THE West Devon Community Safety Partnership has allocated funding to its Youth Issues Action Team for worthy projects.

The Action Team has been working closely with young people to identify projects that meet the priorities of the current Community Safety Strategy.

The Team is using the money to enable local youth projects to get off the ground, by providing funds for additional equipment, money for transport costs and professional coaching advice, and improving current facilities.

The principal aims of the Youth Issues Action Team are to:

l Increase the opportunities for youth involvement in community issues and decision-making

l Provide more facilities for young people

l Reduce youth crime.

The projects are identified by young people, who also apply for the funding up to a maximum of £1,000 per project.

The local Youth Councils are also involved in the process, by inputting their comments on each funding request.

The Team has granted funding to the following projects:

l Basketball Team, Okehampton

l Pathfinders, Lewdown

l North Tawton Youth and Community Centre

l ?Angry Skaters?, Okehampton

l Okehampton ATC

l Stannary Brass Band

l Taviskate

l Tavistock Youth Café

l Ten Tors 2004

l ?Girls At Large?, Okehampton ? the bid is still under consideration with the group.

A special event will take place in March 2004, to enable the young people from the projects to put on displays.

They will also be able to provide information on their projects to local people and the Community Safety Partnership.

This will raise the profile of young people in our communities and how hard they work to get projects off the ground as well as giving other young people the opportunity to get involved.

Additional funding has been obtained by the Youth Issues Action Team, to provide drama presentations and workshop sessions on alcohol misuse in the three main secondary schools.

Around 1,000 Key Stage 3 students benefited from this funding at Tavistock College, Okehampton College and Kelly College.

Agencies in West Devon are aware of the growing problem around alcohol misuse and the Youth Issues Action Team recognises the importance to provide education for young people.

The drama presentations were provided by Solomon Associates who toured ?Trickster? ? a musical drama dealing with bogus callers.

?Trickster? played to around 200 West Devon residents in October last year.