Organisations from throughout the country are set to benefit from funding gained from dormant bank accounts
Virtual reality gaming, fashion and textile and film making workshops are amongst a wide range of design related activities that have received a funding boost.
Across Scotland 29 groups are celebrating receiving £1,937,260 from the Young Start fund which helps young people to play an active part in realising their potential.
Young Start is delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund and awards dormant bank and building society cash to youth led projects.
Amongst the groups celebrating is Showcase the Street, based in Dundee, which has gained £62,000 to deliver virtual reality gaming workshops in partnership with gaming students at Abertay University. Young people aged between 10 and 18 will develop skills in gaming design, animation and audio recording and will be given an opportunity to work towards an accredited qualification.
Fergus Storrier, chair of Showcase the Street, said: “This is great news for Showcase the Street and our new project Showcase VR. The young people are very excited about being able to develop this new technology in a way that proves positive for them and their community.”
Conor, 14, was introduced to Showcase through his ADHD support group and finds virtual reality gaming a helpful outlet for his emotions. He said: "I’ve really benefited from using VR. I’ve been playing on technology since I was about five so I have a lot of experience of using the iPhone, iPad and computer but VR is a better game experience. VR also helps me release my energy and instead of getting angry and fighting with family I can go on that instead. I had to leave school quite a lot for Occupational Therapy but learning how to do things in like a VR way would be so much better.”
In Eilean Siar, South Uist Youth Development Group will use an award of £37,975 to develop its Youth Island Project which will support young people as they design and deliver a series of creative multimedia workshops including film-making. The project will culminate in the production of a virtual reality inter-generational piece and an art/sculpture trail.
Young volunteer, Beth Anne Lindsay, 17, said: "I joined the Youth Island Youth Project when I was 12. It’s given me and others a chance to get involved in creative projects, such as film making and photography. I have previously been involved in working on Gaelic short films here and really enjoyed learning lots of new skills and also working with people my own age. The project is a wee bit different this time because we have more say over how it will work and it gives me the chance to volunteer on parts of the project that I have helped develop - I'm excited to see how it is going to work out.”
National Lottery Community Fund chair Maureen McGinn, said: “Young Start aims to support youth-led projects that help young people to grow in confidence and play an active part in realising their potential. The 29 projects announced today are not only working towards this aim but are great examples of the impact that can be made when young people are at the heart of project design and delivery. It is fantastic to see that young people will play an active role in designing their futures and I am absolutely delighted to announce this funding.”
