Could you be a Big Lunch Champion ?
The Big Lunch is a very simple idea from the Eden Project.
The aim is to get as many of the 62 million people in the UK
as possible to get together with their neighbours for a few
hours of community, friendship and fun, once a year.
Since starting in 2009, thousands of Big Lunches have taken
place in all kinds of communities and in 2011 the number of
participants doubled to the best part of two million. A record
number of people right across the UK are expected to take
part in 2012, when The Big Lunch will proudly support The
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
The Big Lunch team are currently looking for volunteers to
help grow the success of the campaign by promoting the
initiative in their local area. Big Lunch Champions can get
involved by spreading the word, going along to promotional
events, distributing materials and providing support to
communities by organising a Big Lunch in their area. It will
be a rewarding role, offering a fantastic opportunity to
connect with other community spirited people in your area
and spreading the Eden message. To find out more about
becoming a Big Lunch Champion conact
Emily.watt@thebiglunch.com or call 0207 255 6468
£1 million to create an Edinburgh Employment hub
A new employment hub addressing barriers to work for people with mental health issues has received £1 million from our Investing in Communities fund.
Forth Sector, a social enterprise and charity, will provide employability support and work placements for people in Edinburgh and Lothians from a new purpose-built hub, to be located in Craigmillar in Edinburgh. The award will enable Forth Sector to bring together its existing businesses under one roof. The move will allow the business to grow to provide around 150 jobs and work-placements.
The project is one of nine across Scotland sharing in our latest Investing in Communities grants worth over £4 million.
Other groups to benefit include Helensburgh & Lomond Carers which will provide support and respite for 150 young carers, and the Glenkens Community and Arts Trust in Dumfries which will provide a range of activities for older people experiencing isolation. For a full list of all of the successful groups see our press release.
BIG welcomes new Scottish Land Fund
The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) has joined with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to welcome the announcement by the Scottish Government that the organisations are to jointly deliver the new Scottish Land Fund.
The Scottish Government’s Scottish Land Fund will open to applications in s
ummer 2012. It will invest £6 million over the next three years. The programme is currently being developed by BIG and HIE. Both organisations have a strong track record in supporting communities to take more control of their futures through the acquisition and management of assets. Together the organisations developed and managed the original Scottish Land Fund and the subsequent Growing Communtiy Assets programme which have allowed over £65 million to be invested in Scottish communities over the past ten years.
Jackie Killeen, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Director, said: ”We look forward to working with Highlands and Islands Enterprise to deliver the Scottish Government’s new Scottish Land Fund. Between us we have a wealth of experience in helping communities to take more control of their futures through the acquisition and management of land and land assets and we welcome the addition of the Scottish Land Fund to our existing grant programmes. Over the coming months we will work with HIE to develop a fund that will help to bring renewed momentum to community ownership across rural Scotland.”
£6.5M BIG funding to help victims become survivors
- picture posed by model
When Shakti Women’s Aid received an email from Rashida* saying, “I am here alone in this country with no recourse to public funds, no family, friends or support… I am in urgent need for your help,” her story was neither new nor surprising.
As one of the 18 projects working with survivors of domestic abuse awarded £6.5M from the Big Lottery Fund today Shakti Women’s Aid, who specialise in supporting black minority ethnic women dealing with domestic abuse, have been awarded £549,740. This vital funding will allow them to help more women just like Rashida across Scotland. Here Rashida tells why the work Shakti do is so important.
RASHIDA’S STORY
“I am Rashida and I live in Aberdeen. I am from North Africa and moved to Scotland after I married my husband. My husband had sponsored my visa which allowed me to come and live with him. We lived together in our own home. I didn’t work. My husband was emotionally and physically abusive towards me
“One November night, he physically assaulted me and I had a serious head injury. I phoned the police and my husband was arrested and charged. He was removed from the property and there were bail conditions that prevented him from coming home. The next day I discovered that I was pregnant.
“I had only been in the UK for a year. I had no idea of the legal system or any other services that were there for me. I was here alone in this country with no recourse to public funds, no family, friends or support.
“I had been given a list of women’s agencies to contact which I did but Shakti Women’s Aid was the only one that was active and responsive. Despite the distance between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, where Shakti is based, my key worker was able to offer me significant emotional and practical assistance.
“Shakti recognised I needed to see an immigration solicitor immediately as my husband could have written to the home office and revoked my visa. No one had suggested that I do this. I had an appointment the next week and it couldn’t have been better timed as I learnt later that my husband had written to the Home Office to stop my visa. However, in time, my immigration solicitor was able to resolve the matter and help me get residency.
“Prior to contacting Shakti on my own, I had contacted a family solicitor to facilitate a separation and divorce. The solicitor managed to get my husband to agree to pay a monthly maintenance for £200 a month for living expenses and an agreement to pay the mortgage and utilities. A few months later, he stopped paying me the money. He disconnected the phone and I wasn’t able to call anyone in case of an emergency. I was terrified that my husband might stop paying for gas and electricity and the mortgage. I would become homeless! I was alone in this country with nowhere to go and no money.
“It was Shakti who came to the rescue again. My key worker travelled to Aberdeen and met with my solicitor to make him realise the urgency of my situation as all my attempts had failed.
“However, it was not always easy for us. There were times when I had no money to eat and was terrified of what would happen to me.
“Despite the challenges, my key worker at Shakti Women’s Aid was calm, resilient and optimistic even in the most desperate and complicated situations. Shakti Women’s Aid understood and empathised with my experience. Shakti has a deep knowledge of the barriers I faced in accessing services and the shame that prevented me from returning to North Africa as a divorced single mother
“I am settled now. I don’t have any concerns about my immigration status and am financially settled. I cannot reiterate enough the difference the help and support from my key worker made to my life and the life of my daughter. The joy of life I am experiencing with my daughter in this country is attributed to my key worker’s support and Shakti’s commitment.”
*Rashida is not her real name
BIG boost for Birks Cinema
We’re pleased to announce a new funding award of £539,950 to the Friends of Birks Cinema.
The award, which was made under our Growing Community Assets programme, will ensure that the Birks Cinema in Aberfeldy becomes a high quality and sustainable local venue. The award will part-fund the capital costs of the refurbishment project, and pay a proportion of staffing costs over the first five years of the project.
Neil Ritch, Big Lottery Fund Head of Planning and Support said: “The Big Lottery Fund is delighted to be able to support this exciting local project, which has enormous potential to build on the wave of local enthusiasm and create a real community-owned asset in the heart of Aberfeldy.
“The Friends of Birks Cinema have demonstrated enormous local backing for their project which will not only return the building to its original use, but in doing so will provide jobs and volunteering opportunities for local people.”
Charlotte Flower, Chair of Friends of the Birks Cinema, said: “I am delighted to confirm this wonderful news. I can’t express just how excited we are to have gained such an award and recognition from the Big Lottery Fund. They have been fantastic to deal with and now we can take big steps forward to get the project up and running.”
