The Empowering Communities fund allows groups to decide how to tackle poverty in their area

Groups across Scotland will be given funding to tackle poverty in their areas.

Since 2015 the Empowering Communities Fund (ECF) has supported hundreds of projects, giving communities more control over planning and decisions that affect them locally as well as driving forward regeneration and making changes through training, employment, arts and volunteering opportunities.

The Scottish Government has announced that funding for 2018/19 will amount to £20 million,.

Announcing this year’s funding at SWAMP, a community arts organisation in Glasgow which will receive £91,300 this year, communities secretary Angela Constance said the fund will fuel community regeneration.

“This £20 million investment reinforces our commitment to giving communities a stronger voice in the decisions that matter to them," she said. "It will also help us work with community groups and give them the tools to deliver long-term solutions that tackle poverty.

“Investing in community-led regeneration is a priority for this Government as we know that communities are best placed to address the inequalities in their own areas and identify how improvements can be made."