Navigating Sanctuary Life, a Scottish registered charity based in Glasgow, has received funding from the Scottish Government through the Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS) Wellbeing Fund to launch a new community initiative aimed at tackling loneliness and social isolation among ethnic minority adults in the north of the city.
The funding will enable Navigating Sanctuary Life to deliver its new Dignity in Food Provision project in the communities of Milton and Springburn, beginning in April 2026.
The programme will run every two weeks and will provide culturally appropriate meals and emergency food parcels to ethnic minority adults, including asylum seekers and refugees living in the area. The initiative is designed not only to address food insecurity but also to create welcoming spaces where people can gather, share meals, and build meaningful social connections.
Community organisations across Scotland have increasingly recognised the relationship between food, dignity, and belonging. Many ethnic minority groups, particularly those newly arrived in the UK, experience disproportionate levels of social isolation due to language barriers, economic hardship, and the challenges of navigating unfamiliar systems. By bringing people together around culturally familiar food, the project aims to foster stronger community ties and reduce loneliness.
The gatherings will offer a safe and inclusive environment where participants can meet others from similar backgrounds, share experiences and feel respected within the wider community. Organisers say the project will focus on dignity, cultural respect and community participation rather than simply providing emergency food support.
Ivan Kakembo, founder and chief executive of Navigating Sanctuary Life, welcomed the grant and emphasized the importance of culturally sensitive support.
“We are delighted to receive this funding, which allows us to expand our work supporting ethnic minority communities in north Glasgow,” he said. “For many people, particularly asylum seekers and refugees, access to culturally appropriate food is not just about nutrition. It is about dignity, identity and feeling part of a community.”
He added, "Through this project, we will provide emergency culturally appropriate meals and food parcels while also creating a welcoming space where people from different backgrounds can come together, share food, and reduce the loneliness that many experience. We aim to strengthen community cohesion in Milton and Springburn and ensure that ethnic minority residents feel seen, heard, and respected.”
The Glasgow Wellbeing Fund, supported by the Scottish Government and administered locally by GCVS, provides grants to community organisations delivering projects that improve wellbeing, reduce inequality and strengthen local support networks across the city.
For Navigating Sanctuary Life, the grant marks an important step in expanding grassroots support for some of Glasgow’s most vulnerable residents. By combining practical assistance with community connection, organisers hope the initiative will help build a stronger sense of belonging across the north of the city.
We are are very grateful and thankful to GCVS for making this project possible.
