Young people with learning disabilities and older people who need retraining in workplace skills are set to benefit from over £2.5 million of life changing grants announced today (NOVEMBER 4) from the Big Lottery Fund Scotland. The funding is shared by seven groups, covering all age groups, which support communities and families in greatest need, helping them to overcome isolation and play a full part in Scottish society.

An award of £314,946 to Interest Link Borders will fund its Children and Young People’s Befriending Project which supports children and young people aged between 8 and 25 who have a learning disability. The project uses a befriending model - offering a buddy to help those people overcome social isolation and improve their confidence, self esteem and life skills. It aims to support 130 young people and their families over three years in Berwickshire, Central Borders, Roxburgh and Tweeddale.

Andrew Findlay, Project Coordinator at Interest Link Borders, said: “We’re delighted to be awarded the grant of over £300k which will enable us to continue developing our befriending work with children and young adults with learning disabilities for the next three years. By involving young volunteers of school-age - both in groups and one-to-one settings - our project will overcome isolation and forge the social relationships essential for everyone’s wellbeing and personal development. By introducing overnight trips, the befriending groups will have the same range of experiences offered by mainstream youth groups, and extend carer respite.”

Scotland’s Learning Partnership receives £577,938 to fund the three year Reaching Older People with Employability Support (ROPES) project. It will work with long term unemployed people aged 50 to 64 to help them back into work by developing lost fundamental workplace skills such as timekeeping, working with others and social skills. It will help over 700 people who have been out of work for more than three years and who have additional barriers such as poor mental or physical health, caring responsibilities, learning difficulties or a history of offending.

Margaret Allan, Secretary of the National Learner’s Forum, said: “This award from the Big Lottery Fund is great news. It will make a huge difference to people aged fifty plus looking to get back into education, training and work and will really change lives.”

Maureen McGinn, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, said, “Our Big Lottery Fund support focuses on helping people and communities in greatest need. With today’s awards, seven projects across the country, working with people of all ages, will be able to assist people living in some of Scotland’s most isolated communities overcome the barriers they face every day.

“All the funding announced today is going to be truly life changing, whether assisting young people with learning difficulties enjoy experiences similar to their peers or helping older people back into the workplace to enhance their lives.”
 
Other projects sharing in Big Lottery Fund grants totalling £2,523,763 are:

Linstone Housing Association
£585,846
Renfrewshire
The association’s Connect4Renfrewshire project will offer a range of specialist advice and support services - including help with fuel poverty and debt issues - to help Renfrewshire’s most vulnerable residents make their hard earned cash go further.

Save the Children Fund Scotland
£385,000
Renfrewshire
The charity’s Families and Schools Together (FAST) programme focuses on helping children living in poverty by offering help and support to disadvantaged families in Renfrewshire to ensure their children get the best start in life.

Aberlour Child Care Trust
£373,633
South Ayrshire
The organisation will provide a two year continuation of the Aberlour Family Service South Ayrshire which will support parents who have a learning disability - and their children – who are struggling to cope with life at home.

S.I.S.G Enterprises
£286,400
Ayrshire
The group will support older people with acquired sensory loss across Ayrshire to remain independent and stay in their homes for longer by providing a wide range of advice and coping strategies.

Bridgend Inspiring Growth
£997,908
Edinburgh
The group will renovate an old farmhouse to create a learning, eating and exercise centre from which it will deliver existing services and develop new ones to benefit the communities of Craigmillar, Inch and Moredun North in south-east Edinburgh.

We’re also awarding £191,209 to 21 projects through Investing in Ideas. A table of awards is attached

Big Lottery Fund Press Office contact: Colin Calder
Telephone: 0141 242 1484
Email: colin.calder@biglotteryfund.org.uk
Website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Twitter: @BIGSCOTLAND #biglottery
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFundScotland

Notes to editors:

• The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery for good causes and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
• Since June 2004 we have awarded over £8 billion to projects that make a difference to people and communities in need, from early years intervention to commemorative travel funding for World War Two veterans.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £34 billion has been raised and more than 450,000 grants awarded.