New National Lottery funding now open for Year of Young People

19 Mar 2018 09:39 AM

From yesterday local heritage, community and sports groups across Scotland can benefit from National Lottery good cause cash, as part of a new £550,000 fund, aimed at helping change the lives of young people.

The Year of Young People National Lottery Fund is now open and is a joint scheme from Scotland’s National Lottery distributors, Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, sportscotland, and Spirit of 2012 a UK Trust endowed with Big Lottery funds.

This offers funding of between £3,000 and £10,000 to heritage, community and sports projects that are run for and by young people aged eight to 26 years old and that improve their health and wellbeing.

The available pot of £550,000 is for projects that:

• Encourage positive mental health for young people;
• Inspire young people to lead active lives;
• Involve young people in the development, design, running and evaluation of the project
• Celebrate and share young people’s achievements.

Ammy Nicholson, 21, is encouraging young people to get involved to spark their own moment of change. Two years ago the young mum found herself unable to leave her house as she battled with body image and depression after the birth of her little girl. Now thanks to the help and support of the National Lottery funded MsMissMrs project in Glasgow her outlook is much brighter.

Ammy said, “I was really isolated, I couldn’t leave my house and everyday was a struggle just to keep going. Then I came to MsMissMrs and slowly they helped me believe in myself, they helped me learn how to self-care and step by step they worked with me to develop my confidence and manage my mental wellbeing.

“Now, maybe for the first time ever, I feel I have a future and that I can be the positive influence in my daughter’s life. It’s brilliant in the Year of Young People there is now National Lottery funding available to groups looking to support young people’s health and wellbeing.”

Announcing this new National Lottery funding, Sam Anderson, Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland Committee member and founder of Junction Health and Wellbeing Centre for Young People in Edinburgh, said:

“The Year of Young People 2018 offers a fantastic opportunity for generations to come together and celebrate Scotland’s young people. Now, thanks to National Lottery players, we are opening a new funding programme to mark the occasion and the achievements of young people, while improving their health and wellbeing.

“We want to fund heritage, community and sports projects that are run for and by young people. So whether it’s volunteering at a sports club, helping out older people in their community or developing the skills to increase their own confidence and self-esteem, we want to hear from groups with a range of project ideas that put young people centre stage.”

Welcoming this National Lottery funding to support young people across Scotland Deputy First Minister John Swinney added: 

“As Scotland celebrates the Year of Young People, this new fund is an opportunity for young people to harness their incredible skills and talents, while gaining control to develop projects which matter most to them.

“I look forward to hearing young people’s ideas and the difference this fund will make to young people living in communities across Scotland.”

This new funding is aimed at voluntary or community organisations as well as youth groups, youth associations and other non profit organisations. Schools are also eligible to apply. There are two application deadlines - 30 April 2018 and 18 June 2018 – and groups will get an answer on their application within eight weeks.

For more information and an online application form groups should visit national-lottery-yoyp.org.uk where they will find more information about this unique scheme from the National Lottery.

Groups can also contact YOYPFund@hlf.org.uk or 0131 225 9450 for more details or support with their application.

Media contact information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 07880 737157 or 0141 242 1451
Email:     pressteam.scotland@biglotteryfund.org.uk
Website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Twitter:  @BIGSCOTLAND #BIGScotland

Notes to Editors:

• The Year of Young People National Lottery Fund is a joint awards programme from the Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, sportscotland – the national agency for sport - and Spirit of 2012 Trust a UK trust endowed with funds from the Big Lottery Fund.
• Since The National Lottery began in 1994, Lottery players have raised £3bn of #NationalLottery funding has been invested in 63,000 projects across Scotland.
• Heritage Lottery Fund invests money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife.
• sportscotland is the national agency for sport. It is a non-departmental public body, responsible through ministers to the Scottish Parliament. It is a National Lottery Fund distributor and is governed by National Lottery distribution rules. sportscotland invest Scottish Government and National Lottery resources to build a world-class sporting system for everyone in Scotland.
• Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
• Spirit of 2012 funds arts and sports projects that foster greater community cohesion, empower those who are most under-served and challenge perceptions of disability.