|
Young people get £300,000 to spend
Young people in Wigan Borough are to decide how £300,000 will be spent on
new youth activities and facilities.
The Government has launched the Youth Opportunities Fund and the Youth
Capital Fund to give young people a voice and to make sure that money
spent on them meets their needs.
Wigan Borough has been allocated £300,000 from the £57.5million pot of
cash that is being divided between local authorities this year. Local
youth groups or anyone aged 13 to 19 years-old living locally can apply
to the funds, but young people must make the application themselves and
deliver a presentation saying why their bid would be money well spent.
A panel of seven young people representing the diversity of Wigan youth
has been brought together by the Wigan Council Youth Service and the
Wigan Council for Voluntary Youth Services (WCVYS) to decide which
applications will receive funding.
Panel member Emma Ammar, 15, from Hindley said: “It is a good thing that
we are making the decisions about how this money will be spent. We know
what kids like and what they want better than adults do.”
The youth panel will be holding two evening workshops on November 9th
and 16th at the WCVYS Centre on Penson Street in Wigan (opposite Swinley
Labour Club) to guide young people on how to make a successful
application. Anyone can attend these sessions.
WCVYS Youth Development Planning Team Co-ordinator Kelly Mills said:
“The panel are taking this very seriously and they will be making sure
young people actually get what they want, as opposed to what youth
workers or adults might think they want.
“Young people can apply for money to pay for new equipment, resources or
activities – it’s entirely up to them. The only restriction is that it
must be legal. Obviously, young people might need support to make an
application, as they have to submit things like the estimated cost of
their project and a rough plan saying how it will be put into practise,
but the youth panel want the ideas to come from young people
themselves.”
The Youth Opportunities Fund and the Youth Capital Fund will be awarded
in two rounds. The closing date for the first round of funding is
November 28th 2006.
Young people can pick up a Youth Opportunities Fund / Youth Capital Fund
application pack from local libraries, Connexions Centres or from the
WCVYS Centre on Penson Street. Alternatively, you can print one off at:
www.wlct.org/linconline
For further information please call Kelly Mills at WCVYS on (01942)
825750.
-ends-
Notes to Editors
Photo opportunity
• The Youth Opportunities Fund / Youth Capital Fund will be officially
launched in Wigan at 6.30pm on Tuesday November 7th at the Wigan
Investment Centre. The youth panel will be present and they will be
posing for photos with £300,000 in fake money.
For more information contact Angela Kirk, Young People’s Press
Officer for the Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, on 01942 828923 or
e-mail
A.Kirk@wlct.org
►
Return to LINC News
|
