The Scotch Whisky Action Fund (SWAF) has announced that two projects based in Edinburgh and the Lothians are among funding recipients to be supported over the coming year as part of the industry’s ongoing commitment to promote responsible consumption and tackle harmful drinking.
The organisations chosen this year include LAYC, a charity supporting community-based youth and children’s work in Edinburgh and the Lothians, which is receiving funding for the first time, and Fast Forward Positive Lifestyles, a youth work charity based in Edinburgh but operating throughout Scotland, aimed at enabling young people to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing. Fast Forward is receiving its second year of SWAF support.
LAYC’s funding will be used to engage youth and children’s workers in a programme to increase their skills, knowledge, and confidence to provide a range of alcohol awareness activities, information, and support. LAYC will provide six similarly themed alcohol awareness workshops, with each focusing on the dangers of alcohol use and the impact it can have on young people.
Laurene Edgar, Director at LAYC, said: “LAYC were delighted to receive the funding from the Scotch Whisky Action Fund: this fund will benefit our network of over 2000 youth workers and volunteers, we will be able to provide alcohol awareness sessions focusing on topics such parental alcohol use and impact on children, trends in alcohol use and engaging with young people on alcohol awareness.
“The fund will also provide support and resource for delivery of diversionary activities within local communities and through the LAYC network, offering young people the opportunity for alternative activities away from alcohol use, through local youth work provision with trusted adults in safe spaces with their peers.”
Fast Forward Positive Lifestyles will use their second year of SWAF support to continue their Own It! project, delivering direct training in alcohol related harm, other risk-taking behaviours, and peer education to young people aged 10-24.
Allie Cherry-Byrnes, Chief Executive, said: “Fast Forward is delighted to have received continuation funding for our Own It! programme, which sits with our Going Forward Project.
“This funding will enable us to further develop the programme, allowing us to inform how we work with young people with additional support needs, through development of an Own It! in partnership with the Donaldson Trust, as well as developing the model with 10–14 year-olds in our newly established going Forward Junior programme in Edinburgh.”
The Scotch Whisky Action Fund was launched in 2013 and is administered by Foundation Scotland. Funding is given to projects taking an innovative approach to addressing the issues around alcohol misuse within a community or section of society. To date the fund has provided £1million of support to over 80 projects throughout Scotland. The SWAF also holds an annual learning event, bringing project representatives together to network, share learnings and identify and discuss common issues.
Dame Joan Stringer, who chaired the awards panel, said: “Tackling harmful alcohol consumption is a key issue for Scotland. These projects are undertaking important work, and we look forward to supporting them over the coming year.”