People most at risk from the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak will benefit from the funding
People most at risk from the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak are to receive further support following emergency investment in crucial services.
Charities Scottish Women’s Aid, Social Bite and other key partners will share up to £8 million to provide an emergency response and ensure services can react to Covid-19.
Disadvantaged groups facing hardships such as homelessness, food insecurity or social isolation and loneliness are among those to benefit from services such as:
• emergency accommodation in Glasgow and Edinburgh
• the provision of food and essential supplies to vulnerable groups in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen
• public health information translated into British Sign Language (BSL) and the creation of an easy, one-stop shop approach for BSL users
• online and telephone support for both older people and young people, and more isolated members of the LGBT community, to improve mental resilience and wellbeing
The grants are part of the Scottish Government’s wider £350 million Communities Funding to help those most affected by the pandemic.
Communities secretary Aileen Campbell said: “We are facing an unprecedented situation that requires a practical response – at scale and pace – to help people most at risk in our community. We must do all that we can to protect the health, welfare and wellbeing of the people of Scotland.
“These significant national investments are helping to strengthen the support available to individuals and ensuring that key services are available for those most in need.
“We are continuing to work with partners, including community organisations to ensure funding reaches those best placed to provide support.”
Since the funding was announced more than £100 million of new support has been delivered to local authorities to assist their efforts. This includes £50 million in hardship funding, £22 million to bolster the Scottish Welfare Fund, and £30 million from the Food Fund.
Organisations that will benefit
Young Scot (£46,992): Young Scot will deliver Covid-19 information and social media support for young people.
Who Cares? (£175,132): Support for the care experienced community.
British Deaf Association Scotland (£26,212.50): Public health information to be translated into British Sign Language (BSL) and for there to be an easy, one-stop shop approach for BSL users to find official information.
Scottish Women’s Aid (£1,350,000): Deliver increased provision of support.
Rape Crisis Scotland (£226,309): Deliver increased provision of support.
Child Poverty Action Group (£104,877): Ensure the most up to date advice and support is disseminated to advisors to support families in need through increasing staffing levels; provision of IT equipment to facilitate the move to home provision of support; development and delivery of webinars to a group of front line advisors; subscription costs, development of benefit advice bulletins and increased advice line capacity.
One Parent Families Scotland (£100,000): Deliver increased provision of support.
Simon Community (£296,000): Securing emergency accommodation in Glasgow and Edinburgh to support vulnerable people through the COVID 19 Crisis. Their actual funding proposal shows this is for two months.
Simon Community (£21,290): Extra accommodation in Edinburgh.
Glasgow Night Shelter (£153,500): Destitute asylum seekers – Emergency accommodation response for destitute asylum seekers.
Age Scotland (£80,000): Helpline costs.
