£60,000 funding is available for youth-led projects in Dumfries and Galloway as Round 2 of 10,000 Voices in Action funding is launched.
Youth groups, schools and organisations working with young people can now apply for a share of the fund by visiting youthwork.dumgal.gov.uk and downloading an application form.
£5,000 of funding will be allocated in each of the 12 ward areas of Dumfries and Galloway for projects that address priorities and issues that young people say matter most to them.
The funding can be used for existing groups to deliver events, short term projects, equipment, training, trips & visits and new projects that support young people through the recovery of Covid-19. Projects must be for young people 12 – 25 years.
Successful applications will be put forward to a public vote in June, and young people across the region will decide how the money is spent through an online voting process, known as participatory budgeting.
The 10,000 Voices project, that is funded by the Scottish Government’s Investing in Communities initiative, sets out to improve life chances of our young people and support the social renewal of our communities as we begin to recover from COVID-19.
Councillor Andy Ferguson, Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Communities Committee, said: “I would encourage local groups and organisations to put themselves forward for a share of this funding. Young people have experienced really challenging times over the last 14 months, with extended periods of isolation and loneliness and we need to do everything we can to help them recover from the pandemic.”
Councillor John Martin, Vice Chair of the Communities Committee, said: “10,000 Voices is a project that responds directly to the needs and priorities of our young people and our communities, and what makes it unique is that all the decisions are made completely by young people themselves. This is about young people deciding on what’s best for them, and essentially leading the way to make it happen.”
Cloe Alison, a member of the Youth Action Group responsible for leading the project, said: “We have seen some fantastic examples of how projects from the first round of our funding has impacted on young people over the last year, from home isolation packs to online music projects. We look forward to receiving new proposals and being able distribute even more money into projects benefitting young people.”
For more information or to apply, visit: youthwork.dumgal.gov.uk
