Deadline approaches for funding bids to support Forres-based youth activities
Voluntary groups and community organisations have less than two weeks left to bid for a share of £60,000 to boost activities which will make a difference to the lives of young people in the Forres area.
Moray Council’s Community Support Unit (CSU) is supporting Forres Academy pupils to have their say over how the funding will be spent. Every young person will get a vote to decide which community youth projects are funded through the participatory budgeting exercise.
The Forres funding is split into two pots, with £40,000 going to support the development of a community-run youth space and £20,000 available to boost youth activities.
The CSU and partners have been working with young people from the Forres area to explore opportunities to introduce new activities, support ongoing work, and to set up safe meeting places where 11-16 year olds can get together at evenings and weekends.
The young people have agreed to prioritise projects which support one or more of the following themes:
- Physical activity;
- Mental health and wellbeing;
- Creative arts;
- Minority representation.
Shortlisted applicants to the Youth Spaces Fund will be invited to Forres Academy on 15 June to make a 10 minute pitch to a panel of pupils. They will be asked to explain more about their project and how they intend to involve young people in the design and delivery.
The guidance and application form for the Youth Spaces funding can be found here.
Those applying for the youth activities funding stream have the chance to secure up to £4,000 per project. Applications that meet at least one of the criteria will be put to a whole school vote on the same day, with those receiving the highest number of votes from the pupils awarded a share of the funding.
The Youth Activities funding guidance and application form is available here.
Applications for Youth Spaces close on 2 June at 5pm and for Youth Activities at 5pm on 26 May 2023. Please contact the CSU via laura.cameron@moray.gov.uk or martin.robertson@moray.gov.uk with any queries or for more information.
A Buckie youth participatory budgeting exercise will run later in the year.