Independent Living Fund (ILF) Scotland events to shape future strategy

The Independent Living Fund (ILF) Scotland, the public body supporting disabled people to live independently in Scotland and Northern Ireland, is inviting all interested parties to have their say on its future strategy through a series of events and an online consultation.

Formed in 2015 by the Scottish Government, and operating in both Scotland and Northern Ireland, ILF Scotland provides life-enhancing funding to disabled people to enable independent living.

The purpose of the events and the online consultation is to gather the views of as many key stakeholders as possible, and disabled people in particular, to help shape ILF Scotland’s strategy post March 2020.

Kicking off on the 2^nd September , the events are open to disabled people, parents, carers, Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs), representatives from local authority social work departments and any other professionals with an interest in independent living.

The following events will run from 10.30am until 1.30pm:

• 2^nd September – Norton Park, Edinburgh
• 5^th September  – Easterbrook Hall, Dumfries
• 9^th September  – Jurys Inn, Inverness
• 26^th September – West Park Conference Centre, Dundee
• 2^nd October  – Glasgow (location TBC)
• 4^th October  – NICVA, Belfast
• 7^th October – Everglades, Derry.

The online consultation, also open to all stakeholder groups, will be open from 2^nd September and will follow a series of questions designed to compile useful feedback that will influence the strategy going forward.

Speaking about the events and online consultation ILF Scotland Chair Susan Douglas Scott said: “It is vitally important to us that disabled people continue to be at the heart of what ILF Scotland does, so we took the decision to co-produce our future strategy in partnership with those we seek to support. We want to hear from disabled people, carers and professionals about how we can make independent living a reality for disabled people living in Scotland and Northern Ireland and how we can break down barriers to enable this.”

ILF Scotland CEO Peter Scott added: “This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in independent living for disabled people to have a real influence on ILF Scotland’s future direction.  We are really looking forward to meeting as many people as possible, and to learning about what matters most to disabled people, carers and others.”

To register to attend an event or to complete the online consultation visit https://ilf.scot/category/september-2019/.