NHS Tayside

Community Innovation Fund hits 100!

THURSDAY, 1 MARCH, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. PHOTO ATTACHED OF THE PITSTOP TOTS GROUP WHO WILL BE ONE OF THE GROUPS INVOLVED IN CREATING THE SENSORY GARDEN

Community Innovation Fund hits 100!

A community project in Forfar that supports families with children with additional support needs has become the 100^th project to benefit from NHS Tayside’s Community Innovation Fund.

The Community Innovation Fund (CIF), which was launched in 2015, helps community groups across Tayside to develop local improvement projects that will benefit the health and wellbeing of their local population. The Fund is financed through the Tayside Health Fund, the charity for NHS Tayside.

Forfar-based project The Pitstop has been awarded £5,930 for families with children with additional support needs (ASN) to create their own sensory garden, and has become the 100^th community group in Tayside to benefit from CIF funding.

Richard McIntosh, Community Capacity Building Officer with NHS Tayside said, “I am delighted that The Pitstop has become the 100^th project to be helped by CIF. Their plans for a sensory garden will build on the success of their recently-opened Sensory Stop, a drop in centre for families with children with ASN.

“This project demonstrates that the Fund can really go to the heart of a community to make a difference, supporting local people to make decisions about the changes they want to see to help them improve the health, wellbeing and resilience of their own communities.

“Our annual celebration events where community groups that have received funding come together to share their success are getting bigger and better every year and I can’t wait to see Pitstop and their sensory garden plans at this year’s event in May.”

Dawn Mullady from Pitstop said, “We are very grateful to the Community Innovation Fund. This cash boost will allow us to move forward with our garden plans. We already have the space and the garden and we’ll now work with parents, children and families to create something truly special.

“The isolation experienced by families who have children with ASN can have a negative impact on their wellbeing; this project will help create a better social support network in Forfar. Our aim is to reduce social isolation and create a positive social support environment to help strengthen relations throughout the local community.”

Notes to editor:

Community groups can apply for any amount between £500 and £25,000 over a three-year period to establish new and innovative projects.

Anyone interested in applying or finding out more information should come along to the information sessions or visit the website www.communityinnovationfundtayside.scot.nhs.uk

• Any community-led organisation can apply to the Community Innovation Fund for funding for a project in a community in an area of need.

• The project must show ongoing benefits and improvements to the community

• The Fund enables people to identify issues of concern in their community and to take improvement action.

• The Fund aims to help people to form partnerships with others who can provide assistance to work together to bring about change.

• The Fund has already supported

o Friockheim Community Hub

o Arbroath - Men’s Shed

o Hospitalfield House, Westway, Arbroath

o Forfar Open Garden Space

o Links Park Community Trust, Montrose

o Carnoustie & Monifieth Men’s Shed

o Glensview Community Group, Forfar