25.10.19
Government commits £12m investment to boost nation-wide youth projects
Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan has announced that youth projects across the country will gain a £12m investment as part of the Government’s pledge to help young prosper and widen their opportunities.
The boost of funding includes up to £7m for a Youth Accelerator Fund that will further existing successful projects, and address urgent needs in the youth sector by providing extra sessions in youth clubs.
The Government said it will also work towards promoting positive activities in sport and the arts to help young people grow skills and contribute to their communities.
Young people will play a key role in where the funding will go by working directly with policy makers to ensure activities properly meet their needs.
A further £5m of Government funding will also be invested in the #iwillFund to encourage 10 to 20-year-olds to partake in social action, such as volunteering in their communities by funding groups who provide these programmes.
Jointly funded by Government and the National Lottery Community Fund, the #iwillFund has created over 500,000 opportunities for young people since it was launched in 2016.
The funding boost is additional investment and comes after the Chancellor recently announced a new £500m Youth Investment Fund for the five years from April 2020 ‘to give young people somewhere to go, something positive to do and someone to speak to.’
Nicky Morgan, secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport said: “I have big ambitions for what this Government can achieve for young people – inspiring them to grow in confidence and employability, building their character and resilience, while transforming life chances through sports and the arts.
“We will use this immediate investment to benefit young people in as many local areas as possible. This will pave the way for the ambitious, long-term infrastructure plans for our youth services that we will deliver over the next five years – led by the views of young people and those that work with them.”