We’re delighted to share that we’re finalists for the Living Wage Scotland Awards 2026 – Local Champion (Public & Third Sector)!
This recognition means a lot to us because we’re committed to making sure young people and our staff have access to fair, meaningful employment.
Through our Scransitions employability programme, we support young people to move into living-wage employment, building skills, confidence and experience along the way.
But we also believe in practising what we preach.
We’re proud to employ 9 young people on the Living Wage, giving them real opportunities to earn a fair wage, develop their skills and thrive at work.
We believe that if we want to see better opportunities for young people, we need to create those opportunities ourselves too.
We’re incredibly proud to have this work recognised through the Living Wage Scotland Awards.
Edinburgh-based charity Scran Academy has been named a finalist for Centre of the Year at the Qualifications Scotland Excellence Awards 2026.
The charity, which provides vocational education for young people, has been recognised just two years after becoming a Qualification Scotland-approved centre.
The nomination marks a significant milestone for Scran Academy, which was founded in response to the number of young people struggling to engage with mainstream education.
Scran Academy works with young people to provide an education that fits their individual needs and aspirations. Through practical and vocational learning, the charity supports young people to gain qualifications, develop skills, confidence and build pathways towards employment and further opportunities.
Becoming a Qualification Scotland-approved centre two years ago was an important step in developing this work and expanding the qualifications Scran Academy can offer.
For young people the impact can be significant. Jacob, Scran graduate, said: “Scran offered me a place where I didn’t just feel like a number and it was a better alternative to sitting in a classroom doing nothing.
“I like Scran because it’s different to school in the way that it teaches us good qualities that the school system doesn’t.
“Qualifications at Scran were so much better in the sense that it was more hands-on and engaging than schoolwork. All the cooking qualifications helped me to get my job in a kitchen. I’m planning on working full time when I leave school and Scran qualifications are the reason I have the job in the first place.”
For Scran Academy, being named a finalist is recognition not only of the organisation’s work, but of the young people at the heart of it.
Will Bain, CEO says “To be shortlisted for Qualifications Scotland Centre of the Year is huge for us. It’s both a recognition of our track record and an acknowledgement that our relationship-based approach works.
“Young people are equal contributors at Scran – they help to decide what and how they learn, and are given a stake in running our catering social enterprise.
“It’s this rights-based, real-life approach that drives our success and has made this shortlisting happen.”
The Qualifications Scotland Excellence Awards 2026 recognise achievements across Scotland’s education, training and skills sector, with finalists selected across a range of categories.
For Scran Academy, being shortlisted for Centre of the Year comes just two years after becoming an approved centre and represents an important moment in the charity’s journey.
Scran Academy is now looking forward to celebrating alongside the other finalists at the Qualifications Scotland Excellence Awards 2026.
Want to be part of something that makes a real difference?
We’re on the lookout for passionate volunteers who want to make a positive impact in their community and work with amazing young people.
As a Scran volunteer, you’ll be part of a welcoming, supportive family that’s committed to creating opportunities, empowering young people, and making a difference together.
Today marks one year since the opening of Scran Café at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP), the largest café operated by youth-led social enterprise Scran Academy.
In just 12 months, the café has become a valued and welcoming space for patients, families, NHS staff and visitors, while creating life-changing opportunities for young people across Edinburgh through real-life enterprise experience and Scran Academy’s youth programmes.
This year the café has made over 33,758 meals and 15,305 coffees, welcoming more than 37,540 customers, that’s over 200 NHS staff, patients and family members served each day, who are supporting Scran Academy’s mission to see every young person, regardless of background or barrier, realise their full potential in learning, work and life.
The RHCYP café represents this mission in action. Since opening, it has provided 8 young people with Living Wage employment, alongside work placements and volunteering opportunities, with young people making up the majority of the café team.
For many, it is their first experience of paid employment, giving them the chance to develop workplace skills, confidence and independence in a busy healthcare environment.
This impact has resulted in the café team gaining national recognition, with Scran Café becoming a finalist at the National Youth Work Awards 2026.
Reflecting on their first year, the young team at RHCYP shared: “Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way. We are also thankful to all the people who made this possible, who have been leading and supporting us in this newly opened space.
“We have also built great friendships along the way, and we are so proud of what we have created.”
Founder and Chair of Scran Academy, John Loughton BEM, said: “This year we’ve watched young people graft, grow in confidence and build something pretty special.
