Healthy living centres given lifeline

24 Feb 2009 11:16 AM

Healthy Living Centres across Scotland are being thrown a lifeline by the Scottish Government to save them from closure.

Public Health Minister Shona Robison yesterday announced an extension to the transition fund set up last year, to help keep centres running as they put in place sustainable plans for long-term funding.

Up to £70,000 will be provided per Healthy Living Centre for 2009-2010.

This will ensure that those with good prospects of securing long-term sustainable funding - but affected by shortfalls following the end of their Big Lottery Funding - will continue to have lifeline funding during the critical transition period.

Visiting the Fife Healthy Living and Sensory Awareness Project in Kirkcaldy, Ms Robison said:

"Healthy Living Centres, like the Fife Healthy Living and Sensory Awareness Project, provide a valuable contribution to promoting good health and supporting people with complex needs in some of our most deprived communities.

"Many of these centres faced uncertainty over their future following the end of their Big Lottery Funding but now have robust plans underway to secure long-term local support.

"That is why we have put in place transitional funding for another year - it is vital that centres who have a healthy long-term future are supported through this transition period and are saved from unnecessary closure."

Funding will be distributed through NHS boards and will be provided only to those centres which have good prospects for achieving sustainability beyond the transition funding, continue to have the support of their local partners and can deliver activities that meet local needs.

Brendan Rooney, spokesperson for the Scottish Healthy Living Centre Alliance, said:

"We welcome this significant financial investment and the support of the Scottish Government.

"This is clear recognition of the important work of HLCs and the increasingly important role that community led health plays in reducing health inequalities across Scotland.

"The funding will enable HLCs to continue to work effectively with partners locally and nationally to narrow the health inequalities gap in some of Scotland's most disadvantaged neighbourhoods."

Susan Manion, General Manager of Dunfermline and West Fife Community Health Partnership and executive lead for equality and diversity issues in NHS Fife said:

"The continuation of funding will allow us to establish the Sensory Awareness Service as a new charitable organisation.

"This will be designed to meet the needs of people with sensory loss helping to access health and leisure services with the aim of encouraging healthy living."

The aim of Healthy Living Centres is to promote good health and reduce health inequalities in Scotland's most disadvantaged communities. They were established with £34.5 million from the New Opportunities Fund (now the Big Lottery Fund) between 1999 and 2002.

Funding was provided for five years to each Healthy Living Centre. A condition of the original funding was that the proposal was to have a sustainability plan or exit strategy for beyond the funding period.

The Scottish Government established a fund in February 2008 to provide transitional funding to Healthy Living Centres. Just under £2 million was awarded to 23 Healthy Living Centres.

The additional transitional funding announced today is in addition to wider investment of £96.3 million in the voluntary sector announced in the Scottish budget. This is aimed at developing the sector's capacity and sustainability.

Related Information

http://www.healthscotland.com/