Scottish Borders initiative to give neurodivergent people control over funding criteria and awards, with applications expected to open in January 2027
The Scottish Borders Neurodivergent Local Action Group (ND LAG) has secured £25,000 in Scottish Government funding for neurodivergent-led projects, with neurodivergent people deciding the funding criteria and processes and which projects receive support.
The funding marks a significant development for the ND LAG, which is exploring how people with lived experience can lead funding decisions and make community governance more accessible.
Applications to the fund are expected to open in January 2027. The grant criteria is being established by the neurodivergent panel in co-design with the Scottish Borders neurodivergent community.
The ND LAG initiative was developed by project lead Rachel Parker, a neurodivergent woman living in the Scottish Borders, following her own experience of navigating funding systems. Her experience highlights how many application processes could be made more accessible with increased representation of marginalised voices at Board level . She is now seeking to demonstrate how neurodivergent and other underrepresented voices can be included in the decisions which affect them and ultimately lead to a more effective and accessible funding landscape.
Rachel Parker, project lead, said:
“The ND LAG is delighted to have received this funding from the Scottish Government. Recognising systemic barriers and exploring what support and changes are required will enable more neurodivergent people to participate meaningfully in our communities. This funding offers confidence that our input will move beyond consultation and into the changes that we want to see in our communities to improve our quality of life.
“We will shortly be releasing a survey to evidence the neurodivergent community’s priorities. We urge as many neurodivergent people across the Scottish Borders as possible to get involved. We have the money, now we need your input. This is your chance to make a difference.”
Developed with support from the Scottish Borders Local Action Group, the ND LAG combines community engagement, research, partnership development and governance training.
Hans Waltl, Scottish Borders Local Action Group Chair, said:
“We’re delighted that the ND LAG has secured funding to award to neurodivergent-led projects. This is an exciting next step, giving participants the opportunity to shape the funding criteria and make decisions that will support ideas from their community.
“As a Local Action Group, we want a wider range of people to have a meaningful say in how funding is used in our local communities. That means making it easier to get involved and recognising the value of lived experience.
“We’re proud to support this work with neurodivergent people and keen to learn from it, both to improve our own approach and to share that learning with other funders and communities.”
Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs said:
“Having neurodivergent people involved in creating solutions to make civic life more equitable is vitally important if we are to remove the barriers people often face in getting involved. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive by embedding equality, inclusion and human rights into everything that we do and make certain that decisions which impact our communities reflect our diversity.
“I am delighted that our Community-Led Local Development programme is able to support impactful initiatives such as the Neurodivergent Local Action Group, with this pilot putting inclusive participation into practice and looking at how barriers to funding and decision-making can be addressed. The £25,000 investment from Scottish Government will support neurodivergent-led projects, with neurodivergent people themselves setting the funding criteria and deciding how grants are awarded. I look forward to seeing the learning from the pilot and how that might inform wider decision-making processes in the future.”
The project’s wider ambition is to develop an approach that could be adapted elsewhere in Scotland. Learning from the programme will help funders and community organisations improve how under-represented people access funding and participate in the decisions that shape it.
Further details of the fund, including eligibility and how to apply, will be shared on the project website as the criteria are developed. www.rachelparker.info/ndlag