Tag: Scotch Whisky Action Fund

New Funding Announced to Tackle Underage Drinking in Scotland

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has announced a new partnership with Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP), in a targeted initiative aimed at tackling underage drinking in key areas across Scotland. The SWA will provide £300,000 of funding over the next three years, funded via its Scotch Whisky Action Fund.

Community Alcohol Partnerships are tailored to address local requirements, with a focus on three key pillars of activity to support an overall reduction in alcohol harm. These include the provision of positive activity for children and young people; creating retail signage and conducting training to prevent underage sales and proxy purchase; and providing alcohol education in schools and for parents.

This new SWA funding will help establish CAPs in areas of high harm that have been identified throughout Scotland. The results of future work in these areas will be regularly monitored, evaluated, and reported on.

CAP has a robust evaluation framework and proven track record with consistent evidence of significant impact. To date, more than 250 CAPs have been established across the UK. Evaluation shows that they achieved an average of 62% reduction in regular drinking among 13-16 year olds; a 42% reduction in youth alcohol-related anti-social behaviour; and 77% of reductions in proxy purchases.

Mark Kent, Chief Executive of the SWA said: “The Scotch Whisky industry is committed to promoting safe, responsible consumption of alcohol, and tackling underage drinking.

“Our new partnership with Community Alcohol Partnerships will help to support delivery of this targeted intervention, marking an important and valuable development in the industry’s wider commitment to tackling alcohol harm.

“Our work with CAP will ensure that the funding provided by the industry is directed in the best and most effective way to address underage drinking in Scotland. We look forward to collaborating with the team at CAP and seeing the results of our new partnership.”

Derek Lewis, Chair of Community Alcohol Partnerships said: “Although alcohol consumption by children has declined for many years, more recent data has shown an increase and Scotland still has one of the highest rates of alcohol harm among children and young people internationally.

“The existing Scottish CAPs have already demonstrated real success in reducing these harms by helping local communities introduce action plans tailored to their own needs.

“We aim to accelerate the establishment of CAPs in other high harm areas of Scotland and so help our children grow up with well-informed and responsible attitudes to alcohol. We welcome the support and financial commitment of the SWA and its members as we pursue this ambition.”

Three Edinburgh charities among recipients of more than £50,000 of funding to tackle alcohol harm

Three charities in Edinburgh have been awarded more than £50,000 in funding to support their work in tackling the impact of alcohol harm, the Scotch Whisky Action Fund (SWAF) has announced.

Space @ the Broomhouse Hub, Lothian Association of Youth Clubs (LAYC) and Fast Forward are all being supported by the Fund in 2023, with each running dedicated projects to support young  people in the Edinburgh area.

Space @ the Broomhouse Hub is a youth club supporting young people in the Broomhouse area of Edinburgh. Their Youth Befriending Project is aimed at helping children affected by parental addiction, including drugs and alcohol, by pairing them with mentors who can offer guidance, emotional support and respite through fun activities. The Scotch Whisky Action Funding is contributing to a city-wide extension of the service, increasing its capacity by 50%.

Nicola Campbell, Youth Befriending Services Manager, said: “Over the past decade we have helped hundreds of children and young people increase their confidence, engage in school and build positive relationships with others.

“Our service provides two hours of support a week where the children and young people get the opportunity to explore new places and engage in a variety of fun activities. In the last year many young people engaging in the service have shown improvements in their emotional health, education and engaging in their local community.

“If you have a few hours a week to spare to help a young person realise their potential then we would love to hear from you. Our volunteers come from many different walks of life and bring with them a variety of knowledge and skills. Befriending is a very rewarding experience for both the volunteer and young person.”

LAYC is in its second year of funding, and is using the grant from the Scotch Whisky Action Fund to roll out training in alcohol awareness for youth workers across the city. The workshops, which are expected to benefit 45 trainees throughout the year, are aimed at ensuring youth workers feel confident in supporting young people who are at risk of misusing alcohol or are living in households where alcohol use is an issue.

Fast Forward is in its third year of funding from the Scotch Whisky Action Fund, and will be continuing the rollout of its project Own It!, a programme to deliver 400 hours of direct training in alcohol related harm, other risk-taking behaviours, and peer-education to young people in schools, youth clubs and employability groups.

Allie Cherry-Byrnes, Chief Executive of Fast Forward said: “We were delighted to secure a third year of funding from the Scotch Whisky Action Fund to continue our Own It! project. 

“This ongoing support will enable us to continue to develop the project, working with more groups of young people to raise awareness of the impact of alcohol and alcohol related harms by designing and creating innovative peer education resources. 

“Ongoing work with partners like Edinburgh College, whose students supported the design of digital games in year 2, will enable us to continue to develop the programme to add the media of music, photography, animation, theatre, digital games and dance.”

Dame Joan Stringer, who chairs the awards panel, said: “All of the organisations selected to receive funding are doing important work to raise awareness of alcohol harm and support those impacted.

“We look forward to seeing the outcomes of their work, and are pleased to be supporting them this year.”

