14 organisations, including The Turing Trust, are to receive funds
Humza Yousaf has confirmed awards under the latest round of the Scottish Government’s Small Grants Programme for 2016/17 during a visit to The Turing Trust in Edinburgh today (Wednesday 9th March). The Minister will be joined by James Turing, Alan Turing’s great-nephew.
The Minister for Europe and International Development has announced that 14 Scottish based organisations will receive funding totalling £464,774.
Scottish-based organisations benefitting from this funding will work in Bangladesh, India, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia in a wide range of areas from integrating health care improvements for disabled children, to ensuring access for small scale pond aquaculture fish farmers.
Mr Yousaf said:
“The Scottish Government’s Small Grants Programme helps some of the world’s most vulnerable people. It also provides support to Scottish organisations to help them continue to be good global citizens.
“Today’s funding, which is worth £464,774, will improve the prospects of people in many of our priority countries, including Malawi. This latest round of funding brings the total amount invested, via the Small Grants programme, to more than one million pounds.”
The Turing Trust, which will receive £60,000, aims to promote education by bringing essential learning resources to rural communities across sub-Saharan Africa. It was set up by Alan Turing’s family in 2009 in honour of his remarkable legacy. Today they’re keeping Alan’s legacy alive by providing quality technology and IT training to schools in Malawi, Ghana & Kenya.
James Turing said:
“The Turing Trust is helping make students in rural Africa more employable. By outfitting schools with refurbished IT equipment from the UK and providing teacher training, we can give students a chance to break out of the rural poverty cycle through teaching IT and vocational skills. In refurbishing PCs in Edinburgh we are also helping volunteers at home in doing well, by doing good.
“The £60,000 funding boost from the Scottish Government’s Small Grants Fund will help us to create a customised e-library to complement the provision of community ICT hubs in 200 rural schools in Malawi.”
Chair, Network of International Development Organisation of Scotland (NIDOS), Jamie Morrison, said:
“NIDOS is delighted with today’s announcement from the Scottish Government on the awarding of nearly £465,000 to Scottish organisations working globally in some of the most disadvantaged communities.
“Small organisations are often uniquely well placed to respond to distinct community needs, and there’s recognition of their valuable contribution to poverty alleviation and economic growth is warmly welcomed.”
Fiona Duncan, Chief Executive of Corra Foundation, which administers the programme for Scottish Government, said:
“The Foundation was delighted to support the Scottish Government in delivering this third year of the small grants programme. It was particularly good to see such a wide range of interesting and exciting projects planned for delivery by organisations previously supported under the programme, as well as by new applicants.”
