Grassroots Drug Support Funding of £1 Million Reaches 28 Scottish Projects

The Scottish Government has announced that 28 frontline projects across Scotland will share £1 million in grassroots drug support funding. The Corra Foundation administers the money as the final round under the five-year National Drug Mission Funds. These organisations will use it to keep delivering services to some of the country’s most vulnerable people.

The National Mission closes next month. A new Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan will follow shortly after. For many of the organisations involved, this funding gives them financial certainty during a critical transition period.

Community Substance Use Services Record Over 51,000 Interactions in 2024-25

The numbers tell a clear story. Community substance use services logged more than 51,000 interactions in 2024-25. That is an increase of over 17,000 on the previous year. Demand is growing, and so is the reach of organisations working at grassroots level.

Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Maree Todd visited Street Fit Scotland to mark the announcement. She called the funding “a lifeline” for the people these projects support. She also pointed to the rising interaction figures as proof of the difference frontline organisations are making.

“As the National Mission ends next month, we will shortly announce our new Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan and new support for the third sector,” the minister said. “This funding provides a vital bridge to that, where we will again focus on sustained, need-based investment.”

Grassroots Drug Support Funding Spans the Length of Scotland

These projects cover the whole country and take many different approaches. Recovery hubs in Kilmarnock and Forth Valley will keep their doors open. Residential rehab pathways in Ayrshire continue, alongside treatment and health support in Edinburgh and West Dunbartonshire. Family liaison services run in the Highlands. Psychological therapy reaches people in fife. Outreach workers support homeless and vulnerable people in Aberdeen.

Glasgow and Dundee host recovery workshops, jewellery making, and a therapeutic programme for women in recovery with family support built in. The PanLanarkshire Drug Problem Solving Court also receives continuation funding, as does a peer harm reduction support worker project in Forth Valley. Other organisations help people manage long-term health conditions and live independently at home.

Street Fit Scotland: Building a “Social Wave of Wellness”

Street Fit Scotland, based in Edinburgh, is one of the most active recipients in this round of community substance use services funding. The organisation helps people who use substances build resilience and connect with supportive social networks through physical and social activity.

Founder and CEO Michelle Reilly welcomed the news. She said the funding let Street Fit Scotland reach more people and raise the quality of its service. She pointed to what the organisation describes as a growing “social wave of wellness” taking hold across Edinburgh.

“Through this funding, we have supported community members to regain structure, purpose, and stability in their daily lives,” she said. “Many individuals who come to us are rebuilding after significant challenges, and having consistent access to safe, supportive activity has been vital in helping them move forward.”

How the Corra Foundation Chose the Recipients

The Corra Foundation reviewed every application before distributing this round of grassroots drug support funding. A dedicated panel assessed each one. That panel brought together people with lived and living experience of drug use, family members, and professionals from relevant sectors. Their involvement keeps decisions rooted in real-world experience rather than purely administrative criteria.

The continuation funding draws from two sources: the Local Support and Improvement Fund and the Children and Families Fund.

What Comes Next for Scotland’s Drugs Strategy

The National Mission is ending, but investment continues. The Scottish Government will announce a new Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan shortly. New support for the third sector follows alongside it. The minister has been clear that sustained, need-based investment remains the priority.

The 28 projects now have the certainty they need. They can keep doing work that, on the evidence of 51,000 interactions in a single year, is clearly reaching people who need it most.

Source: dbrecoveryresources