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More funding to improve lives for autistic adults

More funding has been announced for the Scottish Government’s Autistic Adult Support Fund and is available to third sector organisations providing services to autistic adults – promoting wellbeing and helping them to understand what neurodivergence means for them.

Since 2023, the Scottish Government has allocated £1.5 million to 15 organisations, including those helping autistic adults enter, remain, and thrive within employment.

This latest round of funding is now open to applications and will provide £2.5 million for the period from October 2025 to end of March 2028. Deadline for applications is 21 May 2025.

Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport Maree Todd said:

“We know the third sector plays a crucial role in improving the lives of autistic people, and this fund will support organisations to help the autistic people they work with lead fulfilling, independent, and active lives.

“The grants will be used to support autistic adults to thrive, helping them access services and improve general wellbeing so they can get involved in and truly feel a part of their community.

“Our commitment to multi-year funding will ensure that funded projects have the security and space to develop and grow, and ensure that the quality of support they provide is as high as it can be.”

Celia Tennant, Chief Executive Officer at Inspiring Scotland said:

“We are pleased to be managing the application process for the new phase of the Scottish Government’s Autistic Adult Support Fund.

“We know from working in this area, there is a real need to provide support to autistic adults around diagnosis or to understand their autism to improve wellbeing.

“We look forward to hearing from applicants that meaningfully involve autistic people in the development, design and delivery of the activity to improve live chances for autistic adults in Scotland.”

Find out more about the fund.

New funding to improve lives for people with learning disabilities

People with learning disabilities will be supported to reach their full potential through a £1.6 million Scottish Government fund.

The Learning Disability Support Fund will be available to third sector organisations to enable them to promote equality and inclusion and improve access to education, health services and social activities for people with learning disabilities.

The fund will run for 30 months from October 2025, with a total of £325,000 available for the first year and £650,000 per year for the following two years. Organisations can apply for grants of between £75,000 and £250.000.

Minister for Wellbeing, Social Care and Sport Maree Todd said:

“The last 30 years have seen enormous changes in how people with learning disabilities are supported in society, however we recognise there is more work to be done.

“We know the third sector plays a crucial role in improving the lives of people with learning disabilities and this fund will support organisations to enable those they work with to lead fulfilling, independent, and active lives as equal citizens.

“The grants will be used to provide people with education and information on matters such as accessing health services and developing safe relationships.

“In developing the fund, we have taken into account the views expressed by people with learning disabilities in recent consultation and research and we will work closely with the third sector to ensure it makes a difference.”

Celia Tennant, Chief Executive Officer at Inspiring Scotland said:

More funding available for community ecosystem restoration projects

A second round of the Neighbourhood Ecosystem Fund opens for applications today (Monday 20 January 2025) to enable community-led project groups in Scotland to develop local nature restoration projects.

The Neighbourhood Ecosystem Fund seeks to inspire, encourage, and enable communities to explore and develop ambitious ecosystem restoration projects locally. It also seeks to raise awareness about the importance of locally-led ecosystem restoration and address barriers faced by communities.

The first round of funding included projects to support freshwater and wetland habitats, undertake an ecological survey of the aquatic, amphibian and invertebrate biodiversity of ponds and woodlands, and to develop plans for community-led peatland restoration.

Community groups can apply for up to £13,500. The deadline for applications is midday Monday 3rd March 2025.

Funding will be administered by Inspiring Scotland and is supported by the Carman Family Foundation, the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund (managed by NatureScot) and other funders.

Erica Judge, Director of Funds at Inspiring Scotland said:

“We’re pleased to open the second round of the Neighbourhood Ecosystem Fund. Communities have a wealth of knowledge and passion for their local areas – community groups can bring more nature and biodiversity back to Scotland’s diverse places.

“We want to help communities develop their ideas for ecosystem restoration into a pipeline of deliverable projects. The Neighbourhood Ecosystem Fund is filling a gap in the landscape by funding the development stages of locally-based ecosystem restoration. The response so far has shown that there is very much an appetite and need for this work.”

Bill Carman of the Carman Family Foundation said:

“It has never been more important to revive Scotland’s damaged, degraded and destroyed ecosystems. Local community groups are deeply connected to their local areas and are well placed to design ambitious and meaningful projects which can have a lasting positive impact. We are excited to reopen this fund for applications, providing more opportunities for communities to spearhead this crucial work.”

