- Area:
- Scotland
- Programme:
- Young People's Fund Scotland
- Release date:
- 9 3 2007
An innovative Edinburgh project that will raise awareness of climate change amongst young people has today picked up Lottery funding. Edinburgh Woodcraft Folk is one of four groups in Edinburgh and the Lothians to receive funding from the Big Lottery Fund’s Young People’s Fund.
Edinburgh Woodcraft Folk today picks up a grant of £84,255 to expand its peer education programme using an innovative renewable energy trailer called The Powerpod. Designed by young people for young people, the Powerpod is a mobile trailer, which illustrates the benefits of wind and solar power. Thanks to today’s funding, many more young people will be able to engage and inform other young people about climate change and sustainable energy in an accessible way. Over 7,000 young people will benefit from the project.
Dr Ron Brown, Project Coordinator, Edinburgh Woodcraft Folk, said: “This is excellent news - climate change is a subject that concerns many young people, they want to find out more and what they can do about it. Edinburgh Woodcraft Folk's renewable energy trailer, the Powerpod, is a unique educational tool which allows young people to engage with their peers on the climate change issues. The members of Edinburgh Woodcraft have already shown tremendous enthusiasm for the peer education project and this funding shall let them and other young people to continue to make a difference.”
Family Mediation Lothian receives £192,463 to help support young people whose parents are separating and/or divorcing. The ‘Time to ‘Talk' project will enable young people over 12 years of age to complete a Parenting Plan that identifies their key needs such as who they want to live with or which school to attend. Family Mediators will help young people to negotiate with their parents until an agreed plan is in place. The project will provide one-to-one support sessions as well as group work and a young people’s website to enable young people to share their feelings with those in a similar situation.
Kate Shirres, Acting Director, Family Mediation Lothian, said: “We are delighted with this award from the Young People’s Fund. It will enable us to provide essential support for young people whose parents are going through a separation or divorce. It also means that we can develop our work to help make a real difference to the lives of these young people.”
Volunteer Centre Midlothian receives £36,554 to provide more volunteering opportunities for young people ranging from single day placements to 12 week 'Volunteering Taster Sessions'. The project is aimed at young people who are at risk of exclusion, bullying or who have behavioural problems.
Karen Downie, Youth Development Worker, Volunteer Centre Midlothian, said: “We are delighted to be awarded this grant by the Big Lottery Fund. The grant will enable us to help young people from Midlothian gain practical skills through volunteering, which can support them into future training and employment. The project is designed to increase the confidence, self esteem and motivation of the young people involved. It will also provide an excellent opportunity for Volunteer Centre Midlothian to work in association with other youth engaging services throughout the local area.”
Also picking up funding today is The City of Edinburgh Council's Adventure Edinburgh project. An award of £188,580 will be used to teach young people the skills needed to take part in a range of outdoor activities such as hill walking, climbing and mountain biking. The young people involved will also have the opportunity to gain National Governing Body certificates in their chosen activities.
Big Lottery Fund Scotland Director, Dharmendra Kanani, said: “The Young People’s Fund is about changing the way in which organisations work with and respond to young people. It’s about making sure that young people are given the tools and opportunities to make decisions about the things that affect their lives. I am pleased to see the range of projects that have picked up funding today. They will make a huge difference to the lives of hundreds of young people helping to increase their confidence and give them a whole new skill set.”
Further information
Contact Landa Rolland at the Big Lottery Fund Scotland Press Office on: 0141 242 1458 or 07789 033457
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Notes to Editors
- The Big Lottery Fund rolls out close to £2 million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours which together with other Lottery distributors means that across the UK most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.
- The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004.
- On 1 December 2006 the Big Lottery Fund was officially established by Parliament and at the same time assumed the residual responsibilities of the dissolved National Lottery Charities Board (Community Fund) the New Opportunities Fund, and the Millennium Commission. The Fund is building on the experience and best practice of the merged bodies to simplify funding in those areas where they overlap and to ensure Lottery funding provides the best possible value for money.
- Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to Good Causes. As a result, over £19.5 billion has now been raised and more than 250,000 grants given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
Scotland
The Big Lottery Fund has £275 million to invest in Scotland’s communities before 2009 as follows:
- £231 million for the Fund’s Unified Investment Plan (Investing in Communities)*
- £20 million for the Young People’s Fund
- £24 million for Awards for All (until 2006)
The Fund’s future funding plans are detailed in the manifesto ‘Investing in Communities'.
The Young People’s Fund (Scotland) is a £20 million programme open for applications until August 31st 2007. It aims to help young people aged 11-25 learn new things and take part in healthy and positive activities that make them feel good about themselves. Young people themselves are involved in every aspect of the programme including making the decisions.
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