Highland Community Organisations Invited To Apply For Cost Of Living Support Grant
14th October 2022
At a meeting of The Highland Council on 22 September 2022, Councillors approved the creation of a Highland-wide grant fund of up to £450,000 to help alleviate the cost-of-living crisis for vulnerable households through community-led initiatives.
Third Sector voluntary and community organisations are invited to apply for grants under the value of £10,000.
Chair of Communities and Place Committee, Cllr Graham MacKenzie said: "Responding to the ongoing financial crisis, this grant fund aims to enable local responses to address local needs. It will support community groups to make local arrangements that provide access to food, and to enable our residents to heat their living areas and to live safely in their homes."
"The Council is launching this fund on World Health Day as we recognise the marked impact that the cost-of-living crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and wider global factors are having on everyone's health. In addition to the provision of food, we are encouraging community groups to use this funding to provide practical solutions that will help protect our vulnerable residents' physical and mental health. For example, these solutions may include supplying individual households with flasks, microwave ovens, slow cookers, warm clothing, warm blankets, and other energy-efficient devices. Such practical solutions will enable our vulnerable residents to heat the rooms that they use every day and to live safely in their homes by being able to keep themselves warm and to have hot drinks and meals when it is best suited to their needs."
“I strongly advise everyone who is struggling with the cost-of living crisis to get in touch with the Council’s Welfare Support team, by calling 0800 090 1004, for help to claim entitlements and other supports that may be available to them. Alternatively, households should contact their local Citizens Advice office where access to energy advice is also available."
The supports being provided by voluntary and community groups with this grant funding must complete before the end of June 2023 where practicable. Applicants must demonstrate that they will achieve one or more of the following:
provide community support initiatives that provide food/activities;
enhance existing provision through extending local hours or introducing/increasing food provision;
adapt existing provision to meet identified local needs;
strengthen or establish food larders or food table provision.
Application forms are available from www.highland.gov.uk/costoflivinggrant and should be submitted by email to policy6@highland.gov.uk
Applicants are encouraged to contact their Ward Manager for advice and guidance in advance of applying as this could help progress applications quickly. Details of the contact person for this cost-of-living funding can be found on the Council’s website at Ward Managers | The Highland Council.
See https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/695/council_information_performance_and_statistics/394/ward_managers
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council. Convener of the Council, Cllr Bill Lobban said: "I am delighted to say that Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council.
As intimated in Highland Council's budget plan, a new senior management structure is to be implemented following approval by Council 14th March. It reconfigures the senior management team into two layers, rather than three and brings Highland Council into line with other benchmarked authorities.
Today, Morrison Construction introduced some of their local apprentices who are working on the UK Governments' Levelling Up Funded refurbishment project at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness. All these apprentices have been recruited from the Highland area.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.
The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate. The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate.
Following the success of its Business Digital Grant scheme launched last year, The Highland Council is delighted to announce further funding. This is to help Highland companies access digital support alongside other business growth support.
The Highland Council is delighted to confirm a highly successful second year for Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights between Wick and Aberdeen. The period from April 2023 to March 2024 has seen a substantial increase in passenger numbers, with several months seeing over 1,000 passengers using the service, and overall the service has seen year on year growth of 25%.
Members of Highland Council, who met on Thursday 14 March 2024, approved a corporate Digital Ambition, which has been designed to deliver significant organisational change across Council services, recognising the current priorities within the organisation. The Strategy, which is embedded within the wider Council Delivery Plan, has been developed to focus attention and resources on areas of change which will deliver the greatest benefit to the Council.
The Council remains committed to supporting mentoring in our schools, including the support that is currently delivered through the MCR Pathways programme. Highland Council is currently undertaking a review of Employability Support provided by a number of different council services and how these relate to the work carried out by external partners and in our schools.
Highland Council members have considered and agreed a revised draft Highland Outcome Improvement Plan. The partnership plan has been reviewed and updated by the Community Planning Partnership.