This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

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£120 million directed to tackle poverty
26/02/2002
Scotland's 48 Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) initiatives will receive a share of a £120 million funding package announced today.
The resources are intended to help SIPs get the best out of existing community initiatives and support additional activity such as improving access to employment and education, improving childcare provision and introducing schemes to improve peoples' health and overall quality of life.
The funding will be distributed over the next two years via Communities Scotland, the Executive's housing and regeneration agency. SIPs are comprised of the local authority and other public agencies such as the local enterprise company, local health board, voluntary and private sector.
Announcing the funding at Edinburgh's 'Worktrack' initiative, part of the South Edinburgh SIP, Social Justice Minister Iain Gray said:
"Closing the opportunity gap has always been a top priority and is at the heart of the Executive's agenda. Programmes such as Worktrack, which encourage and help people into work and training, are vital in helping to achieve our targets of social justice.
"Everyone in Scotland should have the opportunity to realise their full potential and there should be no limit to these ambitions. SIPs work at the heart of the community by involving local people and by concentrating on their priorities."
Bob Millar, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, added:
"In order to make a lasting difference, it is vital that local people are involved. In its new role, Communities Scotland looks forward to working with SIPs to help improve the quality of life for people in Scotland."
Robert Divine, a former participant of the Worktrack programme in Edinburgh, said:
"Worktrack provided me with choices I wasn't aware I had. Before joining I was working on building sites around Edinburgh. I have no formal qualifications and thought that this was my lot in life. After registering I began to learn new things about myself and my skills. I became a volunteer at Worktrack, and am now studying 'Advice, Guidance and Counselling' full-time at Telford College".
SIPs have been given one firm funding allocation and one provisional allocation for 2002/03 and 2003/04. Previous announcements have been announced on a three year basis, with the latter two years made as provisional allocations. This year's announcement can only focus on the next two financial years as 2004/05 is outwith the current spending review. The next spending review is scheduled for Summer 2002.
COUNCIL | SIP | 2002-03 | 2003-04 |
| | Firm Allocation | Indicative Allocation |
| | £ | £ |
Aberdeen City | Great Northern | 871,250 | 893,031 |
Argyll & Bute | Argyll & Bute | 369,000 | 369,000 |
Clack'shire | Alloa South & East | 1,038,000 | 1,038,000 |
Dundee | Dundee 1 | 2,195,806 | 2,250,701 |
| Dundee 2 | 313,000 | 209,000 |
| Xplore | 496,212 | 451,217 |
| Young Carers | 109,265 | 111,997 |
E. Ayrshire | East Ayrshire Coalfields | 1,813,379 | 2,181,098 |
E. Lothian | Tranent | 163,898 | 167,995 |
E. Renfrewshire | Levern Valley | 348,000 | 232,000 |
Edinburgh | Craigmillar | 1,809,125 | 1,854,353 |
| Strategic Programme | 397,000 | 265,000 |
| Edinburgh Youth | 603,059 | 618,135 |
| North Edinburgh | 2,446,675 | 2,507,842 |
| South Edinburgh | 1,553,874 | 1,921,593 |
Fife | Fife | 481,000 | 321,000 |
| Frae Fife | 137,632 | 141,073 |
Falkirk | Falkirk | 440,000 | 293,000 |
Glasgow | Drumchapel | 2,729,797 | 2,798,406 |
| GARA | 795,323 | 815,206 |
| Big Step | 490,642 | 502,908 |
| East End | 3,054,167 | 3,130,521 |
| Glasgow North | 3,201,254 | 3,281,285 |
| Smaller Areas | 1,786,063 | 2,166,914 |
| Routes Out | 276,314 | 283,222 |
| Gorbals | 818,437 | 838,898 |
| Greater Easterhouse | 3,718,162 | 3,811,116 |
| Greater Govan | 1,280,712 | 1,648,431 |
| Greater Pollok | 3,177,500 | 3,636,188 |
| Milton | 818,437 | 838,898 |
| Springburn | 866,766 | 888,435 |
Highland | Highland | 856,900 | 803,723 |
Inverclyde | Inverclyde | 2,576,999 | 2,641,425 |
Moray | Youth Start | 469,629 | 481,370 |
North Ayrshire | North Ayrshire | 557,000 | 372,000 |
N.Lanarkshire | Motherwell North | 1,675,747 | 1,717,641 |
| North Lanarkshire | 678,000 | 452,000 |
| South Coatbridge | 770,108 | 789,361 |
Perth & Kinross | GO | 211,176 | 216,455 |
Renfrewshire | Paisley | 2,979,475 | 3,041,462 |
Scottish Borders | Scottish Borders | 264,758 | 271,376 |
South Ayrshire | Girvan | 448,617 | 459,832 |
| North Ayr | 1,595,925 | 1,635,823 |
S. Lanarkshire | Blantyre/N. Hamilton | 3,191,850 | 3,677,188 |
| Cambuslang | 473,000 | 316,000 |
Stirling | SPUR | 398,000 | 266,000 |
W.Dunbartonshire | W.Dunbartonshire | 2,181,098 | 2,235,625 |
W. Lothian | W. Lothian | 219,581 | 225,070 |
| TOTAL | 58,147,612 | 60,068,814 |
Mr Gray was visiting South Edinburgh SIPs 'Worktrack' initiative which aims to help unemployed people, from the Southhouse/Burdiehouse and Moredun areas, into work or training. The initiative receives £260k from the SIP. The Southhouse/Burdiehouse office was set up two years ago and the Moredun office opened in Nov 2001. The Moredun office has already assisted 18 people back into work and training.