Funding Information

Money for Life Challenge

Organisations working with young people aged 16-24 can apply to the Money for Life Challenge, a national competition to encourage young people to improve their money management skills. Grants of £500 are awarded to teams of young people in community organisations enabling them to run a money management activity. Deadline is Fri 21 Nov. See the Money for Life website.

Charities (with income under £200,000) to be exempt from water charges.

The Scottish Government have announced that the charity groups earning under £200,000 will be exempt from water and sewerage charges. It means over 19,000 of Scotland’s 23,500 will qualify. Visit http://community-toolkit.org.uk/Managin-and-Developing-your-group/Charities-with-income-under-200k-to-be-exempt-from-water-charges.htm

 Awards for All

The grants programme is open again to applications from voluntary groups in Scotland to carry out projects that improve their local community. The small grants programme, administered by the Big Lottery Fund in partnership with Sportscotland has reopened following a 3 month break focusing on grants related to the Commonwealth Games.

There are some changes to the programme which include:

·         A renewed focus on funding smaller organisations with an annual turnover of less than £250,000.

·         Priority for projects where the beneficiaries are mainly BME, disabled, LGBT, older or carers.

·         Priority for organisations that have not received funding from Awards for All Scotland in the previous three years.

·         A new application form that includes guidance notes and will take less time to complete.

There are no deadlines and applications may be submitted at any time. Full details can be found on the Big Lottery Fund website.

Scottish Government:  Climate Challenge Fund

Keep Scotland Beautiful has announced that the next deadline for draft applications to the Climate Challenge Fund (for funding of £30,000 and over) is the 1st December 2014, though they highly recommend that you submit an expression of interest by the 31st October. Through the Climate Challenge Fund, Communities across Scotland can apply for grants of up to £150,000 per year to help reduce their carbon footprint and become more energy efficient.

Voluntary Action Fund: Community Grant Programme

Voluntary Action Fund's Community Grant Programme offers grants of up to £1,000 to local groups with annual incomes under £25,000. Funding can be spent on activities or operational costs. VAF is particularly keen to fund project development, such as training, visits to other projects or consultancy support. Application forms are available online. Closing date is Fri 14 Nov.

Mickel Fund

The Mickel Fund supports a broad range of charities and individuals working in different fields providing direct service delivery to people in Scotland. For example the advancement of education, the prevention or relief of poverty and the relief of those otherwise in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship, the advancement of health, the advancement of the arts and the advancement of public participation in sports. One off and annual grants available as well as value engineering support. Visit www.mickelfund.org.uk for information. Applications accepted at any time.

 

Homeless Outreach Support (HOST) Dundee-Midnight Patrols

Below is information about the HOST Dundee Midnight Patrols that are operating in the city over the winter months.

 
Matthew 25 – 40

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

 
HOST Dundee is a small team of dedicated volunteers who aim to demonstrate the love of Christ to all regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or disability by providing support such as a listening ear, hot drinks, warm clothing, food or a warm blanket to street homeless person’s particularly rough sleepers in Dundee and surrounding areas.

HOST Dundee aims to relief suffering and distress by providing or assisting in the provision of humanitarian support, pastoral care such as listening, sign posting to other agencies, supporting, encouraging and befriending in order to save and improve lives.

The HOST Dundee 'Midnight Patrol' which operates from October to March, searches the city including the bus and railway stations looking for those who are street homeless, sleeping rough in shop doorways, church entrances, bin sheds, parks, car parks, in void /derelict properties, etc.

Our first patrol commencing at 21:30 to 23:00hrs and second patrol being at 06:00 to 07:30hrs. We endeavor to provide an on call response service throughout the night. 

Experience from previous years has found that rough sleepers have normally identified a place to sleep and are 'bedded down' by 01:00hrs and do not wish to be woken up in the middle of the night.

Our mission is to maintain human dignity through practical help improving the conditions of life for street homeless person’s in particular rough sleepers throughout the city of Dundee and surrounding environs.

