Case studies

Star Project is a holistic community development project in Paisley that takes a person-centred approach to deliver a range of services to tackle poverty. The services include for example counselling, a Befriending Scheme, workshops, Men’s Shed for mental health support, targeted activities for children, a community fridge and a pantry. Community members with lived experience of poverty are involv…

The Big Blue Mobile Pantry is an outreach zero waste initiative. With about 450 members, it receives over 3,000 visits annually and distributes nearly 17 tonnes of food to Moray's most rural villages. The project also provides reasonably priced, wholesome food to 30 villages in rural Moray, where stores are more than 30 miles away. Managed by Moray Food Plus, it gives everyone access to nutritious…

The project aims to support families and alleviate poverty by maximising income. It provides one-to-one guidance and support in welfare rights and debt management. The focus is on increasing income through unclaimed benefits like Universal Credit, with referrals to employability and energy advice also provided.

The Linlathen Local Fairness Initiative is a community empowerment project delivered in the neighbourhood of Linlathen in Dundee by the Dundee City Council and various public and third sector partners. The Initiative comprises of a range of coordinated and diverse interventions with partners to reduce poverty and improve wellbeing in the neighbourhood. The Initiative is informed by the social rese…

The Wise Group’s Pathways service is designed to support people facing hardships on their unique journeys, helping them utilise their skills and interests to move out of or avoid poverty and progress in life. After receiving initial support in the Wise Group’s key areas - Energy Advice and Advocacy, Community Justice, and Employment Services - individuals are connected to the Pathways team for fle…

Funeral Link is a Dundee based charity set up in 2018 to provide advice and practical support for those who wish to provide a funeral for their loved ones but find that the cost is beyond their means. They offer emotional support during the bereavement and grieving process through one-on-one meetings in local areas such as cafés, community halls or a participant's home, and connect those grieving …

The outreach programme, which provides access to climbing, is run by “Above Adventure”, a non-profit charity based within their purpose-built community centre and climbing gym in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. The goal of the charity is to improve accessibility to climbing; the outreach programme is core to that purpose, offering access to those disadvantaged by poverty, addiction, disability or otherwise.…

The Braes High School (Falkirk) Maximising Income for Families project works in partnership with the Community Advice Service (Falkirk Council), Senior Benefits Advisor and a dedicated IMO. The project aims to provide financial advice to the families of pupils, it involves advising parents on which unclaimed benefits they may be entitled to. This is particularly aimed at the families of students w…

PEEK is a multi-award-winning organisation that aims to improve the life chances of children and young people in Glasgow by providing opportunities through their different programmes. The PEEK-A-CHEW food truck is community-funded and looks to tackle poverty by providing free meals to children, young people, and families. The Thrive programme looks to broaden the horizons of young people by provid…

The Edinburgh Community Food Project (ECF) tackles food poverty and broader social issues through cooking courses, health training and partnerships with various organisations. During the pandemic, ECF expanded its services to meet increased community needs, providing about 1,500 food boxes per week and serving an estimated 1,000,000 meal portions in a year. The support included doorstep deliveries…