Criminals' Cash Goes To Communities

30th December 2011

Coinciding with a visit to the Parkhead Youth Project in the East End of Glasgow, Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill today confirmed that more than £6.5 million has been allocated to youth work projects through the CashBack for Communities Youth Work Fund.

The Fund is administrated and delivered by YouthLink Scotland, the national agency for youth work.

Following the latest allocation of grant funding from the fourth round of the Fund, £6,580,199 has now been distributed to 641 separate organisations delivering diversionary youth work activity across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland.

Mr MacAskill said:"CashBack is making a real difference in the lives of young people across the country and I am delighted announce the latest tranche of over £1.33 million for the Youth Work Fund - which means that over £6.5 million has now been awarded for projects which are helping our youngsters to make positive choices and realise their full potential.

"The Parkhead Youth Project is a great example of how to empower young people; guiding youngsters in the East End of Glasgow towards the right path and seeking out opportunities that they may not otherwise have been able to access.

"Since 2007, we have invested over £44 million of criminals' seized cash into our communities through sporting, cultural, community, youth and third sector organisations. This has made a significant difference reaching over 600,000 young people across the length and breadth of the country and helping to build a brighter future for Scotland."

Chief Executive of YouthLink Scotland Jim Sweeney added:"YouthLink Scotland is delighted to play an integral role as a primary partner in delivering the innovative and highly successful CashBack for Communities Youth Work Fund.

"Youth work positively engages with more than 300,000 young people in Scotland, helping to build their skills, self-confidence and sense of community cohesion through a range of challenging and exciting activities.

"For the many young people and communities it engages with every day, youth work represents the ultimate form of preventative spend, offering fantastic value for money.

"The CashBack Youth Work Fund has supported and helped to deliver exciting youth work initiatives right across Scotland and has become a catalyst for first class partnership work underpinned by meaningful involvement from local communities."

The Parkhead Youth Project has used money received from the CashBack Youth Work Fund to run a Positive Activities Programme for local young people aged 10-19. The project aims to provide skills that young people can go on to use throughout their lives by engaging them in a range of social, recreational and educational activities that promote safety, healthy lifestyles, and tackle issues surrounding gang culture and territorialism.

YouthLink Scotland www.youthlinkscotland.org/ is the national agency for youth work. It is the voice of the youth work sector in Scotland. For more information visit:

The CashBack Youth Work Fund distributes grant award funding to youth work organisations in order to provide diversionary events and activities that are developmental in nature for young people ages 10-19 years who are at risk of becoming involved in anti social behaviour.