- Area:
- Scotland
- Programme:
- Young Start
- Release date:
- 14 3 2013
Over the last 12 months young people from all walks of life have shared in the multi million Young Start scheme. Today (March 14) sees the first anniversary of this innovative fund which aims to help young Scots aged eight to 24 reach their full potential. To celebrate, the total invested across Scotland through Young Start has hit the £7 million mark, as 26 new awards are announced.
Young Start our first year:
• £7,088,105 awarded in grants across Scotland
• 165 projects funded
• Grants made from Lerwick to Lewis and from John O’Groats to Jedburgh
Welcoming today’s latest funding package of £1 million, which brings the total invested through Young Start to £7,088,105, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney, said: “These grants are making a positive difference to the lives of young people across Scotland, improving their confidence, their skills and helping them prepare for the world of work. I am delighted to see that so many communities have benefitted from the Young Start Scheme in its first year of operation, and l look forward to seeing this good work continue for many years to come.”
Big Lottery Fund Scotland Director, Jackie Killeen said: “Today’s Young Start grants are going to a broad range of thoughtful and innovative projects that will have a positive impact on those involved. The work funded today will help young people preparing to leave prison, provide a network of support for young people with eating disorders, and engage creative imaginations. We’re delighted that over the past year, Young Start has been able to support so many excellent projects, creating great opportunities for children and young people across Scotland.”
Vision Mechanics is a creative team specialising in indoor and outdoor events. They produce interactive, innovative and inspirational theatre. Today’s grant of £25,770 will go towards their Green Room project – an environmental arts project covering Possilpark in Glasgow, Mayfield and Muirhouse in Edinburgh, and Lochgelly in Fife. The Green House will have four sections, a room in each area offering the chance to be creative, provide cross generation activity, and encourage teamwork and pride in the local community. The Green Room project will build a living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom in each of the areas using a local empty space. It will be turned into a living, growing room with the use of plants and vegetables. The rooms will be linked online and viewers able to follow developments. The project will culminate in a feast when the Green House produce will be harvested and cooked.
Young people at Castle Huntly Prison will have the opportunity to gain skills and confidence that will help them with getting work, training or further education when they are released. Taymara, or Tay Maritime Action, was established in 2008 and offers maritime experience and training for all members of the local community. This includes fundraising trips throughout the Tay Estuary including sightseeing and dolphin watching trips, sea training, and seven-week rehabilitation courses those who misuse alcohol or drugs. The Taymara R&R project will use today’s grant of £49,840 to work with two groups, aged 21 to 24 years, over six months. They’ll get valuable work experience refurbishing the North Carr lightship and the ability to gain accredited qualifications in Maritime and Coastguard Certificates. After that they’ll be helped with finding short or longer term employment with local groups.
Beat (Eating Disorders Association) provides helplines, online support and a network of UK-wide self-help groups to help adults and young people in the UK beat their eating disorders. Today’s Young Start grant of £47,102 will go towards their one year Beat Young Futures in Scotland project. A number of young people who have recovered from an eating disorder will be recruited as Young Ambassadors. They’ll receive training and support in media work, campaigning, working with schools and health professionals, and fundraising. As Ambassadors they will mentor other young people affected by an eating disorder. Beat is based in Norwich and currently has five Young Ambassadors in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, West Lothian, and Falkirk. This project means they can recruit five to ten new Ambassadors in the Lothians area.
Community Food Moray is a social enterprise promoting healthy eating, sustainable and local food production, and affordable fruit and vegetables for local people. Based in Mosstodloch and serving Milnes and the surrounding area, the Milnes Enterprising Saturday Smoothie Drop-in (Messed) project will give young people volunteering opportunities, training, and a new Saturday morning Drop-In club/Smoothie bar. A two year grant of £49,834 will provide training in Confidence to Cook, Food and Health, Food Hygiene, Health & Safety, and First Aid. Those taking part will be able to show off their skills by volunteering at the Saturday Drop-In and Community Food Moray's network of local food outlets.
Run by the Big Lottery Fund Scotland, Young Start funds projects offering a range of healthy, intergenerational, fun and employability activities. The Young Start investment comes from dormant bank and building society accounts that have seen no customer-initiated activity for at least 15 years.
