The Stornoway-based Leanne Fund has secured funding to expand support services for children living with Cystic Fibrosis and their families to a further three regions of Scotland.

The Leanne Fund Development Project has been awarded £68,423 from The National Lottery Community Fund to expand personalised support services to the Central Belt. Currently the Fund offers holistic support services including counselling, complementary therapies and wellbeing activity, alongside financial and family crisis support across the Highlands and Islands, Tayside and Grampian.

This project will support around 175 children and their families through expansion into Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire and Arran over the next two years. Funding will be used to cover the appointment of a new Project Officer who will take the project forward to produce positive outcomes for families around improved physical/mental wellbeing, reduced isolation and increased resilience.

Chrisetta Mitchell, Co-founder and Development Manager of The Leanne Fund said: “We are so delighted to have received this award from The National Lottery Community Fund to support the next development phase of The Leanne Fund and we’re excited to work with the Cystic Fibrosis teams across 3 new NHS regions of Scotland to bring vital support services to their patients. “The project will undoubtedly contribute to the overall health and wellbeing of people with CF in these new regions by offering free direct access to exercise equipment and other lifeline services that cannot be offered on the NHS. “CF brings its own unique challenges and with more families than ever feeling financial pressures, we want to do all we can to help.”

Jayne Macdonald, Treasurer of The Leanne Fund board added: “The funding from The National Lottery Community Fund allows us to now expand and help patients in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire; and Arran - three areas we have long known would benefit greatly from the services offered by The Leanne Fund.

"We are delighted to now be able to start helping CF patients and their families in these Health Board areas and it marks yet another exciting stage in the development and expansion of The Leanne Fund. It is exciting for us to be able to expand The Leanne Fund team with the appointment of a Project Support Officer in the near future."

The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “This project, delivered by The Leanne Fund, is a great example of community activity in action, showing just what can be achieved when people come together for a common cause or to help others. "It’s all thanks to National Lottery players that we can help give charities and community groups throughout Scotland greater certainty during challenging times.” The Leanne Fund say they feel incredibly proud to see their vision become a reality and to be in a position to make a difference even further afield. It is hoped the new project will commence in April.

The Leanne Fund was founded by the family of the late Leanne Mitchell to give real and practical help to those affected by CF.