Ten projects share in latest round of Big Lottery funding

Ten community projects across Scotland are sharing in a total of £4,520,102 from Big Lottery Fund Scotland’s Investing in Communities programme.

The projects include a range of initiatives across the country aiming to support a variety of Scotland’s people.

Congratulating the projects for being selected Big Lottery Fund Scotland chair Maureen McGinn said each of them are helping make a difference.

“All these groups reflect the main aim of our Investing in Communities programme which is to bring real and lasting improvements to communities and the lives of those most in need,” she added.

More than a quarter of the funding made was granted to help young people with two organisations focussing on young Scots receiving a share of £1.2m.

All these groups reflect the main aim of our Investing in Communities programme which is to bring real and lasting improvements to communities and the lives of those most in need

A grant of £529,612 was made to the Fostering Network's Fostering Community Champions project which will use the skills and experience of foster carers, and young people who have been in care to help others in foster care.

Sara Lurie, director at the Fostering Network Scotland, said the money will be used to recruit and train foster carers and care experienced young people to become champions.

She added: “They will offer support and guidance to other foster carers, as well as children and young people in foster care, providing specialist support when required.

“The project will also deliver training to help foster families maintain positive contact with birth families, and directly involve young people in delivering training in social networking.

“Fostering Community Champions will make a real difference to foster families across the whole of Scotland, and we would like to thank the Big Lottery Fund for helping to make this project a reality.”

Scottish Huntington’s Association was awarded £690,597 to provide young people, aged between eight and 25, who have a diagnosis of Huntington’s disease in their family with specialised one-to-one support, advice and information about living with the disease.

John Eden, chief executive of Scottish Huntington’s Association, said: “Thanks to this amazing Big Lottery Fund award we will be able to support young people; providing them with information, advice and emotional support, connecting them to other young people in the same circumstances, and making sure they are better linked to support and services from education, health and social care and working with parents and young people to enable families to communicate about this difficult subject.

“Without this award we would be unable to support young people and there would be no other way for young people to access the support they need.”