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£20.3 million to tackle discrimination across Scotland.

224 projects will benefit from more than £20 million in funding to drive forward Scotland’s equality agenda in 2016-17.

The projects will work with individuals, families, children and communities to address inequality and discrimination.

In addition to funding of over £3 million to national bodies including the Equality Network, BEMIS, CEMVO, Inclusion Scotland, the Scottish Refugee Council and Age Scotland, more than £6.5 million across over 80 projects will support activity to improve the outcomes for people and communities across Scotland, for example the LGBTI Helpline, Equate Scotland and the Muslim Women’s Resource Centre.

With the Scottish Government's continued commitment to sustaining funding of £11.8 million to address violence against women and girls, £3.5 million of this will be allocated specifically to projects providing frontline services to women and girls who have experienced violence.

Equalities Secretary Angela Constance announced the full list of projects which will benefit from funding as she visited Edinburgh’s Multi-Cultural Family Base last Thursday. The organisation, which works to promote the well-being of vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people and families, will receive almost £20,000 over the next 12 months.

Ms Constance said recently:

“Equality is part of the aspiration and ambition we have for Scotland. No one should be treated unfairly, suffer injustice or be denied opportunities because of their age, disability, gender, gender identity, race, religion or sexual orientation.

“Amongst the 224 projects receiving funding support this year are frontline services which are working directly with communities to address local issues.

“By visiting the Multi-Cultural Family Base today and speaking with parents and children who use it, I’ve seen first-hand the difference this funding can make to the lives of families in Scotland.

“This week we saw the worst targeted attack on LGBTI people that we have seen in the western world in recent times. Scotland has made some great progress on LGBTI rights and we are considered one of the most progressive countries in Europe in terms of LGBTI equality. But we are not complacent - we recognise there is still work to do to eradicate prejudice and discrimination against LGBTI people. We are allocating over £850,000 from this budget to organisations and projects that are working towards this aim.

“We are committed to working with all of these organisations to ensure we continue to progress equality whilst supporting the most vulnerable in our society, and the funding goes a long way to doing this.”

Steve Gowenlock, CEO of Multi-Cultural Family Base, said:

“We are delighted to receive funding from the Scottish Government’s Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund.

“The funding will enable us to further develop the work of our 4Corners Project which works with vulnerable and disadvantaged black and ethnic minority families to promote social inclusion and reduce inequalities. The work also involves school based groups with all communities to promote mutual understanding and increase social cohesiveness.”

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