Scottish lottery money creating more opportunities

Grants announced today by the lottery distributor, the Community Fund, mean that many people across the country who may have a disability or complex needs will now be able to lead more independent lives and have more opportunities available to them.

An Edinburgh based organisation will use the money to set up a befriending service to combat the social isolation often felt by people with epilepsy. A grant to a Glasgow based group will allow them to provide low cost quality to vulnerable and disadvantaged residents of Drumchapel. And thanks to the grant made today to Scottish Council on Deafness, counsellors will be given training and advice to provide even more support to deaf people throughout the country.

The Chair of the Scotland Committee, Kay Hampton said, “ We are delighted to announce this latest round of grants to fifteen fantastic projects from as far afield as Stornoway in the Western Isles to Port Charlotte in Argyll and Bute. Due to the heavy demands placed on our funds, it is more important than ever that we continue to fund organisations that closely meet our priorities and make the biggest difference to those at most disadvantage.”

Nicola Kerr, fundraiser for Enlighten Tackling Epilepsy said “ We are absolutely delighted to receive this money to be able to employ twelve paid befrienders who will make a difference to the lives of approximately two hundred people with epilepsy in Edinburgh and Lothians District”

Wallace Carpenter, project worker for Drumchapel Users Group project said, “‘We are over the moon to have received a Community Fund grant. The demand for our holidays has been so high and until we now we have not been able to meet that demand. We are going to buy two new caravans, which will allow more poor and disadvantaged families to take advantage of the holidays we provide.”

Name: Camphill Blair Drummond Trust Local Authority: Stirling
Amount Awarded: £140,717
Project Description:This project will develop the capacity of people with learning difficulties to participate more fully within community life and influence and make decisions that affect the quality of life they experience. The grant will fund the salaries of two new full-time project co-ordinators, the purchase of office equipment and travel costs for staff, volunteers and beneficiaries.

Name: Cearns Community Development Project
Local Authority:Western Isles
Amount Awarded: £119,926
Project Description:The project will enable the organisation to develop and support a range of groups for local residents including parents and toddlers, older residents and healthy eating groups. It will also establish a money advice service. The grant will fund the salaries of one new full-time Project Co-ordinator, one new part-time Money Advice Worker, and one new part-time Clerical Worker. It will also fund recruitment costs, travel costs, evaluation and a contribution towards training costs and line management.

Name: Centre For Independent Living In Glasgow
Local Authority: Glasgow
Amount Awarded: £187,235
Project Description: The project will expand and develop an organisation providing services to disabled people with a range of specific housing needs. The organisation will be able to continue and develop the current house matching services to better enable clients to access appropriate housing, provide information, advocacy and advice and provide training to a range of public/private housing providers. The grant will part fund the salaries of four existing full-time members of staff: Housing and Employment Manager; 2 Housing Advisors; and a Clerical Officer as well as further database development costs and appropriate organisational overheads for line management.

Name: Cullipool Village Hall
Local Authority: Argyll & Bute
Amount Awarded: £19,090
Project Description: This project will refurbish the kitchen and replace the floor in a small village hall. It will enable the community to continue to offer the current level of activities they do and also give them the the opportunity to host events involving hospitality. The grant will fully fund capital costs for a new kitchen and a new floor for the hall.

Name: Drumchapel Caravan Users Group Local Authority: Glasgow
Amount Awarded: £113,.473
Project Description: This project will provide low cost quality subsidised holidays to vulnerable and disadvantaged residents of Drumchapel. The grant will part fund, rent, travel and two caravans, the production of information, training and travel for volunteers, consultancy and advice, and out-sourced HR.

Name:Enlighten Tackling Epilepsy
Local Authority:Edinburgh
Amount Awarded: £94,535
Project Description:This project will reduce the social isolation faced by people with epilepsy through the provision of a Befriending service in Edinburgh and the Lothians. The grant will fully fund 12 part-time Befrienders, part-fund a Befriending Coordinator, recrutiment costs and residential breaks.

Name:Equal Futures
Local Authority:Scotland Based in Edinburgh, serving Scotland wide
Amount Awarded: £242,803
Project Description:This project will establish and employ primary staff for a new social enterprise whch aims to reduce isolation of disabled people and their families through a number of different iniitiatives that support them to have choices and be more involved in the decision-making processes that impact on their lives. By becoming members of the organisation, beneficiaires will have access to facilitated lifelong networks of support, family mentoring, courses and workshops on subject areas such as wills and trusts. The grant will fund the employment of a new full-time Chief Executive, new full-time Adminstrator and new full-time Lead Facilitator.