NatureScot’s Head of Funding Iain Sime said:

“It is great to see initiatives like the Neighbourhood Ecosystem Fund tackling the unprecedented nature-climate crisis within local communities, helping us to bring about the nature transformation Scotland desperately needs. Our local communities across Scotland are vital for steering and helping achieve positive and sustained change that benefits people and nature.”

For more information and how to apply, please visit inspiringscotland.org.uk/fund/neighbourhood-ecosystem-fund

Funding available for community groups to develop local ecosystem restoration projects

The Neighbourhood Ecosystem Fund launched today (Wednesday 22^nd May 2023) to enable community-led project groups in Scotland to design and deliver local nature restoration projects.

The aim of the Neighbourhood Ecosystem Fund is to help communities develop their ideas for nature restoration into a pipeline of deliverable projects with a whole ecosystem approach.

Funding will be administered by Inspiring Scotland and supported by the Carman Family Foundation, the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund (managed by NatureScot) and other funders.

Erica Judge, Director of Funds at Inspiring Scotland said:

“We know from previous work at Inspiring Scotland that there is a desire for community–led projects to further local development.

“The fund’s goal is to inspire, encourage and enable communities to explore and deliver ambitious ecosystem restoration projects locally.”

Bill Carman said:

“We need to restore Scotland’s nature – to revive damaged, degraded or destroyed ecosystems. Rising temperatures and extreme weather are hampering this revival.

“A more sustainable world where nature thrives and people can enjoy it, can only be achieved through multiple and widespread community-led effort. We aim to help raise awareness and address barriers faced by community-led efforts.”

NatureScot’s Head of Funding Iain Sime said:

“It is great to see initiatives like the Neighbourhood Ecosystem Fund tackling the unprecedented nature-climate crisis within local communities, helping us to bring about the nature transformation Scotland desperately needs. Our local communities across Scotland are vital for steering and helping achieve positive and sustained change that benefits people and nature.”

Community groups can apply for up to £13,500 which can contribute to nature development activities, specialist consultancy, new staff posts and core costs. They will also receive £1,500 in professional fundraising support in addition to their grant.

The deadline for applications is 12pm Wednesday 3^rd July 2024.

For more information and how to apply, please visit inspiringscotland.org.uk/fund/neighbourhood-ecosystem-fund

Survivors of Childhood Abuse Support fund open for applications

A fund to support survivors of childhood abuse is now open for applications from third sector organisations.  

The new phase of the Scottish Government’s Survivors of Childhood Abuse Support (SOCAS) fund will invest in services supporting adults affected by childhood abuse, so they can enjoy a safe and healthy life, with improved wellbeing. 

The purpose and overall aim of the fund is to support the recovery, resilience and wellbeing of survivors of abuse through counselling and psychological support, peer support or other survivor support services. 

From today until Friday 3rd May, organisations can apply for grants up to £300,000. Inspiring Scotland will manage the application process on behalf of the Scottish Government.  

Kaylie Allen, Director of Funds at Inspiring Scotland said, “The Survivors of Childhood Abuse Support fund provides vital help for survivors to enjoy a safe and healthy life with improved wellbeing and sense of safety. 

“Helping people who are affected by trauma is at the heart of Inspiring Scotland’s strategy, so we welcome the continuation of the Scottish Government’s funding and look forward to supporting applicants through the application process.” 

The last phase of the SOCAS fund saw £10m distributed to third sector organisations, supporting over 16,000 adult survivors of childhood abuse. An independent evaluation highlighted the value of funding to survivor organisations, and that survivors would like to see more support be available across Scotland. 

Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said, “We want all survivors to be provided with services which allow them to lead happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives. 

“This latest round of funding, up to £2.23 million per annum, builds on almost £10 million invested since establishing the Fund in 2020, and is designed to reduce the impact of the inequalities and disadvantages survivors often experience as a result of abuse. 

“Our recently published Mental Health Strategy Delivery Plan outlines the importance of survivors having access to services which promote sustained recovery through person-centred, trauma-informed support and treatment – this funding will enable more people to get the help which is right for them.” 

Find out more and apply at the SOCAS 2024 page. 

Perinatal and Infant Mental Health fund open for applications

A fund to support perinatal infant mental health and parents is open for applications from third sector organisations and services.  

