LINKLIVING Ltd, part of the Link group, has been awarded £720,860 as part of the latest Investing in Communities funding package from the Big Lottery.
The funding will allow LinkLiving Ltd’s ‘Positive Transitions Project’ to support young people leaving care in Edinburgh and develop the life skills and resilience necessary to make the transition to successful independent living.
The project aims to support 275 young people over the next five years and focuses on two core elements.
The first is providing ‘Preparation for Independence’ workshops (in partnership with Horizons) to young people approaching the point of leaving care. These sessions will help young people moving on from care in Edinburgh to feel more confident and better prepared for the transition to independent living.
The second is providing ‘Core and Cluster Supported Accommodation’ which will help young people to gain the skill levels and the independence they desire whilst having a solid safety net beneath them.
The young people have the opportunity to stay in one of ten independent flats with access to a central supportive ‘hub’ flat and they will work with a key worker to develop individual support plans, focussed particularly on employability and independent living skills.
At the end of their stay care leavers will be better placed to enter and sustain a positive destination such as employment, training, education or volunteering.
Elaine Johnston, LinkLiving director, said: “We are delighted that BIG has decided to support our young care leavers project.
“LinkLiving has been working with young people with experience of being in care for many years and we know only too well how much a new project is needed in Edinburgh.
“We are all looking forward to creating a more positive experience for young people when they move on from the care system and helping them achieve their dreams.”
Big Lottery Fund Scotland chair, Maureen McGinn, said: “Investing in Communities funds projects which help people in real need now, as well as projects which focus on prevention.
“It aims to support people at key times of change to make their lives better for the future and projects like LinkLiving reflect this ambition.”
The Big Lottery Fund is the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding across the UK. The Fund aims to enable others to make real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need.
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Contact: Alison Spence
Email: aran@linkhaltd.co.uk
Website: http://www.linkliving.org.uk
