Youth Bank allocates £10k in first year

Swansea's Youth Bank branch has allocated close to £10,000 in funding since being set up one year ago.

Youth Bank distributes funds to young people aged between 11 and 25 who wish to set up projects for the benefit of the wider community.

The Swansea Neath Port Talbot Young Carers Project (Crossroads) is among the ten projects to have received funding since Swansea's Youth Bank branch was incepted last November. The group received £1,300 to run cookery classes and to make how-to-cook DVDs for other young carers.

The Buddies project and the African Community Centre are among the other groups to have been allocated funds.

Buddies- a group of young people who support other young people with disabilities as part of the Local Aid Charity- received £725 to plan, prepare and organise project days out such as a trip to St Fagans. The African Community Centre Youth Forum was successful in their application for £750 to to train in hip hop and African dance to use as a medium to promote their community centre in and around Swansea.

Over £650 was also awarded to the Young Swansea Artists for the planning and hosting of a young person's art exhibition in Swansea.

Swansea Youth Bank has been set up through a partnership between Swansea Council's Youth Service and Swansea Council for Voluntary Service (SCVS).

The panel of young grant givers in Swansea is made up of ten young people who come together to make decisions on which projects receive funding. Some of the ten have been involved since the inception of the local branch and helped to design application forms and to set funding criteria.

Funding so far has come from Swansea Council, Youth Bank UK and The Russell Commission.

Carol Green, Director of the Swansea Council for Voluntary Service, said: "This project provides a valuable opportunity for the leaders of the future to get first hand experience of how decisions and hard choices are made.

"Over the last year the Youth Bank has risen to the challenge and invested their time in learning skills that are vital to all our futures. SCVS is very proud to be supporting the Youth Bank Project."

Cllr Alan Robinson, Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Community Regeneration, said: "Swansea's Youth Bank branch has been an outstanding success since its inception.

"The scheme empowers young people to make decisions on how money that's intended for them should be spent locally. Not only does the scheme benefit the groups who receive funding but it also equips the young decision-makers with skills that will prove invaluable in later life."

The Youth Bank is now assessing its next round of funding and this year received 22 applications from young people looking to set up their own projects.

Contact Felicitie for more information about Swansea Youth Bank on swanseayouthbank@scvs.org.uk or 01792 544030.

Have a look at www.scvs.org.uk for more information about the Swansea Council for Voluntary Service.