Service supporting families who have been bereaved by a murder abroad to be expanded

Victim Support Scotland (VSS) has successfully bid for £18 million over a three-year period from the Scottish Government.

The funds will allow the organisation to continue to deliver its services to people across Scotland, following increased demands the charity has seen during the Covid-19 pandemic for support in the aftermath of crime.

VSS will also see an expansion of its service to include supporting families who have been bereaved by a murder abroad.

Building on the Support for Families Bereaved by Crime service, which was established three-years ago to provide a single point of contact for families going through the criminal justice system, this development will give emotional, practical and financial support to families impacted by such crimes as part of a new and innovative service.

VSS’s funding success is the result of a competitive process of bidding for a new pot of funds allocated from the Scottish Government. The Victim Centred Approach Fund is open to all third sector, community interest and public organisations as part of the Programme for Government commitment to support victims’ rights.

Kate Wallace, the charity’s chief executive, said: “For over 35-years, Victim Support Scotland has been providing free and confidential support to everyone in the aftermath of crime. Our work in the courts and locally across the country is providing critical support to some of Scotland’s most vulnerable people at the point of need.

“We currently support around 50,000 people annually in this way and the new investment will allow us to continue our services, as well as expanding our offering to meet the increased demands for support.

“Based on our learning from the last three-years running the Support for Families Bereaved by Crime service, we will now be able to open this up to Scottish families who are affected by murder abroad. “We are grateful to the Scottish Government for allowing us this opportunity. I look forward to our continued partnership working with colleagues in the third and justice sectors to deliver on our plans and ambitions in the coming years.”