Highland Council and CAB addressing child poverty

A project that aims to address child poverty in the Highlands has been praised by Members of The Highland Council’s Care, Learning and Housing Committee.

Members welcomed the positive difference that the Money+ Project is making to families with children in the Inverness, Nairn, Lochaber, Ross and Cromarty and Caithness areas.

Committee Chair, Cllr Andrew Baxter said: “The Money+ Project is making a difference to families who wouldn’t normally access this type of help.  The early intervention and preventative measures being taken by the Project Workers helps to reduce the stigma of seeking help with money. I commend Melissa and the Money + Team for the real improvements that they are making to families’ lives.”

Project Manager, Melissa MacDonald explained: “The aim of the Money+ project is to help prevent and alleviate poverty experienced by families with young children through the provision of money management and financial inclusion advice.  This advice is provided by Citizens Advice Bureau in local nurseries and in primary schools (in targeted areas) across Highland.  The Money+ Project Workers work flexibly with each school or nursery to engage with families through events, drop in clinics at schools or by engaging with community groups.  

She added: “The Project Workers provide help on a range of issues affecting families such as: childcare; banking and saving, energy bills, payment methods, charitable applications; debt management; school clothing grants and free school meals;  income maximisation and benefit checks and general advice on budgeting and support to complete forms and benefit claims.”

Money+ Project provider, Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey Citizens Advice Bureau, General Manager Alasdair Christie said “The Money+ Project allows us to provide the right advice at the right time to improve outcomes for local families. We have found that our early intervention can avoid situations becoming worse and can help families deal with difficult issues.”

Highland Council’s Family Centre Manager, Jennifer MacDonald said: “Families attending the Merkinch Centre in Inverness are benefitting from the Money+ Project.”

She said: “I see on a daily basis the impact poverty has on children.  I cannot commend the service enough for the difference it has already made to the lives of children and their families.”

The Money+ Project is part-funded by the European Social Fund, under the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) Programme, with an allocation of £126,994, match funded by The Highland Council.  The Project is managed and hosted within the Council’s Care and Learning Service. 

The Council is applying to the Scottish Government for 2 years continued funding for the Money + Project and will be seeking to build on links with and widen the schools involved. There will also be an application for a new project Food+ which will principally provide community led groups with grant funds towards tackling food insecurity and out of school hunger.