- Area:
- Scotland
- Release date:
- 11 10 2012
Projects giving young Scots the skills and confidence to embrace the future today share Young Start grants totalling £917,533
Run by the Big Lottery Fund Scotland, Young Start awards money from dormant bank and building society accounts that have seen no customer-initiated activity for at least 15 years. The money supports a range of projects that help young people aged eight to 24 reach their full potential.
Big Lottery Fund Scotland Director, Jackie Killeen said:“Today’s awards will benefit arts, outdoor activities and health related projects, as well as giving valuable support to individuals with a diverse range of disabilities. One of the aims of the Young Start fund is to help prepare young people for the world of work and, with many being out of work or not in education for some time, today’s funding will make a big difference where it’s needed most.”
Blazing Saddles will open up the world of cycling to young people with a wide range of disabilities. A new venture from Fabb Scotland, today’s grant of £47,620 means the project can offer 18 to 24 year olds the chance to try out specialist bikes so they can go cycling with their friends and families. Piloting in East and West Lothian, Edinburgh, Dundee and Fife, organisers will teach the groups bike maintenance, cycle proficiency and instructor/coaching. The project will bring people with disabilities together with their able bodied peers, helping to increase social contact, provide access to physical activity and raise confidence levels and self esteem.
An award of £50,000 will give young people in the north of Glasgow the chance to build their confidence and realise goals through a series of activities. Streetwork, arts, drama, cooking and sports will help nine to 13 year olds with chaotic home lives. Project North, organised by North United Communities Ltd, will also offer an information and awareness programme covering sexual health, alcohol awareness, decision making and one-to-one support. The aim is to help individuals deal with stressful situations, improve their aspirations and motivate them towards positive futures.
Let’s Cook! is giving disengaged young people, in Ayrshire and Fife, training in the catering industry. Springboard Charity, based in Irvine, will use their grant of £33,122 to offer a three month programme covering personal development, as well as food hygiene and customer care qualifications. A number of local businesses are supporting the project through advice, practical cookery sessions, mock interviews and work placements in a hotel or restaurant. Sixteen young people, aged 15 to 16, will be eligible to take part and those selected will undergo a training programme to tackle their own personal issues of low confidence, disengagement from school and petty crime.
An award of £44,100 towards Unsung Stories – An Animated Ceilidh will allow pupils from Kaimes Special School Association create a short film using stop-motion animation. A documentary telling the story of Edinburgh’s ethnic minorities, the film will help broaden cultural awareness. Relationships between the generations will be developed as young and old work closely together on the production; preparing story boards, sound tracks and animated characters. And the pupils, who are on the autism spectrum, will learn new skills and build their confidence. The final product will have public screenings and be accessible to the wider community at events such as the Edinburgh Mela.
Further information
A full list of all Young Start awards made today
- 802KB
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 the Big Lottery Fund Scotland our programmes and grant awards go to www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/scotland
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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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