Basketball clubs jump for joy after huge cash boost

SPORTS projects in the Capital aimed at youngsters from poorer backgrounds are to receive a £150,000 boost with cash confiscated from criminals.

HOOPY DAYS: Kenny MacAskill takes a shot at glory after he announced the handout of criminals' cash at Forrester High. Picture: IAN GEORGESON

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill visited Edinburgh's Forrester High School to unveil the latest allocation under the Scottish Government's "Cashback for Communities" scheme.

Scottish Sports Futures is to receive 1.95 million over the next three years to help fund basketball and education sessions across Scotland. The organisation has been running its Jump2It basketball programme in Edinburgh for the past three years, working with ten primary schools each year.

Professional players from the Glasgow Rocks basketball team visit the schools with an hour-long roadshow and talk to the children.

Then, after training from coaches, the schools play in a tournament with the top four teams invited to Glasgow's Kelvin Hall to play the semi-finals and final at half-time during a Glasgow Rocks game.

Scottish Sports Futures also runs a free weekly "twilight basketball" session at Meadowbank for anyone aged between 11 and 21, which also includes an education session, such as in first aid for sporting injuries.

Manager Shaun Cauvin said that over the last three years Scottish Sports Futures had invested 150,000 in the two programmes in Edinburgh and would spend at least as much over the next three years, reaching another 30 city primaries.

He said: "The announcement will mean this investment in the young people of Scotland will continue until 2014.

"That will mean a minimum of 150,000 for Edinburgh. These programmes have been really successful, so we will look at putting a bit more in."

The Capital will also benefit from the 700,000 Cashback funding for basketballscotland.

The organisation plans to expand its team of regional basketball development co-ordinators, introduce a primary school basketball programme and help local clubs to grow and develop, promoting a more active lifestyle.

Mr MacAskill said: "More and more youngsters across Scotland are benefiting from our Cashback programme, which uses money confiscated from crooks to fund a whole host of diversionary activities that simply would not have existed without it.

"Since we launched Cashback in 2007, almost 26m has been reinvested in projects.

"This latest award is made in recognition of the excellent work they both do in educating youngsters."