By Vivienne Russell | 13 February 2014
Big Lottery Fund grants totalling £112m are to be distributed to charities across England as part of a scheme to better co-ordinate services for people leading chaotic lives.
The eight-year investment will encourage statutory and voluntary organisations in 12 areas to join-up services and thus offer more stability to people dealing with drug addiction, mental health problems and offending behaviour.
Big Lottery Fund England chair Nat Sloan said the current system was flawed.
‘People are passed from pillar to post and the result is them rebounding in and out of A&E departments and criminal courts rather than being helped in an effective way by integrated support services,’ he said.
‘This £112m investment will end the revolving door of care for these vulnerable people and rather than being drains on society will allow them to become assets that benefit their communities and society as a whole.’
The Big Lottery Fund with gather evidence of the success of this more integrated approach over the eight years that the scheme will run. It is hoped this learning will influence future projects and policy.
Charities in line for an investment under the scheme include the Brighton Housing Trust, Addaction, Shelter and Resolving Chaos.
