Work of charity acknowledged by MSPs
The success of Scotland’s leading anti-sectarian campaign has been recognised at Holyrood.
Nil by Mouth has been commended in a motion in the Scottish Parliament praising the contribution the charity has made to tackling sectarianism across the country over the past 15 years.
The motion, lodged by Rutherglen MSP James Kelly (pictured below right) has attracted more than 50 supporters from across the political spectrum with MSPs from all five parties signing up.
Kelly has first-hand knowledge of the charity’s work, with four schools in his constituency successfully reaching the standard for its Champions for Change accreditation scheme.
The motion also welcomes the government’s commitment of £74,000 of funding to support the charity’s work with schools and employers across 2015/16.
It’s the latest national recognition for the charity in 2015 following on from its founder Cara Henderson being invited to address a special conference at Holyrood focusing on engaging young women in politics in March.
Nil by Mouth campaign director Dave Scott (pictured left) said: “It’s heartening for the staff, volunteers and trustees involved with Nil by Mouth to see the volume of support we have received in the parliament and that this comes from all five parties represented in the chamber.
"The anti-sectarian movement has come a long way since Cara founded our charity 15 years ago and one of the key changes has been the appetite of politicians to face up to the fact that we do have a problem. The days of sweeping this issue under the carpet are over.
“We should also remember that this is a battle Scotland is winning and with continued support and encouragement from our political leaders we can eradicate sectarianism within a generation.”
James Kelly MSP added: “I’ve seen first-hand the work that Nil by Mouth does, from school workshops to national campaigns and I know that this funding is very well deserved.
“Educating young people and building positive relationships between communities is essential to tackle sectarianism.
“Nil by Mouth’s focus on education is the best way of ensuring we make progress on this complex problem.”
