Education Secretary, Michael Russell, has just announced the creation of a new Communities and Families Fund which will receive £1.5 million a year for the next three years to assist local childcare and family support work.
Examples of the work that could be supported include parenting and family support, community playgroups and crèches and community-led refurbishment of playgrounds.
The £4.5 million Families and Communities Fund will be the first allocation from the Scottish Government’s £50 million contribution to the Early Years Change Fund.
Mr Russell says: ‘We know that parents, families and communities have the biggest positive impact on children in their earliest years.
“This fund will support projects that bring real, tangible, benefits for those children and their families. Giving our youngsters the best start in life and paving the way for successful futures.’
This Communities and Families Fund will allow communities to bid for a share of the £4.5 million available over the next three years to invest in local projects.
The Education Secretary acknowledges that, spread across Scotland, the fund will focus on small manageable local projects but points out that these can make a real difference.
He says: ‘We know that sometimes small changes in a community can make a big difference. We want to empower our communities to shape the provision they need in their local area.’
The Scottish Government’s innovative Engage for Education website allows users to read blogs from Ministers, post comments and get involved in workshops on issues relating to education.
We recommend that readers interested in issues around education use this facility energetically. The government need to know the weight of interest and the spectrum of ideas and views.
The political reality is that, where you’re given the opportunity to engage, take it.
The Engage for Education site is here.
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