An award from the Financial Inclusion Fund will allow us to continue to operate a Flexible Frontline Fund which in the last financial year helped us increase the number of positive homeless prevention outcomes in South Ayrshire. Last year this emergency fund was accessible to our service users in the Private Rented Sector who were at risk of homelessness and needed urgent intervention, in this financial year we would like to broaden the eligibility criteria for the fund to include all tenures. Distribution of funds will be at the discretion of our support workers, overseen by our service coordinator to determine what the person needs and will directly impact on the prevention activities undertaken in their case.

Examples may include but are not limited to:

Person has identified and moved into alternative accommodation but has exhausted funds in removal costs etc and needs short term assistance to top up their electric/gas meters.

Person we are supporting has moved to a village location without mains gas, and is required to pay in advance to fill their oil tank for which there is no alternative energy support.

Person we are supporting has been able to access alternative accommodation but needs some assistance to top up their deposit/rent in advance/pay for removal costs to secure the accommodation and directly prevent homelessness and is unable to wait for the outcome of DHP for fear of losing the offered property.

Person we are supporting has lost/damaged their mobile phone which prevents them from engaging with essential support/adhering to Universal Credit claimant commitment etc. This would allow us to replace the phone to ensure we can continue to engage with them and link them in with other key services. We can supply a SIM card with 6 months call time and data through our partnership with Vodafone.

Person is at risk of eviction due to condition of tenancy / hoarding. This would allow us to access specialist cleaning / clearing / support where there are no alternatives available from other agencies.

Giving people the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty by assisting with funding not available through statutory sources,  which would allow a person to access training or employment opportunities through assisting with certification, renewal of construction cards etc.

ACAA proposes a 6-month Financial Inclusion project that directly supports ethnic minority families, refugees, migrants, and other low-income households in South Ayrshire experiencing fuel poverty, food insecurity, and barriers to mainstream services. The project aims to reduce child poverty, break cycles of financial dependency, and improve life outcomes through accessible weekly support sessions.

Activities:

1. Fuel Support & Crisis Relief:

• Purchase and distribution of 20 fuel vouchers (£50 each) to families most in need (identified via referral and financial needs assessment).
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• 2. Weekly Financial Inclusion Support Sessions (24 sessions):
• Delivered at a central and accessible venue in South Ayrshire.
• Drop-in advice sessions supported by trained ACAA staff and volunteers.
• Support includes:
  • Benefits checks and applications (e.g., Universal Credit, Scottish Child Payment)
  • Debt management and budgeting support
  • Referral pathways to local food banks, energy advice services, housing support, and employability services (in collaboration with South Ayrshire Council and partner charities).
• 3. Signposting and Empowerment Pathways:

• Individuals will be supported to register for:
  • ESOL classes, job readiness training, volunteering opportunities

P7 Pupils from 9 schools, prioritising those with a catchment area serving the most deprived and poorest areas of Ayr, will be transported to Ayr Town Hall where representatives of between 30 and 35 widely different careers have been invited for the day The reps have been selected as they are known to be enthusiastic about the work they do, great communicators, and in the majority of cases, have asked to return after previously been involved with this Project over the last 2 years.

The Career stalls are designed to be highly interactive and hands -on; we are not telling the pupils what grades they will need and what college or course they need to aim for (this will all be done at secondary school through careers teachers etc.); we want to inspire them, encourage them to think beyond what they think they might end up doing when they leave school. We believe this will also motivate them as they start secondary school in a few months after the event. All the Career reps give up a day , all in their own time, some self employed. Rotarians are on hand to help the teachers supervise the children on the day.

Funding is used for Hire of the Venue (Ayr Town Hall) (£250), Hire of buses to transport the pupils (£850) to and from the Hall, and a light sandwich lunch for the 60 - 70 Careers Reps attending (£300) of which Rotary will fund