Following on from work the Scottish Government’s previous Perinatal and Infant Mental Health fund, the new phase is open to third sector organisations who support babies, parents and carers affected by, or at risk, of perinatal and infant mental health issues in Scotland.  

From today, organisations can apply for funding of up to £132,000 for the duration of the 18-month fund across the two financial years. Applications close Friday 3rd May at 12pm. 

Kaylie Allen, Director of Funds at Inspiring Scotland said, “We are pleased to be managing the application process for the next 18 months of Scottish Government Perinatal and Infant Mental Health funding.  

“We know from the last three years of managing the fund the extraordinary impact community-based peer, parenting and infant focussed support can make for babies, parents, and families. It is so important that we focus on the early years to give all children the best start in life.” 

Research shows that an infant’s physical, cognitive and emotional development are essential in giving them the best start in life with more than one million new connections being formed every second in a baby’s growing brain. It is therefore a vital time for the whole family as mental ill health in the perinatal period has an impact on both mothers and fathers, with up to 20% of mothers and up to 10% of fathers affected at this crucial stage of life. 

This funding will prioritise direct service delivery in the areas of peer support, parenting / infant support and counselling / psychological support. These areas of practice have shown to be effective through this fund to date and were highlighted as having the best evidence of effective third sector delivery in the Maternal Mental Health Research Briefing.?? 

Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said, “It is very important that all mothers and their families have access to good mental healthcare throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period.

“The third sector provides vital access to perinatal mental health support, and we are dedicated to supporting them to do so.

“This latest round of funding of up to £1.5 million, building on previous awards of over £2.8 million over four years, is designed to increase the provision of parenting and infant support, peer support and counselling or psychological support. The Fund will enable organisations to provide the services that women and their families need.”

To find out more or apply, visit the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health 2024 Fund page.

How intandem is building trusted mentoring relationships

This week is an important one for us here at intandem. Not only is it Care Experienced Week, which looks to celebrate the care experience community, but it is also National Mentoring Day today (Friday 27 October) and we have lots of mentors and mentees to celebrate!  

Scotland made a promise children and young people with care experience, that they will grow up loved, safe and respected so they can realise their full potential. Providing trusted relationships and building confidence are an essential part of keeping this promise. 

intandem is all about building trusted relationships – with children and young people, with their families, with volunteers and with other professionals. These trusted relationships give young people and their families somewhere to turn when they need support.   

As a programme delivering mentoring for children and young people who are in the care of their local authority, or at risk of becoming so, and living either at home or in kinship care, intandem involves much more than mentoring. It is part of the scaffolding of support needed for a young person and their family to overcome difficulties. 

I am constantly amazed and frequently inspired by the dedication and compassion of our intandem coordinators and volunteer mentors who continually strive to do the best for young people and their families. Whether it’s making time to listen and offer emotional support or helping families to access specific services, they make a big difference to the lives of young people and their families. 

“Having a mentor has made me a lot happier…I was really struggling, mentally, physically…but when I got my mentor, she brightens stuff up…it feels like she genuinely takes some of the stress off my shoulders.” Young person 

intandem keeps learning 

Established in 2016, intandem is managed by Inspiring Scotland and delivered by partner charities across 19 local authorities. The landscape has changed a lot over this time, and I have learnt just how important it is to listen to and learn from children and families. 

Since intandem began, mentoring the programme we’ve made several changes to help us keep the promise: 

• We widened the eligibility criteria for children and young people mentored to remove barriers to support. Young people in kinship care and those at risk of becoming looked after can now access intandem. 
• Recognising the trusted relationships between coordinators, young people and families, intandem now involves much more than mentoring, it’s part of the scaffolding of support around families enabling them to overcome difficulties.   
• Participation is a crucial part of keeping the promise and it has become essential at intandem with our dynamic youth forum becoming a key element of our programme.  

Weekly community-based mentoring has powerful results, changing the trajectory of children and young people’s lives. Here are some of my favourite quotes that really encapsulate the difference intandem makes: 

“It’s impacted my life choices a lot.” Young person 

“He told me he’d learnt to trust again, which was nice to hear.” Mentor 

“She’s made me realise that not every person is there to hurt me.” Young person 

All families need support from others at times, and I’m privileged to be part of intandem providing that much needed support. 

