A SERIES OF OPEN events are to be held in eight Moray towns and villages seeking to inform local communities on funding available to support local initiatives.
The Moray Health and Social Care Partnership are inviting individuals or groups in the region to take part in a series of community engagement events this month.
Workshops being held in Rothes, Buckie, Elgin, Fochabers, Forres, Keith, Lossiemouth and Dufftown will consider the health and wellbeing priorities for people in Moray – and afford a chance to inform groups on how they can access grant funding to support local initiatives.
Projects such as Canny Wi’ Cash and the Small Grants Scheme offer funding with up to £30,000 in each available for third sector organisations, including small informal groups.
Canny Wi’ Cash is a participatory project where third sector can apply and be the decision makers on the award of small grants for projects that promote health and wellbeing in Moray communities. The Small Grants Scheme has the same focus but where decisions will be made by an independent panel drawn from the third sector.
Integration Project Officer Robin Paterson said, “In the past, local authorities and health boards were often criticised for providing a limited range of opportunities for people, GPs and health and social care professionals to influence the local planning on the delivery of health and social care services within their communities.
“I am delighted that in the spirit of collaborative working, the workshops are being jointly run by tsiMoray and the Moray Health and Social Care Partnership – we are committed to better engagement with all communities in Moray.”
The workshops are being held at an important time when health and social care professionals in Moray are preparing their first Strategic Plan following the passing of The Public Bodies (Joint Working)(Scotland) Act 2014.
A three-year plan will aim to identify and address the key health and social care priorities for people living in different part of Moray and these workshops will play an important part in informing this plan. They will also provide more information about Scottish Government intentions for the integration of health and social care services.
Dates and venues for the workshops are:
- Fochabers Institute on Tuesday, September 22 from 10am until 12noon
- Dufftown at Richmond Hall on Wednesday, September 23 from 10am until 12noon
- Forres Community Centre on Wednesday, September 23 from 2pm until 4pm
- Elgin Town Hall on Thursday, September 24 from 2pm until 4pm
- Lossiemouth Town Hall on Friday, September 25 from 12noon until 2pm
- Keith Longmore Hall on Tuesday, September 29 from 10am until 12noon
- Rothes Fire Station on Tuesday, September 29 from 2pm until 4pm
- Buckie Fisherman’s Hall on Wednesday, September 30 from 2pm until 4pm
The workshops are open to everyone but organisers ask that those wishing to attend let tsiMoray know by email to elidh@tsimoray.org.uk with their name (and organisation if appropriate) along with a contact number.