Cashback Award for Counselling Service

Tuesday April 25 2023

Homelessness charity Bethany Christian Trust has been awarded more than £250,000 for its youth counselling service.

Bethany’s Upstream service will offer support and guidance to young people with mental health struggles, or who are going through adverse experiences such as poverty, trauma, bereavement or relationship breakdown.

The charity says that the award of £264,658 from the Scottish Government’s Cashback for Communities programme will help them reduce the risk of homelessness among young people.

Martin Fraser, Upstream Counselling and Families Manager said: “Bethany Christian Trust’s youth counselling team are absolutely delighted to have been awarded CashBack for Communities funds. We are looking forward to providing a high quality therapeutic and psychological service to young people, that is both free and easily accessible within their communities. We are hopeful that through our Love, Serve, Value approach, we can make a meaningful impact to young people and families who are struggling with their mental health.”

Cashback for Communities reinvests money recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act to organisations and projects working with young people who are at risk of entering the criminal justice system. Phase six of the programme, running for three years from April 2023, will distribute a total of £20m among 29 organisations.

Commenting at the time of the award, then Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: To provide the best chances for their future, we should nurture all young people to fulfil their potential – through interventions which help reduce the risk of offending and that encourage positive behaviour.

“For the past 15 years, Cashback has helped millions of young people across Scotland to find better futures and reach their full potential and we know from first-hand experience the transformational impact the programme has had on young people’s lives.”

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