£1M FOR CHILDREN’S WINTER CLOTHING
23 December 2020
Graeme has urged local nurseries and early learning/childcare (ELC) settings to apply for new funding that will help children take part in outdoor learning and development whatever the weather.
The Scottish Government is committing £1 million of funding to nurseries and other education centres to buy children warm winter clothes so they can enjoy playing outside – part of the Scottish Government’s £100 million winter social package.
It comes as nurseries and other settings are encouraged to take learning outdoors to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
The package will be available to all funded ELC centres, and will ensure that three- and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds have access to suitable outdoor clothing.
Inspiring Scotland, which has worked extensively with the ELC sector to support outdoor play over the past few years, has been appointed as administrator of the fund which will open in January.
Commenting, Graeme said:
“Outdoor play is a critical part of children’s learning and development at any time, but at the present moment it is also a good way to minimise COVID risk in early learning and childcare settings.
“With nurseries and other ELC settings being encouraged to take learning outdoors, it is only right that the implications of a Scottish winter are acknowledged.
“I therefore very much welcome the Scottish Government’s move to provide funding for winter clothing, so that no child faces disadvantage in this regard here in Angus or anywhere in Scotland.
“I would encourage all settings in Angus South to apply for their share of the £1 million available when this fund opens in January, to ensure no child misses out.”
The Scottish Government already supports outdoor play and learning through funding to Living Classrooms for their Virtual Nature School (VNS) programme, providing training and support to ELC practitioners.
More than 1000 practitioners have benefitted from this training, which supported the delivery of outdoor play sessions to 40,000 families over the period of restrictions when many were unable to access childcare.
A further 500 teams from across the ELC sector have been offered a place on the programme’s winter cohort, to support the continued delivery of high quality, all-weather, outdoor experiences. To date, the Scottish Government has provided funding of £208,860 for the VNS programme.
