A CAMPAIGN aiming to educate teenagers on the risks of driving dangerously has issued a plea for funding.

The Central Safe Drive, Stay Alive project has launched for 2024, with shows being held throughout this week to school pupils across Forth Valley.

As part of their mission to inform future drivers of the importance of driving safely, the team put on a stage show based on a real life incident of someone who was killed in a road traffic accident.

The show features members of the police, fire service, ambulance service and also families and friends of people whose lives have been changed by dangerous driving.

Alan Faulds, organiser of the Safe Drive, Stay Alive show, spoke to the Advertiser and explained the project was in urgent need of funding.

“The only problem we have with the whole thing is funding,” he said. “We’re thankful to all the councils who give us some funding but it’s nowhere near enough to put the full thing on.

“There’s a big gap in funding we receive and the cost to put the show on so every year, we apply to little funds here and there.

“We started fundraising for this year’s show seven months ago and every year it’s getting much more difficult.

“The chance of next year’s shows going on is dwindling and it would be a shame if the shows were to end due to funding issues.”

Alan has been organising the Safe Drive, Stay Alive show for 16 years now, taking groups of pupils from almost every school in Forth Valley along to the Macrobert.

He reported that young people are disproportionately more likely to be killed on roads than any other age group, proving the necessity for shows like this to continue.

Alan’s plea for funding has been backed by local Tory MSP Alexander Stewart, who has been a staunch supporter of the project for almost 10 years now.

Mr Stewart attended the opening show on Monday, February 5 and has lodged a parliamentary motion to call for more funding.

He said: “I was absolutely delighted to have met again with everyone involved.

“These performances never lose their poignancy and are a stark reminder to all of the consequences of reckless, careless or dangerous driving.

“I do also share, however, the deep disappointment of the organisers that – due to a shortage of available funding and the increased costs involved – that they were unable to run any shows on the Friday of this year.

“For this, I would say to everyone that urgent assistance and funding are necessary to help sustain this excellent project into the future.”