£1 million for Armed Forces charities

A £1 million support fund for Armed Forces charities across Scotland has today opened for bids.

The Scottish Government fund will help the sector offset a shortfall in income due to the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19).

In May last year a survey by the Scottish Charity Regulator found 75% of charities had seen a negative impact on their finances as a result of COVID-19.

The Armed Forces Third Sector Resilience Fund will be administered by the Corra Foundation, who specialise in managing grants and financial support.

The closing date for applications is 16 July with funding released to successful applicants by the end of August.

Veterans Secretary Keith Brown said:

“Third sector organisations play a vital role in supporting our Armed Forces community and in these difficult times they have gone above and beyond to provide crucial support for veterans, service personnel and their families despite the impact of the pandemic.

“I am very pleased that we have an opportunity through this £1 million fund to offer these organisations financial assistance to help them continue the great work they have been doing.”

Chris Hughes, executive chairman of Veterans Scotland, said:

"We welcome the opening of the application process for this fund, which will provide much needed support to third sector organisations, recognising the vital assistance they provide to veterans, service personnel and their families across Scotland.

“It is much needed, given the current difficult circumstances and additional challenges faced by all in that community and more widely." 

Background

Read more about the Armed Forces Third Sector Resilience Fund and the eligibility criteria.

Last year, two UK-wide surveys by the Confederation of Service Charities (COBSEO) identified a significant increase in demand from members for services such as mental health and wellbeing support.

The surveys found three quarters of respondents reported an overall fall in income, partly due to declining public donations and money from fundraising events.

COBSEO estimated the overall shortfall across the UK in 2020 at £250 million compared to a normal year and expect a similar financial impact this year.