ONE of Scotland’s richest men is taking the fight against child poverty into his own hands after growing “frustrated” by a soaring rates of destitution and lack of progress despite attempts by government and charities.
Sir Tom Hunter is supporting a £7.5 million innovation fund aimed at trialing inventive approaches to tackling the problem and hopes to channel funding directly to progressive ideas and individuals which would make a difference.
He said he was looking for hundreds of people like teacher Fiona McKenzie, who co-founded Centrestage which had pioneered a Scotland-wide drive to eradicate food poverty.
Fiona McKenzie and David Duke
Sir Tom also cites David Duke, a former homeless man who started the Street Soccer Scotland (SSS) to help transform the lives of socially disadvantaged adults and young people through sport.
The billionaire philanthropist said: "We have been working and looking at this for a long time and I suppose it this is born out of frustration and inspiration.
READ MORE: Child poverty in Glasgow worst in Scotland: How bad it is area by area
"My frustration is that we as a country spend a large amount of money on what is supposed to be a civil society. We are supposed to be helping those with a hand up.
"The frustration is that with all that effort and all the people employed in supposedly doing the job, and all the money we put at it, the [child poverty] statistics are stubbornly probably getting a wee bit worse. Of course, that's frustrating.
"What I am looking for is to back people who are getting on with it and finding good outcomes for the people we are trying to help. I reckon there are hundreds of Fiona McKenzies and David Dukes all over Scotland.
"What we are looking for is to try different things and back different people and goodness, if we find things that work, then of course we will continue to back it."
Child poverty in Scotland is predicted to soar in the years ahead with more than one in three youngsters set to be plunged below the breadline in The Hunter-backed initiative comes as official figures show that that in each year between 2014 and 2017, one million people in Scotland were living in poverty, which was up slightly on previous years.
The latest statistics also show eight per cent of people are in "persistent poverty".
Agenda: How we can help address the issue of child poverty
And after housing costs, 24 per cent of children in Scotland were living in relative poverty in 2014-17, up one per cent on 2013-16.
The innovation fund will get £2.5 million over four years from the Hunter Foundation with £5 million from the Scottish Government to try and find leftfield solutions to child poverty.
The Hunter Foundation said it will ask those suffering the abuse of poverty what can be done to help them help themselves up and out of poverty.
Sir Tom said as part of the project he hopes money can be targeted to hundreds of individuals who are "doing inspirational things" and can make a difference.
"There are all the processes for helping the poor souls, but does it actually put the person at the centre of all the help, or is it just to maintain the system and tick a box, and write a report saying that I have done my job.
HERALD VIEW: Tackling child poverty is a major challenge, but the Scottish Government is right to try
“Scotland faces a child poverty crisis that must be addressed if we are to succeed as a nation. This is not about words, it is about individuals – young people through no fault of their own unable to achieve their full potential. Poverty absolutely debilitates progress for that individual and for Scotland as a whole.
The 56-year-old businessman added: "I am saying I am not here to apportion blame I am here to try and get a solution and that is what we are trying to do.
"It's about people helping people and communities helping communities. If we say it the government or the local authority should do it we will wait forever.
"We need to get on with this. Fundamentally I believe Scotland has a good heart, we have just got to put it to work a bit better."
The project is supported by the Scottish Government through a £50 million Tackling Child Poverty Fund to target increasing family incomes and cutting living costs. Ministers announced a new income supplement is to be introduced between 2018 and 2022 as part of the strategy.
READ MORE: Scots tycoon Sir Tom Hunter giving away £1K grants to celebrate Year of Young People
Communities secretary Angela Constance also announced a £12m investment in intensive employment support for parents to help those in work develop their skills and help the unemployed into work.
She claimed this would help at least 38,000 adults over three years and have a positive impact on around 7000 children.
In addition, a new minimum amount will be introduced for the school clothing grant to help with the costs of school uniforms and sport kits, along with £1m of funding for children experiencing food insecurity during school holidays.
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