East Lothian Courier | News | Youth cafe funding joy

Thursday, 24th July, 2008

Published: Friday, 30th June, 2006 12:08

Youth cafe funding joy

NORTH Berwick Youth Cafe is on a firmer financial footing after receiving grants totalling £14,000 over the next two years.

The money, provided by the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland, will subsidise the wages of project worker Laura Craig.

Laura has held the post for several years including periods when the youth cafe didn’t have a permenant location. Before that she worked as a volunteer when the cafe was known as TJs.

Laura and everyone at the youth cafe is delighted with the news.

She said: “It was great to be awarded the money from Lloyds TSB and to get a commitment for more than one year.

“Now that we are settled in the Hope Rooms, we are able to do some exciting activities with the young people and having some financial security allows us to plan ahead.”

The youth cafe applied for the grant in April.

It has a part-time project co-ordinator, who is responsible for managing the project and fundraising; a full-time project worker, responsible for the face-to-face youth work; and a bookkeeper who works for nine hours per month.

The application stressed that the cafe has forged good relationships with the young people in the town and a mutual respect has developed because of the continuity of relationship between Laura as project worker and the young people of North Berwick.

The Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland has supported the Youth Cafe in the past.

Last year, it granted £8,000 towards the project co-ordinator’s salary and, before that, £20,000 over three years towards the salary of the youth worker.

Project co-ordinator Lesley Kay said: “The youth cafe is on much firmer financial ground than it was a few months ago and we are very grateful to all those who have funded us.

“The local community has been a great support.Many thanks to the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland for continuing their funding of us.”

The foundation has provided a grant to another organisation in the county.

The Haddington based East Lothian Cardiac Rehabilitation Group has received £5,210.

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