Big Lottery’s cash boost for youth project

May 14 2008

A SPORT-BASED youth development project in South Lanarkshire was this week given more than £230,000 by the Big Lottery Fund.

As part of a £3m Investing in Communities grant given to 11 Scottish organisations, the Sportworx project will receive £232,625 over four years.

Sportworx is part of the Youthworx network and is aimed at providing direction for young people at risk of dropping out of education, facing unemployment or at risk of anti-social behaviour.

The project improves skills, confidence and self-esteem in the young people taking part.

This grant follows a successful pilot of the South Lanarkshire Council project, which found that many young people at risk of dropping out of education became more involved in volunteering, went back to school or achieved further education qualifications.

Brian Macleod, co-ordinator of Sportworx, said: “This funding will allow us to provide life-changing opportunities for young people throughout South Lanarkshire.

“Young people don’t only need to get nationally-recognised qualifications to move on in life but can recognise their own potential through more informal learning approaches.

“We have seen the evidence of this in past Sportworx programmes and this grant from the Big Lottery Fund will help us give the same opportunity to many more young people.”