National Lottery funding gets lives back on track

£4 million funding boost for 29 Scottish groups

Four Edinburgh projects were among 29 groups to receive a share of £4 million Lottery grants announced today.

Edinburgh City Youth Cafe (above) receive £195,000 to develop their project which offers support to young people who have been victims of crime, while get2gether have been awarded £145,000 to deliver a range of social events for people with disabilities. Hibernian Community Foundation have scored £148,500 to deliver a three year programme of activites for older people experiencing social isolation and the Welcoming Association has been awarded over £118,000 to continue to run and further develop their befriending programme for newly-arrived refugees.

The Hibernian Community Foundation project, which is participant led, will deliver a wide range of activities including IT skills, gardening, walking, cooking, music and a holiday programme. The programme will also provide volunteering opportunities and will engage with almost 400 people across the life of the project.

Brenda Black, Hibernian Community Foundation Manager, said: “We are really pleased to receive this award and it will allow us to continue to build on our community engagement with older people.

“Our aim is to build our connections to help improve health and wellbeing and reduce social isolation for older people in our communities”.

MORE Scots recovering from addiction will get a second chance at life as an award winning bicycle refurbishing project in West Lothian today receives National Lottery cash to expand its activities and open its doors to more people.

1^st Step, run by staff and volunteers many of whom have been affected by addiction, is one of 29 groups across the country sharing in £4,165,316 from the National Lottery Community Fund.

The group (above) receives £137,934 to develop and continue its bike refurbishment programme, 1st Step Bikes, for people in recovery in West Lothian and Falkirk. Based in Linlithgow Community Recycling Centre, it provides new skills and volunteering opportunities to people like 1^st Step Bike Mechanic Stephen McKnight, 37, who credits the group for helping him to rebuild his life after nearly two decades of being stuck in addiction and the criminal justice system.

Stephen said: “I first became involved with 1^st Step Bikes in 2016 with a simple idea of creating a group for people affected by addiction, like me, to learn some transferable skills. The plan was to break some of the isolation that addiction can cause and make some connections between ourselves and other support networks within the community.

“Over the last three years I have been one of the lead mechanics within the project, which has given me structure to my life and taught me to be responsible. Most importantly, it has helped me to repair and rebuild relationships with my loved ones. Enabling me to be a son, a brother, a partner and a father which would not have been possible without the continuous support from 1st Step and the new relationships I have been able to make.”

Volunteers at 1^st Step Bikes fix up old unwanted bikes and give them a new lease of life before they are sold or gifted back to the community. In doing so they complete an accredited training course and thereafter many move onto more positive destinations such as paid work or college.

Maria Throp, Development Manager, 1^st Step Development Ventures, said: “We are all extremely excited to have received this award from the National Lottery. It will make a huge difference to what our team can achieve in terms of providing support and training for people and families getting their lives back on track after being affected by addiction.

“We are a community group run by a mixture of people, many of whom have been affected by addiction. Anyone can be affected by addiction at any time in their lives and it can have huge impacts for individuals, families and communities.

“At 1^st Step we’re all about getting people together to provide a positive environment, where they can support each other and work together, and make a real difference to themselves, each other and the wider community.

“We are also very grateful for the support of our local partners including Police Scotland, West Lothian College and West Lothian Council who let us base our workshop at the Linlithgow Recycling Centre. By working together we can really get things done.”

Announcing today’s funding to 29 projects across Scotland, Maureen McGinn, The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland Chair, said: “This £4minvestment will allow more groups across Scotland to expand and develop their activities to help improve the health and wellbeing of hundreds of people and their families.

“Through these projects, people will gain new skills and confidence to help achieve their ambitions and move on to more positive destinations. I want to say thanks to all the National Lottery players who have helped make this possible.”

Last year The National Lottery Community Fund gave out over £48m of National Lottery funding to community projects across Scotland. Over 1130 projects benefitted from this, enabling people and communities to bring their ideas to life.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk

Persevered: Journey’s end for happy Hibees!

Scottish Cup Trophy Tour hits the magic 114 target today!

2016 was a memorable year, with so many events of world importance. It was the remarkable twelve months when the impossible became possible. Brexit. Donald Trump becoming President of the USA. And Hibs winning the Scottish Cup! Continue reading Persevered: Journey’s end for happy Hibees!

GameChanger community event at Easter Road

Get connected with your community this Tuesday

GameChanger are holding a free Community Event on Tuesday 12 April at Easter Road Stadium, taking place between 11am to 3pm.

The awareness day will help to showcase to the community what there is in the local area to help with their health and well-being, and is another event which demonstrates the positive impact GameChanger is having in the local area.

Attendees will be able to find out information across a wide spectrum of health issues including fitness, addiction support and mental health, as well as the related sub-topics that can help with your well-being, including information on healthy cooking, community gardening, yoga and dance.

Not only will it cover health and well-being, but it aims to highlight how to help with your employability and will offer advice on improving your digital skillset too. Information will be available for learning opportunities for students with varying disabilities and needs, as well as assistance for carers and advice on relationships and sex for young people. You can even find out what is happening at the upcoming Leith Festival.

For those with a keen football interest, you will also be able to discover a free online learning opportunity with the University of Edinburgh to study Football: More than a Game as well as opportunities for credit bearing face to face learning.

The event will take place within the Eighteen75 and Edinburgh Suites within the West Stand at Easter Road Stadium.

