Community groups in Tayside and Fife are sharing £1.2 million in grants targeted at supporting people during the coronavirus pandemic.
Nineteen organisations in the region have been given cash through the National Lottery Community Fund.
They include food banks, carer support groups, disability charities and mental health groups.
Dundee-based charity One Parent Families received £287,304 to help single parents. The money will be used to provide one to one help, encourage family fun time and promote positive parenting practises.
Elsewhere in Dundee, Feeling Strong was awarded £8,720 for mental health support for young people. It will be targeted at an online chat service and advice on mental wellbeing during lockdown.
Other groups to benefit in the city include Dundee Crisis Pregnancy Trust, Dundee United Community Trust, Alexander Community Development and Kirkton Community Centre local management group.
In Angus, Community First UK and Angus Food Bank were given £10,000 each to distribute food packages while Angus Carers Association received £8,302 to help carers with food emergencies and utility bills, as well as providing advice and support.
Alison Myles, chief executive of Angus Carers Association, said: “This award, which arrived very quickly, has literally been a life saver for unpaid carers in Angus. The extra worry about making ends meet at such a time of uncertainty really is stressing so many families.”
In Fife, six groups were given grants totalling £492,000. They include Cruse Bereavement Care, Fife Young Carers, and Link East Fife Mental Health Befriending Project.
Disability charity Fairway Fife was given £75,000 so it can continue its peer mentor project for the next three years.
Jaqui Dow, chairwoman of Fairway Fife, said: “During the current covid-19 crisis we have had to drastically adapt our service to ensure we are still having regular contact via FaceTime or other social media platforms.
“We have made up and delivered hampers to all of our families, containing food, activity packs, arts and crafts to encourage family cooking sessions and arts and crafts that allows them to enter various competitions that we are running on our Facebook page. We are also chatting to families to offer support and advice where needed.”
In Perthshire, three groups shared £328,000, including Feldy-Roo, whose volunteers were given £7,711 to cook and deliver food to older people self isolating in Highland Perthshire.
Perth & Kinross Association of Voluntary Service was awarded £311,287, the biggest grant in Tayside, to provide respite breaks and support to young carers. Letham 4 All received £9,485 to lead the North Perth covid-19 Community Support Project
The National Lottery Community Fund’s regular award scheme will focus on tackling covid-19 issues for the next six months, bosses said.
“In these difficult and unprecedented times, it’s heartening to see the way Scottish communities are coming together to provide each other with support,” said Neil Ritch, the fund’s Scotland director.
“Many groups have found innovative ways to keep their communities connected during the current crisis, whilst others will support people in the future when they can physically come back together to make great things happen in their community.”
