Perth and Kinross is now so deeply in the grip of poverty that unprecedented sums of money are being awarded to charities battling the crisis.
Hundreds of families are said to be struggling with financial woes and the crushing burden of debt to the extent that they can no longer feed themselves.
The region’s foodbank has donated more than 12 tonnes of food to stricken residents in just a few months and has been forced to move to bigger premises and establish four satellites.
Now a near £500,000 grant has been awarded to the Perth and Kinross Association of Voluntary Services (PKAVS) in recognition of the increasingly perilous situation many residents find themselves in.
The latest sum will go directly to support struggling members of the region’s increasingly large ethnic minority communities. It follows the award, in January, of more than £460,000 to support its vital work with vulnerable children, through its increasingly utilised and under pressure Younger Carers Project.
The charity had believed it likely just one bid would succeed, but the backing for the MEAD (Minority Ethnic Access Develop-ment) reflects both how well-respected PKAVS is at a national level and the recognised scale of poverty issues locally.
More than 12% of all residents in Perth and Kinross are now said to be “over-indebted” and struggling to cope with bills and repayments.
PKAVS’ fundraising manager Kerrigan Bell told The Courier: “This is the largest single donation in the 40-year history of PKAVS.
“The minority communities within Perth and Kinross are no different from any other, in that they are increasingly hard-pressed,” she said.
“There is an increased level of demand for all our services from local people, particularly around poverty issues, and we are making ever more referrals to the Perth and Kinross Foodbank.
“There are people in our communities who are really struggling and PKAVS has to be there to help them through it.
“This is a very difficult challenge but our main reason for being here is helping people who are disadvantaged, right here in our local community.
“Like the funding secured for the Young Carers Project, this will support the service for three years and is extremely good news.
“It does, however, cost far more than that to keep all our services running and so it is important that people know we are still inviting support from people locally.”
Funding for the MEAD project set up in response to the changing demographic comes from the Big Lottery Fund’s Investing in Communities programme.
It will help PKAVS provide volunteers, community events and support for members of ethnic minority groups across Perth and Kinross.
Importantly, it will help to boost English language services and access to advice and information to help reduce isolation, as well as dealing with issues of poverty.
PKAVS is delighted that the grant will also enable it to share examples of best practice with organisations in other Scottish local authority areas.
News of the grant has been warmly welcomed by politicians, including Liz Smith MSP, who said: “PKAVS is one of the most effective and best established voluntary sector groups in Perth and Kinross and this award confirms just how important its work is within the local community.
“There is no doubt that the combination of the recession and the difficulties of the employment situation make it doubly difficult for many minority groups and many charities working to help them have found life very tough indeed.
“PKAVS deserves our full support.”
Pete Wishart MP, meanwhile, thanked the charity for the benefits it and its partner organisations deliver “year in, year out” for the people of Perth and Kinross.
For more information on PKAVS and all its services, visit www.pkavs.org.uk.