A “LIFE-CHANGING” cash boost will help improve the digital skills of hundreds of young people at the Bridges Project in Musselburgh.

The funding – totalling £24,600 – from Musselburgh Area Partnership will go towards building an IT and education suite at the charity’s Bogpark Road premises.

The new facility is part of a digital inclusion initiative launched by the project, which works with young people in East Lothian and Midlothian to help them manage the transition from adolescence to young adulthood and life beyond school.

Emma Scarcliffe, CEO at the Bridges Project, said: “This money is life-changing for us as an organisation but, more importantly, will be life-changing for hundreds of marginalised, vulnerable and isolated young people who will access the IT and education suite for years to come.

“The opportunities are incredible with this project.

“Young people will have raised aspirations, achieve numerous accredited qualifications, improve their IT skills, develop confidence and self-belief, secure further training and employment opportunities, gain specialised support at Bridges Project and so much more.”

She added: “We look forward to working with Musselburgh Area Partnership and all of our existing and new partners to improve the educational and employability outcomes of generations for years to come.”

The new suite will give young people with limited digital access and skills the opportunity to use computers and tablets, and receive mentoring in digital skills.

This will include assistance with applications for housing, Universal Credit, college, jobs and other day-to-day applications that require digital access and basic digital skills.

As well as this, the facility will enable staff to improve young people’s experience of its existing learning programmes, in addition to delivering larger learning groups.

It is also hoped that the suite will be utilised by other local organisations that work with digitally excluded young people.

A project spokesman added: “The IT and education suite will reduce the digital inclusion gap experienced by many young people in the local community.

“It will provide digitally excluded young people with better access to digital infrastructure and help them develop the confidence and digital skills they need to enter the digital world and access vital services.

“They will also learn essential digital skills for the world of work and raise their educational attainment.

“We are confident these factors will all increase young people’s life chances.”

Iain Clark, chairman of Musselburgh Area Partnership, said: “Musselburgh Area Partnership looks to provide support and engage with local partners who will help meet our aim of reducing inequalities and raising attainment and achievement in our community.

“Having read and heard in detail about the Bridges Project initiative GetConnected, our members happily agreed to fund this project, which we feel will have a very positive impact on young people in our community.”

Stuart Baxter, East Lothian Council Connected Communities manager for the Musselburgh area, commented: “This project helps Musselburgh Area Partnership focus on reducing inequalities, as well as addressing priorities within the East Lothian Plan.

“I would also like to acknowledge the financial support from East Lothian Council that underpins the work of the area partnership to fund initiatives that address priorities within their local community.”