£1.3 million fund opens to support health and wellbeing of Island Communities
Please note applications closed on the 20th of September 2021.
The Scottish Government’s Healthy Islands Fund – a £1.3 million fund supporting projects focused on health and wellbeing on Scottish islands opens today 23 August 2021.
Successful projects will include community-led wellness initiatives to promote healthier lifestyles on the islands, supporting the delivery of Strategic Objective 7 the National Islands Plan which aims to improve and promote health, social care and wellbeing.
Applications are invited from voluntary or community organisations and public sector organisations for capital projects (up to £100k) and revenue funding (up to £5k). This can be for a standalone project or part of a larger project plan and funding must be used to deliver the project by end of March 2022.
The fund is being delivered on behalf of the Scottish Government by Inspiring Scotland.
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands Mairi Gougeon said:
“I am pleased to see this new fund open today to support the delivery of our National Islands Plan. The Healthy Islands Fund, which is being delivered on behalf of the Scottish Government by Inspiring Scotland, aims to provide islanders with opportunities and services to support their health and wellbeing in a post-pandemic recovery. This might include for example, the provision of sporting equipment, training for clubs or the delivery of much needed mental health services.
“We are providing £1.3 million for this fund, and I am looking forward to seeing how it can influence healthier lifestyles on our islands and support communities to recover from the pandemic.”
Celia Tennant, CEO of Inspiring Scotland, said:
“The Scottish Government’s new Healthy Islands Fund will support our island communities in engaging in healthy lifestyle choices in turn supporting their physical and mental wellbeing. This new funding stream will build on the work of the Scottish Government’s Island Communities Fund helping our islands to build back greener, healthier and happier post COVID-19.”
The Healthy Islands fund is part of Scottish Government’s wider £30 million Islands Programme.
Applications are now closed,
intandem expand their team and help map mentoring to Keep the Promise
As part of their ongoing commitment to amplify the voices of children and young people, intandem are taking action to Keep the Promise of the Independent Care Review.
After a successful application to The Promise Partnership, intandem secured investment to recruit a Programme Development Intern to support the national mentoring programme, and are delighted to announce that Josh Hurd has joined the team in this new role.
Josh will play a crucial role within the fund over the next year, helping to embed the voice of young people within intandem’s mentoring programme.
Upon joining the fund, Josh said:
“I enjoy working as a team and learning new things. I am a very enthusiastic person who loves spending time with people. I enjoy down time with family and friends and like being in people’s company.
I’m excited to meet everyone in the team and can’t wait to started. Family and friends are the most Important to me, as we build each other’s confidence up and help each other to overcome the bad times.”
Debbie Zima, performance advisor for intandem, added:
“We are delighted to have Josh join intandem. He brings experience of working alongside young people in sports coaching and most importantly has an infectious drive to get the views and ideas of young people at the front of all our minds, which will ensure intandem develops with their voice at its heart.”
In addition to welcoming Josh to the team, intandem have been working with the Scottish Mentoring Network and YMCA Scotland to map mentoring provision for care experienced children and young people in Scotland. The goal is to identify gaps in mentoring provision by mapping an accurate picture of where and how care experienced children and young people can currently access mentoring services.
Scottish Mentoring Network have launched a nationwide survey to enable mentoring services to contribute to the mapping exercise. Responses will help SMN and partners to better understand the current mentoring landscape and will allow them to make informed recommendations about how to improve access to mentoring services for all care-experienced children and young people.
Sarah Barr, Scottish Mentoring Network’s project lead for the mapping project, said:
“We are really excited to have been awarded funding to enable us undertake this vital piece of work. We know the positive impact that the mentoring services we work with have on the lives of Scotland’s young people and by contributing to this project you will be helping to ensure these opportunities are equally available across the country”.
Susie White, intandem performance advisor, added:
“Mapping mentoring provision will provide a clear picture of the current support available across Scotland. By working together to understand what mentoring services are available and where, we can build better connections across the sector to complement each other’s work and, most importantly, ensure young people get the support they want and need at the right time.”
Funded by Scottish Government and designed and delivered by Inspiring Scotland, intandem provides mentors for young people to help them face the unique challenges their circumstances can create. To find out more about the programme, visit intandem.scot.
Successful organisations announced for Equality and Human Rights Fund
48 organisations across Scotland have been awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s Equality and Human Fund to advance human rights, promote equality and tackle discrimination.
The successful organisations will share £21 million over three years, from 2021 to 2024, with £7 million distributed annually. Overall, this new three-year programme will provide an additional £1 million per year for organisations dedicated to tackling inequality and discrimination, furthering equality and advancing the realisation of human rights in Scotland.
Recipients of the fund include Civil Rights First, Intercultural Youth Scotland, Generations Working Together and Neighbourhood Networks in Scotland. A full list of funded organisations is available here.
Celia Tennant, Chief Executive of Inspiring Scotland, which manages the fund on behalf of the Scottish Government, said:
“Everyone in Scotland deserves, and has a right, to live their life to their maximum ability, to contribute to society in the widest terms, and to have full self-determination.
“The large number of strong applicants to the fund demonstrates the depth of commitment from the third sector. We look forward to working with the diverse range of funded groups to share challenges, develop solutions and amplify learning.”
Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie said:
“We want to build a fairer, more equal Scotland which is free from discrimination and where the human rights of everyone are respected, protected and fulfilled.
“Equality and human rights are at the heart of all we do. As we ease out of the pandemic, we are providing an annual increase of £1 million to support the vital efforts of these expert organisations to strengthen communities, further equality, and advance human rights of people across the country.”
Dionne McCabe, Trustee of Civil Rights First, said:
“This funding award, made in recognition of our specialist service delivery, is a significant step for our small charity in delivering to the most vulnerable with access to justice and a step change in growth across Scotland. We look forward to making a real difference with positive outcomes for vulnerable people.”