Cashback Funding Reaches �50m

11th December 2012

Youth organisations will receive a CashBack Christmas present of �1.5 million, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill announced today.

The first tranche of �5.6 million seized by the Crown from Abbot Group Limited under the Proceeds of Crime Act will go to a consortium of six national youth organisations led by Youth Scotland.

The funds will bring the total invested in Scotland�s young people through CashBack for Communities to �50 million on the fifth anniversary of the programme�s launch.

Voluntary youth clubs and youth groups with a total membership of over 171 thousand young people across Scotland will benefit from the �1.5 million funding.

Mr MacAskill said:�CashBack is helping more young people than ever before. On the fifth anniversary of the launch of this unique programme, Scotland�s communities are getting a �1.5 million Christmas present.

�The latest �5.6 million seizure will bring the total CashBack funding since 2007 to a massive �50 million. This cash has directly benefited over 600,000 young people and generated over 11,000 volunteers from different backgrounds who are now putting something back into their communities across Scotland

�Youth groups in every local authority area in Scotland have already benefited from cash taken from the Proceeds of Crime. Putting ill-gotten gains to good use supporting our young people will always be money well spent and this further �1.5 million funding is a direct investment to provide a positive future of our young people.�

Carol Downie, Chief Executive of Youth Scotland, said:�The evaluation of the two years of CashBack Small Grants Scheme indicated a strong impact on over 30,000 young people, youth groups and communities across Scotland. We look forward to developing the project over the next three years and reaching even more young people.