Resilience Fund awards bring £2.2M to Scotland’s third sector

Of the 64 funding awards just made under the Resilience Fund, brining a total of £2.2 million into Scotland’s third sector (voluntary) organisations, two awards are to Argyll initiatives.

• Argyll and Bute Rape Crisis Centre: The award made to the Centre is to help it to maintain the services it offers, following the loss of its funding from Argyll and Bute Council. (It is worth noting that, in contrast to cutting such funding for the vulnerable, the budget for the Council’s central management support services has gone up significantly this year.)
• Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust: Based in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, this organisation, among other services such as monitoring whale and dolphin population, provides training through schools on the marine environment.  The Trust is an important local employer.  It has been experiencing a loss of income but has prospects of moving to a sounder financial position and greater self-sustainability with help from the funding award made.

All awards will be made in the 2009/10 period – all funding must be claimed before the end of March 2010.

The Third Sector Resilience Fund was set up to help to ease the impact of the recession on some voluntary organisations.

Several are, as a result of the recession, facing increased demand for their services and cash flow difficulties.

The fund was open for five weeks only rom late October 2009.

It will provide immediate help to third sector organisations through grant awards of between £10,000 and £100,000 Ministers launched the fund in response to the hardship felt by some Third Sector organisations as a result of the global downturn and in direct response to the round table discussion on resilience in the recession which the Scottish Government held with third sector leaders, COSLA, SOLACE and others earlier this year.

Originally set at £1.7 million, the Scottish Government increased the find by 30% in response to the level of need 
demonstrated.

Beneficiaries include organisations supporting parents, children, 
older people, victims of crime as well as people experiencing financial 
difficulties, illness or disability.

Enterprise Minister and Argyll’s MSP,  Jim Mather, says: 
’This £2.2 million package from the Scottish Government 
will support and sustain the development of Scotland’s third sector in 
these tough economic times.
’

Lucy McTernan, Deputy Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for 
Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) says:

’The Resilience Fund is very welcome indeed.

‘The economic downturn 
means that charities and voluntary organisations have to do more with 
less.

‘Donations and grants are down yet demand for services we deliver 
is up significantly, meaning that many organisations across the country 
are really struggling.

‘This new money will give these organisations the peace of mind to plan 
ahead and to keep providing their vital services in communities across 
Scotland.’