Hospice gets vital lotto cash injection

A much-loved Paisley charity has received a cash boost of nearly £10,000 towards vital online training.

ACCORD Hospice is one of 16 Renfrewshire groups to pick up grants from the National Lottery Community Fund yesterday .

ACCORD fundraising and communications manager David McFadden revealed the £ 9,985 handout will be put towards the charity’s new training team proving online training and support to nursing and care home staff.

That should lead to widespread benefits for the wider community.

He said: “This funding will allow us to purchase additional IT equipment to enhance the work of our ECHO® training team .

“Project ECHO® is a global notfor-profit movement which aims to improve care by gathering communities of practice together for learning and support.

“ACCORD is now a recognised ‘ ECHO hub’ and our plan is to reach out to our health and social care colleagues within the local community, including care homes to offer opportunities for learning and support.”

Community group Mboho Ndito Akwa Ibom Scotland will use their award, of £4,189, to buy IT equipment so they can continue to deliver a range of online music lessons.

The group’s Anietie Matthew said: “On behalf of The Music Through the Ages Initiative, this funding will be a great support and will continue to help open a new pathway to learning.”

Across the country 282 groups, from charities to smaller voluntary led community projects, are receiving funding raised by National Lottery players for a range of activities, many of which will help people to support each other through the COVID-19 crisis.

The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland director, Neil Ritch, added: “These awards, made possible by National Lottery players, are making an amazing contribution to the nation-wide response to combat the impact of COVID- 19 on local communities across Scotland.

“This funding will make a huge difference to the lives of thousands more people and highlights the vital work that’s being done in communities across the country at the moment. It also reminds us all how important a package of tailored support can be to improve well-being and help forge a sense of belonging to a wider community again.”

The National Lottery Community Fund, over the next six months, will focus its National Lottery funding in Scotland on specific projects that support organisations and communities responding to the challenge of COVID-19.

This funding will allow us to purchase additional IT equipment