Tag: Circle

Lottery boost for Haven project

circle familyWest Pilton-based charity Circle  has been awarded £10000 from the Communities and Families fund, an initiative supported by the Scottish Government and Big Lottery Fund. The grant will support activities at Circle’s Haven Project based at Craigroyston Primary School.

Announcing the awards earlier this week, Maureen McGinn, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund Scotland Committee, said: “I’m delighted to announce today’s grants for projects that encourage healthy lifestyles, outdoor activities, and support with parenting skills. The aim of the Communities and Families Fund is to help give children the best start in life and we’re keen to hear from groups across the country that could benefit from this funding. Details of our simple application process can be found on our website or by calling 0300 123 7110.”

The £10,000 grant to The Family Service Unit Scotland (Circle) will help families in the Craigroyston area to improve their health and wellbeing by learning key parenting skills. As well as providing a series of outdoor trips and family events, the project will also encourage fathers to be more actively involved in their child’s development.

Anna Flaherty, Manager of Circle, said: “Circle Haven is a community based project providing support to children and families living in the area to improve the general wellbeing of the whole family. The project comes into daily contact with families experiencing hardship, as well as ill health, unemployment, family break up, drug and alcohol addiction.

“The funding will enable us to provide quality experiences that families otherwise would not have. We do this by delivering group work programmes for parents and children that ultimately encourages educational experiences for parents, children and babies, increases social networks, offers peer support and improves the participants’ general health and wellbeing.”

Aileen Campbell, Minister for Children and Families, said: “I am delighted to see the wide range of projects the Communities and Families Fund supports and the latest projects to receive funding. I want Scotland to be the best place to grow up and our joint venture with the Big Lottery Fund aims to help families and communities flourish by supporting local projects that can make a big impact on improving the lives of children and families.”

The Communities and Families Fund has a budget of £4.5 million from The Scottish Government and £1.5 million from the Big Lottery Fund. Groups can apply for funding from £250 to £10,000.

To find out more about the scheme and how to apply, visit:

www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_communities_and_families_fund

or telephone 0300 123 7110.

Tree-mendous Circle send-off for Mae and Bob

Mae and Bob making their speeches

Two local workers retired last week after thirty years service with the West Pilton-based charity Circle. The popular pair won’t be forgotten, however – Mae and Bob have had trees named after them at Circle’s head office!

Mae Duncan and Bob Griffiths have supported children and young people in the North Edinburgh area for over 30 years and were joined by colleagues, friends and family at a retirement party organised by Circle in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

Mae, 65, was brought up in West Pilton and now lives in Salvesen, while Bob has lived in the area for 40 years and still lives in Greater Pilton.

Mae attended Pennywell Primary School and then Ainslie Park High School, where she took a course in Commercial Studies. She later studied Child Care at Stevenson College and the Greater Pilton Child Care Centre.

Bob went to Craigentinny Primary School and later to Norton Park Secondary School, which he left at the age of 15 with no qualifications. Like Mae, he studied Child Care at the Greater Pilton Child Care Centre.

The pair ran two projects at Circle. The first was the Inter School Social Education Project (ISSEP), where 5th and 6th year students from Edinburgh secondary schools mentored primary-aged children from North Edinburgh.

The second was the Under Fives, where Mae and Bob worked with children in the Pilton area for 2 – 5 mornings per week and helped parents to understand the importance of boundaries and play in their child’s development.

Reflecting on her time at Circle, Mae said: “I have always thoroughly enjoyed my time with Circle and will always be grateful for the help and support I received whilst doing my child care training.”

Mae and Bob Receiving Presents From Liz Dahl, Chief Exec

Their work at Circle has made a huge impact on the local community, as they have supported many children and parents over the past 30 years. Liz Dahl, Circle’s Chief Executive (pictured above), praised their contribution:

“I would like to take this opportunity to wish Mae and Bob well in their retirement and thank them for the over 60 years of combined service they have given to the organisation. They will be hugely missed by everyone at Circle and especially by the generation of families they have worked with over the years.”

When asked about their favourite memory from their time at Circle, both Bob and Mae said that they have far too many good memories to simply choose one!

Mae and Bob are now looking forward to pursuing their hobbies during their retirement. Mae will read, do crafts and spend more time with her family, while Bob is interested in computers and other gadgets, and will have more time to “potter about with them.” Both may also go on to try new things.

Bob and Mae planted young trees named in their honour at Circle’s HQ in West Pilton Park before they left, and hopefully the wee trees – like their ‘more mature’ namesakes – will be branching out sometime soon!

Best wishes, Mae and Bob – and to little Bob and Mae too!

Bob planting his tree in Circle's front garden

Mae planting her tree in Circle's front garden