To find out more about intandem and our local partners, visit our website. 

Susie White, 

Intandem fund manager 

Finding the right trustees with Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network

Not only does Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network (SVN) connect charities with professional volunteers to solve challenges, but our team are also on hand to help you recruit and train your Board.

Meet Bill Speirs, Board Director at The Jeely Piece Club

Bill was a practising solicitor from 1978 until 2021. He helped set up Clydebank Citizens Advice Bureau and was a Children’s Panel member for many years. He was a criminal lawyer, one of Scotland’s first employment lawyers, and later a leading practitioner in insurance litigation both in Scotland and abroad.  

He joined The Jeely Board in July 2018. The Castlemilk-based charity provides play and learning opportunities for children to help improve self confidence and self-esteem for children to carry into adulthood.  

Joining Jeely  

After chatting with the Inspiring Scotland CEO, Bill’s drive to start volunteering was clear. He then was introduced to our SVN executive Elaine who knew that through helping build and manage a very successful law firm, Bill had the right mix of skills to really add value to The Jeely.  

He joined at a time when the charity was going through a lot of change. The Board had to shift their thinking from a risk-averse approach to a more forward-looking one. 

Bill in conjunction with other trustees has been instrumental in helping navigate the structured change that has occurred over the last five years and the whole organisation now thinks and works differently.  

As Bill says, “Trusteeship is a good way to get involved, not in the day to day running of the charity but using the skills you’ve got to provide oversight, foresight and insight.” 

Where Boards can add the most value  

Bill believes a good Board should trust their team in the day-to-day activities and use their helicopter view to look at the big picture and maintain a focus on the long-term sustainability of the organisation.  

He used his analytical talents and got right to work helping the team at The Jeely create a new standardised HR recruitment process, which helped in the recruitment of a new CEO.   

He has also actively been involved with other board and staff members in improving and future-proofing other areas of the charity, including implementing improved safeguarding systems in the Nursery and Play Zone .The team were delighted with the changes as it cut down on  their admin time dramatically!   

Impact 

Bill finds his involvement with the Jeely personally satisfying, He is there for the love of it and he has been surprised as an emotional bond has been established. It means much more to him than simply giving back, he sees the difference the charity makes, and loves being part of it.   

Elaine McKenna, CEO at The Jeely Piece said, “Bill and Inspiring Scotland’s SVN team have been a massive support to the Jeely. We have had a multitude of difficulties that were required to be raised at our HR committee and Bill has supported us to overcome every obstacle.  

“I have only been in the post of CEO for nine months and can already see the change and dedication that Bill has brought to the Jeely. He is committed to all board meetings and his exceptional wealth of knowledge makes a big difference.” 

Support from Inspiring Scotland 

As well as being an Active Play and Outdoor Community Play partner, The Jeely has received support from Inspiring Scotland’s Thrive Outdoors team helping to develop the charity’s strategy and to create a fundraising plan, alongside coaching support to the new CEO and setting up an outdoor nursery. Recent efforts have brought in some more donations and helped the team look at new funding avenues.  

We look forward to continuing our work with The Jeely Piece and Bill!  

If you would like to find out more about how SVN can support your charity, please visit the SVN page.

Conference to help people with additional support needs get into employment to be held in September

Online conference aims to redesign sustainable employment opportunities for people with additional support needs in the South of Scotland. 

A conference focused on addressing employment opportunities for young people with additional support needs in the South of Scotland will be hosted by the Additional Support Needs (ASN) Learning Network on Friday 8 September 2023. 

The South of Scotland is home to more than 5,000 young people with additional support needs, and research shows that school leavers and young adults in this group have extremely low opportunities in the job market, with national employment rates between 4-8%.  

Funded by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and facilitated by Inspiring Scotland, the ASN Learning Network was founded in 2021 after ideas emerged from local organisations The Usual Place of Dumfries and Borders Additional Needs Group (BANG) in the Scottish Borders, on how to create meaningful change for people with additional support needs in the South of Scotland through employment.  

The interactive online conference will showcase where gaps are in service provision and provide insight on people’s experience of accessing employment, aiming to influence the redesign of employment support in the area.  

Oliver Mundell MSP for Dumfriesshire and Chirsty McFadyen, Knowledge Exchange Associate from the Fraser of Allander Institute will deliver keynote speeches, alongside workshops and Q&A delivered by those with lived experience.  