Edinburgh and Lothians charities to receive more than £33k to tackle alcohol harm

The Scotch Whisky Action Fund (SWAF) has announced that two projects based in Edinburgh and the Lothians are among funding recipients to be supported over the coming year as part of the industry’s ongoing commitment to promote responsible consumption and tackle harmful drinking.

The organisations chosen this year include LAYC, a charity supporting community-based youth and children’s work in Edinburgh and the Lothians, which is receiving funding for the first time, and Fast Forward Positive Lifestyles, a youth work charity based in Edinburgh but operating throughout Scotland, aimed at enabling young people to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing. Fast Forward is receiving its second year of SWAF support.

LAYC’s funding will be used to engage youth and children’s workers in a programme to increase their skills, knowledge, and confidence to provide a range of alcohol awareness activities, information, and support. LAYC will provide six similarly themed alcohol awareness workshops, with each focusing on the dangers of alcohol use and the impact it can have on young people.

Laurene Edgar, Director at LAYC, said: “LAYC were delighted to receive the funding from the Scotch Whisky Action Fund: this fund will benefit our network of over 2000 youth workers and volunteers, we will be able to provide alcohol awareness sessions focusing on topics such parental alcohol use and impact on children, trends in alcohol use and engaging with young people on alcohol awareness.

“The fund will also provide support and resource for delivery of diversionary activities within local communities and through the LAYC network, offering young people the opportunity for alternative activities away from alcohol use, through local youth work provision with trusted adults in safe spaces with their peers.”

Fast Forward Positive Lifestyles will use their second year of SWAF support to continue their Own It! project, delivering direct training in alcohol related harm, other risk-taking behaviours, and peer education to young people aged 10-24.

Allie Cherry-Byrnes, Chief Executive, said: “Fast Forward is delighted to have received continuation funding for our Own It! programme, which sits with our Going Forward Project. 

“This funding will enable us to further develop the programme, allowing us to inform how we work with young people with additional support needs, through development of an Own It! in partnership with the Donaldson Trust, as well as developing the model with 10–14 year-olds in our newly established going Forward Junior programme in Edinburgh.”

The Scotch Whisky Action Fund was launched in 2013 and is administered by Foundation Scotland. Funding is given to projects taking an innovative approach to addressing the issues around alcohol misuse within a community or section of society. To date the fund has provided £1million of support to over 80 projects throughout Scotland. The SWAF also holds an annual learning event, bringing project representatives together to network, share learnings and identify and discuss common issues.

Dame Joan Stringer, who chaired the awards panel, said: “Tackling harmful alcohol consumption is a key issue for Scotland.  These projects are undertaking important work, and we look forward to supporting them over the coming year.”

Closing soon: Funding for activities tackling alcohol-related harm

The Scotch Whisky Action Fund offers eligible projects up to £25,000 – closes 25th April 

Foundation Scotland, Scotland’s community foundation, set up the Scotch Whisky Action Fund (SWAF) in 2013 and has to date awarded over £940,000 to 70+ projects aiming to reduce the negative impact of alcohol-related harm across Scotland.    

Only open once a year, Foundation Scotland is urging interested groups to apply now as applications close on the 25th April 2022.  Offering up to £25,000 in funding; it is the only fund dedicated to tackling alcohol-related harm in Scotland and supports targeted interventions, new initiatives and pilot projects designed to tackle alcohol-related harms in Scotland’s communities.   

Jennifer McPhail, Funds Adviser at Foundation Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be running this important funding stream again.  

“Now in its ninth year, the Scotch Whisky Action Fund has already made a massive impact on individuals and communities affected by alcohol-related harms. The alcohol industry plays an important role in Scottish society, and Scotch Whisky is at the heart of the industry. 

“However, the misuse of alcohol through excessive or inappropriate consumption can have implications for health and a range of social problems, including anti-social behaviour, violence, family breakdown, problems with money and work.  This can impact individuals, families and communities.   

“The fund is not set up to support recovery or treatment of alcohol issues. Rather it’s for innovative projects  to educate, raise awareness, and prevent future alcohol-related harm.

“Examples of projects include preventative training programmes and diversionary activities for young people, peer support groups for carers and family member counselling services.  

“There are many examples of previously funded projects available on our website and we are advising interested groups to carefully read through all the guidance before applying. We are encouraging those that are interested to progress quickly as the fund only opens once a year.”  

Groups such as Waverley Care, Paisley YMCA, Bright Light and Govan Youth Information Project have received project support across the lifetime of the fund.   

Projects which secure funding from SWAF, and can demonstrate an impact after their first year of funding, may be able to receive further funding of up to £25,000 per annum for a maximum of three years, to support their initiative.

For full information, including eligibility criteria and application details visit:

https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/scotch-whisky-action-fund  

Closing soon: Scottish Whisky Action Funding for activities tackling alcohol-related harm

Up to £25,000 available to eligible projects – closes 28th June

The Scotch Whisky Action Fund (SWAF) provides funding to eligible projects specifically set up to reduce the negative impacts of alcohol-related harm. Only open once a year, the fund is inviting new applications before the deadline at  noon on Monday 28th June. 

