This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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£8 million for voluntary sector
28/01/2004
Voluntary organisations across Scotland were today served up an £8 million cash boost.
Deputy Education and Young People Minister Euan Robson announced the first allocations from the new one-stop fund for national voluntary organisations working with children and families. More than 100 organisations and projects will benefit from grants worth £6.5 million.
The Minister also announced a further £1.5 million funding for social work education and training in voluntary organisations.
Mr Robson said:
"Every child deserves the best possible start in life and, across Scotland, voluntary organisations are making a real difference to the lives of children and families.
"That's why we are committed to helping them and ensuring that we get maximum benefit from every pound spent by drawing resources together into a single fund. This funding clearly highlights the vital role played by voluntary organisations, working alongside the local authority sector, to provide a comprehensive range of valuable services.
"High quality training is also vital to improve the skills of the social care workforce and the £1.5 million allocations announced today will build on work already underway.
"This funding will support a wide range of national organisations and innovative projects, developing new ideas and delivering valuable services across Scotland."
The Executive consulted on proposals for a unified Children, Young People
and Families Voluntary Sector Fund last year. The new fund simplifies administrative arrangements for national voluntary organisations.
The fund is available to national voluntary organisations whose primary
activities relate to assisting children, young people and families, in particular those experiencing difficulties or disadvantage, and for family mediation and counselling organisations.
Existing funding totalling around £5.5 million each year has been pooled
to create the unified fund and an extra £1 million has been added for next year, with a further £0.5 million available in the following year - bringing the total to £7 million a year.