Voluntary and community groups can play a vital role in improving the quality of life for people dependent on social welfare thus enabling them to change their situation for the better.
My Department funds a number of once-off grant schemes which concentrate on support for local self-help groups, community development, welfare rights and information work. The individual grant schemes provided to support such voluntary and community activity are as follows; scheme of grants to voluntary organisations; scheme of grants for locally-based women's groups; scheme of grants for locally-based men's groups; scheme of grants for lone parents, second chance education and return to work opportunities.
The Department under its community development programme and the money advice and budgeting service provides seed money to enable community groups to pilot initiatives identified as meeting new and emerging community needs.
Under the community development programme funding is provided towards the staffing and equipping of local resource centres which provide a focal point for community development activities in an area and to other specialised community development projects. This programme was established in 1990 when 15 projects were funded.