More than 300 charities and community groups in Scotland are to share £7.7m in National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) grants.

Among charities benefiting from this latest funding allocation for Scotland is The Marie Trust, which as received £54,910 to pilot a year-long hospital outreach services at Glasgow Royal Infirmary to support patients who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

“This partnership will be a game changer in terms of designing future services for patients, not just in Glasgow but across Scotland, who are homeless and transitioning into the community,” said Marie Trust chief officer Frances McKinlay.

“It will provide one to one intensive support and capture the changes and challenges people experience and our response to help people cope with the cost-of-living crisis, prevent repeated homelessness and hospital presentations.”

Other charities to benefit include Aberdeenshire based Kincardine & Mearns Citizens Advice Bureau, which has been handed £81,867 to continue employing their welfare rights officer and increasing the number of specialist volunteers in the area.

Meanwhile, Kinkcaldy YMCA in Fife has been handed £9,525 to fund a drop in youth café for 11- to 17-year-olds.

“This National Lottery funding will reach into communities across Scotland helping to improve the lives of hundreds of people,” said NLCF Scotland chair Kate Still.

“The Marie Trust and its partnership with Glasgow Royal Infirmary is a great example of this as it will trial a new approach to an entrenched and complex societal issue that requires an innovative response,” she added.

The full list of charities and groups to receive funding can be found here.

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