Crooks' cash to boost cultural projects

Published on Thursday 15 May 2008 10:28

TWO Taggart actors were today helping launch a new £1.2 million scheme to use criminals' ill-gotten gains to give vulnerable youngsters a taste of culture.

Alex Norton and Colin McCredie, who play DCI Matt Burke and Detective Sergeant Stuart Fraser, were due to join Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and Culture Minister Linda Fabiani at the North Edinburgh Arts Centre in Muirhouse to unveil the latest initiative under the CashBack for Communities programme.

It will see 600,000 seized from convicted criminals channelled into projects designed to increase access to cultural activities for youngsters in care.

And that sum will be matched pound for pound by businesses, thereby doubling the money and releasing a minimum of 1.2 million over the next two years.

Alex Norton said: "Both Colin and I are delighted to support CashBack for Communities. It's great to see that cash seized from criminals who have made the lives of people in Scotland such a misery is now being used to provide positive opportunities for our young people."

The CashBack for Communities scheme has already seen 2.2m of criminal assets allocated to fund free football coaching, 1.4m for free rugby coaching and 3m for youth projects.

Ms Fabiani said: "Recycling the money of criminals into arts and cultural opportunities is poetic justice indeed and I now want to see this fund benefit young people across Scotland, particularly those who may not necessarily have the parental support to encourage them out to try new activities."