Families in Edinburgh with young children who are affected by homelessness are hoping to be helped via a new service launched by Shelter Scotland with CHILDREN 1ST, following an award of £405,576 by the Big Lottery Fund.

'Building Families' is one of six projects across Scotland providing practical help for parents bringing up children that shared £1,629,008 from the Fund’s Investing in Communities programme.

The scheme will support families in Edinburgh with children under 11 years old, and affected by homelessness, by delivering a range of personalised support packages designed to help family relationships and support tenancies.

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Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: "I thank the Big Lottery Fund for backing the Building Families project which combines our housing support and homelessness expertise with CHILDREN 1ST’s broad range of skills and knowledge of working with children. Together we will deliver a vital service to help families in Edinburgh with young children who face complex support needs and housing difficulties.

"Educational and social development are key to a child’s long-term health and wellbeing, so by supporting children to make the most of their family life, schooling and leisure time, Building Families will make a real difference to the life chances of all those it works with."

Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn, announcing the awards, said: "Many families will, at some point in their lives, need that bit of extra support to help them through difficult periods. Feelings of isolation, the effects of low income or the risk of homelessness, for example, are just some of the issues which today’s projects will help to tackle. They also have a common goal of helping people live healthy, more positive lives, which will benefit families both now, and in the future."

(IT/CD)