23 March 2000

£2 million grants package for Scotland’s youth

Organisations providing services to young people in Scotland are major beneficiaries in an announcement made today by the National Lottery Charities Board. More than £2 million in grants will go to develop projects for young people including a youth café and internet centre in Elgin, a special web-site for deaf children in the Borders, a drop in centre in Midlothian which will provide a counselling and information service on health and sexual health, and a non-alcoholic bar for young people in Eyemouth.

Also benefiting from the grants package is Childline Scotland which will be able to expand its telephone helpline for children who need counselling support. A successful application for funding will allow the organisation to create a pool of Reserve Counselling Supervisors to increase the number of children who benefit from the service, while a second grant will expand the role of a training worker to empower young people to contribute to the development of Childline itself.

Announcing the latest grants worth a total of £9,593,039 to some 70 organisations, Kay Hampton, the chair of the Scotland committee which is responsible for a grants budget of almost £40 million this year, said

" These grants will make a substantial contribution to providing services for our children and young people. The organisations which deliver these services are close to the people they are helping and are sensitively meeting the needs of many groups of disadvantaged young people such as young carers, young homeless people and young offenders.

"This grants package will provide play parks and premises, computers and care services, and covers the length and breadth of Scotland from Orkney to Eyemouth."

The grants are made under the Board’s Community Involvement and Poverty and Disadvantage programmes. The programmes provide funding for a wide range of projects and are designed to meet the needs of many different beneficiary groups.

Ends

For more information or arrangements to interview successful applicants contact Kay Caldwell or Kirsty Mullan on 0131 221 7100 or 0468 583441.

Note to editors:

1. A complete list of grants announced today is enclosed. Please refer to both sections, Community Involvement and Poverty and Disadvantage, for information about awards in your area.
2. Details of three projects which will receive funding are attached to assist with feature planning. Further information about other projects will be available on request.
3. The National Lottery Charities Board distributes lottery funds to the community and voluntary sector and aims to meet the needs of those at greatest disadvantage in society.