In its latest grant round, BBC Children in Need has announced a total of £83,700 in new funding to Stirling-based organisation, Paws for Progress CIC.

The news means that BBC Children in Need now funds six projects in Stirling with over £297,000 hard at work to benefit young lives in the region.

Over the next three years, funding will allow the group to cover the salary of a full-time community officer to deliver Unleashing Potential, a project matching trained dogs with young people who find social situations challenging.

Building on the success of a pilot programme launched last year, the group will engage under 18s with additional support needs, including those with ADHD, dyspraxia and autism, in positive activities with dogs to enhance social contact, improve communication skills and increase engagement in communication.

At the project, participants learn about dog behaviour, care and positive reinforcement training.

Each session includes a mix of theory and practice, and in addition to working individually with their dogs, youngsters will have a chance to work in groups with their peers, all of which creates multiple opportunities for learning. The service is also youth-led, which means that that the project is constantly learning from its participants and responding to their individual needs. Young people benefit from an improved attitude toward education and a boost to their confidence.

Speaking of the new funding Rebecca Leonardi the development manager at the project said: “Many of the young people who come to our project have additional behavioural, emotional or social needs and this can affect how they interact in different environments.

"In some cases, even engaging in education can be challenging. At Paws for Progress we feel passionate about the benefits of human - animal interaction. You can clearly see the change in our young people when they come into contact with the dogs – they become more relaxed and therefore receptive to new experiences. With this funding from BBC Children in Need we can work to reach even more young people, making a positive difference to their lives.”

Speaking of the grant, Mary Duffy, national head of Scotland for BBC Children in Need said: “We are delighted to give this new grant to Paws for Progress for their work to support disadvantaged children and young people in Stirling.

"They join nearly 260 great projects that we fund across the country. Of course, none of our grants would be possible without the continued support of our fundraisers and everyone who donates to the Charity each year. Thanks to your generosity, children and young people in Scotland will have a brighter future.”