Huge boost for Big Hoose Project helping families in poverty across Fife

The Cottage Family Centre’s Big Hoose Project has been awarded £100,000 from The Robertson Trust.

In the last seven months, the project has helped more than 30,000 families across the Kingdom.

The team work in partnership with around 500 charities and organisations, including Nourish Support Centre, Fife Gingerbread, Fife Women’s Aid, foodbanks and pantries, as well as social workers, health visitors, schools, nurseries, housing officers and community teams across Fife who support children and families experiencing hardship.

This allows families access, through a referral process, to items such as bedding, kitchen items, towels, toilet roll, nappies, toiletries, rugs, clothing, footwear, baby items, sanitary products and other household furnishings and goods.

They are distributed to those who need them most.

Pauline Buchan, strategic manager at the Cottage Family Centre, said: “The support of the Robertson Trust is absolutely key to the success of this new early intervention project in allowing us to employ the vital staff we need to ensure we can get the goods that families need to them in their time of need.

"Given the continued rise in living costs, this project has become a literal life line to so many, with over 30,000 families being supported in the last seven months alone.

"We hope with the support of the Robertson Trust we can really move this project forward for families across Fife to bring further support and opportunities with our cross sector partners that will make a real lasting difference to their lives.”

To date, retailers such as Amazon UK, Fishers and the Paint Shed have helped the Big Hoose Project, donating goods which are distributed to families across the region.

Jim McCormick, CEO of The Robertson Trust, said: “Through our focus on financial security, we are committed to funding partners to reduce the costs of essentials for families in hardship.

"With the withdrawal of lifeline support through Universal Credit and the failure to uprate social security in line with inflation, poverty is deepening.

"The cost of living crisis seen in energy and food prices is set to worsen in the autumn.

"There is an urgent need for new, practical approaches and partnerships.

"The Big Hoose Project has already made a difference to many thousands of people in Fife.

"By contributing to the running costs of this pilot and an independent evaluation, we will learn how families in need can access not only the essential items to see them through the crisis, but the high-quality financial, emotional and employment support that will help to boost their prospects.

"We look forward to seeing how the project develops in the year ahead and we will use the learning to good effect, informing our own work as an independent funder.”