Listen
Oban Cashback project
21/07/2009
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill will visit an Oban youth project that has benefited from funding from the CashBack for Communities scheme.
The Stramash project received over £25,000 in the first round of the YouthLink Scotland administered element of the CashBack scheme, which takes cash from crooks and reinvests it in activities for Scotland's young people.
The project - working in partnership with Argyll and Bute Council - involves young people in the planning, delivery and reviewing of a range of activities including camping, rock climbing, abseiling, canoeing, kayaking and sailing.
Mr MacAskill will visit the project's halls and then go on to Ganavan Beach where up to 20 young people will be taking part in climbing and kayaking.
He will then attend the Inverary Highland Games where he will meet police officers involved in policing the event, the organisers and the Duke of Argyll.
Speaking in advance of his visits, Kenny MacAskill said:
"Thousands of youngsters throughout Scotland are now on their school holidays. With kids hanging about the streets they can sometimes get up to mischief.
"Long summer days with nothing to do can lead them into crime or antisocial behaviour which impacts on their communities.
"However, by supporting projects such as Stramash in Oban, we are showing our young people that there is much more to life than offending or getting out of your heads on drink or drugs.
"By getting bored kids off street corners and giving them the opportunity to try out things they have never done before, through the many strands of our CashBack for Communities scheme, we are offering them the chance to be all they can be and give something back to their communities."