Since 2008, over £90 million has been spent on over 2 million projects across Scotland, including £568,084 in Orkney. 

CashBack for Communities used £19 million recovered from criminal activity to support 24 organisations in Scotland during Phase 5 of the programme, which ran from April 2020 to March 2023, to support young people, including those who may be at risk from being drawn into antisocial behaviour or criminality.

CashBack for Communities is a unique programme and has helped to provide new opportunities for more than 28,000 young people in the past year.

Since its inception, the scheme has committed up to £130 million to fund a range of projects, delivering more than 2.5 million activities and supporting around 1.3 million young people across Scotland.

A new evaluation of activity support in 2022-23 has been published: CashBack for Communities

In Orkney £568,084 has been spent (2008 – 2023) funding 21,849 activities. For the latest period 2022-23: £19,015 has been spent supporting 386 activities.

Orkney CashBack for Communities

This funding has been targeted at projects supporting young people at risk of anti-social behaviour, those impacted by adverse childhood experiences and to help under-25s improve their health and wellbeing.  

Commenting on the CashBack for Communities funding, Highlands and Islands SNP MSP Emma Roddick said:  

“CashBack for Communities has been a vital support to young people in Orkney, helping those in need to turn their lives around and gain access to employment, education, and volunteering opportunities.  

“This scheme has seen £568,084 invested since 2008 in local projects like Orkney Youth Café, supporting projects that teach things like financial education and online safety.  

“These projects make a real difference to the lives of young people across Orkney and I warmly welcome the commitment from the SNP Government that this will continue until at least 2026.” 

Fiona Grahame