This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Drugs Challenge Fund
16/03/2006
A total of 31 projects across Scotland are to share more than £590,000 from the 2005-06 Scottish Drugs Challenge Fund.
The Fund - an Executive awards scheme administered by Scotland Against Drugs - aims to unite the public, private and voluntary sectors in helping communities stand up to the problems of drug misuse in Scotland at a grassroots level.
Successful projects include:
- The 'Kick it - Kick off' project in Lanarkshire that provides football based diversionary activities for 12-15 year olds
- The 'Foyer Drive' project in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire which helps young people tackling drug problems achieve some of the skills required to find employment
- The 'Street Dance Initiative' in Fife which provides dance, film-making and DJ sessions for young people
- The 'Kilwinning Academy Angling Diversification Scheme' in Ayrshire and Arran that offers young people lessons in fly-fishing
- The 'Oban Summer Festival 2006' which will include creative workshops for young people in Argyll and Clyde
Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said:
"Recent tragedies have reminded us that drugs misuse is a blight on the lives of too many families and communities. Educating young people about the dangers of drugs and providing them with opportunities to make positive life choices must always be the starting point of our drugs strategy. And when people succumb they must get the appropriate community support and treatment to get their lives back on track.
"The Challenge Fund aims to recognise those projects which do the most to deal with drug problems in their communities and provide extra financial support for those projects who have forged successful partnerships with the private and voluntary sectors. I am delighted therefore to see 31 projects across Scotland - from Inverness to the Borders - get that recognition this year.
"It is by working together successfully at a local level that we have the best chance of getting people's lives back on track and delivering a safer, stronger Scotland."
Alistair Ramsay MBE, Director of Scotland Against Drugs, added:
"Scotland Against Drugs was impressed by the quality of applicants to this year's fund and greatly encouraged by the level of support from the private sector. We aim to help communities address their local drug misuse problems in their own way and the fund provides an ideal opportunity for individuals or groups to come together to take positive action against drugs."
This year the Challenge Fund - with an input of £591,338 from the Executive - has attracted financial and in-kind support from the private sector totalling £627,680 and £232,322 from the public/voluntary sector, bringing the allocation for 2005-06 to £1,451,340.
The successful projects, and their awards from the Challenge Fund, are:
- D-Toxt: Mobile Phone Based Support Service for Drugs users (Angus, Dundee City, Perth and Kinross) - £43,160
- S.T.O.P Drug Education Saves Lives (Ayrshire and Arran) - £19,939
- Townhead Action Group (Ayrshire and Arran) - £5,427
- Foyer Drive (Drugs) (Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire) - £19,940
- Kilwinning Academy Angling Diversification Scheme (Ayrshire and Arran) - £5,165
- Teen Scene (Aberdeenshire) - £13,300
- South Ayrshire Young Carers (Drugs and Alcohol) (Ayrshire and Arran) - £2,991
- BME Young People's Health Awareness (Edinburgh City) - £5000
- Oasis - A Centre for Youth - Music and Marketing Strategy (Angus) - £1,937
- Rhythm of Life (Angus) - £12,400
- Staying Onside (Highland) - £17,200
- Youth Development and Inclusion Project (Kelso RFC) (Borders) - £16,470
- Sports Development 'Multi Sports' Clubs (Argyll and Clyde) - £7000
- Ardrossan Academy Drugs Education Project (Ayrshire and Arran) - £2,090
- CRE8 (Greater Glasgow) - £26,500
- Y2KPLUS+ (Midlothian) - £19,084
- Streetsahead (The Web Project) (Perth and Kinross) - £34,712
- Intermediate (Edinburgh City) - £16,608
- Street Dance Initiative (Fife) - £10,897
- Go Forth (Forth Valley) - £45,000
- Forth Valley Street Sport (Forth Valley) - £49,991
- Inter-authority Drug Prevention - A Guide to Life (Argyll and Clyde/Greater Glasgow) - £18,545
- The 'Ignite' Project (Greater Glasgow) - £15,000
- Music Against Drugs (Greater Glasgow) - £6,334
- Celtic Against Drugs (Greater Glasgow) - £45,249
- Kick it - Kick off (Lanarkshire) - £19,944
- Rangers FC Positive Choices Project (Greater Glasgow) - £34,739
- Sorted Programme (Edinburgh City) - £20,000
- New Moves (Greater Glasgow) - £23,569
- Oban Summer Festival 2006 (Argyll and Clyde) - £7,920
- Family Footworx (Highland) - £25,227
This is the final year of the Scottish Drugs Challenge Fund in its current format. Ministers will consider how it can be best shaped to achieve value for money following the transfer of the main functions of Scotland Against Drugs to The Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives on April 1.