The Bethany Christian Trust has been awarded £43,000 for projects in the east of Scotland

A homeless charity has been awarded funding to tackle poverty and inequality in local communities.

Last week, the Edinburgh-based Bethany Christian Trust, was awarded £43,000 by the Aspiring Communities Fund towards community support and development work across the east of Scotland.

The announcement was made on 27 October by communities secretary Angela Constance at West Calder and Harburn Development Trust.

The funds will help the trust to carry out work over the next six months in four of the most deprived and fragile communities in Scotland – Menzieshill in Dundee, Gorebridge, Sighthill and Moredun in Edinburgh.

The charity will be working with community groups to develop and deliver long-term local solutions that address local needs, to increase active inclusion and to work towards reducing poverty. In line with the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, Bethany believes that community empowerment should be at the heart of reducing inequalities and tackling poverty within local areas.

The trust’s Paul Stevenson, said: “Aspiring Communities Funding gives us a far greater opportunity to have meaningful dialogue in four localities and explore the assets and unmet needs of those communities.

“We are excited to build new relationships within these areas and have been encouraged by all the unsung heroes already making a difference in their neighbourhoods to change Scotland for good.”