Scotland awarded £1.38 million by BBC Children in Need in record-breaking year

BBC Children in Need is delighted to announce that £1.38 million worth of grants has been awarded to projects in Scotland in this grant round. This is the second of four rounds allocated from the 2009 Appeal total. The charity is also pleased to announce that the total income now stands at a record breaking £39million.

Successfully awarded projects in Scotland include Youth Community Support Agency in Glasgow, who are receiving the largest grant in Scotland of over £950,000 for three years.

The project offers black and minority ethnic young people support to address many social and cultural issues affecting their lives. It aims to engage with 120 young people and plans to improve school attendance by 25%. By the end of the three years the project hopes that all of the young people will be empowered to make informed decisions about the choices they make with regards to family, education and anti-social behaviours.

BBC Children in Need’s experience shows that significant and valuable work can be achieved with a Small Grant (£10,000 or less per annum for a maximum of three years) and that these are among some of the most imaginative and meaningful grants it makes.

Bonar Bridge Community Hall in Sutherland is just one project receiving a grant of £2,600, which will provide a range of activities for young people in the area. These will include art and craft workshops, cookery workshops, badminton, internet café, film shows, table tennis, air hockey, table football and woodwork workshops.

Fraser Falconer, Head of BBC Children In Need Scotland, says: “Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our supporters we are thrilled to announce that we have raised a record amount of money which will make a real difference to young lives right across the UK.”

For a list of all April 2010 grants in each region, please see: bbc.co.uk/pudsey/grants.
Notes to Editors

The BBC Children in Need Appeal is a charity registered in England and Wales (802052) and Scotland (SC039557) whose aim is to make a positive change to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. Every year, thanks to public donations and the amazing efforts of fundraisers, schools, businesses and corporate partners, BBC Children in Need is able to make a difference to thousands of young lives.

For further small grants information and application forms please visit bbc.co.uk/pudsey/grants. The grants section of the website shows this round of grants broken down by town but also all of the money already hard at work in the region.

Since November, BBC Children in Need has received thousands of applications for funding, which have been rigorously assessed and considered by eight committees who pass on their recommendations to the Trustees of the charity.

Each project that receives a grant from BBC Children in Need works with children and young people who may be affected by abuse, homelessness, neglect, poverty, or those who have disabilities, psychological disorders or who have encountered or are encountering serious illnesses.

All of the grants are targeted to areas across the UK where they will make a real difference to the lives of children and young people; they are allocated geographically to ensure that all corners of the UK receive a share of the money raised by the Great British public.