Warm Hands of Friendship continued for another three years
The council’s popular Warm Hands of Friendship funding initiative will continue for a further three years after councillors agreed to support it.
Warm Hands of Friendship was first established in 2022 to provide one-off grants for community spaces and groups to get together during the winter months.
A total of 58 community organisations from across Inverclyde benefitted after setting up initiatives ranging from safe warm spaces and clothing distribution to hot lunches and community activities.
More than 9,000 individuals took part in the groups funded by Warm Hands of Friendship last winter with a focus on prioritising vulnerable groups including lone parent families, families with multiple children, and older adults.
Councillors on the Policy and Resources committee agreed to commit £120,000 per year for the next three years from the council’s Anti-Poverty Fund meaning the project will continue to support communities until March 2027.
Convener of the Policy and Resources committee, Council leader Stephen McCabe, said: “We know that the Warm Hands of Friendship funding has made a real difference to people living across Inverclyde over the past two years and I am delighted we have guaranteed the programme until March 2027.
“The winter months can be hard for many people with rising energy costs combined with colder weather so the aim of this funding is to make things easier for people and bring them together.
“I am delighted my fellow councillors have recognised the positive impact this project has had and have agreed it should continue.”
As well as the Warm Hands of Friendship funding, councillors also agreed to support the Duke of Edinburgh scheme in Inverclyde with a £120,000 grant. This will support an ongoing strategy to increase the number of young women and individuals from deprived backgrounds taking part in the project.
Councillor McCabe added: “I’m delighted we are supporting the Duke of Edinburgh scheme to encourage more young women and people from different socio economic backgrounds to take part.
“The Duke of Edinburgh scheme is well-established here in Inverclyde and it has so many benefits including helping our young people gain new skills, explore outdoors, volunteer in the community and become more independent and resilient.”
It was also agreed that funding for the Inverclyde Routes in to Supported Employment (IRISE) project be stopped.
IRISE began in 2021 to help men aged 20-40 in Greenock and Port Glasgow town centres with a range of complex issues, including being in recovery, offending or homelessness. Although there was some positive impact, the project has been unable to meet its aims. Therefore the project will finish at the end of December with the remaining £294,000 of allocated funding going back into the Anti-Poverty reserve.
The Anti-Poverty Fund was established by the council and health and social care partnership (HSCP) to support a range of time-limited local initiatives to mitigate poverty and deprivation.
Applications for the Warm Hand of Friendship Fund will open soon.
The papers for the Policy and Resources Committee can be viewed here 17 September 2024 - Inverclyde Council and the meeting can be watched on the council’s official YouTube channel here Inverclyde Council - YouTube.