South of Scotland Partnership Secures £1.63 Million to Transform Support for Families Living in Poverty

A groundbreaking partnership of third sector organisations across the South of Scotland has secured £1.63 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 funding will establish the South of Scotland Whole Family Rural Collaborative, a partnership led by Borders Community Action, Midlothian Community Action and Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway, working alongside around 30 locally rooted third sector organisations to deliver coordinated, community-based support for families.

The initiative responds to the growing challenges facing families across rural and mixed-geography communities, including low incomes, rising living costs, fuel poverty, mental health pressures, childcare barriers and social isolation. By bringing together trusted local organisations, the Collaborative will ensure families can access the right support at the right time, in the right place and for as long as they need it.

Through the project, families will benefit from a wide range of joined-up support, including family support services, emotional wellbeing and mental health support, income maximisation and debt advice, employability assistance, childcare support, practical help with the cost of living, and activities that improve outcomes for children and young people. The programme has a particular focus on families most at risk of poverty, including lone parent families, families with disabled children, larger families, minority ethnic families and young parents.

The partnership will also develop new ways of working across the third sector, improving referral pathways, reducing duplication and creating a stronger, more coordinated response to family poverty. Learning from the programme will be shared nationally through the Third Sector Interface network, helping to strengthen whole family support across Scotland.

Juliana Amaral, Chief Executive Officer of Borders Community Action, said:

“This investment is a real step towards supporting families through local networks of people who understand their communities very well. We know the best support happens locally, in stigma-free ways, through trusted relationships grounded in a clear understanding of local needs. The Collaborative is about making that support more connected, more responsive and easier to access.”

It is expected that the Collaborative will support almost 3,000 family interventions during the funding period and will focus on both areas of recognised deprivation and the often-hidden poverty experienced within rural communities.

The project emerged through engagement across the third sector, with contributions from 35 organisations. It will continue to evolve, aiming to create a consistent network of locally based organisations working together to support families. This network will align with key strategic developments within Community Planning Partnerships and existing family support services, ensuring it complements rather than duplicates local provision.