Councils are being urged to apply for the Scottish Government’s £4.5million fund which supports after school clubs and activities.

The funding can be used to improve facilities both inside and outside the school buildings.

The £4.5million funding is managed for the Scottish Government by  Scottish Futures Trust. It is open to all Local Authorities who will be required to demonstrate how they have worked in partnership with school age childcare and activities providers, to be ambitious in their ideas, and to define projects which will deliver benefit for children and families, particularly those from low-income areas.

Commenting about the funding, First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf said:

“Helping families deal with cost of living pressures is one of our key priorities and providing further funding for affordable and accessible school age childcare will help deliver that.

“Funded school age childcare supports parents and carers into work and enables them to support their families, while also providing a nurturing environment for children to take part in a wide range of activities.

“Scotland already has the most generous childcare offer anywhere in the UK. All three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds are entitled to 1,140 hours a year of funded early learning and childcare. We are working with partners to make further progress, with plans to develop a funded early learning and childcare offer for one and two-year-olds by 2026, focusing on those who need it most.”