Question reference: S6W-18064
- Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 18 May 2023
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Current status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 25 May 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates it will spend on tackling social isolation and loneliness over the current parliamentary session.
Answer
The Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund was launched in March 2023 and will run to the end of July 2026 providing £3.8 million over the three-year period to support activity directly tackling social isolation and loneliness. £2 million has already been distributed to organisations directly since August 2021 for work including helplines, befriending, youth work and provision of warm spaces and group activities.
Since October 2021, the Scottish Government has invested £36 million in the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults, with around 3,300 grants being made to local organisations across Scotland in the first two years. A further £15 million is committed in 2023-24. The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund supports grass roots community groups in building resilience and tackling social isolation, loneliness and the mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic and, more recently, the cost crisis.
We are also investing over £300,000 in programmes which recognise the role that sports clubs and hubs play in improving physical, mental and social health, including the ‘Changing Room – Extra Time’ and ‘Gain the Advantage’ programmes, and Scotland’s Mental Health Charter for Physical Activity and Sport.