Perth Harbour Community Fund Delivers Positive Outcomes for Local Community

The Perth Harbour Community Fund exists to benefit the lives of people living in Perth and Kinross. 

The Fund was first launched in 2021 and made five awards to groups tackling poverty, stigma and shame, social inclusion, health and wellbeing and organisations that help people become self-dependent and resilient.  

In 2022 a further nine awards were made to groups that use the River Tay to deliver positive outcomes and benefit the lives of the people they engage with. 

The Buttons and Bows Baby Bank used their award to help provide free baby food, nappies, baby essentials and baby equipment to families with young children who experience financial difficulties.  

Letham4All SCIO used their award to reduce social isolation among the over 60's.   

Checkin Works used its award for its Giraffe Community Kitchen, which delivers meals to the most disadvantaged, including those living in financial insecurity, hidden poverty, homelessness and/or COVID related disadvantage, poor mental health and/or learning disabilities. 

The Perth City Centre Community Hub’s Connect Perth project tackled digital inclusion by offering a space for disadvantaged people and people less familiar with digital technology to get online. 

Taymara delivered River Tay trips to young people and their families affected by severe ill health or are living with a learning disability. 

The Fund supported Mindspace’s Recovery College which offers a range of diverse groups and activities to enable people to develop their understanding and awareness of their unique mental health challenges and to find the means of best managing these.  

The successful projects supported by The Fund have engaged with and benefitted 1,900 people, supported three people into employment and generated 334 hours of volunteering hours. The Fund has delivered outcomes that can be summarised into six themes including Social and Community; Health and Wellbeing; Employment and Volunteering; Economic and Education and Skills. 

Using Social Return on Investment methodology The Fund evidenced social value created of £104,723.62, providing a £1: £6.01* return on investment. 

“My husband has severe dementia, and he thoroughly enjoyed this experience, as did I. Getting to drive the boat was a highlight for him and he was buzzing when we left the boat. I’ll be printing out the photos taken today because I think this will be a subject we’ll be talking about on many occasions.”  

Taymara (Service User)  

  

“The project assisted people to use social media to stay connected with their family and friends and help reduce social isolation when unable to meet face to face.  The digital support also encouraged self-dependence through enabling people to arrange their own travel, pay bills, order shopping and access health & wellbeing support when this was unavailable through traditional physical means.”  

Elsbeth Thomson of Connect Perth Digital Project at Perth City Centre Community Hub  

  

“The project was responsible in encouraging the participants to get out of their flats and into open greenspace. Getting out of their own heads and chatting with others. Nearly all of the target group live in the SIMD area of the city centre which has the highest deprivation making this even more important.”  

Susan Scott of Plus Perth and Kinross 

 

Michael Blacklaw, Head of Harbours at CalMac Ferries: “Perth Harbour has offered us a fantastic opportunity to increase the reach of our community investment programmes and benefit the everyday lives of people living in the communities where we operate. We are delighted to see the difference made by the Perth Harbour Community Fund and the social value generated is hugely heartwarming.” 

 

You can read more about the Perth Harbour Community Fund’s Social Value impact report here.

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