Cash windfall to warn teens about gaming addiction
Young people will be helped to dodge the dangers of gaming addiction through a new programme being launched by Renfrewshire Leisure.
The eSports Athlete initiative will be launched early next year after the Scottish Government announced the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF) would give a £ 7,450 grant towards the programme.
It will get going at Paisley Central Library, with young people between the ages of 12 and 18 taking part.
Youngsters will be able to get up to speed by being shown how they can use their computer skills to make a career in eSports and its associated industries as content creators.
Workshops will be on art and design, photography, filmography, streaming, casting and improving their performance through planning and training.
Renfrewshire Leisure’s Sports Services team will also encourage young people to stage workshops on health and well-being.
Renfrewshire Leisure’s chairman Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes said: “We appreciate the opportunity we’ve been given by the Scottish Government funding to be able to run with this innovative programme.
“The eSports Athlete Programme gives young people a healthy way to enjoy computer games as part of a balanced lifestyle and hopefully, spark inspiration about pursuing a career in the gaming industry.”
Renfrewshire is one of 11 public library projects across Scotland that will share a combined fund of £201,269 from PLIF, which supports the transformation and modernisation of public libraries through the enhancement of creative projects.
Administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council ( SLIC) on behalf of the Scottish Government, PLIF is distributed annually to support innovation within the public library sector.
The fund plays a key role in helping library services achieve the vision set out by the national public library strategy, Ambition & Opportunity.
Projects address a wide range of issues such as literacy, digital training and social isolation.