 

Contact Details:

Team Co-ordinator: Gareth Norman

Telephone: 07999 872 928 (3pm-7am)

Email: hostdundee@gmail.com 

Website: www.host.btck.co.uk

 

 

Gordon's Reflection on helping with the Dundee Drop In (DDI) Research: "When does poverty become destitution?"

Members of the FiCD team helped earlier this year to co-ordinate research done by Dundee Drop In in partnership with Dundee University. The research has been collated (see our previous blog post for more information) and our co-ordinator Gordon wrote this article for the St Paul's Cathedral Autumn Newsletter reflecting on his engagement with people at Drop In's during the research process.

When does poverty become destitution?:-

As part of my commitment to working with the Dundee Drop In group of church based projects, including Graham’s Kitchen, I helped co-ordinate research across the projects earlier this year with Dundee University.  This has been collated, but actually getting alongside many of those who use the drop ins was the first shock to my system.  The questionnaire took about half an hour to complete and the first two guys I interviewed had not had any electricity for ages. The cost of reconnection was prohibitive so trying to cook anything or wash themselves was impossible, let alone heat their homes.  These first two would become typical of many who had fallen on hard times.  Yes, some were drug addicts and coping with the damage that drugs had inflicted seemed impossible.  There was one guy who had not had any electricity for a whole year and was entirely dependent for his survival on the various drop ins across the city.  As well as no electricity he had no benefits apart from getting his council rent paid. His benefits had been sanctioned (stopped for some reason or another) but he didn’t know how to get them re-instated, so for a whole year had been totally dependent upon handouts for his survival. The parish nurse who interviewed him and the council worker who was then involved managed to get his benefits re-instated - (£72.00 pw).  However, he subsequently found himself sanctioned again as he has poor literacy and finds it difficult to apply for the number  of jobs required.  Then there was the former joiner who was determined  not to be sanctioned, but he was as he applied for a job by email and not through the right website.  He was surviving on about £50 pw prior to being sanctioned as there had to be a contribution to his rent as Housing Benefit only paid so much as he was in private accommodation. Those who are sanctioned can apply for a hardship payment, but it takes a couple of weeks and is a small  proportion of benefits. Sanctions start for four weeks, but can escalate to six months, which I’ve come across. 

Anyway, just some of the people I met, laughed with – yes laugh!  Their openness and welcome was second to none and it made me think of Jesus. Of how he was there to help the lepers, the outcasts, the prostitutes.  He challenged the establishment because he thought differently.  He didn’t speak about a fair world or a just world, but a generous grace that subverts the norms of society. So, such an experience changed my perception.  It wasn’t just being there, but listening and learning  and getting to know and trust other human beings who were hungry in our city.

We completed 106 questionnaires across the drop in projects and they show that no electricity, benefit sanctions, loneliness, poor mental health and lack of clothes are key problems for people and when people have  a number of these problems then along with low self-esteem they are really up against it. But, why use the drop ins? Well, it isn’t rocket science, but the main reason for using the drop ins was hunger!  I think being hungry is when poverty becomes destitution and I never thought that I would ever use that word for Dundee, but this research has changed me forever. I now recognise some people begging and some people selling the Big Issue.   Of course some people are rogues, but most guys and girls have fallen on hard times for all sorts of reasons and become isolated and excluded.  What Graham’s Kitchen does is fill a gap in the sharing of food, company and help. This is not the answer, but it is “not passing by”, “ going the extra mile” and it is leading  to other action. St. Mary’s in Lochee and Eagles Wings are looking at the provision of clothes – not just handouts, but trying to give people a choice, because they can’t afford charity shops.  Others like the Friary and Gilfillan are looking at helping with IT access and Job Search to help people avoid sanctions.   And yes, this is being doing in partnership with the council, but often churches are best placed to make that simple response that the Cathedral does through Graham’s Kitchen. It is so important and many people are grateful – believe me, I’ve heard and written down many comments expressing sincere gratitude.

