Council Secures Funding for Life Skills Project

Orkney Islands Council has secured £170k of funding for a project which will help vulnerable groups to develop key life skills.

The project will see the Council procure a service to provide information, training and support for local people on managing household budgets, home cooking and DIY, reducing waste and sensible borrowing amongst other things.

A further strand of the project will be the provision of advice around fuel poverty, including face to face advice on energy efficiency, help for householders to access grant funding and support for householders to switch tariff or energy suppliers where appropriate.

The funding for the project will come from the European Social Fund which is administered by the Scottish Government. Match funding of £170K is required for the project and will have to be provided by the procured delivery agent.

Participants on the scheme will be identified through referral from local agencies, but it is also hoped that an on-street drop in service can also be provided.

The project will be delivered by a third sector provider and it is hoped that around 450 local households will be able to access general information and advice through the scheme, with up to 200 receiving more extensive support.

Gillian Morrison is the Council’s Executive Director of Corporate Services and Chair of Orkney’s multi-agency Welfare Reform and Social Security Working Group. She said:

‘We are very pleased to have secured this funding so that we can help to engage particularly vulnerable groups and to develop skills amongst people who may be struggling with debt, low income or fuel poverty.