Voluntary Action Fund

Communities Tackling Sectarianism

The Voluntary Action Fund (VAF) is delighted to have been awarded funding by the Scottish Government to deliver a pilot project which will work with four communities across Scotland to enable them to effectively challenge sectarianism. This will build on the success of a range of organisations already doing great work across the country to tackle sectarianism, some of which VAF currently support through the Scottish Government funded Equality Grants Programme. The Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) has also been funded to deliver a similar pilot and we will be working with them to share learning that will help develop practice in community-led anti-sectarian approaches in Scotland.

Roseanna Cunningham, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, met with Pupil Council representatives from primary schools across Glasgow, where she announced the VAF and SCDC projects and plans for further wide-ranging action to tackle the root causes of sectarianism. The plans which include community initiatives and education, are backed by investment of £3 million a year over the next three years. The Minister made clear the Scottish Government would be taking a fresh approach to tackling sectarianism and bigotry that puts supporting communities at its heart, building on the new laws giving the police and prosecutors greater tools to tackle sectarian hatred in football and on the internet.

Keith Wimbles, the Voluntary Action Fund Chief Executive, said "The Voluntary Action Fund is delighted to receive funding from the Scottish Government to test community-led approaches to addressing sectarianism. We have always believed that communities themselves should identify local challenges and are best placed to develop responses to social issues such as sectarian attitudes and behaviour. We are therefore very pleased to be working with communities to develop approaches that meet their needs and respond to local circumstances."

For the Scottish Government Press Release, please visit the Scottish Government website.

Edit: The joint VAF & SCDC Press Release can be downloaded on the right-hand side of this page.