The Government, in a move to put funding into the hands of young people, have provided Local Authorities with a further three years funding for both revenue and capital projects. In Cambridgeshire this amounts to over one and a half million pounds of funding for 2008-2012.

This funding has been put into the hands of young people who, through four Cambridgeshire Youth Banks, decide what projects put forward by other young people will be supported. Last year the Youth Banks considered over 260 applications made by young people and grants ranging from £130 to £127,000 were successfully awarded. Examples of some of the grants given are:

• Young people in Fenland received funding to set up a youth group in their village.
• Funding was awarded to young people in Bottisham who wanted to go to the Gauntlet Auto project.
• Young people from Huntingdon were awarded funding to build banger racing cars from scrap and enter these cars into a race meeting where they would be the pit crew.
• A group of young people from Cambridge received funding to start a community radio show aimed specifically at young people.

Further information on the four Cambridgeshire Youth Banks and the application process can be found on the Young Lives Youth Bank Cambridgeshire website with whom the County Council are working in partnership to deliver the project.