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Funding for youth organisations
07/12/2007
Young people in Scotland will be given more opportunities to excel following a £1.5 million funding increase for youth organisations.
The funding support package of £0.5 million a year for national youth voluntary organisations will contribute to a better future for the country's young people as it delivers over the next three years.
Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early Years, announced the package, which will benefit national voluntary youth organisations such as the Scouting Association and YMCA, during a debate in the Scottish Parliament to mark 100 years of Scouting.
He said:
"Scotland's young people are an invaluable asset and the continued prosperous future for our nation rests on them being valued and nurtured.
"It is vitally important that they are given every support in their formative years and the existence of this fund has already enabled national voluntary youth organisations to offer them more choices and more chances as they grow."
The package will mean the continuation of the Voluntary Organisations Support Fund which was set up as part of the Youth Work Strategy Year of Action to support national voluntary youth organisations, provide better training and build towards a brighter future for young people.
It is being delivered through Youthlink, the National Youth Work Agency.
Jim Sweeney, Chief Executive of Youthlink, said:
"Youthlink is delighted to see this investment in building the capacity of the national voluntary youth sector to recruit, train and retain volunteers. It will greatly help the sustainability of the sector in the medium term."
Youth Work Strategy Year of Action delivered three Funds - this one for national youth voluntary organisations. The £5 million Facilities Fund was a one-off Fund. The £2.5 million Youth Opportunities Fund supported local projects and partnerships and will be included within the overall local government finance settlement for the next three years.
The Voluntary Organisations Support Fund is supporting a wide range of work by voluntary organisations in Scotland. Successful bidders this year have included the Scouts, YMCA Scotland, Youth Scotland, Children First, the Ocean Youth Trust and Venture Scotland. Support has focused on development and delivery of training programmes, volunteer support and recruitment and building the capacity of the organisations to deliver more and better opportunities.
John Swinney announced in November that the Government is investing £9 million over the next three years to develop and grow the contribution of the third sector. Ministers are working with the third sector to agree a detailed programme.