A WEE COUNTY organisation has received a huge funding boost to tackle the lack of leadership programmes for people with lived experience of trauma.

The Resilience Learning Partnership (RLP), which previously featured in the Advertiser with its lockdown craft box initiative, has been awarded £56,500 by the National Lottery.

The Clackmannanshire organisation will create a leadership programme specifically designed for people with lived experience.

Shumela Ahmed, managing director at RLP, said: “As a lived experience led organisation. Resilience Learning Partnership welcomes this award from the TNL Leaders with Lived Experience Fund.

“Not only will it allow us to cover vital core running costs, but it will also allow us to create a leadership programme for people with lived experience which we feel is greatly lacking in Scotland.

“The most significant thing for us with this fund is that it will allow us to continue to influence change in the third sector and open up more leadership opportunities for people with lived experience.

“We would just like to say a huge thank you to the lottery for this award and we look forward to seeing the difference this programme could make to the sector.”

In RLP's context, lived experience refers to the wisdom and knowledge gained by a person, whatever situation they find themselves in, whether by choice or circumstance.

While widely associated with trauma, lived experience can come from a multitude of life events including upbringing, experiences with services, health conditions and more.

Cassie Robinson, senior head of UK portfolio at The National Lottery Community Fund, added: “We know that supporting those with first-hand experience to become leaders is a key enabler for civil society to do more, help more people, and for the sector to continue to make a positive impact.”