Managed by Foundation Scotland, SWAF has so far awarded over £800,000 to over 70 projects operating across the country since its launch in 2013.  The fund is focused on supporting innovative initiatives and activities specifically designed to tackle alcohol-related harms in Scotland’s communities. 

Groups such as Rowan Alba, Waverley Care, Edinburgh Young Carers Project, and Govan Youth Information Project have received project support. 

Jennifer McPhail, Programmes Advisor at Foundation Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be running this important funding stream again.  Now in its eighth year, the Scotch Whisky Action Fund has already made a massive impact on individuals and communities affected by alcohol related harms.

“The alcohol industry plays an important role in Scottish society, and Scotch Whisky is at the heart of the industry.  However, the misuse of alcohol through excessive or inappropriate consumption can have implications for health and a range of social problems, including anti-social behaviour, violence, family breakdown, problems with money and work.  This can impact individuals, families and communities.  

“The fund is not set up to support recovery or treatment of alcohol issues. Rather it’s for innovative projects  that educate, raise awareness, and  prevent future alcohol-related harm. Examples of projects include preventative training programmes and diversionary activities for young people, peer support groups for carers and family member counselling services. 

“There are many examples of previously funded projects available on our website and we are advising interested groups to carefully read through all the guidance before applying. The closing date is coming up soon so we are encouraging those that are interested to progress quickly as the fund only opens once a year.” 

Projects which secure funding from SWAF, and can demonstrate an impact after their first year of funding, may be able to receive further funding of up to £25,000 per annum for a maximum of three years, to support their initiative.

For full information, including eligibility criteria and application details visit, https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/scotch-whisky-action-fund

Edinburgh charity receives over £22,000 from Scotch Whisky Action Fund

Bright Light, a charity which provides relationship counselling across Edinburgh and the Lothians, has been awarded over £22,000 from the Scotch Whisky Action Fund (SWAF) to support its ‘Families in Recovery’ project.

Three years ago, Bright Light identified a need to offer specialist family counselling sessions for children and young people adjusting to life with a parent or guardian recovering from alcohol addiction. In order to get this off the ground, the charity, which has been running for 73 years, applied for funding from the SWAF.

Now in its third year of SWAF funding, the Families in Recovery project is going from strength to strength, supporting between 30 and 40 families every year, with the charity looking to expand the project further to help more people.

The specialist therapy sessions work with the whole family, providing private counselling and giving families the opportunity to talk about difficult topics, often for the first time.

It focuses on the various strengths of each person and highlights how those around them can work together to aid an individual’s recovery from alcohol addiction.

By helping families in this way, the charity has an ambition to break generational cycles of alcohol abuse as children understand the negative impacts and learn new ways to cope with stress and anxiety.

Julie Hogg-Weld, Chief Executive of Bright Light said: “We provide a safe space for families to heal from alcohol-related issues and move on with their lives.

“This is beneficial to the person recovering from alcohol addiction, but it is also incredibly helpful for the whole family. People have a better chance of staying in recovery if they have a strong network around them and that is what we help to establish by looking at the strengths within the family even if they are no longer living together.”

SWAF funding has enabled Bright Light’s ‘Families in Recovery’ project to continuously provide its support, this continuity is critical to those receiving care. The project has come a long way and now boasts a seven-strong family therapy team, led by Sam Petrie.

Julie added: “The Covid-19 lockdown has brought many families’ issues to the fore and so it is more important than ever that we are able to provide support to those that need it. We have been providing our sessions via video conferencing and over the phone and will continue to do so throughout this period.

“Without the funding from the SWAF we would not have been able to pilot this project and build on it each year, providing fundamental support to so many families.”

The Fund was established in 2013 by the Scotch Whisky Association to tackle the effects of alcohol misuse and has already made over 50 awards to initiatives across Scotland working to reduce alcohol-related harm.

By 2023, the Fund will have provided £1m of support to charities. It is just one element of the Scotch Whisky industry’s commitment to addressing issues around alcohol and promoting responsible drinking and is managed by Foundation Scotland.

Dame Joan Stringer, chair of the decision-making panel for ongoing funding, said: “This project has achieved very positive results since first being awarded the funding, making a measurable difference to the communities and the groups it works with.

“Continuation funding is vital to ensure that their impact is ongoing amid unprecedented circumstances, and we look forward to seeing their progress over the coming year.”

Karen Betts, Chief Executive of the SWA, said: “Now more than ever, it is hugely important to be supporting the projects that help to tackle the misuse of alcohol at a community level.

“It has been inspiring to see the impact that this initiative has made, and we are pleased to offer ongoing support via the Scotch Whisky Action Fund, allowing them to build on their excellent work and increase their positive impact.”

The SWAF is now open for applications for funding in 2020-21, the deadline is 2nd July.

To apply, please visit the Foundation Scotland website.

Scotch Whisky Action Fund commits support to two new projects in Edinburgh

The Scotch Whisky Action Fund (SWAF) has announced the list of six projects that it will be supporting over the coming year as part of the industry’s ongoing commitment to tackling alcohol misuse with two capital projects – Edinburgh Young Carers and U-evolv, which is based at FetLor Youth Club – set to benefit. Continue reading Scotch Whisky Action Fund commits support to two new projects in Edinburgh