A SCHEME which strips crooks of their ill-gotten gains has provided almost £1million worth of investment to steer young people across East Renfrewshire away from crime.

The CashBack for Communities initiative reinvests criminal assets into projects which aim to give youngsters a positive future.

And in the first decade since the scheme was launched in 2008, a total of £949,331 was invested in more than 30,000 activities in East Renfrewshire.

This included funding of almost £70,000 paid out to local projects during 2017/18.
Among those who benefited from the fund and delivered projects in East Renfrewshire last year are the Ocean Youth Trust, basketballscotland, Creative Scotland and YouthLink Scotland.

The next phase of funding will take total investment in the programme, which is unique to Scotland, to almost £110m.

Renfrewshire South MSP Tom Arthur, whose constituency includes Barrhead, Uplawmoor and part of Neilston, is urging local organisations to apply for their share of the CashBack funding.

He said: “It’s great to see further funding going towards a scheme which is making a difference to young lives here in Renfrewshire South.

“Every young person growing up in Scotland deserves to have an equal chance of success, no matter their circumstances, and CashBack has a vital part to play in expanding young people’s horizons and helping them reach their full potential.

“I would encourage any local charities or organisations looking to benefit from funding to find out more by visiting the scheme’s website.”

For details on how to apply for funding through the CashBack for Communities programme, go online at https://cashbackforcommunities.org before the deadline of June 28.

Read the latest from the Barrhead News