Project which helps young people to receive £20m seized from criminals

A scheme which invests money seized from criminals into projects which help young people and communities affected by crime will pay out up to £20 million over the next three years.

The Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities scheme uses money recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act to provide support for a wide variety of projects.

It has been running since 2008 and has helped about 1.3 million young people across Scotland.

Justice Secretary Keith Brown confirmed the latest three-year funding phase on Monday.

It is aimed at guiding young people away from crime as well as improving mental and physical wellbeing.

Mr Brown said: “Young people growing up in Scotland deserve to have an equal chance of success, no matter their background or circumstances and CashBack plays an important role in providing young people with the tools they need to reach their full potential.

“The valuable feedback from young people who have benefitted from the programme helped inform this latest round of funding.

“Participants reported that improving their mental health and wellbeing was a key priority for them due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, which also links to our Vision for Justice in Scotland.

“This funding of up to £20 million will deliver a range of activities for young people between the ages of 10-25 and boosts the total funding made available to almost £130 million since the programme began in 2008.”