£50,000 to transform young Wyre lives

Projects in Wyre that help young substance abusers turn their lives around are set to benefit from a £50,000 community chest.

A new charitable partnership, the Wyre Young Transformers, is being piloted in the borough and if successful could be rolled out to the rest of Lancashire.

The programme has been set up by the Wyre Community Safety Partnership and the pot of money is being filled courtesy of Community Foundation for Lancashire, Wyre Borough Council, the Home Office and Lancashire Drug and Alcohol Action Team (LDAAT).

Grants of up to £5,000 will be available to grass-roots community groups with income of less than £30,000 per annum who tackle substance misuse, help young people make a positive contribution to the economy and provide activity that leads to divert young people away from crime.

The partners are confident that pooling resources, sharing best practice and working alongside local communities in this way will lead to better solutions for young people in need of support.

Councillor Pete Murphy, Living Communities Portfolio Holder for Wyre Borough Council, said: "This is great news for our area. This innovative partnership approach to supporting all areas of Wyre with positive activities will reap benefits for years to come and improve the quality of life of local residents."

Glen Lockett, Director at Community Foundation for Lancashire, said: "Previous work by Community Foundations shows that these partnerships make a real difference to the reduction of anti-social behaviour and help change the aspirations of young people.

"We re delighted that we have the opportunity to show that this partnership can work in Wyre and look forward to making an impact alongside our partners."

The Lancashire Drug and Alcohol Action Team believes that priority must be given to young people.

Chris Lee, Commissioning Manager for North Lancashire at LDAAT, added:  A key strand in our strategy is better education and communication of the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

"We work closely with groups across the county who are developing grassroots approaches to limit the harm caused to individuals and communities by substance misuse, especially where young people are at risk. That s why LDAAT decided to invest in this important project."

Wyre Young Transformers was officially launched on Friday 12 June as part of a drug tackling showcase in Preston.

For more details about the programme, contact Community Foundation for Lancashire on 0844 561 9649 or visit www.lancsfoundation.org.uk.

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