Suffolk Young People's Health Project (SYPHP) was awarded a grant of £1,000,000.00 by Big Lottery Fund in November 2001 for a period of five years. The Big Lottery Fund is the largest distributor of lottery money to projects for health, education and the environment.
Suffolk Young People's Health Project began to draw on this money from September 2003. The one million grant money was split into revenue expenditure of £813,500.00 and capital expenditure of £186,500.00.

Extract from The Angle, February 2002:

£ 1 m boost for health project

Young people in Suffolk have been given a £1 million boost to help provide a new drop-in centre geared specifically towards their health and general well being. The partnership project has been given the go ahead from the new opportunities Fund which is funding the scheme from its Healthy Living Centre Programme.

The Suffolk Young People's health Project is one of a number of projects across the UK that is receiving Healthy Living Centre funding to address health inequalities. Now the search is on for a social centre in Ipswich to provide advice from youth workers, a cafe providing low cost healthy food, creche and other specialist services. It is designed for people between the ages of 13 and 25 within a 12-mile radius of the town centre and aims to: address health inequalities experienced by disadvantaged groups; tackle drug and alcohol misuse; provide sexual health and contraceptive advice; boost the confidence and self-esteem of young people; offer free legal and careers advice.

Dr Brain Keeble, chair of the project's management committee, said: "This is fantastic news for the young people of Suffolk and for somewhat older group of people who have spent five years planning the project. I am grateful to the New Opportunities Fund for giving us the chance to make a reality of our vision for a young people's centre and to all those who have helped the project get to where it is today. Now the hard work really begins."

Stephen Dunmore, Chief Executive of the New Opportunities Fund, said "The Suffolk Young Peoples Health Project is a good example of partners pooling their expertise and resources to offer a comprehensive service under one roof. We wish them well in their search for a suitable venue and look forward to seeing their vision of a one-stop-shop for young people get off the ground."

The Project will work closely with a number of partners including Ipswich Borough Council, other local councils, health groups, careers advisers and the newly established Connexions service for Suffolk.