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Cashback from criminals
20/04/2008
Thousands more Scottish youngsters are to benefit from improved sports facilities and new opportunities to get involved in the arts under the latest initiatives from the Scottish Government's Cashback for Communities programme.
A new £2 million sports facilities fund and £1.8 million earmarked in support of arts and culture activities - both funded from money seized from drug dealers and other criminals - will take the overall investment in youth activities pledged through the scheme to £10.4 million so far.
More resources are being secured by the authorities all the time - already boosted by £400,000 to increase the size of two units within the Crown Office to help seize even more of the proceeds of crime.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:
"Criminals don't contribute to our communities - they live off them. That harms our economy, but it also saps self-confidence and ambition, especially among our young people.
"Our young people need to be given the opportunity to reach their potential and to have real hope for their future. This Government recognises that the vast majority of them are not offenders. But we want to do more to prevent them getting involved in crime or antisocial behaviour in the first place.
"If we are asking our young people to be responsible members of society, we must provide them with the opportunities to do so.
"That's why it's time for crime to pay and we have put the measures in place to ensure even more of the cash criminals make off the backs of law abiding folk flow back into our communities."
Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell said:
"The new sports facilities fund is a great boost to Scottish sport and will build on the significant investment the Scottish Government already makes in this area. The Scottish Government will be looking to engage over the coming months with philanthropists and businesses to explore how we can further raise the standard and availability of sports facilities across Scotland.
"Physical activity and sport bring substantial benefits to the health and wellbeing of people of all ages. This initiative puts the boot into criminals and their illegal gains reinvesting the money to build better, healthier communities."
Culture Minister Linda Fabiani added:
"I welcome the announcement of the £1.8 million from the CashBack for Communities initiative. Recycling the proceeds of crime into arts and cultural opportunities is poetic justice indeed. I now want to see this benefit all young people across Scotland, particularly those who may not necessarily have the parental support to encourage them to try out new and different activities."
Three strands of the CashBack for Communities scheme have already been announced:
- £2.2 million to be used to fund free football coaching and playing opportunities for upwards of 30,000 young people across Scotland. Already hundreds of youngsters throughout Scotland have taken part in Street Football events over the Easter holidays and thousands more in the Bank of Scotland Midnight League programme, part funded from CashBack
- £3 million for grant scheme to provide funding for projects which support young people involved, or at risk from violence, alcohol, drugs or antisocial behaviour as well as support for initiatives such as youth drop-in services and residential, environmental and outdoor activities including climbing walls, skate parks, mountain bikes and canoes and yachts. The scheme is being administered by Youthlink and we will announce the first batch of successful projects in May
- Over £1.4 million seized from serious organised criminals to provide free rugby coaching and playing activities for over 32,000 young people throughout the country by 2011. This is one of the most significant investments in youth rugby ever seen in Scotland