Tag: Aileen Campbell

Government announces more cashback for youth groups

Minister for Young People welcomes £533k investment in 161 projects across Scotland

youthlinkThousands of young people across Scotland will benefit from CashBack for Communities youth work grants totalling half-a-million pounds which have been announced today for 2014-15.

Sixteen Edinburgh youth projects will receive a share of almost £46,000 this year – local beneficiaries include Pilton Youth & Children’s Project (PYCP), Leith’s Pilmeny Development Project, The Yard in Stockbridge and Granton Youth Centre,

Allocations from the CashBack for Communities Youth Work Fund for the first year, administered by YouthLink Scotland, have been made to 161 community groups supporting young people the length and breadth of Scotland. Between them, they are sharing an initial £533,036, which marks the first awards from a £2.094 million fund over the next three years.

Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell welcomed today’s announcement. She said: “Since Cashback for Communities was introduced by this Government in 2007, thousands of young people have benefited from more than 1.5 million sporting, cultural and educational activities and opportunities, all funded from ill-gotten cash seized from crooks. I am delighted to see so many great organisations are receiving this latest funding, which will help them take their important work even further.

“The average CashBack youth work funding award for each organisation is around £3,310 and that is an investment that will go a long way in supporting activities for young people. I have seen for myself many examples of the excellent work these organisations do, and wish them well as they turn exciting plans into reality.”

One organisation to have benefited is Strathmore Centre for Youth Development, which provides information and services for young people in the Strathmore area of Perthshire. It has received £2,182 to support its programme of activities, which includes organising trips for local youngsters.

Craig Cantwell, Centre Manager, said: “CashBack funding is extremely important to us as it allows us to give opportunities to young people who would otherwise never access such trips or learning opportunities. They are open to ideas and projects that are a bit different than the norm.

“As a retired Police Officer, I am grateful that this money is being put to good use and is being fed back into communities across Scotland.”

Another of the recipients to have benefited is Mid Argyll Youth Development Services, which has received £1,740 to support a dance program offered to young people throughout the region. Fiona Kalache, the Services’ Manager, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded a CashBack grant. This money will allow us to continue to run our diversionary dance program over the coming year. This is a very popular project which could not have carried on without this donation.”

Jim Sweeney, Chief Executive of YouthLink Scotland, said: “Our young people are the future of this nation so it is crucial they all have the opportunity to flourish. Putting the cash from criminals back into communities has offered thousands of young people the chance of a more positive path in life. Investing in youth work changes young people’s lives. It is an investment in all our futures as it helps create young people who are confident, engaged and a credit to society.”

Since the inception of the CashBack for Communities in 2007, over £74 million recovered from criminals has been invested in the Cashback Programme to provide over 1.5 million free activities for children and young people throughout Scotland.

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Holyrood Bill will support families

Charities have welcomed news that three and four year old children will, for the first time in Scotland, be entitled to 600 hours of funded early learning and childcare through the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill, published today. Third sector organisations will also receive an additional £10 million.

The Bill proposes a range of measures which also include:

  • Looked after two year olds and those with a kinship care order will receive the same entitlement as three and four year olds
  • A named person for every child and young person from birth to safeguard and support their wellbeing, working with other bodies as required
  • Providing kinship carers with more support from local authorities to increase family stability.

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Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell (pictured above) also announced an extra £10 million on top of the £20 million third sector fund to be shared between 45 organisations working closely with children, young people and families, as part of wider investment in prevention and early intervention. This lifts the total budget for the fund to £30 million over two years, an increase on the funding available over the previous two years.

Ms Campbell said: “There is excellent work being done across Scotland to support parents, carers, children and young people. This Bill will improve levels of care and support to children and families across the country through an increase in free and more flexible early learning and childcare from 475 to 600 hours, as well as more joined up services to support the wellbeing of all children and young people through a named person. Further measures will also add stability to kinship care arrangements. The level of investment the Scottish Government is putting into ensuring the Bill works for Scotland’s young people also demonstrates our commitment to investing in our children from the very start.

“We must also recognise the important role of the third sector in reaching out to families and children in inventive and inspirational ways, which is why I am providing an additional £10 million on top of the Third Sector Early Intervention Fund for groups working directly with children, young people and their families. The £20 million Third Sector Early Intervention Fund captured the imagination of many key organisations that work with children and young people. This additional funding means that even more organisations will be able to work with the Scottish Government and each other, as they continue to improve the lives of Scotland’s children, young people and their families.

“Together with the publication of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill, today is the biggest step forward so far on the path towards making Scotland the best place in the world to grow up.”

kid1Anne Houston, Chief Executive of CHILDREN 1ST, said: “The Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill has a key role to play in achieving the Scottish Government’s ambition of making Scotland the best place for children to grow up. For CHILDREN 1ST, that means a place where every child and young person has a happy, healthy, safe and secure childhood. We support the Bill’s intentions and must all now maximise the opportunity before us to achieve the Scottish Government’s vision.

“We are heartened by the proposals to provide 600 hours of flexible early learning and childcare for children in kinship care aged two and to provide a statutory definition of well-being.”

Martin Crewe, Director of Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “Barnardo’s Scotland is pleased to see the introduction of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill in Parliament. This Bill will be an important step forward in improving the lives of Scotland’s most vulnerable children and young people. We are particularly pleased to see more support for those young people leaving care, many of whom are not getting the help they need to make a successful transition into adulthood.

“We are looking forward to scrutinising the Bill and working with the Scottish Parliament to ensure that it delivers on the Scottish Government’s aim to make Scotland the best place in the world to bring up children.”

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A 12 week consultation on the Bill was launched in July 2012 and was accompanied by extensive stakeholder communication, including national engagement events with over 800 stakeholders and activities with nearly 2,400 children and young people.

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill will also increase the powers of Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People as well as improving support for kinship carers, families and care leavers

Provisions relating to a ‘named person’ will:

  •  Place a duty on NHS Boards to allocate every child with a named person from birth to school age
  • Place a duty on local authorities to allocate every child with a named person until they are 18 or leave school, whichever is later.
  • Oblige all relevant authorities to share information with the named person if it is necessary to safeguard, support and promote the wellbeing of the child.

The £10 million will go towards Strategic Funding Partnerships for children and youth organisations.

The Third Sector Early Intervention Fund is managed by the BIG Lottery on behalf of the Scottish Government.