A local D&G grassroots charity, Independent Living Support (ILS), is today celebrating after being awarded £159k by the National Lottery Community Fund to continue its work with young people.
The charity, based in D&G, will use the money to assist young people with essential life skills such as budgeting, healthy eating, managing their time, communication, training and resilience building for their emotional and mental wellbeing.
ILS has been running since 2002 and is staffed by 10 staff. It was founded by Joyce Usher after she realised young people in D&G communities can lacked access to learning basic life skills, confidence and emotional resilience.
The charity provides one-to-one and group services for emotional & wellbeing. ILS helps the young people build their confidence, self-esteem and life skills to assist the person to become more resilient. Chair of ILS – Russell Brown – says “… Independent Living Support are delighted to be awarded the fund from the National Lottery for such vital work in the D&G region. The funds are pivotal in providing better resilience for our young people by targeting life skills and emotional wellbeing”.
The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “Every day National Lottery funding is changing the lives of thousands of people in communities across Scotland. This project, delivered by Independent Living Support is a great example of community activity in action, showing just what can be achieved when people come together for a common cause or to help others.
“National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raise is helping to support this vital work which is making a real difference to so many.”
(image included of ILS staff & trustee – Treasurer Graeme Galloway)
