South Yorkshire youth projects share £6.9m funding boost

The new £2.5m Sharrow Community Forum centre will be built on the site of an adventure playground

Youth groups in South Yorkshire have been given millions of pounds as part of a government scheme to tackle anti-social behaviour.

The Sharrow Community Forum in Sheffield gets £2.5m while the city's High Green Scout Group gets £1.8m to build a new centre.

Other recipients of money from the Youth Investment Fund include Doncaster Air Scouts, which is to get £1.3m.

The group plans to build a new hall with space for a flight simulator.

Jonathan Roberts, CEO of the Sharrow Community Forum, said they were "absolutely thrilled" at the grant.

The community charity, based in the south of the city, was set up in 1997 and works to support children, young people and families.

Mr Roberts said the money would be used to construct a three-storey building on the site of the Highfield Adventure Playground and would offer music, arts and job training opportunities for young people.

Meanwhile, just over £1m has been awarded to The Montgomery Theatre and Arts Centre in Sheffield to renovate its Montgomery Hall youth theatre space.

The national £300m funding was announced in March as part of the prime minister's Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan.

The money is targeted at areas with high incidents of anti-social behaviour to support out-of-school activities, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: "I want every young person to have the opportunity to access the kinds of life-changing activities which expand their horizons and allow them to develop vital life skills."