Scotland update
August 2010
Summer sunshine shines on opening Celebration – recap on the launch of Investing in Communities
It was a warm sunny day as the Big Lottery Fund hosted a street party to mark the opening of its new multi million pound fund aimed at tackling need and supporting disadvantaged communities here in Scotland.
BIG Scotland’s flagship Investing in Communities portfolio was announced open and ready for business on June 30 by funding beneficiaries Lisa Dingwall, Billy McAllister and Leanne Quigley at a celebration party held at the Scottish Youth Theatre in Glasgow. The new look Investing in Communities portfolio is BIG’s the major funding plan for Scotland over the next five years and builds on the work started in the previous plan, Investing in Communities 2006-2009. The majority of Scotland’s wider 400 million pound investment will flow through it between now and 2015.
Speaking at the opening party was Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair Alison Magee. She said, “It’s been a tough couple of years for people and communities across the country and so I am delighted to declare that Investing in Communities is now open for business and ready to help and support those communities at greatest disadvantage here in Scotland.
“We believe Investing in Communities will truly help to tackle some of the core issues of need and inequality that people and communities across our great country face. Investing in Communities offers the chance for Lottery funding to make a difference. Like Lisa, Billy and Leanne know only too well Lottery funded projects often offer a lifeline that wouldn’t be found anywhere else, changing lives for the better. This is what we want to continue to do with the new look Investing in Communities.”
Scottish organisations can apply for up to five years of funding for projects designed to help communities and individuals most in need. The target areas for investment include supporting local communities to acquire or develop their own asset such as a community centre or wind turbine, to supporting vulnerable adults back into work or improving the quality of life for Scottish families most in need.
The Big Information Tour
So we’ve launched our new funding portfolio but what does that really mean and who can apply?
Over the next three months a team of dedicated advisors will visit every area of Scotland to answer these and any other any questions you might have about the new look Investing in Communities.
The sessions will offer practical advice and support for local groups who want to explore an idea for funding, need advice on how to make a good application or simply want to find out more about the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland.
You’ll be able to find out how to apply to Investing in Communities as well as all of the Big Lottery Fund’s other grant schemes including its popular small programmes: Awards for All, 2014 Communities and Investing in Ideas. As well as presentations on all of BIG’s funding programmes, groups will also be able to speak to Big Lottery Fund funding advisors about project ideas and get further advice.
Between August and October BIG will deliver over 40 information sessions in partnership with local authorities and Scotland’s CVS network. See here for up to date details
We expect a high level of demand for these sessions and so to avoid disappointment please look to see which session would best suit you and ensure that you reserve your place by booking onto the event securely.
Herald Society Awards update
The Herald Society Awards has become a landmark in the annual Scottish calendar for the Voluntary, Community and Public Service sectors. They recognise excellence, innovation and commitment by celebrating the people behind Scotland’s vital front line services. That’s why the Big Lottery Fund is proud to support these unique awards as the main sponsor in this their 3rd year.
It’s ever more important to celebrate and recognise Public service at a time when we all need to do more with less and at a time when levels of trust in our public institutions could be better. That’s why the Herald Society Awards are vital in recognising the commitment, spirit and resilience shown by those who work tirelessly to deliver services to communities across Scotland.
The Big Lottery Fund is sponsoring the Unsung Hero Award. We’re looking for nominations for local champions, those individuals without whom projects simply would not shine. These are the people whose personal commitment to a project is often the difference between success and failure, the people who reflect what their local community needs, have the ear of the wider population and often have the personal drive and vigour to make a difference across the board.
The closing date for entries is Friday September 3, 2010 and the winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony at the Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow. For more information, categories and entry forms go to:
Hello we’re the Big Lottery Fund and we’re happy to be both a PC and a Mac
Here at the Big Lottery Fund we’re keen to ensure that our software and web applications are open and accessible to all. And we know that as some of you are not PC, you’re having issues with filling in our forms electronically.
So we have put together a short troubleshooting guide to help those of you with Macs, if you need it!
The main issue reported to us lies with Adobe Reader. Both Big Lottery Fund and Awards for All use Adobe Reader for application forms to be completed electronically. However we now know that Mac users not always able to access Adobe Reader.
This is because Mac computers have the ability to open Adobe PDF documents without the need for additional software. This uses a built-in programme called ‘Preview’. Unfortunately ‘Preview’ does not support all the features that Adobe Reader does. Therefore, this can leave forms being blank.
To fix this, make sure you are using Adobe Reader rather than Preview by:
- Open Adobe Reader first. Do not open the form.
- Within Reader, go to 'File', then 'Open', and then find and open your form.
- Now fill in and save the form.
Please remember to open PDF forms from within Reader every time you open them. Do not click on the form itself. If you do this, it will open the document in 'Preview'.
If you are still having problems with Adobe Reader, please see Adobe’s support page
Moving forward in Trust
Progress is well underway as we prepare to roll out new investment for older and young people. In March we announced we would be investing £50 million into two very specific areas.
- Helping the growing community dealing with dementia, this could be those suffering with the disease themselves or could be support for their carers
- Supporting the needs of the young people as they leave state care and begin life as independent adults
At BIG Scotland we want to make a lasting impact in these two areas and in June we announced that we hope to establish a Trust whose remit will be to support the specific needs of individuals who fall into either group.
Over the summer we have been busy talking to stakeholders, key people, organisations and individuals who work in both these areas and this work will continue throughout August.
We hope to begin the process of identifying the establishing a corporate trustee in the Autumn.
In turn we would anticipate that we will be in a position to announce the preferred bidder to manage and run the Trust bidder in Spring/Summer 2011.
Supermum with a smile
With her big smile and gentle nature it’s no surprise to hear that Marjorie Ruddick has spent over a quarter of a century working with children.
The mum of four has brought up her four children and also spent time caring for over 70 young people as a foster mum beyond compare.
Now she’s working for the Lottery funded Fostering Links project, helping to encourage those considering fostering and supporting those who already do so.
She says, “Being involved has really enhanced my knowledge and experiences as a foster carer. I enjoy feeling part of a large team and appreciate all opportunities I’ve had to meet other carers and workers.”
Marjorie’s work is vital as there’s an estimated shortage of 1700 foster carers in Scotland.
Working as a foster mum while coping with the demands of looking after her own family Marjorie, from Alford in Aberdeenshire, admits there have been times when fostering has caused problems but she says that ultimately the experience has brought her family closer together.
Marjorie adds, “Over the years I have gained a wealth of experience of how to deal with children. Given that there is a serious lack of foster parents my expertise is almost always in demand although in the past I didn’t always appreciate that there were times when I should have taken a break. Now I devote my time to counselling other carers on stress management. “
The Fostering Network was awarded £302,000 in 2009 for its Fostering Links.
