MORE than £1 million worth of funding has been delivered to communities across Scotland’s housing sector thanks to a grant funding scheme.
Distributed by the Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA) in partnership with Lintel Trust, the SPA Community Benefit Fund (CBF) reinvests surplus generated from public sector procurement activity.
Active for eight years, the fund has backed 53 organisations and supported 116 projects to develop local services and progress community initiatives.
Lesley Peaty, regional director for SPA, said, “Whether it’s funding essential food programmes, supporting mental health initiatives, or improving housing and public spaces, we’ve always aimed to ensure that the CBF is there to support projects of all dimensions. Addressing key local challenges and widening opportunities for residents with the aim of revitalising communities. For eight years, the CBF has been reinvesting funds from the use of our frameworks back into local communities, where they are making a big difference on projects and initiatives that can deliver lasting value.
“By embedding social, economic, and environmental responsibility into our frameworks, we empower public sector organisations to do more than achieve cost savings, they help create a legacy of positive change across Scotland.”
SPA partners with Lintel Trust, which manages the fund and assists public sector partners in delivering community benefit projects, including securing match funding.
Since 2017, the CBF has awarded more than £1.1 million in grants, attracting match funding in excess of £1.2 million and supporting over 116 community groups, charities, and various causes.
Lesley added, “We are always seeking new ways to maximise social value for communities, setting the standard for what can be achieved through meaningful collaboration with partners and local groups. With budgets stretched and councils under increasing financial pressure, we remain committed to making the biggest impact possible with the resources available.”
SPA’s Community Benefit Fund has supported a range of projects, including a £10,000 grant for YMCA Tayside’s Y Enterprise programme, helping unlock the potential of high school students through a business skills initiative. It has also awarded funding in support of Berwickshire Housing Association’s BeWell programme, which provides mental health support to tenants and provided support to a mobile food larder in East Ayrshire, tackling food insecurity head-on.
The CBF fund has also supported Hawthorn Housing Co-operative to transform Possilpark with £80,000 in funding, turning derelict land into green spaces, a memorial garden, and a future play park. Funds also supported youth nature activities, language classes, and a women’s wellbeing group.