Of the 26 projects receiving funding today, 17 Scotland-wide groups share a total of £756,915, and are shown below. Nine Glasgow based projects receive a total of £356,057 and can be viewed on our website http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/news-and-events/.
Edinburgh Women's Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre - £44,307 – Edinburgh
Will continue to run their STAR (Surviving Trauma, Abuse and Rape) programme which supports female and transgendered survivors.
Erskine Music and Media Studio - £49,976 – Erskine
Based in Bargarran Community Centre in Erskine, the two year project will give young people the chance to learn new skills in music, media and administration.
Getting Better Together Ltd - £49,365 – Shotts
A cycling and bike maintenance project for young people providing accredited training, maintenance workshops and cycling activities.
Granton Youth Centre - £49,806 – Edinburgh
Youth Centre's two-year GYC Aspire project will deliver a programme of accredited volunteering for young people.
Healthy Valleys - £50,000 - South Lanarkshire
Providing one-to-one suppport to individuals aged 14-24 struggling with mild to moderate mental health issues issues like depression, low self-esteem and anxiety.
LinkLiving Limited - £44,665 - Fife
Will continue their existing peer mentoring programmme to prevent homelessness faced by young people.
Reach for the Sky Basketball - £50,000 – Coatbridge
Two year grant for a structured development programme to increase young people’s skills and confidence. They’ll help promote basketball to other young people in the local area.
Royal National Institute of Blind People - £46,143 - Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Borders
RNIB's 15 month ERA - Education, Respect & Awareness project will host a number of events and using technology; explore culture and health and work together transferring skills and understanding.
Royal Scottish Society For Prevention Of Cruelty To Children - £10,320 - Bathgate
The Children 1st 'Pieces of Me: Community Crafting project will encourage young females, aged 14 to 18, and facing a number of challenges, to come together and develop quilt making techniques, while discussing their thoughts in a supportive and non-threatening environment.
The Healthy Lifestyle Project - £48,090 - Coatbridge
A young person lead project aims to get participants aged 14-20 confident in their own potential by learning IT skills, organising conferences, creating artistic events and running health walks for locals.
Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire - £42,882
Peer Productions project will provide unemployed young people, 16 - 25, with a chance to learn media production skills.
Youth Vision - £48,815 - Edinburgh
Two-year Weekend Wilderness programme of outdoor activities such as stone dyking, gardening, and building renovation.
Yusuf Youth Initiative - £50,000 - Dundee
A two year grant for a youth activity programme developing skills, encouraging volunteering and increasing confidence among local young people with which the organisation works regularly.
For more details contact Frances Chisholm, Press Team Scotland, 0141 242 1458
BIG advice line: 0300 123 7110 Textphone: 0845 6021 659
For more information about Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/scotland
Follow us on Twitter @BIGSCOTLAND or like us on Facebook Big Lottery Fund Scotland
Notes to Editors
• Dormant accounts are defined in the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008 as those which have seen no customer-initiated activity for at least 15 years.
• In September 2011 the Scottish Government formally issued instructions to the Big Lottery Fund to distribute dormant accounts funding for the benefit of Scotland’s voluntary and community sector.
• The Reclaim Fund Ltd. (RFL), which was established in March 2011 to receive and invest dormant account balances across the UK, transferred the first tranche of monies from dormant bank and building society accounts to BIG on 2 August 2011. Scotland will receive an 8.4% share of the total funds to be distributed.
• The Distribution of Dormant Account Money (Apportionment) Order 2011 prescribes that Scotland will receive 8.4% of the dormant accounts money to be made available for distribution by the Big Lottery Fund under the 2008 Act. The Big Lottery Fund has confirmed a grants budget of £3.7m to 31 March 2012 and an indicative budget of £5.2m for 2012/13. This gives an estimated total grants budget of £8.9m to 31 March 2013. It should be noted that the 2012/13 figure is a median projection and may go down or up.
• The Big Lottery Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004 It also uses its expertise in grant-giving to distribute non-Lottery funding. Full details of the BIG funded programmes and grant awards in Scotland are available at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/scotland
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