Think Differently - Young People and Alcohol - New Fund Launch Event - 25th June 2012

Date: 11th June 2012
Category:

The increasing rates of alcohol related harm within young people is a significant concern in Scotland and the rest of the UK. There is a requirement for innovative interventions that aim to move beyond the provision of general advice and support to young people, families and communities.

A group of Scottish and UK Funders led by The Robertson Trust and including Comic Relief, Children in Need, Joseph Rowntree Foundation as well as Scottish Government, is offering the chance to develop projects in Scotland which focus on three key themes:

• Families and young people - the importance of family influence on a young person's drinking is well established. There is however a lack of innovative interventions that look to support wider populations of parents, carers and families in addressing the reality of young people's drinking behaviour as well as the impact of their own drinking and risk behaviour.
• Young people and peers - social and friendship networks are important factors in the context of a young person's drinking. Often peer interventions focus on information giving and education. However there is a need for work that aims to support young people, their peers and friendship groups to moderate drinking, develop harm reduction approaches and build 'good friend' networks.
• Communities - agencies and stakeholders often work hard to engage community concerns through utilising existing local assets and resources. There is now an opportunity to fund projects that look to develop multi component projects that work with whole communities and young people to address local alcohol concerns.

The Funders have pledged significant funding of over £1 million across the next 3 years, from March 2013, to see the development and delivery of innovative early intervention approaches to alcohol working with young people, families and communities.

Please note that this is in addition to the main Comic Relief programmes and does not replace the existing Young People & Alcohol Programme. Current (and prospective!) Comic Relief grant holders are eligible to apply to this fund.

• See full details here.