The groups that have benefitted from the Big Lottery Fund’s Young Start programme have been unveiled
An apprenticeship programme designed to empower young people with a disability to have a voice in shaping sporting activity in Scotland has received a funding boost.
Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) is one of five groups sharing in £206,196 of funding from the Big Lottery Fund’s Young Start programme, thanks to dormant bank and buildings account money.
The organisation will use a £49,985 grant to work with young people who have physical, learning and sensory disabilities to develop their confidence and vital skills and experience in leadership, communication, influencing and facilitation.
Youngsters on the programme will be matched with a mentor who will help them to gain experience in coaching, officiating or leardership to put into practice what they have learned.
Gavin MacLeod, chief executive of SDS, said: “Young people with a disability are often isolated in their communities and find that sport allows them to develop their social, physical and emotional confidence.
“With this Young Start funding the programme will allow the young people to embrace self-development and develop resilience.”
Hope Gordon, 22, a national swimmer said: “The Young Start funding will help us grow as a group, develop new ideas and influence sporting policy and practice and provide a voice for young disabled people in sport.
“Over the next two years the programme will build our confidence and competence to enable us to take on an influencing role which will help deliver key messages and shape the future for participants and performers in Scotland.”
The other groups to benefit from the funding, which opens for new applications next month, were: D&G Youth Project Team (£49,800); the Dean and Cauvin Trust (£46,911); LEAP Sports Scotland (£50,000) and Caithness Voluntary Group (£29,700).
