Scottish Government cash boost for projects tackling child poverty

Seven projects which tackle financial hardship and child poverty will receive a funding boost of £450,000 the Scottish Government announced today.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell has announced a 450,000 cash boost for seven projects tackling child poverty.

The projects, which range from job training to befriending and school-based mentoring, will receive the financial boost from the £7.5m Every Child, Every Change Innovation Fund which aims to support innovative ideas which could reduce child poverty by 2030.

Almost one in four children live in poverty in Scotland - a total of 230,000 and the Scottish Government has introduced a Child Poverty Act to eradicate the problem over the next decade.

One of the projects, Stepwell, a social business based in Inverclyde, which provides support to people with health and finance issues as well as training and employment opportunities, will receive £99,900. Visiting the service, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “We are committed to tackling child poverty and are always looking for new ways to support households and families in financial hardship. No child or adult should have their chances limited by poverty.

“It has been great to hear about the approach being taken by Stepwell to tackle child poverty in Inverclyde. Their method aims to get to the root cause of any hardship and through encouragement, support and training, families can begin to change their lives.”

But the Scottish Government was urged to do much more to tackle child poverty. Scottish Labour's spokesperson on the eradication of poverty and inequality, Elaine Smith, said: "Any additional resources to tackle child poverty are welcome but the government should be investing much more in terms of resources into lifting children out of poverty such as Labour's proposals for a £5 per week boost to child benefit, free school meals all year round and scrapping the two child cap on tax credits and universal credit."

The other organisations awarded funding include Clyde Gateway, Covey Befriending, L.I.F.T, MCR Pathways – Scottish Mentoring Programme, Midlothian Sure Start and North Lanarkshire Council.