Case studies

The Lone Parents Poverty and Work Initiative is Fife Gingerbread’s response to tackling child poverty in Scotland, focusing on the Fife area. Lone parents are a priority family group who are at greater risk of poverty. The project focuses specifically on employability, upskilling and transitioning lone parents into flexible employment. This may or may not mean that certain benefits stop when the l…

The project operates with a small team of paid part-time staff and volunteers. Initially focused on providing school uniforms for impoverished children, the project expanded its scope to address broader educational access and closing the attainment gap. Evolving to meet community needs, it runs initiatives like No Worries in Moray, a community garden, a beach hut, a driving project, and a pop-up s…

Urban entertainment poverty project community cinema aimed at strengthening the sociocultural experiences of a low percentile SIMD ranked community. Providing a free at point of access, fixed community base within Forgewood’s Community Centre, the project provides a venue for social interaction, education, and social activities. Free snacks and drinks enhance the cinema experience for service user…

'Biddulph Works Together' is a partnership of organisations that work across Biddulph. Partners provide a range of opportunities and events for the community, from coffee mornings to community cinema sessions, craft activities and youth focused activities. The partnership is responsive to community needs and is promoted through the Town Council website and social media pages. They aim to help peop…

Midlothian’s Wash and Dry Laundry Service offered free laundry services to mitigate the effects of the cost-of-living crisis. The project targeted Midlothian residents who could not afford to do their laundry for various reasons. It has been trialled in two ways: 1) through a private laundry pick-up and delivery service based in Mayfield to aid those in East Midlothian; 2) tokens were distributed …

The Workforce Mobility Project aims to identify and support sustainable solutions that reduce transport barriers to employment, training and education in the Edinburgh and South-East Scotland (ESES) City Region to alleviate poverty and social mobility issues in rural and rural-remote areas.

The Financial Insecurity Fund is a local fund which provides assistance to those on low incomes in the Perth and Kinross area. If a household is struggling due to the cost-of-living crisis and has no recourse to public funds, they can apply for financial assistance through the fund to pay back debts. The debts, for which the fund provides assistance include for example gas, electricity, broadband …

The Inverclyde Approach is founded on the principle that alleviating poverty requires not just a single programme intervention, but a comprehensive network of interconnected support. This approach places individuals and their needs at the centre, ensuring that services are grounded in relationships. It aims to drive systemic change in service delivery by holistically assessing people’s needs and c…

The Young Parents’ Support Base (YPSB) supports young parents in attaining the best possible start in life for themselves and their children by helping them balance their academic and parenting responsibilities. The project provides a range of services, including childcare facilities, parenting and personal development classes, as well as peer support services. The programme also offers academic s…

‘50 Things to Do Before You're Five’ is a free mobile app and website that provides 50 local low-cost and easily accessible activities to support the early year development of children across the UK. Available in 25 local areas, it supports parents and caretakers in developing their home learning environment. As a place-based, parent-facing offer for Local Authorities and other public sector organ…