MORE than £1 million is to be spent on people living with long-term conditions.

The Self Management Impact Fund is administered by the Health and Social Care Alliance (The Alliance) for the Scottish Government.

The money will go to 18 projects, including the Hope Café Lanarkshire, an RNIB project working with African people who have sight loss and Scotland's first mental health Recovery College.

Alliance chief executive Ian Welsh said: "As more of us live with long-term conditions we need to make sure people are supported to build the skills and confidence to look after ourselves. The Self Management Impact Fund is a vital source of support for these activities."

Gozie Joe Adigwe, from RNIB Scotland, said: "This is a fantastic endorsement of the approach RNIB Scotland has developed with and for ethnic minority people living with severe sight loss."