Name: Equal Say Ltd
Local Authority:Glasgow
Amount Awarded: £157,987
Project Description: The project will find and support responsible members of the community in Greater Glasgow who volunteer to become more involved in the welfare of people with a learning disability. After training, the volunteers provide citizen advocacy and befriending to vulnerable people with disabilities who are living in the community. The grant will part fund 2 existing full time posts of Citizen Advocacy Co-ordinator, an existing part time post of administrator; line management; office equipment; information, training and travel.

Name: Lochaber Community Care Forum
Local Authority:Highland
Amount Awarded: £47,660
Project Description: This project will enable the Forum to develop the Lochaber Handyperson Scheme which provides a small repair/assistance service for older people - or people with community care needs - in Lochaber to enable them to maintain a better and safer quality of life in their own homes. In addition to offering repairs, the Scheme provides advice and support on such issues as home safety (including fire safety) and security. The grant will partly fund the purchase of equipment, salary costs for the existing part-time post of Handyperson Co-ordinator, fees for freelance workers, rent,the production of information and travel for staff and volunteers.

Name: North Lanarkshire Out of School Care Forum
Local Authority: North Lanarkshire.
Amount Awarded: £23,255
Project Description: The project will enable the organisation to extend the hours of their current Liaison Officer which will, in turn, develop the quality and range of the services provided to out of school care groups in North Lanarkshire. The grant will fund additional hours for an existing part-time Liaison Officer, training for beneficiaries and the cost of holding 4 events for local providers and their children.

Name: Rhinns Playground Association
Local Authority: Argyll & Bute
Amount Awarded: £114,994
Project Description: The project will create a fully inclusive and integrated community park which will benefit children of all ages, children with special needs and parents and families and older residents alike. The grant will part-fund construction costs.

Name: Scottish Council on Deafness
Local Authority: Based in Glasgow serving Scotland wide
Amount Awarded: £138,617
Project Description: This project will reduce isolation and help to improve the mental health and well being of deaf people through the training and provision of additional counsellors to support the wider deaf community. Existing counsellors and counselling training providers will receive training and advice to ensure that their services are accessible to deaf and deafblind people. The grant will part fund one full time Project Co-ordinator, fees for freelance workers, the production of information, training and travel for staff and volunteers, communication services and office equipment.

Name: Tayside Ritual Abuse Support and Help Project
Local Authority: Based in Dundee serving Scotland wide
Amount Awarded: £58,079
Project Description: This project will raise public awareness about organised and ritualised abuse and to provide a support and information service for survivors and their supporters. The grant will fully fund a new part time Development Worker and associated recruitment costs, training for staff and volunteers, childcare costs and volunteer travel expenses.

Name: Volunteer Centre Edinburgh
Local Authority:Edinburgh
Amount Awarded: £100,772
Project Description: This project will improve the success rate in volunteering for volunteers with more complex needs or multiple disabilities. It will provide intensive support to individual volunteers to enable them to make the most of these opportunities. The grant will partly fund salary costs for one new full time Support and Team Development Worker and one existing full time Administrator as well as fully funding recruitment costs, rent, the production of information, training and travel for staff and volunteers, training for beneficiaries and office equipment.

Name:YMCA Glasgow
Local Authority:Glasgow
Amount Awarded: £279,747
Project Description: This project aims to consolidate, develop and expand befriending, support groups and group work programmes for you people affected by bereavement and violence throughout the greater Pollok area. The grant will part fund an existing Co-ordinator, fully fund a new Groupworker, part time Administrator, and existing part time Project Assistants. It will also fully fund rent, training for beneficiaires, organisational overheads and part fund recruitment, the production of information, training for staff and volunteers and programme activities.

