WIREDGOV

Over the last year young people from all walks of life have shared in the multi million Young Start scheme. Yesterday (7 MAY) Aileen Campbell MSP, Minister for Children and Young People, met three young people who have turned their lives around after support from a unique Edinburgh project.

Four Square (Scotland)’s SUSS IT project offers an SQA Employability Award and is developing  an accredited qualification, SQA, in Tenancy Sustainment. Their Learning and Training programme helps homeless and vulnerable young people take on their own homes. The project helps their confidence and self understanding and gives them the skills and knowledge required to keep their own place and get into the job market.

Aileen Campbell MSP, Minister for Children and Young People, said: “The stories of these and all other young people who have prospered after working with Four Square over the last year underlines the importance of having the right support in place at the right time. This Government wants all young people to be able to access the learning and training they need to build a solid foundation to improve their skills and employability.

“Four Square deserve great credit for their role in assisting all those who are benefiting and moving onto better things in life. They are a great example of what is being achieved through the Young Start scheme.”

Big Lottery Fund Scotland Director, Jackie Killeen said: “The Young Start funding programme launched in March last year and we’re delighted that it has been able to support so many excellent projects, creating great opportunities for children and young people. In the last year over £7 million in grants have been awarded to almost 200 projects across Scotland. Today’s visit highlights how quickly Young Start funding can achieve results as the SUSS IT programme has been an enormous help for the three young people we met today. Martin, Billy and Marisol are getting the support they need and developing skills which will help them towards independent living, employment and positive, happy lives.”

David Blair, Four Square Chair, said: “Four Square works to provide every homeless person a place in their community. I am therefore delighted that Four Square’s expertise has been recognised by the Big Fund. This funding supports our new and innovative project to help young people avoid repeat homelessness and to help them develop their employability skills and to become more able to find and keep a job.”

Martin, Marisol and Billy are all currently taking part in Four Square’s SUSS IT project and are going through the SQA accredited courses. Their aim is to move into their own accommodation and are all actively seeking employment. Martin said: “When I was homeless I dreamed of having a more settled lifestyle. With the support and confidence I’m getting from Four Square I hope to achieve my goal of becoming an independent, confident and successful human being who can fulfil his potential.”

Run by the Big Lottery Fund Scotland, Young Start funds projects offering a range of healthy, intergenerational, fun and employability activities. The Young Start investment comes from dormant bank and building society accounts that have seen no customer-initiated activity for at least 15 years.

For more details contact Frances Chisholm, Press Team Scotland, 0141 242 1458
For information on Big Lottery Fund programmes
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/scotland
Follow us on Twitter @BIGSCOTLAND or like us on Facebook Big Lottery Fund Scotland

Notes to Editors

• Four Square were awarded a one year grant of £34,794 in November 2012 and the SUSS IT training programme began in February.
• Dormant accounts are defined in the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008 as those which have seen no customer-initiated activity for at least 15 years.
• In September 2011 the Scottish Government formally issued instructions to the Big Lottery Fund to distribute dormant accounts funding for the benefit of Scotland’s voluntary and community sector.
• The Reclaim Fund Ltd. (RFL), which was established in March 2011 to receive and invest dormant account balances across the UK, transferred the first tranche of monies from dormant bank and building society accounts to BIG on 2 August 2011. Scotland will receive an 8.4% share of the total funds to be distributed.
• The Distribution of Dormant Account Money (Apportionment) Order 2011 prescribes that Scotland will receive 8.4% of the dormant accounts money to be made available for distribution by the Big Lottery Fund under the 2008 Act. The Big Lottery Fund has confirmed a grants budget of £3.7m to 31 March 2012 and an indicative budget of £5.2m for 2012/13. This gives an estimated total grants budget of £8.9m to 31 March 2013.  It should be noted that the 2012/13 figure is a median projection and may go down or up.
• The Big Lottery Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004 It also uses its expertise in grant-giving to distribute non-Lottery funding. Full details of the BIG funded programmes and grant awards in Scotland are available at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/scotland