£50m for care support from lottery fund

ALEX Salmond today unveiled a £50m initiative from the Big Lottery Fund to support young people leaving care, older Scots with dementia and their carers.

The First Minister said the plans had the potential to transform many thousands of lives across Scotland.

Ahead of the announcement, he met Alison Magee, chair of the Scotland committee of the Big Lottery Fund at Bute House.

Mr Salmond said: "The Scottish Government has been working closely with the Big Lottery Fund to identify key issues distinctive to Scotland and we will continue to explore innovative ways to tackle them.

"Dementia touches the lives of many thousands of Scots – both those with the condition and individuals who invest so much of their time to care for loved-ones."

In December, the Big Lottery Fund announced it had 400m to invest in Scotland from 2010 to 2015. Plans for the rest of the money will be finalised in due course.