	24 May 2004 Scottish lottery money creating more opportunities for independent living
	Organisations throughout Scotland are set to benefit from a cash injection of over £1.75m from the National Lottery. Grants announced today by the lottery distributor, the Community Fund, mean that many people across the country who may have a disability or complex needs will now be able to lead more independent lives and have more opportunities available to them. An Edinburgh based organisation will use the money to set up a befriending service to combat the social isolation often felt by people with epilepsy. A grant to a Glasgow based group will allow them to provide low cost quality to vulnerable and disadvantaged residents of Drumchapel. And thanks to the grant made today to Scottish Council on Deafness, counsellors will be given training and advice to provide even more support to deaf people throughout the country. The Chair of the Scotland Committee, Kay Hampton said, “ We are delighted to announce this latest round of grants to fifteen fantastic projects from as far afield as Stornoway in the Western Isles to Port Charlotte in Argyll and Bute. Due to the heavy demands placed on our funds, it is more important than ever that we continue to fund organisations that closely meet our priorities and make the biggest difference to those at most disadvantage.” Nicola Kerr, fundraiser for Enlighten Tackling Epilepsy said “ We are absolutely delighted to receive this money to be able to employ twelve paid befrienders who will make a difference to the lives of approximately two hundred people with epilepsy in Edinburgh and Lothians District” Wallace Carpenter, project worker for Drumchapel Users Group project said, “‘We are over the moon to have received a Community Fund grant. The demand for our holidays has been so high and until we now we have not been able to meet that demand. We are going to buy two new caravans, which will allow more poor and disadvantaged families to take advantage of the holidays we provide.” Name: Camphill Blair Drummond Trust Local Authority: Stirling Amount Awarded: £140,717 Project Description:This project will develop the capacity of people with learning difficulties to participate more fully within community life and influence and make decisions that affect the quality of life they experience. The grant will fund the salaries of two new full-time project co-ordinators, the purchase of office equipment and travel costs for staff, volunteers and beneficiaries. Name: Cearns Community Development Project Local Authority:Western Isles Amount Awarded: £119,926 Project Description:The project will enable the organisation to develop and support a range of groups for local residents including parents and toddlers, older residents and healthy eating groups. It will also establish a money advice service. The grant will fund the salaries of one new full-time Project Co-ordinator, one new part-time Money Advice Worker, and one new part-time Clerical Worker. It will also fund recruitment costs, travel costs, evaluation and a contribution towards training costs and line management. Name: Centre For Independent Living In Glasgow Local Authority: Glasgow Amount Awarded: £187,235 Project Description: The project will expand and develop an organisation providing services to disabled people with a range of specific housing needs. The organisation will be able to continue and develop the current house matching services to better enable clients to access appropriate housing, provide information, advocacy and advice and provide training to a range of public/private housing providers. The grant will part fund the salaries of four existing full-time members of staff: Housing and Employment Manager; 2 Housing Advisors; and a Clerical Officer as well as further database development costs and appropriate organisational overheads for line management. Name: Cullipool Village Hall Local Authority: Argyll & Bute Amount Awarded: £19,090 Project Description: This project will refurbish the kitchen and replace the floor in a small village hall. It will enable the community to continue to offer the current level of activities they do and also give them the the opportunity to host events involving hospitality. The grant will fully fund capital costs for a new kitchen and a new floor for the hall. Name: Drumchapel Caravan Users Group Local Authority: Glasgow Amount Awarded: £113,.473 Project Description: This project will provide low cost quality subsidised holidays to vulnerable and disadvantaged residents of Drumchapel. The grant will part fund, rent, travel and two caravans, the production of information, training and travel for volunteers, consultancy and advice, and out-sourced HR. Name:Enlighten Tackling Epilepsy Local Authority:Edinburgh Amount Awarded: £94,535 Project Description:This project will reduce the social isolation faced by people with epilepsy through the provision of a Befriending service in Edinburgh and the Lothians. The grant will fully fund 12 part-time Befrienders, part-fund a Befriending Coordinator, recrutiment costs and residential breaks. Name:Equal Futures Local Authority:Scotland Based in Edinburgh, serving Scotland wide Amount Awarded: £242,803 Project Description:This project will establish and employ primary staff for a new social enterprise whch aims to reduce isolation of disabled people and their families through a number of different iniitiatives that support them to have choices and be more involved in the decision-making processes that impact on their lives. By becoming members of the organisation, beneficiaires will have access to facilitated lifelong networks of support, family mentoring, courses and workshops on subject areas such as wills and trusts. The grant will fund the employment of a new full-time Chief Executive, new full-time Adminstrator and new full-time Lead Facilitator. Name: Equal Say Ltd Local Authority:Glasgow Amount Awarded: £157,987 Project Description: The project will find and support responsible members of the community in Greater Glasgow who volunteer to become more involved in the welfare of people with a learning disability. After