WIREDGOV

Fife Young Carers have received over half a million pounds from the Big Lottery Fund in the latest round of Investing in Communities awards announced recently.

From their base in Lochgelly, the organisation will now be able to support up to 1,000 young carers between the ages of eight and 24 over the next five years.

Thanks to an award of £531,721, the group will be able to support young people through primary and secondary school, giving them the skills and confidence to better manage their schoolwork with their caring role.  It will also help them to make the transition from school to further education, training or employment.

Staff will work in primary and secondary schools throughout the region offering a range of advice in lunchtime and drop in sessions and after school one on one meetings and group work.

Manager, Roy MacGregor, said, “This award from the Big Lottery fund will allow us to take a huge step forward in helping those young people struggling most with their caring responsibilities.

“Young carers in Fife provide vital but often unseen and unrecognised roles in supporting family members and, in some instances, these responsibilities take a heavy emotional toll.  Despite a steady increase in young people receiving support Fife Young Carers and partner organisations are still only aware of a small percentage of those young carers and young adult carers who need help.

“This exciting new funding opportunity will be used to identify even more of these young people and to help them visualise and achieve a better future.  By providing increased specialist support in schools and new resources for those young carers in transition to adulthood, we aim to raise awareness of their issues and to develop skills and opportunities to improve the life chances of those most in need.”

Lyndsey Bain is 18 years old and looks after her dad. Welcoming the award, she said: “It’s fantastic to hear that young carers and young adult carers in Fife will be getting extra support. I know from my own experience the massive difference it makes to young people like me who look after someone in their family.”

Announcing the funding, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn, said: “Today’s award recognises the challenges young people face in juggling the demands of their school work and caring role. I’m delighted that many more young people in Fife like Lyndsey will have greater support around them when it is most needed. This will assist them greatly to cope, not just as young carers but as young people gaining the confidence and skills to move onto further education, training or employment.”

Fife Young Carers is one of 11 groups receiving funding, totalling £6,599,118, from the Big Lottery Fund’s Investing in Communities fund.

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 0141 242 1451/07786157837
Website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Twitter: @BIGScotland #biglf 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFundScotland

Notes to editors

• The Big Lottery Fund is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery.
• The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since its inception in 2004 it has awarded close to £6bn.
• In the year ending 31 March 2013, 28% of total National Lottery revenue was awarded to projects. Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £31 billion has been raised and more than 400,000 grants awarded.