Organisations in Govan receive £100,000 in funding to help local people
ORGANISATIONS working hard to help the Govan community fight coronavirus have now received a total of £100,000 to turbo-charge their efforts.
They have been given the money to help them deliver assistance in various ways to local people whose lives have been turned upside down in the health emergency.
It has come from the Scottish Government and handed out by the recently-set up Covid-19 Temporary Emergency Funding Group which applied for the government funding.
The Group is made up of ourselves here at Govan HA, Linthouse and Elderpark Housing Associations and “Govan Thriving Place” along with four elected representatives from the Govan ward on Glasgow City Council.
The speed with which they group was created, successfully applied for the funding, received the cash from the Scottish Government and issued it has been nothing short of breathtaking. It has all been achieved in a matter of weeks.
The total amount of money to be distributed is £200,000 and work is under way by the funding group to determine where the remaining £100,000 should be spent.
Key highlights of the work which the money will help deliver are:
*Providing hot meals and good packs to the most vulnerable members of the community
*Ensuring domestic abuse – widely recognised as increasing during the health emergency – is tackled
*Support for young people and their families facing financial hardship through issuing of food vouchers and help in paying energy bills
*A significant focus on ensuring people are digitally connected and not “digitally excluded”
*Online classes on arts, heritage and wellbeing including creative writing, music and craft production
*Focusing on the impact of covid-19 on employment by seeking to mitigate its effects and equip people for the workplace
Fiona McTaggart, our Chief Executive, said: “In determining where this money should go we have tried to strike a balance between what is needed now by local people in terms of day-today living and how we can help mitigate the lasting effects of the coronavirus emergency which has huge implications for people’s employment.”
Glasgow City Councillor Richard Bell of Govan Thriving Place said: “We have moved quickly to ensure this very welcome funding reaches the people in our community most affected by the health emergency. We know it will go a long way to easing the pressure and difficulties so many people are facing on a daily basis.”
Irene Campbell, Chief Executive of Linthouse Housing Association, said: “It is vitally important to get this money to the organisations on the ground who are doing such an incredible job. We applaud their efforts and know full well how committed they are to our fantastic communities.”
Gary Dalziel, Chief Executive of Elderpark Housing, added: “We are delighted to be making available the first £100,000 to various organisations whose commitment to fighting the effects of coronavirus is inspirational. From hot food deliveries to fighting isolation and much more, it represents an unprecedented community-wide effort to make a real difference.”
The list of recipients for the first £100,000 is:
|
| Project | Activity |
| Govan Thriving Places | Food For Good | Providing hot meals and food packs to the most vulnerable and accessible demonstrations on how to cook healthy meals. |
| Govan Thriving Places | Arts, Heritage and Wellbeing | Providing online classes in creative writing, signing and music production and providing craft and activity packs to improve wellbeing and reduce isolation through increased engagement with cultural life. |
| Govan Housing Association | Digital Inclusion | Through partnership working with 10 community-based organisations will operate Digital Lending Libraries ensuring the most vulnerable to digital exclusion |
| Riverside Hall | Hungry Munchers Old School | Providing hot meal delivery and wellbeing support service to older isolated members of East Govan, Ibrox community |
| Police Scotland | Smartwater Use for Domestic Victims | Providing support to victims of domestic abuse through the implementation of forensic marking kits to identify reoffending and personal alarms to at risk households. |
| Govan Community Project | Covid-19 Digital Inclusion & Wellbeing Support | Providing digital inclusion and wellbeing support to both ‘New’ and ‘Old’ Scots from settled and migrant backgrounds in Govan. |
| Glasgow Clyde College | Gift-tech a Digital Response to Covid-19 | work with those far from the labour market, including long term unemployed, those on low wages, families experiencing food and fuel poverty, migrants, refugees, and other disadvantage groups experiencing the negative effects of Covid-19 to address the digital inequalities existing across the Govan community |
| GalGael | Socially Connected and Protected | To create moveable screens that will enable the workspace to be utilised while reducing risk, keeping people safe and maximising social connection, enabling the workshop to resume services once social restrictions are relaxed/removed for the benefit all participants of GalGael |
| Money Matters | Energy Matters | support the delivery of a targeted Govan Energy Advice Service to address the increasing issue of fuel poverty across the local area, providing direct support and advice to help households with energy issues. |
| Govan Youth Information Project | Family Night “Have a night on us” | Providing board games to families for fun nights to encourage and support families to spend time together, socialise and have fun.
|
| Unlock Employment | Helping jobseekers in Govan | The organisation will extend its reach to help more people affected by unemployment. |
CASE STUDY
Unlock Employment has been helping people find a pathway into work for over 2 Years and is located in the heart of Govan at Govan Road.
Now it is to receive £5000 to support its often life-changing work from the funding secured by the recently-set-up covid-19 emergency temporary funding group.
Unlock Employment receives strong support from Govan Housing Association – one of the three housing providers on the funding group. The others are Elderpark Housing and Linthouse Housing Association.
It delivers the “Govan Jobs Match initiative” which is a partnership approach to reduce unemployment in Govan and is funded by Govan Thriving Place – also a partner in the funding group.
Like all organisations with a place of business, social distancing will be a challenge when restrictions are gradually eased – especially as people seeking employment often call into the premises.
There is also the issue of people being reluctant to call into Unlock Employment’s office due to an understandable fear of the virus during the health emergency.
The money Unlock Employment is receiving will pay for the implementation of social distancing requirements in the office and an additional member of staff to work part-time – Samantha McDonald.
Importantly, computer tablets will also be purchased to help engage more fully with the people it helps.
The tablets will help break down the digital poverty barrier – allowing Unlock Employment clients to access job searching and training opportunities
Unlock Employment Founder Gerry Keogh said: “We are delighted to receive this money which will go a long way to help us to continue the important work we do in Govan.
“The coronavirus pandemic has far reaching implications for communities like Govan – not just currently but in the longer term. Jobs remain at risk and this, of course, has the potential to affect people’s livelihoods. We are here to help the community overcome the challenges of the health emergency.”
Currently Unlock Employment has over 300 clients registered on the Govan Jobs Match and has helped over 100 find employment in the 12 months prior to the pandemic.
Gerry added: “At Unlock Employment, we know that looking for or getting back into work can be a difficult and confusing process, so we have a dedicated team of advisers who are there to provide help, advice and support to people just like you. We can help people find a job, provide employment training, find learning and development courses and offer career advice.”
A helping hand on jobs….Gerry Keogh and Samantha McDonald of Unlock Employment.
