GIRVAN Youth Trust, one of the 15 initiatives fighting alcohol misuse in Scotland, has been awarded more than £13,500 from the Scotch Whisky Action Fund. (SWA)

The group were awarded some £13,507 to include alcohol misuse and related drug awareness for their established diversionary sports programme for local young people.

The Scotch Whisky Action Fund extends the SWA’s commitment to addressing alcohol misuse and promoting responsible drinking and is managed by Foundation Scotland, an independent charity.

The fund supports and develops a range of initiatives that deliver targeted interventions to tackle alcohol-related harms across three areas: young people (aged under 18), families and communities.

All the initiatives to receive backing in this year’s round of funding are selected by an independent awards panel, chaired by Dame Joan Stringer.

The initiatives are spread across Scotland from Ayrshire to Elgin.
Dame Joan Stringer said: “As in previous years, I was very impressed with the quality of projects applying for awards from the Scotch Whisky Action Fund.

“All the projects being awarded have a great deal to contribute to tackling alcohol misuse across Scotland in a number of innovative ways.”

Karen Betts, Scotch Whisky Association chief executive, added: “We’re committed to tackling alcohol misuse and our action fund is an example of our work in this area. We’re pleased that have been able to make 37 awards since we launched the fund in 2013. 

“It’s particularly encouraging to see such a diverse range of projects being awarded this year, from those working with young people in schools to those working with carers. We’re delighted to support these initiatives working in their communities to prevent and reduce misuse and would encourage organisations to apply for the latest round of funding.”

The fund is open for applications until Friday, June 29 at https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/programmes/scotch-whisky-action-fund/