FiCD Training and Events 2014-15

Feature Project: 'Taught by Muhammad' at Yusuf Youth Initiative (YYI)

Earlier this month I met with Rizwan Rafik from ‘Taught by Muhammad’ at Yusuf Youth Initiative (YYI) and asked him some questions about the project.

Tell me about your work and how the project started?
YYI started in 2004 when we identified that there was a need for something for young people in the Muslim Community because many young Muslims were disengaged from wider society. For this reason when it started YYI was just doing youth development work including activities to integrate young people into wider society. We started a Scout group for youth up to aged 14. As that grew we identified a need for something that helped those over the age of 14 with skills, employability, and volunteering opportunities. We developed ‘Change Makers’ to offer these opportunities to young people. As young people were building up life skills we saw the opportunity to help young people outreach to the local community and to help others, with the hope that this would contribute to a more tolerant and integrated society in Dundee. This was the start of ‘Taught by Muhammad’ which is the project that I work for.

‘Taught by Muhammad’ has a number of different projects within it. We run a food bank, where we collect food from the Muslim Community as well as the wider public. We receive referrals from local agencies and then deliver the food to those that need it. We run two Curry Kitchens once a month (see photo below showing volunteers at a curry kitchen). One is at the Salvation Army Drop In and the other is with the Claverhouse Smart Lone Parents Programme. For both of these our volunteers (aged 16 plus) cook and prepare the food and then serve it at the Salvation Army, or deliver it to unemployed single parents. The Curry Kitchens provide the opportunity for our young volunteers to develop team work and cooking skills, and to grow in understanding of the challenges some people in Dundee face. It is also an opportunity for them to meet with the wider community and break down barriers.

 

We have some other work that we are in the early stages of developing including taking presentations into external organisations such as schools and universities to help bridge understanding between Muslim’s and other communities. This is because a large percentage of 18-24 year olds say that they don’t trust the Muslim community. We want to help break down barriers, and build safer communities. Another new initiative is working in partnership with Dundee West Youth Team bringing YYI and local youth from Lochee and Menzieshill together through things like football. This is also aimed at growing understanding and integration. We are also planning to run a Budgeting Cooking Programme together with the Cairn Centre and a worker from the Gate Church. In the future we would also like to develop a programme for older members of the Muslim community to reduce isolation.

What is the connection of your project with faith?

Our work is inspired by faith and our remit is targeted at the Muslim community. However we believe that we are trying to project values that are shared by all people, such as kindness. We are not about promoting Islam as a religion, but about developing the Muslim community, outreaching to those who are in need in Dundee, and building bridges between the Muslim and the wider community.

What do you think has been the impact of your work?

I think our impact has been very positive. We have had good feedback from the people we are working with at the Curry Kitchens. The people we work with now feel comfortable with us and we have formed good friendships. Working for the good of others together has promoted tolerance. Those who we serve food to were at first a little apprehensive, but over the last year they have got to know us and realised that we are normal people that they can have a joke and a laugh with.

The first youth football tournament run in partnership with the Dundee West Youth Team was a success. The young people enjoyed it and have asked to do it again.

I think it is important for Dundee’s Muslim community to play a part in addressing Dundee’s social issues and help to build a closer knit community. I think ‘Taught by Muhammad’ and YYI are helping this to happen.

Do you have any message for those thinking about starting similar projects like yours?

I think it is very important to engage with the local community whatever your target age group, as there are so many needs. It is excellent to see different strands of work being done in Dundee but there is still more that needs to be done. I would actively encourage other youth to do something even if it is little. Everything starts with something small-it doesn’t have to be a massive thing. For example helping your neighbour when they are ill.

Thank you to Rizwan for giving his time to speak to me. If you would like to find out more about ‘Taught by Muhammad’ and YYI you can contact him on: rizwan.rafik@taughtbymuhammad.com