Scotch Whisky Action Fund case studies

The Scotch Whisky industry is and has been involved for many years in a range of initiatives to promote responsible attitudes to alcohol and tackle alcohol-related harm. The establishment of the Scotch Whisky Action Fund (SWAF) by the Scotch Whisky Association was a further development of that commitment.

The purpose of the fund is to invest in groups and organisations with innovative plans to reduce the impact of alcohol-related harm in Scotland's communities.  The alcohol industry plays an important role in Scottish society and Scotch Whisky is at the heart of the industry.  However, the misuse of alcohol through excessive or inappropriate consumption can have implications for health and a range of social problems, including anti-social behaviour, accidents, family breakdowns, problems with money and work, which can impact individuals, families and communities.

The Fund supports targeted interventions designed to tackle alcohol-related harms in Scotland’s communities. New initiatives and pilot projects that test out innovative approaches designed to reduce alcohol-related harm are of particular interest to the Fund. 

Below are some case studies of projects that have been funded by SWAF. 

Ayrshire Communities Education and Sport (ACES) in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire was awarded £1,200 to build on its alcohol awareness-raising sessions on young people’s issues, delivered with schools, youth groups and football teams. This was in response to a rise in underage drinking in the area and discussions with schools and other youth groups in the area, particularly following the death of a young person because of alcohol abuse. Read more here

Edinburgh Young Carers (EYC) was awarded a total of £38,102 to: cover the cost of providing a two-night residential, core skills and learning activities, family events and safety sessions, specifically for young carers who look after a family member who misuses alcohol; establish a Social Education Group to engage young carers by providing early intervention support and counselling; and deliver an eight-week group programme following the success of the Social Education group work.  Read more here

“Thanks to this funding we were able to support young carers in Edinburgh affected by parental alcohol and substance use. They have demonstrated improved mental health and developed strategies to manage the challenges of their caring responsibilities.”  Margaret Murphy, CEO of EYC

Paisley YMCA was awarded £11,741 to cover the cost of delivering workshops for young people to use TouchCast and Virtual reality technology to produce interactive videos to explore situations young people have found themselves in because of alcohol consumption and their experiences of feeling peer pressure to drink.  Read more here

Rowan Alba was awarded £14,539 to build upon their pilot work providing training for Edinburgh pub staff on recognising and engaging with older people in the community living in extreme isolation and at high risk of alcohol related harm. Visiting pubs or off-licenses is often the only social activity they have, and staff are viewed as trusted individuals and can therefore be first to know if an individual is heading towards crisis. Read more here

“The funding has helped us connect with vulnerable people in Edinburgh who are isolated and at risk of harm due to long term alcohol use. Thanks to the grant from SWAF we have been able to support more people to find services to help them by training pub and off-license staff in how to start conversations around health." Judith Younger, Rowan Alba

U-Evolve was awarded £2,000 to contribute to a Project Lead salary to deliver the new innovative project, TALK: the creation of a podcast to discuss approaches for tackling alcohol misuse and its consequences such as anti-social behaviour. Read more here

West Dunbartonshire CVS was awarded a total of £13,279 to pilot a new men’s befriending group following the noted increase in male referrals for its over 60s one-to-one befriending service. The grant enabled them to launch and deliver a new befriending group for men aged 50-80 years old to reduce isolation, build resilience, and reduce the risk of alcohol misuse. Read more here

Govan Youth Information Project (GYIP) was awarded £10,000 to contribute to the sessional costs for two Youth Workers to facilitate diversionary activities for young people at risk of alcohol misuse. Young people would also be trained as positive role models to deliver interactive diversionary workshops on the dangers of alcohol to their peers, and other youth organisations, giving them the opportunity to achieve a Youth Scotland’s Dynamic Youth Award and Saltire Award for their Volunteering efforts. Read more here

“The last 20 months has taught us that in times of crisis youth work is still a front-line service young people rely on. As a result of the funding from The Scotch Whisky Action Fund we have been able to demonstrate our diversionary work benefits young people and assists them to make positive choices in relation to alcohol. We have been able to secure Youthlink Funding to continue our youth provisions and continue to offer diversionary activities.” Kevin Burke, Project Manager