The Scottish Government has stepped in and restored funding cut to Big Noise Torry, after Aberdeen City Council slashed the cash during its budget last week.
The intervention comes after the local authority agreed to withdraw its £750,000 support for the group on Wednesday.
Big Noise Torry offers free music tuition to more than 750 children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and has done so for the last seven years.
Culture minister Neil Gray announced on Saturday he will provide £1.5 million in funding to Big Noise projects across Scotland.
The project is operated by the charity Sistema Scotland which works to improve lives of more than 2,000 young people across Scotland and strengthen communities through music.
‘Could not be reassured’
During the Aberdeen City Council budget debate, SNP councillor for Torry and Ferryhill Lee Fairfull said she met with staff at Big Noise Torry with fellow councillor for the area Christian Allard.
She said the pair “could not be reassured” of the group’s vision – which looked to expand across Aberdeen “instead of improving outcomes for the resident of Torry”.
Ms Fairfull said: “Unfortunately the outcomes are not what we would hope for given the £2 million of investment the group has received from the council over the past three years.”
She said it was hoped the group would narrow the attainment gap and bring families into work – but there was “no data” to show these outcomes were being met.
Ms Fairfull added: “Torry deserves better than this”.
Mr Allard, who is the council’s anti-poverty convener,said Big Noise Torry had had “no impact” on the area.
Big Noise Torry decision divided SNP politicians
However, the decision to cut Big Noise Torry’s funding proved unpopular with several other SNP politicians.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn slammed the decision and wrote to the Scottish Government along with SNP MSPs Joe FitzPatrick, Shona Robison, Evelyn Tweed and Audrey Nicoll.
Mr Gray replied at the time saying: “I don’t think it is for MSPs or government ministers to intervene on local government issues, a general principle most of us generally subscribe to.”
However, the culture minister’s U-turn was welcomed by several other SNP politicians after the announcement today.
Big Noise decision will mean ‘relief for families’
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said the decision showed that “proactive engagement” with the Scottish Government was the key to delivering the announcement.
He said: “Big Noise has had a hugely positive impact in Torry and I’m genuinely delighted that the Scottish Government have opted to put their backing behind the project.”
Aberdeen South and North Kincardine MSP Audrey Nicoll, said: “Big Noise Torry has been an important part of the local community for many years.
“This welcome news will ensure it delivers the positive impact intended for local children and families”.
Decision ‘undermines’ SNP council
Aberdeen Labour councillor Deena Tissera believes the decision has “undermined” Aberdeen City Council’s SNP members.
She said: “Whilst we absolutely welcome funding from the Scottish Government to grant Sistema funding for this social inclusion programme through the medium of music, you have to ask yourself where the Scottish Government are getting the money from, given the massive cuts to councils budgets.
“Of course the proof is in the pudding and it is important that the Scottish Government funding is not just a one-off and Sistema find themselves in a similar situation next year.
“I honestly believe that this decision by the Scottish Government undermines the SNP council who not only cut the funding but they destroyed the ethos of Sistema as a social inclusive programme which benefits the most disadvantaged in Torry and beyond.”
The Scottish Government’s decision will protect Sistema Big Noise projects in Douglas in Dundee, Torry in Aberdeen, Govanhill in Glasgow, Wester Hailes in Edinburgh and Raploch and Fallin in Stirling.
Nicola Killean, chief executive of Sistema , said: “We are grateful to ministers, those councils that did stand by us, and all of our wonderful funders and the wider community who have sent us so many messages of support over the past weeks.”
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