Extra funding for carers’ breaks
23 Apr 2014 04:26 PM
The Scottish
Government has announced an extra £250,000 of funding to provide short
breaks for disabled children and their families, carers and young carers. This
investment has been divided equally between Shared Care Scotland and the Family
Fund.
The money is on
top of £2 million already committed to the Better Breaks and Take a Break
programmes for 2013-14.
- The
Better Breaks programme is managed by Shared Care Scotland and provides grants
to third sector organisations to develop short break services for disabled
children and their families.
- Take a
Break, managed by The Family Fund, helps to support children and young people
with disabilities, and their parent carers in Scotland. A ‘take a
break’ grant can be used towards a break, holiday, outing, or any other
activity in the UK or overseas.
Carers can apply
for short holidays to give them some rest and relaxation away from their
regular responsibilities. The programme is part of the £112 million the
Scottish Government has invested in supporting carers since 2007.
To announce the
extra funding, Michel Matheson, Public Health Minister, today met a number of
Edinburgh projects who have benefitted from the Better Breaks programme,
including Blazing Saddles, which has developed all ability cycles so that
disabled young people can have a go at cycling.
Mr Matheson said:
“I’m delighted that this investment will help many more families to
enjoy some valuable rest and relaxation. We know that carers find it invaluable
to be able to take breaks, even if just for a day or two.
“More people
than ever before are now acting as full-time carers, looking after loved-ones,
often around the clock and seven days a week. They are all making a tremendous
contribution to society, and that’s why the Scottish Government has
invested more than £112 million between 2007 and 2015 to support carers
and young carers.”
Nearly £14
million has been invested in short breaks through the voluntary sector between
2010 and 2015. To date more than 25,000 carers and young carers have
benefitted.