The Big Lottery Fund has awarded nearly half a million pounds to projects working to support young people to improve their prospects in life
Young Scots will gain skills and confidence to take greater control of their futures after more than £450,000 has been awarded to projects across Scotland from the Young Start Fund, run by the Big Lottery Fund.
A unique arts project for young people who live on Stornoway run by Rural Nations is one of the 10 projects. It has been awarded £33,330 to deliver over 100 weekly film workshops over the next two years to motivate and inspire the youngsters to create short films from their own ideas. Their completed work will be showcased at the An Lanntair Arts Centre in Stornoway and will be entered in Young People’s Film Festivals across the country.
Muriel Ann Macleod, creative director, said: “We are so pleased to be able to deliver Digiheb again for young people in Lewis with this funding from Young Start. We will be working in partnership with An Lanntair Arts Centre to enable young people between the ages of 14 and 24 work on making their own short films with support and skills tutoring from locally based industry professionals.
“The weekly workshops allow participants to learn through practical experience and they will try out their ideas and learn about film making in all its aspects as well as getting the chance to make their own films. During the lifetime of the project the young people will develop films which can be used in their portfolios to help them enter media and other courses in Colleges and University”
In Glasgow, thanks to an award of £45,000, the Southside Youth Work Support Agency will help young people between 14 and 19 years of age in the Govanhill, Pollokshields and Kinning Park areas to access opportunities that are open to them when they leave school.
John Gilfillan, chairman, said: “I am delighted we have received this money from Young Start. This money will make a real difference to young people living in the Southside of Glasgow. We are aiming to work with youngsters who have dropped out of school or who would be leaving with few educational qualifications and hope to motivate and inspire them to move into employment, training or further education.”
Maureen McGinn, Big Lottery Fund Scotland chair, said: “With this funding, children and young people across Scotland will be able to unlock their talents through a wide range of activities. These are designed to engage and inspire them to follow their dreams while also building skills and confidence for the future. The Young Start programme creates opportunities for children and young people to achieve their potential and every one of these projects reflects that aim.”
Run by the Big Lottery Fund Scotland, Young Start awards money from dormant bank and building society accounts to support a range of projects to help young people aged eight to 24 years old reach their full potential.
These latest nineteen awards to groups will allow young people across Scotland to access a wide range of new opportunities.
