community and this funding will support the young people from that community as they make a return to what’s important; being with friends in a safe and supportive space.” 

FetLor Director, Richie Adams said, “This last year has been challenging both for our members and for our community.  As we move out of lockdown, we are delighted to be welcoming young people back into their club.  

“We are looking forward to supporting our members build resilience, achieve their potential and have great fun doing so!  The support from the National Lottery enables us to do all we can to make sure our members have a fun time thriving and growing at FetLor”  

Based in Edinburgh and working Scotland wide, Sight Scotland offers support to anyone impacted by sight loss, as well as their relatives, friends and carers.

Thanks to an award of £150,000, its Family Wellbeing service will providea range of support to address the loneliness and mental health impacts of sight-loss, and the additional impacts of Covid-19. 

Mark O’Donnell, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland, said: “A huge thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund for this funding. It will enable us to provide practical and emotional support to even more people affected by visual impairment in communities across Scotland via our recently established Family Wellbeing Service.

“With the number of people with sight loss in Scotland set to increase by 30,000 to over 200,000 in the next decade, it is vital that Sight Scotland is there for people with sight loss and their loved ones whenever and however they need us.”

An award of £107,000 goes to Passion4Fusion to deliver a health, wellbeing and support service for Black African people in Edinburgh and West Lothian.

Welcoming the award Jonathan Ssentamu of Passion4Fusion, said: “We are very excited and really grateful for the support of the National Lottery Community Fund to enable us to develop this much-needed project which will help to address the complex issues and needs that Black Africans are facing.

“Experience has shown us that many Black Africans living in poverty and deprivation would choose to be ‘invisible’ rather than admit to needing help and in turn seeking the help they need. Our Project will support people directly within their local community, making it as easy as possible to access culturally sensitive services that will allow them to thrive in life.”

“This essential National Lottery funding has enabled us to do valuable work to combat isolation and loneliness during the most recent lockdown. Now that restrictions are slowly being lifted, we are looking forward to one to one outdoor meet ups to support some of the most isolated members of the group get out and about again.”

Dads Rock will deliver group sessions to fathers on topics such as parenting advice, health and safety and mental health, thanks to an award of £9,950.

Lisa Holder, Fundraising Manager, said: “This funding will help us give online support to around 1000 parents across Scotland over the next year, helping them to feel less isolated and learn new skills.

“It will enable them to become more confident and resilient and their children will feel safe, loved and supported.”

Networking Key Services Limited is a community organisation working closely with South Asian and other ethnic minority communities in Edinburgh. 

Welcoming their £103,840 award, Naina Minhas, Manager, Networking Key Services Ltd, said: “The National Lottery funding we have received in the past has enabled us to set up a forum for South Asian female carers in Edinburgh.

“This new award will go a long way to address the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on South Asian communities and will enable us to support communities in their recovery from the challenges that have further widened pre-existing inequalities.”

Across the country 246 community projects are today sharing in £10,922,832. 

Announcing the funding, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “It’s great to see such a variety of projects being funded in Edinburgh to help local people adapt and recover from the physical and mental health impacts of COVID-19.

“National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raise is making such a difference, connecting local people to others in their communities.”

National Lottery players raise £30 million every week for good causes in the UK. 

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk 

Link Up: Working Better Together in Place report released

The Place-based Programme Learning Exchange, a collaboration of national organisations that champion ‘place’ in their practices, has released a report highlighting what works and what doesn’t in place-based approaches.

This report aims to share these key learnings to enhance both the scale and quality of place-based working across Scotland, and draws on over 50 years of combined organisational experience and learning across dozens of urban and rural place settings.

Working-Better-Together-in-Place_PBPLExchange_FINAL_290321Download

Million-pound Lottery boost to improve the health of Young Scots

PROJECTS supporting young Scots with their physical and mental health and are today sharing in almost £1 million of dormant bank account funding. 

The cash from the Young Start fund goes to 12 groups across the country including West of Scotland based Able2Sail which offers sailing voyages and qualifications for young people of all abilities, Feeling Strong, a youth mental health charity giving a voice to young people in Dundee and to three Edinburgh projects. 

There’s £100,000 for Friends of the Award in Edinburgh & The Lothians. The group will use the funding to support young people with mental health issues in partnership with NHS Lothian.

Young people age 14 – 24 years will build their confidence, learn new skills and gain accredited awards using the Duke of Edinburgh Award structure. The project will involve 140 young people and 15 volunteers over 3 years.

Edinburgh & Lothian Greenspace Trust receives £60,474 to develop and deliver ten woodland activities and skills programmes across three years for young people in Edinburgh and the Lothians, beginning in Craigmillar but expanding to other areas in subsequent years.

The programme is for 16-24 year olds who have left mainstream education and will lead to a Saltire Award. The project will work with around 120 young people and involve 5 volunteers.

Last but not least, Edinburgh-based Love Learning Scotland receives £25,000 to support young people facing challenging circumstances, those excluded from mainstream education and those with limited support networks.

This will be achieved by providing young people with the opportunity to design, develop, and deliver farm and food activities and through personalised learning pathways where young people can achieve accredited qualifications through online learning. 150 young people will take part, supported by 15 volunteers.

Young Start, delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund, awards dormant bank account funding to projects that help young people reach their full potential. 

Originally set up in 2006 for people and families affected by disability, Able2Sail runs a Youth Forum where young people develop their sailing and teamwor kingskills while working together towards a sailing qualification. 

Today the group receives an award of £51,448 to enable members of its youth forum to take part in yacht, dinghy and powerboating sessions when restrictions allow.  

Welcoming the news, Gordon Tatnell, Chair of Able2Sail, said: “This Young Start award is wonderful news. 

It means we can continue our Youth Forum project over the next three years. Our young people are absolutely delighted and cannot wait to get back on the water and into training.” 

With an award of £99,911, Feeling Strong will deliver a recovery-focused mental health service for young people in Dundee.

The service will include peer mentoring, advice and support with employment and training opportunities and access to therapeutic activities such as sports and arts sessions.  

Brook Marshall, CEO of Feeling Strong, said: “We’re so excited to be running our new range of projects, enabled by the Young Start fund, for the benefit of some of Dundee’s most vulnerable young people.

“These projects will work with young people with mental health and wellbeing challenges to support their recovery journeys and give them the holistic, wraparound support that’s needed to make sure they’re able to move forward in a positive and meaningful way.” 

Announcing today’s awards totalling £946,347, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “This funding will give a huge boost to hundreds of young people across Scotland who now more than ever need a focus and something to look forward to when restrictions allow. 

“Whether it’s a project supporting young people with their mental health or a sports activity leading to a recognised qualification, each one will provide a fantastic opportunity for young Scots to build key skills and confidence for the future.

 “We are always keen to support projects which put young people front and centre in the development and running of services. If your group has an idea for funding, then we’d love to hear from you.” 

Groups wanting to know more about Young Start, and how it can support them during these unprecedented times should visit:

https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/youngstart 

or telephone 0141 846 0447.