£15 million of National Lottery funding to keep vital community services running across Scotland

Over £15 million of National Lottery funding will help to keep vital local services running, as 384 community projects today (WEDNESDAY 27 MARCH) share in grants from The National Lottery Community Fund.

The funding, made possible by National Lottery players, means that many community and voluntary sector groups will be able to continue their support to individuals, families and communities across Scotland. See a full list of projects (PDF 340KB).

New Start Highland will use their award of £60,000 to set up a furniture and households goods service in the region. The charity, based in Inverness, help people get back on their feet in challenging times by providing them with the skills they need for employment, the confidence they need to engage in their community and the goods they need to make their house a home.

Iain Herd, Funding Manager, New Start Highland, said: “This National Lottery award comes at a crucial time for us and means we can continue to deliver essential furniture and household goods throughout our local community.

“Our team is supported by a group of volunteers, many of whom have lived experience of suffering from poverty and the pressures of cost of living. This provides a unique insight into what our target group need and how our service is shaped to help them.”

An award of £36,400 means that Pregnancy Counselling & Care (Scotland) will be able to open their baby bank five days a week, providing families across Edinburgh and the Lothians with the clothes and equipment they need from cots, prams and baby baths to bottles, baby monitors and nappies.

Lucy Aitchison, Operations Manager, Pregnancy Counselling & Care (Scotland) said: “Our Baby Bank helps individuals and families who simply cannot afford to provide all they need for their baby. The demand for our support has experienced a massive increase as result of the cost-of-living crisis. This funding will help us to increase our capacity so that we can respond to every new parent that needs our help.”

Thanks to an award of £150,000, Courtyard Pantry Enterprise will continue to run their food pantry and community café for people living in the Westercommon area of Possilpark in North Glasgow. The pantry currently supports around three hundred local people each week and, over the next three years, it’s anticipated that over 3,000 people will be able to access affordable and quality food as well as community meals and pop-up workshops.

Managing Director, Dale Todd said: “It is difficult to overstate how important this funding award is to our organisation. The grant from The National Lottery Community Fund not only secures the future of our Pantry Hub in the near term, it also provides us with the resources to be bold and tackle the structural causes of poverty that exist in the community. This is a game changer.”

Announcing the funding, Kate Still, Scotland Chair, The National Lottery Community Fund said: “This multi million pound investment of National Lottery funding will improve the lives of thousands of Scots whilst keeping vital community services open and supporting those who are facing tough choices and challenges in their daily lives.

“As The National Lottery prepares to mark its 30^th birthday later this year, today’s investment is a timely reminder of the difference that National Lottery players continue to make to communities across the country.”

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes funding on behalf of National Lottery players who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk