Kairos Women+ in Paisley has been awarded £150,000 over three years to deliver a new project supporting women+ living with long-term health conditions and disabilities in Renfrewshire.
The funding is part of nearly £2.2 million awarded through the Self Management Fund, administered by the Health and Social Care Alliance (the ALLIANCE). A total of 23 projects across Scotland have received grants.
Kairos Women+, a community-led organisation for women+, including trans women and non-binary people, will use the funding to deliver its Women’s Health Equality Project.
The project will support women+ living with long-term conditions or disabilities to improve their health, wellbeing and confidence in managing their conditions.
Funding will be used to provide trauma-informed mentoring, peer support groups, women’s health workshops and a health campaigning programme. The organisation said these activities will offer practical support while giving participants opportunities to influence health services, tackle inequalities and build confidence in managing their own health.
The project has been designed to address health inequalities in Renfrewshire, where many women+ face barriers to accessing care, while also developing self-advocacy and leadership skills.
Kairos Women+ thanked Councillor Janis McDonald and the Scottish Recovery Network for supporting its funding application.
Katy Wilson-Scott, Senior Coordinator at Kairos Women+, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this funding for our Women’s Health Equality Project. This work will support women+ in our community to better understand and self manage their health, while also giving them the opportunity to lead change. We believe that those with lived experience are best placed to shape solutions, and this project will ensure their voices are heard and acted on.”
Sara Redmond, Chief Officer at the Health and Social Care Alliance, said: “Self management plays a vital role in person centred care, an approach that treats people as partners in their own care. And we’re proud to continue supporting third sector projects that make a difference. By backing work that focuses on early support, tackles health inequalities, and helps people waiting for care, we can strengthen learning about how these prevention methods are built into Scotland’s health and social care services.”