After-school, breakfast and holiday clubs at nurseries, community centres and playgroups are set to benefit from more than 2.9m - Scotland's share of nearly 36m in lottery cash handed out to projects throughout the UK.
Beverley Francis, NOF director in Scotland, announced the awards at the Jack and Jill Nursery in the Possil Park district of Glasgow, which received more than 50,000 to create new out- of-school childcare places for 48 children between the ages of five and 12.
She said, 'The service that's to be created here will mean children having the same place to go before school starts and after school finishes while their parents are still at work or in education. This is about offering new solutions to traditional problems.'
Euan Robson, deputy minister for education and young people, said, 'Out-of-school care helps close the opportunity gap and lift families out of poverty. It not only benefits children by improving their life and social skills, but also generates economic benefits by supporting parents into work, education and training.'
Kim Riley, manager of the Jack and Jill Nursery, said its 51,204 award was 'fabulous news for us as a company, allowing us to grow and develop, enhancing the service we already provide'.
He said that the extra out-of-school places, in addition to the existing 53-place nursery, would create new jobs and training opportunities for the area, as the nursery works closely with training centres.
The largest awards in Scotland went to Fife Council and Fife Childcare Strategy, who received 714,140 for two consortium projects, creating 1,332 new jobs. Harry Blyth, chair of the Fife Childcare Partnership, said, 'We are delighted with this news. Demand for childcare in Fife is on the increase and we are working very hard to increase the capacity of this vital service.'
The Pulteney People's Project in Wick received the largest single award, with 73,800 from NOF to invest in staff, equipment and materials to cater for 80 childcare places each day.
Katrina MacNab, economic regeneration manager for Pulteney, said, 'This service will be the foundation of the regeneration programme - allowing people who did not have childcare provision to take up employment or go to college.
'The service has been well planned and will provide a good- quality healthy breakfast in the morning. The focus of the afternoon session will be on play - however, children will have the opportunity to get help with homework if required.'
The NOF reckoned its latest grant awards would mean more than 5,000 new jobs in the UK, nearly 1,500 of them full-time.
