Young people across Scotland will be inspired to make a positive change in their lives, thanks to £474,900 of National Lottery funding awarded to 55 youth-focused projects today (THURS 6 SEPT), in celebration of Scotland’s Year of Young People.
The projects are an exciting opportunity for young people aged eight to 26 years old to shape and take part in a range of activities that will improve their health and wellbeing. These include arts and crafts, gardening, archaeology, rugby, shinty and projects that encourage young people to connect with local nature and wildlife.
The funding has been made possible, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, in a joint scheme from Scotland’s National Lottery distributors – Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, sportscotland and Spirit of 2012, a UK trust endowed with cash from the Big Lottery Fund.
Amongst the organisations celebrating today are Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust. Thanks to an award of £9,500, ELGT will reconnect young people with the outdoors and their greenspaces through a series of outdoor activities.
ELGT Chief Executive Charlie Cumming, said: “We are delighted to have received the funding for our outdoor education project in Craigmillar Castle Park from the Year of Young People National Lottery Fund.
“This will provide an opportunity for young people to reconnect with nature through a range of outdoor activities encouraging them to be outdoors in a natural environment that will realise the positive impact this can provide.
“The project will work with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who will greatly benefit from having access to a structured personalised outdoor activity programme, enabling them to enjoy the outdoors and what nature has to offer. The participants will learn more about the local wildlife and how to look after it for future generations.”
Twelve Edinburgh-based projects have received funding. North Edinburgh Arts are awarded £8400 to support an intergenerational project. Young people will use oral histories from older generations to put together short drama pieces exploring the differences between young people over the generations.
The Junction in Leith will use £4600 to create a film to promote and raise awareness of the services The Junction provides with the aim of reducing any anxiety there might be about attending, while Victoria Primary School receive £6300 to develop and lead tours of their school and surrounding heritage ahead of the school closing within the next few years.
Amongst the organisations celebrating across the country today is Waverley Care, which receives £10,000 to run the Wave Project which will support young people to improve sexual health education in the Highlands, both by delivering their own events and collaborating with key stakeholders in the area.
Jo Sykes, Young People’s Education Coordinator at Waverley Care, said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded funding from the Year of Young People National Lottery Fund!
“We want to ensure young people are at the forefront of evaluating, developing and improving sexual health services and this funding will allow us to fully involve young people in shaping future programmes and resources within the Wave Project.
“The funding will also allow us to support young people in remote and rural areas with limited access to support, to have a voice and stand up for their rights in regards to their sexual health and relationships. We can’t wait to get started.”
Based in Glasgow, Awaz- The Voice of the Community will use their award of £9,400 help young people from ethnic minority communities to lead on the production of a series of radio programmes focusing on key issues affecting young people.
Rizwan Ahmed, Manager, Awaz – The Voice of the Community, said: “We are delighted with this National Lottery funding. The young people are really looking forward to working on the project, which will give them an opportunity to learn new skills while making radio programmes on issues affecting them. These will then be aired on the radio to a wider audience so that young people have a platform to discuss the issues that matter most to them.”
Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Seona Reid, said on behalf of the Scottish National Lottery distributors: “Congratulations to all of the successful groups sharing in £474,900 of National Lottery funding to celebrate Scotland’s Year of Young People.
“This funding will support projects that put young people front and centre in developing and running activities that encourage them to lead active healthy lives and improve their health, wellbeing and confidence.
“I am looking forward to hearing about the amazing feats they will accomplish over the coming months.”
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