Alderney young people to be given grants to help them avoid addiction
A NEW grant scheme has been created for the Alderney community to support young people in the prevention of drug and alcohol use.
The Youth Commission and Health Improvement Commission have teamed up to create the scheme.
Called the Alderney Inspire Fund, it will provide funding to support young people to take part in any activity or initiative that seeks to prevent the onset of drug and alcohol use, to steer young people away from criminal activity involving drugs and alcohol or to support those young people who are already struggling with substance issues.
Activities can be after school, on weekends or during holiday periods.
For example, it could be a one-off project for a young person or a group for an extended period and could cover areas such as music, arts, creativity, sport or physical activity, adventure or the environment.
Off-island initiatives will also be considered.
Applications for a grant are invited year-round and a panel will meet within two weeks of applications being received to consider them.
Aaron Davies, service lead at the Youth Commission for Guernsey and Alderney, was grateful for the Health Improvement Commission’s support.
‘This new grant giving scheme aims to empower the Alderney community to design their own projects and interventions to further support young people in their community around substance use education, prevention and interventions,’ he said.
Andrea Nightingale, substance use lead at the Health Improvement Commission, said having visited the Alderney Youth Club and speaking to young people, the commission has found out what Alderney’s youth is interested in, what inspires them and what their aspirations are.
‘We wanted to give them the opportunity to own this scheme and try out new activities as a group or as individuals,’ she said.
‘With the youth worker living locally, the scheme can be promoted and organised within the community and hopefully some of the initiatives and activities may become sustainable.’
. For more information on the Alderney Inspire Fund or for support when applying, email Cleo.Thomas@youthcommission.gg.
