A partnership of third sector organisations across the South of Scotland has secured £1.8 million from the Scottish Government’s Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund to strengthen support for children, young people and families experiencing poverty across the Scottish Borders, Midlothian and Dumfries & Galloway.
The South of Scotland Rural Collaborative, led by Borders Community Action, Midlothian Community Action and Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway, brings together over 35 locally rooted third sector organisations to provide more connected, community-based support for families.
The Collaborative is launching at a time when many families are facing difficult choices as household budgets remain under pressure. In the Scottish Borders, poverty can be particularly difficult to see. Rural communities can experience higher costs, limited transport, fewer local services and greater distances to support, meaning that people can be struggling without it being immediately visible.
Challenge Poverty Week is an opportunity to recognise that poverty is not simply about income. It affects people’s choices, opportunities, health, wellbeing and ability to participate in their communities. It is also a reminder that tackling poverty is something we all have a role in.
The South of Scotland Rural Collaborative will bring organisations together to make it easier for families to access the support they need, when they need it. This is part of a whole family support approach, working together to offer emotional wellbeing, income maximisation and debt advice, employability support, cost-of-living assistance and activities that improve outcomes for children and young people.
There will be a particular focus on families who are more likely to experience poverty, including lone-parent families, families with disabled children, larger families, minority ethnic families and young parents.
The approach is rooted in the strengths already present in local communities. Rather than expecting families to navigate a complex system of services on their own, local organisations will work together, share knowledge and improve referral pathways so that support is more joined up and accessible.
The Collaborative will also provide an opportunity for organisations across the South of Scotland to learn from one another and develop new ways of working. This includes understanding what works in rural communities, where poverty can often be hidden behind geographical isolation and where local, trusted organisations play an important role in reaching people who may not engage with mainstream services.
It is expected that the Collaborative will support almost 2,000 family interventions during the funding period, with activity focused on both areas of recognised deprivation and the less visible poverty experienced across rural communities.
The partnership has grown from engagement across the third sector, with contributions from 35 organisations. The network will continue to develop, working alongside Community Planning Partnerships and existing family support services to strengthen what is already available locally, rather than duplicate it.
For the Scottish Borders, this is more than delivering individual services. It is about building stronger connections between organisations and communities, listening to what families say they need, and working collectively to remove some of the barriers that make it harder for people to thrive.
The South of Scotland Rural Collaborative aims to help make sure that families across rural Scotland can access the support, opportunities and connections they need to live well.
“We are absolutely delighted to be a partner in the South of Scotland WFS. The recent funding climate had meant that our long-established and much in-demand service could have faced closure in 2027. For us, this collaborative not only means that families across the Scottish Borders can continue to access evidence-based psychological therapies and group support throughout the perinatal period (conception to 2 years), but it also enables us to provide more groups, make connections with other third sector services and work in partnership with them to provide the very best all round support to families with young children that are so often needed at this vital time in their lives. We can’t wait to meet all our other partners and build on that collaborative approach.”
Arab Chaudhry, PMH Borders
“Stable Life is delighted to be part of the new Whole Family Support Collaborative launching across the Scottish Borders. This investment will help partners work together in a more connected, compassionate way — ensuring families receive the right support at the right time. For Stable Life, the fund will allow us to increase our capacity, further develop our equine-assisted wellbeing services, and support our plans to become a dedicated Wellbeing and Education Centre, widening our reach to include parents as well as children and young people. We’re excited about the positive impact this collaborative approach will have across the region and proud to play our part in shaping it.”
Mags Powell, Stable Life
“We are absolutely delighted to receive support through the Whole Families Funding Support Fund. This funding gives us the opportunity to reach families who may otherwise struggle to access the right support at the right time.
Through A Positive Start CIC, we will be able to offer a combination of counselling, CBT, therapeutic support and psychoeducation, alongside My Body Is My Body resources to help parents and carers support their children with emotional wellbeing, body safety, communication and knowing how and when to ask for help.
We are excited to have the opportunity to work with the whole family system — not simply responding when someone reaches crisis point, but helping people understand what may be happening for them, strengthening relationships, building confidence and giving families practical tools they can use in everyday life.
Funded counselling and therapeutic places will be offered to individuals and families who meet the eligibility criteria for the programme, following an initial assessment with our team. This helps us make sure that the funding reaches those it is intended to support, while allowing A Positive Start CIC to continue providing our wider counselling and therapeutic services sustainably beyond the life of the fund.
For us, this funding means greater access, earlier support and more opportunities for families to feel informed, supported and empowered. We are genuinely thrilled to be part of it and very grateful for the opportunity to extend the work we are already doing within our community.”
Deborah Crozier, A Positive Start CIC
“This funding is an important opportunity to strengthen how organisations work together to support families across the Scottish Borders, particularly in the current climate of rising living costs and increasing pressures. For Home Basics, it will help us provide practical support to even more individuals and families on low incomes by making essential furniture and household items more affordable, while improving connections with other services so people can access the right help at the right time. By working collaboratively, sharing knowledge and improving referral pathways, we can reduce barriers, ease the pressure of living costs and help families live with greater dignity, stability and confidence.”
Shauna Cunningham, Home Basics
