Giving communities a voice on Brexit

New support will help ensure community organisations, charities and other grassroots groups are listened to during the ongoing Brexit negotiations.

The £150,000 stakeholder engagement fund will provide grants to Scottish organisations who wouldn’t otherwise have the resources to gather and promote the views of their members on preparing for the UK leaving the EU.

The new fund will focus primarily on enabling community and third sector organisations to consider the impact of Brexit, highlight their concerns and plan for the future  – giving them a greater platform to be heard at a Scottish, UK and EU level.

The Scottish Government fund will offer organisations and networks targeted financial support, as well as welcoming suggestions and ideas from local community groups around the country.

Launching the fund on Europe Day, Minister for Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe Michael Russell said:

“As I meet with organisations throughout Scotland, one thing I hear time and again is that while they are worried about Brexit, pressure on resources means they simply don’t have the capacity to plan for it.

“This new fund is about ensuring the full range of voices can be heard, not just those with specialist staff and big budgets. So I want this fund to be a megaphone for under-represented groups across the country.

“Many community organisations are led by ordinary people doing extraordinary things. We need to hear their views and, given the huge uncertainty that Brexit is causing, do all we can to help them prepare.

“There are obvious risks around funding, staffing and future opportunities so it is important that we fully understand these concerns and what can be done to help.”