A film mogul’s lasting legacy has delivered a massive cash boost to some of Dundee’s most vulnerable residents.
The city has been named beneficiary of the largest-ever grant from The Rank Foundation.
One of the country’s leading charitable trusts, it will plough £2 million into 21 individual charities and projects over the next three years.
They will work to fight poverty, help people recover from substance abuse and support people with a range of mental and physical problems.
The money comes from J Arthur Rank a millionaire flour miller and devout Methodist who diversified into films in a bid to spread the gospel, but ended up providing a home for James Bond.
His initial efforts met with limited success, but his film group’s credits became iconic depicting a strong man striking a gong after he shrewdly moved to gain control of movie theatres.
Rank subsequently established the Odeon chain of cinemas, which has gone on to become the world’s biggest, and founded Pineweood Studios, where scenes for the 24th Bond film, Spectre, have been filmed.
Proving every bit as long-lasting as his movie empire, the Rank Foundation has worked to improve the lives of people and their communities, with Dundee the latest beneficiary.
A spokesman for the foundation said: “The Rank Foundation aims to improve the lives of people and their communities, across the UK by encouraging and developing leadership, promoting enterprise and innovation and caring for the disadvantaged and the marginalised.
“Our investment in Dundee is by far our largest place-based funding commitment in the UK and will see us working with charities and social enterprises that will contribute to our strategy.”
Dundee Rep’s Creative Learning team will deliver a three-year mental wellbeing and community programme focusing on older people, adults in rehabilitation and recovery and young people and adults facing health inequality.
The Dundee Social Enterprise Network will enable new start social enterprises to develop their idea with the establishment of a grants programme and a range of other resources.
In addition, The Food Train will set up a befriending service that links volunteers with older people in an effort to reduce isolation and loneliness by accompanying them to the supermarket or cinema.
Other local bodies to benefit from investment will include Advocating Together, which is working to help adults with learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders, and YouthLink Scotland, which has created a year-long training programme to help young people into work.
Dundee Foodbank will be offered support to improve staff recruitment and retention, while various church-led projects across the city will be offered aid as they work to support community activities and lead anti-poverty initiatives and substance misuse recovery schemes.