Drugs Challenge Fund

A total of 31 projects across Scotland are to share more than £590,000 from the 2005-06 Scottish Drugs Challenge Fund.

The Fund – an Executive awards scheme administered by Scotland Against Drugs – aims to unite the public, private and voluntary sectors in helping communities stand up to the problems of drug misuse in Scotland at a grassroots level.

Successful projects include:
– The ‘Kick it – Kick off’ project in Lanarkshire that provides football based diversionary activities for 12-15 year olds
– The ‘Foyer Drive’ project in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire which helps young people tackling drug problems achieve some of the skills required to find employment
– The ‘Street Dance Initiative’ in Fife which provides dance, film-making and DJ sessions for young people
– The ‘Kilwinning Academy Angling Diversification Scheme’ in Ayrshire and Arran that offers young people lessons in fly-fishing
– The ‘Oban Summer Festival 2006’ which will include creative workshops for young people in Argyll and Clyde

Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said:
“Recent tragedies have reminded us that drugs misuse is a blight on the lives of too many families and communities. Educating young people about the dangers of drugs and providing them with opportunities to make positive life choices must always be the starting point of our drugs strategy. And when people succumb they must get the appropriate community support and treatment to get their lives back on track.

“The Challenge Fund aims to recognise those projects which do the most to deal with drug problems in their communities and provide extra financial support for those projects who have forged successful partnerships with the private and voluntary sectors. I am delighted therefore to see 31 projects across Scotland – from Inverness to the Borders – get that recognition this year.

“It is by working together successfully at a local level that we have the best chance of getting people’s lives back on track and delivering a safer, stronger Scotland.”

Alistair Ramsay MBE, Director of Scotland Against Drugs, added:
“Scotland Against Drugs was impressed by the quality of applicants to this year’s fund and greatly encouraged by the level of support from the private sector. We aim to help communities address their local drug misuse problems in their own way and the fund provides an ideal opportunity for individuals or groups to come together to take positive action against drugs.”

This year the Challenge Fund – with an input of £591,338 from the Executive – has attracted financial and in-kind support from the private sector totalling £627,680 and £232,322 from the public/voluntary sector, bringing the allocation for 2005-06 to £1,451,340.