The 77th Fife (Kelty) Scouts Group has received a major boost - thanks to money seized from criminals as part of the CashBack for Communities Small Grants Scheme.

The money came as part of the first round of applications for cash from the scheme, which hugely exceeded the expectations of the six partner organisations.

Kenny McAskill MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, presented the first Start-up Grant to the 77th Fife (Kelty) Scout Group during the Scottish Scouts Annual Award Ceremony held at Hampden Park on 13th June.

The Group was restarted in late 2009 with the help of Rosyth District, having been dormant for five years. It currently has Beavers and Cubs and intends starting a Scout Troop in August. Two of the Cubs, Sarah and Calum, who will join the new Troop after the summer, received a cheque for £1,000 from Kenny McAskill, which will be used to buy camping equipment. Neither has camped under canvas before and both are looking forward to being in Scouts and enjoying 'real camping'.

Kenny McAskill said: "Scouting is a very valuable local activity that offers young people the opportunity to make a positive contribution to their. It is fitting that a Scout Troop from Fife is the first to benefit from this new grants project given that I launched this scheme at the end of March just a few miles away from Kelty, at Fordell Firs.

"The creation of this new Scout Troop using cash seized from crooks is exactly what CashBack is all about. CashBack aims to redress the balance, to put criminals' money back into the communities that they have taken from in the first place

"Many of our communities have been scarred by criminal activity and CashBack is the Scottish Government's way of giving them hope and aspirations for the future. The creation of the 77th Fife Scouts Group is clear evidence of the bad guys' money being put into good ideas with a long term future."