Alyth youth worker takes funding fight to Holyrood

Nov 10 2009 by Johnathon Menzies, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

A YOUTH worker from Alyth has taken her funding fight to the Scottish Parliament.

Kimby Tosh (18), who works with Blairgowrie’s Strathmore Centre for Youth Development (SCYD), wants Scottish Government-imposed funding cuts affecting groups like ProjectScotland reversed.

Formerly a self-confessed “teenage tearaway”, Kimby credits SCYD with turning her life around after several drink-fuelled run-ins with the law from the age of 13.

ProjectScotland provided the finance for the youngster to carry out her work with the East Perthshire group and, while over 130 other people in Perth and Kinross have benefited similarly over the years, only 13 were able to undertake projects in 2008-09 after financial backing was slashed.

Kimby started the alcohol awareness group, Core Spirits, earlier this year and travelled to the capital to lodge a 1271-signature petition in a bid to ensure similar initiatives are allowed to get off the ground.

After making an impassioned speech to the petitions committee, she said: “I wanted to stress to them how big a role ProjectScotland has played in my life because, without their support, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

“I wouldn’t have had the confidence or the self-discipline to set up something like Core Spirits without spending the time with SCYD, and it was Projectscotland that got me involved with them in the first place,” she said.

After lobbying politicians in Edinburgh, Kimby travelled to London to take part in the Big Challenge event – which could result in her winning a share of £60,000 earmarked to help young people fund community projects.

As a result of its success, Kimby is set to spread Core Spirits’ message on the streets of the Strathmore area, alongside officers from Tayside Police, from November 14.

Craig Cantwell, manager of the SCYD building on Blairgowrie’s Leslie Street, paid tribute to Kimby’s determination, saying: “We couldn’t do the things we do for young people without Projectscotland.’’

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser talked up Kimby’s chances of making an impact, after the committee agreed to take the petition forward.

He said: “I back Kimby Tosh’s call to urge the Scottish Government to keep youth volunteering high up the political agenda and to develop and implement a national youth volunteering policy for Scotland.

“ProjectScotland has proven to be an excellent initiative, that both inspires young people and gives them practical skills.’’