Published: Thursday, 24th January, 2008 12:30
Crime cash used to fund football
By Alloa news room
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OCHIL MSP Keith Brown is eager to see Clackmannanshire benefit from a Scottish Government plan to use £2.2 million seized from organised crime to fund new football opportunities.
Around 30,000 young people in Scotland could benefit, and Mr Brown told the Advertiser, “We said in our manifesto we would divert money from criminals back into communities and now we are delivering.
“Like most of Scotland, Clackmannanshire has had at least some problems with crime like drug dealing at one end of the spectrum and youth disorder at the other.
“What the Government is doing is win-win – taking the money seized from one crime and using it to hopefully reduce the other by creating more opportunities for young people.
“My love of football is no secret, and I’ll always welcome more funding for young people who want to get involved in the game.
“This is a nationwide programme, but I especially look forward to seeing the benefits here in Clackmannanshire.”
The Scottish Government will be working with the Scottish Football Association and Bank of Scotland over the next three years to deliver a national network of five-a-side football activity for young people, based in 32 venues across the country, each aiming to involve at least 300 young people.
The initiative also involves expanding the current Soccer One programme in schools to create 1300 new schools-based football teams involving up to 19,500 young people, the creation of six new schools-based football academies for P7 pupils and funding 1700 new volunteer coaches.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said, “Criminals don’t contribute to our communities – they live off them.
“That harms our economy but it also saps self-confidence and ambition – especially among young people.
“That’s why it’s time for crime to pay and for the cash they make off the backs of law abiding folk to flow back into our communities.”
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