Goalden opportunity for football fun!

Lothian Autistic Society teams up with Hibs

Healthy Hibee Scott tackles diabetes head on

‘Around 4% of the population of Lothian have diabetes – which although is a life-long condition, as Scott has proved, it does not need to stop you living a full and normal life’ – Dr Alan Jaap

Hibernian midfield star Scott Allan inspired young people with diabetes at a special event at Easter Road on Monday. Scott was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a child, and the recently-named SPFL Championship Player of the Year is the perfect person to prove that the condition need not stand in the way of a successful sporting career.

The event, the first in a series of health promotion activities planned by the Hibernian Community Foundation and NHS Lothian, saw around 100 children who have been diagnosed with diabetes and their families hear Scott talk about how he manages his condition as a sportsman.

Scott said: “I am delighted to be asked to provide positive messages to young people with diabetes. If they can draw some extra energy from meeting with me and having a conversation about how I manage my diabetes then that is fantastic. The fact that so many people want to come along is really humbling.”

Leeann Dempster, Chief Executive of Hibernian FC and a Director of the Hibernian Community Foundation, said: “Scott is a high profile professional athlete and sportsman who has managed to build a successful career despite being diagnosed with diabetes.

“He manages the condition very successfully, even during matches, and because of the help and support he has received is keen to help children and young people with diabetes understand the condition, how it can be managed better, and how much can be achieved despite it. Scott approached us to say he was keen to help in any way that he could, and to raise awareness of diabetes.”

Dr. Alan Jaap, Consultant in Diabetes, NHS Lothian, said: “Around 4% of the population of Lothian have diabetes – which although is a life-long condition, as Scott has proved, it does not need to stop you living a full and normal life. I’m sure Scott will act as an inspiration and positive role model for all of the youngsters attending.”

Scott has always had to consider his type 1 diabetes when playing football – his diagnosis came when he was just three-years-old, and he learned how to manage his condition playing football at school.

Diabetes should be no barrier to young people considering a career in sport, Scott insists. “As long as you manage your diabetes you can do whatever you want”, he said. “There have been a lot of athletes throughout the years that have been at the top of the game with diabetes. You need to live as much of a normal life as possible – don’t let people tell you otherwise.”

The event is part of ‘Healthy Hibs Messages’ – a series of health promotion events undertaken as part of the new GameChanger Public Social Partnership, the first Public Social Partnership launched by a football club in Scotland, and supported by Hibernian FC, Hibernian Community Foundation and NHS Lothian. This unique partnership has seen more than 70 different organisations signing up to work together with the joint aim of making Scotland’s population healthier.

City rivals team up with Pilton filmmakers

They’re bitter rivals on the pitch, but city rivals Hearts and Hibs have put hostilities on hold and have teamed up with a Pilton film project to help young people find their voice by making short films.

Screen Education Edinburgh (formerly Pilton Video) will work in partnership with Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian Football Clubs on ‘Xpress Yourself’, a short film making programme targeting city teenagers with priority given to those resident in areas of deprivation. The initiative is funded through the Cashback for Creativy scheme.

Free taster workshops will take place at Tynecastle and Easter Road, giving participants the opportunity to write, shoot and act, giving them a taste of the filmmaking process. The first session takes place on Friday.

From these taster sessions the most interested young people will move forward to form core filmmaking groups based at each club, with intensive training and support provided by Screen Education Edinburgh to enable the young people to produce short films.

Graham Fitzpatrick, Screen Education Edinburgh’s Creative Manager (and Hearts fanatic!) said: “We are delighted to be partnering for the first time both Big Hearts Trust and Hibernian in the Community to deliver another exciting opportunity for youngsters in the Capital. Learning all the aspects of short film-making, from screenwriting to final edit, the young people participating will devise and produce four short films, followed by longer term support from SEE to enhance their skills and knowledge further, enabling them to pursue an interest in film-making.”

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education, Children and Families Convener, City of Edinburgh Council said: “Screen Education Edinburgh provide some fantastic opportunities for young people to learn about filmmaking and put their creative sides into action. I’m really pleased that both Hibs and Hearts are on board and I would encourage 12-19 year olds who haven’t tried something like this before to give it a go.”

Stewart McGuire, Operations Manager, Hibernian Community Foundation said: “This programme is a terrific way to equip young people with skills and tap into their interests through filmmaking. We are pleased to be working in partnership with Screen Education Edinburgh to unleash the imagination and energy of young people as they gain confidence working together.”

Keir MacCulloch, Project Co-ordinator, Big Hearts Community Trust said: ”We are delighted to be working with Screen Education Edinburgh for what promises to be an excellent project and a brilliant opportunity for young film makers in Edinburgh”.

The taster workshops are being held on Friday 5 October from 1.30 – 4.30pm at Easter Road Stadium and at Tynecastle on Friday 12 October, again from 1.30 – 4.30pm. Bus fares will be reimbursed to the young people and snacks will be provided.

Interested? Young people should contact Sarah Drummond at Screen Education Edinburgh – mail sarah@screen-ed.org or telephone 07827 292 379.

Cashback for Creativity (formally Creative Identities) is Creative Scotland’s programme that provides young people across Scotland with access to high quality dance, film and music activities, funded by the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities programme which reinvests the proceeds of crime back into communities to benefit Scotland’s young people.