Chivas Supports Action Fund

Scotch Whisky Action Fund – learning from experience and planning for the future

Chivas Brothers has been supporting organisations across Scotland aiming to combat alcohol misuse through the Scotch Whisky Action Fund.

Six organisations were awarded grants and among them was the Orkney Alcohol Counselling and Advisory Services (OACAS) who discussed their Pub Watch Rehabilitation Scheme.

Bob MacKenzie, offending prevention and rehabilitation worker with OACAS, said that the problem of ‘pre-loading’ where people consume alcohol before going out in the evening leads to issues for those individuals and pub licensees. His project is targeting local schools and colleges to help change this pattern of behaviour.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) set up the £500,000 Scotch Whisky Action Fund in December 2013 to give a total of £100,000 for five years to projects working to reduce harm in Scotland. The fund, which extends the SWA’s commitment to addressing alcohol misuse and promoting responsible drinking, is managed by Foundation Scotland, an independent charity.

An event was held recently at the Trades Hall in Glasgow to share key learning and experiences from organisations benefiting from the fund. The audience, made up of voluntary organisations, members of the Scotch Whisky industry including Chivas Brothers heard from Dame Joan Stringer, chair of the Scotch Whisky Action Fund independent awards panel.

She said:  “It’s important to understand what has been achieved by the projects and the outcomes of their interventions. By sharing those experiences we can learn what works, what doesn’t work and what the key challenges are.”

Summing up the event, Scotch Whisky Association acting chief executive Julie Hesketh-Laird, said: “Today’s speakers showed the passion, effort and hard work behind their projects. And I would like to add that partnership working to tackle alcohol misuse is important to the entire Scotch Whisky industry.”

The Scotch Whisky Action Fund will re-open for applications from January 2017.

For information on the Action Fund see their website here