Lotto cash to benefit Scots youths

Big Lottery Fund grants totalling 10,558,553 are to be shared amongst 21 Scottish projects in the latest round of funding.

The projects range from a plan to offer young offenders and those leaving care experience of running a business, through to help for the disabled making the transition from education to adult life.

Announcing today's awards from BIG's Life Transition scheme, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Alison Magee, said: "Leaving care, trying to develop skills for the workplace and adjusting to adult life are just some of the major issues affecting many young people across Scotland every day.

"With this 10m investment we want to help tackle some of these real-life issues by supporting projects that look at different ways of making powerful and enduring changes in the lives of young people."

Vulnerable young people who are either looked after or leaving care, or are in a Young Offenders Institute are set to benefit from a grant of 845,100 to Young Enterprise Scotland.

The project will give young people the chance to design, set up, and run a small-scale business over 13 weeks, with any profits given to charity. The aim of this is to inspire people to take their lives in new directions.

Three hundred people in Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Central Belt are set to benefit.

Young Enterprise Scotland (Yes) chief executive Stuart Miller said: "Young Enterprise Scotland is absolutely delighted with this award to further our work with those young people who are from a 'hard to reach' background.

"The funding will help Yes to build on our existing programmes and continue to add value to the work of our partner organisations in this field, to support young people to reach their full potential and become ready to enter employment, training or education."