training, the volunteers provide citizen advocacy and befriending to vulnerable people with disabilities who are living in the community. The grant will part fund 2 existing full time posts of Citizen Advocacy Co-ordinator, an existing part time post of administrator; line management; office equipment; information, training and travel. Name: Lochaber Community Care Forum Local Authority:Highland Amount Awarded: £47,660 Project Description: This project will enable the Forum to develop the Lochaber Handyperson Scheme which provides a small repair/assistance service for older people - or people with community care needs - in Lochaber to enable them to maintain a better and safer quality of life in their own homes. In addition to offering repairs, the Scheme provides advice and support on such issues as home safety (including fire safety) and security. The grant will partly fund the purchase of equipment, salary costs for the existing part-time post of Handyperson Co-ordinator, fees for freelance workers, rent,the production of information and travel for staff and volunteers. Name: North Lanarkshire Out of School Care Forum Local Authority: North Lanarkshire. Amount Awarded: £23,255 Project Description: The project will enable the organisation to extend the hours of their current Liaison Officer which will, in turn, develop the quality and range of the services provided to out of school care groups in North Lanarkshire. The grant will fund additional hours for an existing part-time Liaison Officer, training for beneficiaries and the cost of holding 4 events for local providers and their children. Name: Rhinns Playground Association Local Authority: Argyll & Bute Amount Awarded: £114,994 Project Description: The project will create a fully inclusive and integrated community park which will benefit children of all ages, children with special needs and parents and families and older residents alike. The grant will part-fund construction costs. Name: Scottish Council on Deafness Local Authority: Based in Glasgow serving Scotland wide Amount Awarded: £138,617 Project Description: This project will reduce isolation and help to improve the mental health and well being of deaf people through the training and provision of additional counsellors to support the wider deaf community. Existing counsellors and counselling training providers will receive training and advice to ensure that their services are accessible to deaf and deafblind people. The grant will part fund one full time Project Co-ordinator, fees for freelance workers, the production of information, training and travel for staff and volunteers, communication services and office equipment. Name: Tayside Ritual Abuse Support and Help Project Local Authority: Based in Dundee serving Scotland wide Amount Awarded: £58,079 Project Description: This project will raise public awareness about organised and ritualised abuse and to provide a support and information service for survivors and their supporters. The grant will fully fund a new part time Development Worker and associated recruitment costs, training for staff and volunteers, childcare costs and volunteer travel expenses. Name: Volunteer Centre Edinburgh Local Authority:Edinburgh Amount Awarded: £100,772 Project Description: This project will improve the success rate in volunteering for volunteers with more complex needs or multiple disabilities. It will provide intensive support to individual volunteers to enable them to make the most of these opportunities. The grant will partly fund salary costs for one new full time Support and Team Development Worker and one existing full time Administrator as well as fully funding recruitment costs, rent, the production of information, training and travel for staff and volunteers, training for beneficiaries and office equipment. Name:YMCA Glasgow Local Authority:Glasgow Amount Awarded: £279,747 Project Description: This project aims to consolidate, develop and expand befriending, support groups and group work programmes for you people affected by bereavement and violence throughout the greater Pollok area. The grant will part fund an existing Co-ordinator, fully fund a new Groupworker, part time Administrator, and existing part time Project Assistants. It will also fully fund rent, training for beneficiaires, organisational overheads and part fund recruitment, the production of information, training for staff and volunteers and programme activities. Notes to Editors 1.Community Fund gives out money raised by the National Lottery to charities, voluntary and community groups. Out of every £1 spent on the National Lottery the Community Fund gets 4.7 pence. 2.Since 1995 Community Fund has awarded over 60,000 grants worth more than £2.7 billion to UK charities and voluntary groups. 3.The legal name of the Community Fund remains the National Lottery Charities Board. The National Lottery Charities Board was set up in 1994 and changed its operation name to Community Fund – Lottery money making a difference in April 2001. 4.A new organisation is currently being formed from the New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund and will soon be distributing a major share of the good causes money raised through the National Lottery. This is an exciting opportunity for us to build on what both Funds have achieved so far and create an even more responsive and accessible organisation. The new distributor, The Big Lottery Fund, will be launched in June 2004. Current programmes, beneficiaries or applications will not be affected. 5.The New Opportunities Fund distributes National Lottery money to health, education and environment projects across the UK. We intend to support sustainable projects that will improve the quality of life of people throughout the UK, address the needs of those who are most disadvantaged in society, encourage community participation and complement relevant local and national strategies and programmes. (Funding for programmes is divided between England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on the basis of population weighted to reflect levels of deprivation).		For more information contact Lorna McNiven, on 0141 223 8600