Funding

People struggling to manage their household finances can now benefit from increased support in a range of community settings thanks to a new accessible advice fund.

Almost £1 million has been distributed to partnerships between advice agencies and other local services such as schools, charities, hospitals and mental health services.

Organisations at the frontline of helping people facing poverty and hardship can now apply for a share of government funding to help tackle food insecurity.

The £1.6 million Cash-First Fund is aimed at public sector and third sector partnerships to deliver cash grants for food and other essentials, helping to reduce the need for food parcels.

The Scottish Government is inviting applications for two bid-in funds: the Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund (CPAF) and the Cash-First Fund (CFF).         

A new Local Action Group (LAG) has been created to manage the delivery of the Scottish Government Community Led Local Development (CLLD) funding programme within Dumfries and Galloway.

The Angus Community-Led Vision Fund is now live and open for applications.

The Almond Headwaters Project, led by Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust, and the River Ericht Catchment Restoration Initiative project, led by Bioregioning Tayside have both been awarded funding from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation through the

Islanders facing high fuel, food and energy costs are to receive an additional £1 million in support to help meet cost of living pressures.

The new funding will be delivered through the Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund to help mitigate against some of the unique cost of living challenges faced by people living on Scotland’s islands.

Rural and island communities will have a chance to have their voices heard in local and national decision-making as a result of Scottish Government funding.

Around £80,000 will help to deliver the next Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament – a grassroots democratic assembly ­– which will take place in the autumn.

University of Glasgow’s SFC Upskilling Project facilitates three runs of skills-focussed, demand-led CPD courses annually, with the aim of supporting employees and employers across Scotland to upskill and reskill in response to present-day economic challenges. In particular, the project aims to address skills gaps, unemployment issues and other health and economic adversities following the COVID-19 pandemic and EU exit.

The Scottish Government’s £65 million Nature Restoration Fund has already awarded around £17.5 million to 125 projects across the country since it opened in July 2021. Managed by NatureScot, the fund supports projects to take practical steps to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss and to restore Scotland’s natural environment.