The Somali Adult Social Care Agency (SASCA) in Manchester has been awarded a grant of £217,000 from the National Lottery in recognition of the vital work it does with the Somali community in the city.
The Community Fund grant secures the charity’s future for the next three years after a turbulent time in which its core grant funding from Manchester City Council was cut and it faced possible closure.
SASCA will use the money to find a full-time manager for its offices and expand the work it does in the community, including recruiting more volunteers and paid staff.
Crucially, the money means that SASCA will be able to carry on providing a vital service to a disadvantaged community.
This is fantastic news for SASCA
– Anya Ahmed, chair of trustees
Anya Ahmed, chair of the board of trustees at SASCA, said: “This is absolutely fantastic news for SASCA and could not have come at a more opportune moment. We lost our core funding from the council and were at real risk of having to close just at a time when we were seeing increased demand for our services.
“The board has put a lot of effort into securing additional funding from various organisations but this amazing sum for the National Lottery means we will not only be able to carry on with the much-needed work we do in the community, but enable us to expand and see more clients who come into our offices every day.
“Hundreds of people come through our doors each week and the work carried out by our advisers and volunteers in helping them with utility bills, housing problems, in translating official letters, and in offering support in areas such as mental health and the cost-of-living can now carry on thanks to this National Lottery award. In particular the appointment of an office manager will put us on a firm footing for the future.”