Border Telegraph | News | Million pound boost for local project

Friday, 29th August, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 23rd January, 2008 10:30

Million pound boost for local project

By Caitlin Smith

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A MASSIVE million pound funding package has been donated to a Borders scheme that helps young people with drink and drug issues.

The Reiver Project is set to receive more than £500,000 from the Big Lottery Fund to support local teenagers.

And this sum has been matched almost pound for pound by Scottish Borders Council, NHS Borders and various banks, including Lloyds TSB.

Michelle Ballantyne, the head of Borders Counselling on Alcohol and Substances welcomed the cash boost but said they still had a long way to go in minimising cases of drug and alcohol abuse in the area.

She told the Border Telegraph: “We still face a massive challenge in tackling these issues, but as the project proceeds we can expect the drug habit in teenagers to minimise.

“The funding will help us reach the whole spectrum of young people from those thinking about having their first drink to alcoholics and heroin-users.”

The five-year support fund aims to give an individually designed counselling service for youths and their family to make them aware of the adverse effects of their habit.

The project will also include a mobile information service and will make use of the possibility of educational institutions, hospitals and the local police to tackle the problem.

Alison Magee of the Big Lottery Fund said: “The alcohol and drug habits always remain a problem despite the age group.

“But it is important to support the young people to triumph over this ruining habit that will allow them to contribute effectively to the development of the communities.”

The Reiver Project will relaunch as face2face in April.

It plans to hold a competition for young people under-18 to design a new logo for the group.

Further details in next week’s Border Telegraph.

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