Children and young people across Scotland are set to benefit from more than £2 million (£2,081,593) that was announced today (Wednesday 21st January) by The National Lottery Community Fund.
Funding has been awarded to 22 Scottish organisations that support children and young people to reach their full potential through the funding programme Young Start, delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund. It awards funds from dormant bank accounts to projects that will make a lasting positive impact on the lives of the young people that they support. See full list of projects.
Charities such as Hydra Arts based in West Dunbartonshire will use their £82,404 share to run an exciting new two-and half-year project, which has been designed with a group of 10 young performers aged 13 to 25 in the local area. The project is centred around a creative collaboration with a group of young people in Toronto, Canada. The groups will work together to create a live public performance, performed simultaneously at the end of the project.
“We are thrilled to be able to expand our practice into an international context, allowing the young people we work with the opportunities to collaborate with other young people from different countries and cultures. This is super exciting for all involved, and we are really looking forward to that journey of expanding our horizons and connecting with other young people in a bigger international community,” commented Peter McMaster, Hydra Arts Artistic Director.
When asked what Hydra Arts means to her, Molly, 15, said: “Hydra Arts has made me more confident. It’s less embarrassing to do things out of your comfort zone when you’re doing it with other people. I’ve made some new friends outside of my school who like similar things to me.”
Another organisation that will benefit from the latest round of Young Start funding is, Culture Perth and Kinross (CPK) Limited who will use their £100,000 share to develop their CPK Youth Collective 2026-28 project. It aims to support young people, aged 16 to 25, to empower participants from rural areas to gain new skills and make connections with the wider community, through the design and development of events and exhibitions in cultural heritage venues, such as Perth Museum and Perth Art Gallery.
Sharing how the CPK Youth Collective has helped her and what she hopes for the incoming cohort of young people, Megan, 19 from Perth, said: “I’ve gained more confidence in myself. I’m able to speak freely about my thoughts and creative ideas without being judged. It’s created a safe space, and I hope that people who join the Collective in the future have that same safe place, where they can use their creative freedom without being judged or put down. I think that’s really helpful for building confidence, feeling included and understood. It’s about making sure people feel seen and able to express themselves freely.”
The group will work directly with 30 young people from rural areas in Perth and Kinross over three years and reach at least 2000 young people through public-facing activities and online content.
Kirsty Brown, CPK Youth Collective Learning Manager explained how the funding will help enhance the youth projects and services they offer to the Perth and Kinross community: “Over the past 3 years the Culture Perth and Kinross Youth Collective have made a huge impact on how our services and projects are delivered which has enabled us to raise the profile of the youth voice in the organisation. We are thrilled that due to the generous funding from the National Lottery Community Fund Young Start grant we can continue to deliver the Youth Collective for a further three years.”
One of the other groups, benefiting from the latest round of funding is Regen: FX Youth Trust who will use their funding (£99,571) to support their young people led community youth services in Springhall and Whitlawburn in South Lanarkshire, which will support 250 young people over the two-year funding period. Services include after school clubs, volunteering opportunities in the local community, along with seasonal and public holiday events.
Dylan Scott, Regen:FX Youth Board Member, said: “I’m proud to be part of securing the funding for the Springhall and Whitlawburn Youth Development Team Project because I know first-hand the difference it makes. Being involved has helped me grow in confidence and take on opportunities I never expected, from speaking to hundreds of people on stage to becoming a Youth Board Member. This funding means more young people will get the same support and it gives us the chance to keep developing the services young people actually need.”
Announcing the funding, Kate Still, Scotland Chair, The National Lottery Community Fund said: “We’re delighted to support these 22 youth projects through our latest Young Start funding.
“Groups such as Hydra Arts and Culture Perth and Kinross (CPK) Limited provide key opportunities for children and young people in Scotland to build their skills, enhance their wellbeing, and explore and sustain meaningful engagements within their communities and those further afield, that will benefit them in the future.”
Young Start helps young people aged eight to 24 become more confident and play an active part in realising their potential. Funding of up to £100,000 is available for youth led projects. Groups can apply by emailing [email protected] or calling 0300 123 7110.
Find out more at: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/young-start
If you know someone who might be interested in joining the Youth Collective, please visit this page.
Image by Bart Masiukiewicz