PROJECTS supporting young Scots with their physical and mental health and are today sharing in almost £1 million of dormant bank account funding.
The cash from the Young Start fund goes to 12 groups across the country including West of Scotland based Able2Sail which offers sailing voyages and qualifications for young people of all abilities, Feeling Strong, a youth mental health charity giving a voice to young people in Dundee and to three Edinburgh projects.
There’s £100,000 for Friends of the Award in Edinburgh & The Lothians. The group will use the funding to support young people with mental health issues in partnership with NHS Lothian.
Young people age 14 – 24 years will build their confidence, learn new skills and gain accredited awards using the Duke of Edinburgh Award structure. The project will involve 140 young people and 15 volunteers over 3 years.
Edinburgh & Lothian Greenspace Trust receives £60,474 to develop and deliver ten woodland activities and skills programmes across three years for young people in Edinburgh and the Lothians, beginning in Craigmillar but expanding to other areas in subsequent years.
The programme is for 16-24 year olds who have left mainstream education and will lead to a Saltire Award. The project will work with around 120 young people and involve 5 volunteers.
Last but not least, Edinburgh-based Love Learning Scotland receives £25,000 to support young people facing challenging circumstances, those excluded from mainstream education and those with limited support networks.
This will be achieved by providing young people with the opportunity to design, develop, and deliver farm and food activities and through personalised learning pathways where young people can achieve accredited qualifications through online learning. 150 young people will take part, supported by 15 volunteers.
Young Start, delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund, awards dormant bank account funding to projects that help young people reach their full potential.
Originally set up in 2006 for people and families affected by disability, Able2Sail runs a Youth Forum where young people develop their sailing and teamwor kingskills while working together towards a sailing qualification.
Today the group receives an award of £51,448 to enable members of its youth forum to take part in yacht, dinghy and powerboating sessions when restrictions allow.
Welcoming the news, Gordon Tatnell, Chair of Able2Sail, said: “This Young Start award is wonderful news.
It means we can continue our Youth Forum project over the next three years. Our young people are absolutely delighted and cannot wait to get back on the water and into training.”
With an award of £99,911, Feeling Strong will deliver a recovery-focused mental health service for young people in Dundee.
The service will include peer mentoring, advice and support with employment and training opportunities and access to therapeutic activities such as sports and arts sessions.
Brook Marshall, CEO of Feeling Strong, said: “We’re so excited to be running our new range of projects, enabled by the Young Start fund, for the benefit of some of Dundee’s most vulnerable young people.
“These projects will work with young people with mental health and wellbeing challenges to support their recovery journeys and give them the holistic, wraparound support that’s needed to make sure they’re able to move forward in a positive and meaningful way.”
Announcing today’s awards totalling £946,347, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “This funding will give a huge boost to hundreds of young people across Scotland who now more than ever need a focus and something to look forward to when restrictions allow.
“Whether it’s a project supporting young people with their mental health or a sports activity leading to a recognised qualification, each one will provide a fantastic opportunity for young Scots to build key skills and confidence for the future.
“We are always keen to support projects which put young people front and centre in the development and running of services. If your group has an idea for funding, then we’d love to hear from you.”
Groups wanting to know more about Young Start, and how it can support them during these unprecedented times should visit:
https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/youngstart
or telephone 0141 846 0447.