Grampian Regional Equality Council (GREC)
Grampian Regional Equality Council (GREC), an Aberdeen-based charity that advances equality across North East Scotland, has been awarded a grant from the Homewards Fund.
The funding will be used to establish and facilitate a Living & Lived Experience Panel, embedding co-production at the heart of homelessness prevention decision-making in Aberdeen. The panel will centre the expertise of people with lived experience of homelessness as equal partners in designing solutions.
GREC will work with local partners to create a diverse 12-person panel that meets regularly, and is fairly remunerated for their time and expertise. The panel will receive training and capacity-building, and have real influence over homelessness prevention in the city. The panel will become a trusted partner of other projects, with two representatives eventually joining the Homewards Aberdeen Steering Group.
This work directly supports the Homewards Aberdeen Local Action Plan and is a key strategic element across all other Homewards projects in Aberdeen.
“This funding award is significant, and will allow us to systematically and impactfully bring together a diverse, locally representative group of partners with lived experience of homelessness or risk of homelessness in Aberdeen. Local ownership and developing meaningful, mutual collaboration between people with lived experience and traditional decision makers is critical to the emergence of effective solutions for positive system change.
This is a key Homewards Aberdeen Local Action Plan objective, and the multi-year funding allows us the time and flexibility to really invest in the development and longer-term sustainability of the partnership. We expect the project to have a tangible, positive impact on homelessness in Aberdeen, but also to demonstrate the wider value of investing in people and their lived experience, and the scalability of similar models in other places and settings. We really can’t wait to get started!”
– Ross Mackay,
Co-General Manager, Grampian Regional Equality Council (GREC)
Homewards Fund Grants
Four Homewards Fund grants have been awarded in BCP, Lambeth and Newport.
