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Venture philanthropy model invests £6.8m in Scottish children's charities

Fundraising | Niki May Young | 27 Sep 2011

The Scottish government and Inspiring Scotland have announced the names of 24 children’s charities which will share a £6.8m Early Years Early Action Fund to support vulnerable children and families in the country.

Some 28 projects spread across Scotland have been selected from over 70 applications to the Fund, which was announced on 8 March this year. These organisations will also be supported by over 120 individuals and businesses providing free or reduced fee services to awardees.

Organisations offering support include Microsoft, which will provide IT support and Pagoda PR, which will deliver marketing and public relations support. Five legal firms and two accountancy firms have also pledged their support.

Andrew Muirhead, chief executive of Inspiring Scotland, the charitable company which launched the fund in collaboration with the Scottish government, said the scheme offered unique support:

“We are confident that through our venture philanthropy model of providing substantial development support from the private sector in addition to financial investment, we will strengthen the voluntary sector's response in supporting families and children with the best start in life," he said.

The Scottish government is the single investor in the fund which is managed by a team of performance advisers, through Inspiring Scotland, who worked closely with charities throughout the application process and will continue their support throughout the funding period. The advisers will monitor performance of the charities and release the investment in stages, based on delivery results.

Action for Children is one of the charities receiving support. Its project Roots of Empathy will be delivered across 15 local authorities to increase pro-social behaviour and empathy amongst primary school children between six and eight-years-old. The scheme will introduce school children to mothers and babies to help the children develop an understanding of the babies’ needs and what is necessary to care for them.

Big Issue Foundation Scotland has also been selected and will use the scheme to expand its With Kids project, which currently delivers play therapy and family support to vulnerable children in Glasgow, to Wester Hailes in Edinburgh.

List of charities and projects selected:

Aberlour Child Care Trust

Glasgow Bridges & D&G Partnership

Action for Children

Roots of Empathy

Action for Sick Children (Scotland)

Special Smiles

Barnardo Services Ltd

You First

Big Issue Foundation Scotland

With Kids Wester Hailes Project

Breastfeeding Network

Ayrshire Project

Care and Learning Alliance

Play Practice and Toddler Group

Circle

Early Years Project

Crossreach

Service 1 - The Hub

Four Square (Scotland)

ADAPT

Grounds for Learning

Nurturing Outdoor Play

Licketyspit

LicketyLeap

Mellow Parenting

Mellow Bumps with Teenage Mums to Be

National Deaf Children's Society

Early Years Programme

One Parent Families Scotland

Families at Play & Fathers & Children

Open Secret

Early Years Service

Partners in Advocacy

Young Voices for Choices

Quarriers

Ruchazie & Glasgow School Transition

Save the Children Fund

Born to Blossom

Scottish Childminding Association

Fife and Stirlingshire

Scottish Pre-School Play Association

Learning Through Play

Smart Play Network

Play on Wheels

Stepping Stones For Families

Girvan & Glasgow

YWCA Scotland

Teen Parent Project

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