Sally Cavers, Fund Manager at Inspiring Scotland said,

“Economic inclusion of people with additional support needs helps individuals and communities to thrive. We know through our work at Inspiring Scotland, the third sector can be a vital partner to employers and individuals providing support and guidance to ensure success. 

“We want to make sure the learning from the ASN Learning Network is used to support the vision of the regional economic strategy and maximise investment into the South of Scotland, making it an inclusive region for all. 

“We welcome anyone with an interest in additional support needs and employment to attend the conference on Friday 8 September. Perhaps you are a staff member or volunteer in the charity or public sector, or a private sector employee. You could be someone in the region with an additional support need, or a parent or carer. The key is that you want support in positive change in the South of Scotland for this group of people.” 

The ASN Learning Network pilot is due to finish in October. It is hoped the conference will help create a legacy for further work to continue.  

Jane Morrison-Ross, Chief Executive of South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) said,

“One of the six key priorities in SOSE’s Five Year Plan is our commitment to Fair Work and Equality.

“As part of this commitment, we want to work with the Third Sector to support their ability to deliver vital employability support to groups such as young people with additional support needs, which is why we supported the creation of the South of Scotland ASN Learning Network in 2021. 

“The culmination of this two-year pilot is the ASN Learning Network Conference, which is an excellent opportunity to reflect on what has been learned in the last two years as well as look ahead and discuss how partners across the South can work together to better support young people with additional support needs to find rewarding employment.” 

Heather Hall, CEO at The Usual Place said,

“The South of Scotland is home to many gifted, talented young people with additional support needs, who are looking to get a good job with a decent income. To take their place as full and equal citizens’ young disabled people want to have opportunities to build on their strengths and to develop the skills that employers across South of Scotland are looking for.  

“We know that local employers are looking for employees to fill vacancies and are more aware of talented disabled young people seeking employment. These employers are progressively more open to developing their, ‘Employer-Ability’, skills in attracting and retaining a more diverse workforce.  

“This conference is an opportunity to bring people together who want to see the South of Scotland lead the way in changing the current poverty of opportunity and ambition along with low employment rates for disabled young people in Scotland.” 

Pauline Grigor CEO Borders Additional Needs Group (BANG) said,

“I welcome support from both SOSE and Inspiring Scotland to enable us to highlight the significant importance of meaningful change when addressing employment opportunities for young people with additional support needs.  

“What drives change is a willingness to think ‘outside the box’, adopt reflective practice and person-centered whole family approach. We must value the contribution that a diverse workforce can bring to local economic growth across the South of Scotland and value trusted relationship our vast third sector brings to a cultural shift in our approach to positive destinations and employability.”   

Tickets are free for the event and can be reserved here. 

Autistic Adult Support Fund open for applications

The Autistic Adult Support Fund launched today (Wednesday 16th August 2023) aiming to help adults with an autism diagnosis, self-identified autistic adults, and their families and carers understand what neurodivergence means for them and improve their wellbeing. 

The Autistic Adult Support Fund will provide £500,000 for the six-month period from October 2023 to end of March 2024.  

Facilitated by Inspiring Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government, the Autistic Adult Support Fund builds on the work of a pilot which ran between 2020 and 2023 and funded seven organisations to provide post diagnostic support to autistic people. 

Erica Judge, Director of Funds at Inspiring Scotland said:  

“We are pleased to manage this fund from Scottish Government which will ensure that more autistic people and their families can help better understand their diagnosis by accessing the support they need. 

“We know that there is a great need for this programme due to feedback from people who had received support from the pilot project, describing it as life changing.

“Funding will be available for Scottish not-for-profit organisations working closely with autistic people to help close the gap in provision of help and support to this community.” 

Small grants of between £15,000 and £30,000 are available to support smaller, grassroots, locally based projects. Large grants of between £30,001 and £75,000 are available for national or regional projects.  

Funding is available until 31 March 2024. It is hoped that this fund will run on a recurring annual basis but is subject to Ministerial approvals as part of Scottish Government’s annual budget process. 

The deadline for applications is 12pm on Wednesday 13 September 2023. 

For more information and how to apply, please visit inspiringscotland.org.uk/autistic-adult-support-fund