“Yet again, they proved what I believe to my core: Back young people and they will amaze you.
“To NHS Lothian, our customers, partners and every person who has championed us this year, thank you for believing in young people with us.”
Want to be part of something that makes a real difference?
We’re on the lookout for passionate volunteers who want to make a positive impact in their community and work with amazing young people.
As a Scran volunteer, you’ll be part of a welcoming, supportive family that’s committed to creating opportunities, empowering young people, and making a difference together.
Housebuilder staff brave mud and obstacles to support young people into education and employment
Eleven members of staff from Barratt and David Wilson Homes East Scotland have raised £8,000 for Scran Academy, an Edinburgh catering social enterprise that supports school-aged young people facing poverty and trauma to engage in education and employment.
The funds were raised through the team’s completion of the Tough Mudder obstacle course challenge, with parent company Barratt Redrow match funding the £4,000 raised on the day.
The Tough Mudder team, drawn from Barratt and David Wilson Homes East Scotland and Oregon Timber Frame, a Selkirk-based timber manufacturer acquired by Barratt Redrow in 2022, took on the course, battling mud pits, physical obstacles and teamwork challenges across the course’s demanding terrain.
Scran Academy is a youth-led catering social enterprise on a mission to help every young person, regardless of background or barrier, realise their full potential in learning, work and life. The organisation was selected as Barratt and David Wilson Homes East Scotland’s charity partner of the year for 2026/27.
Yvonne Barrie, Regional Finance Managerfor Barratt and David Wilson Homes East Scotland said: “Taking on the Tough Mudder is never easy, but having colleagues alongside you makes all the difference.
“The team gave everything on the day and the spirit throughout was brilliant. Raising £8,000 for Scran Academy makes it all worthwhile.
“The work they do to support young people through food education is genuinely important, and we’re proud that our fundraising can play a part in that.”
Through the match funding programme by the Barratt Redrow Foundation, every pound raised by the team on the day has been doubled, meaning Scran Academy will receive £8,000 to support its work helping young people across Edinburgh into education and employment.
For further information about Barratt and David Wilson Homes visit:
Charitable organisations across the country are already benefiting from a share of Barratt and David Wilson Homes Scotland’s £63,000 Community Fund for 2026, with two groups in Edinburgh being awarded funding in the first four months of the year.
Part of the UK’s leading housebuilder Barratt Redrow, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Scotland’s Community Fund supports charities and community organisations delivering positive impact in the areas in which it builds.
Since the start of the year, two organisations in Edinburgh have shared a total of £3,000 in funding to support their work. The funded projects span a diverse range of community initiatives, reflecting the breadth of support being delivered through the fund.
Edinburgh-based catering social enterprise Scran Academy was awarded £1,500 to support its work providing opportunities for young people to gain meaningful work experience and skills by helping them to transition beyond the classroom to take control of their development.
The programmes engage them in a bespoke and informal skills training journey, accessing qualifications and accreditation that support them to achieve their next training or employment steps.
Simba Honouring Baby Loss, a charity also based in Edinburgh, was awarded £1,500 to support its services for affected families by helping them create special moments to honour the memory of their baby.
Andrew Morrison, Managing Director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes East Scotland, said:“It’s fantastic to see the positive impact the Barratt and David Wilson Homes Scotland 2026 Community Fund is already having on communities across the East of the country.
“The organisations we’ve supported so far are doing vital work, whether that’s providing health and wellbeing services or bringing people together through inclusive community initiatives to make a real difference.
“We’re committed to creating thriving, sustainable communities and we’re proud to play a part in helping these groups continue and expand their work, and we look forward to supporting many more organisations throughout the year.”
The launch of the 2026 Community Fund builds on Barratt and David Wilson Homes Scotland’s long-standing commitment to social responsibility and community engagement. The housebuilders are currently creating a range of new communities in Edinburgh, including Barratt Homes @ West Craigs and David Wilson Homes’ West Craigs Quarter.
The Barratt and David Wilson Homes Scotland Community Fund is funded by the Barratt Redrow Foundation, the charitable arm of Barratt Redrow, which aims to help communities across the UK to thrive. Grants will be available exclusively to registered charities operating in the areas in which Barratt and David Wilson Homes build, including the East of Scotland.
Applications for 2026 funding will close on 30 October 2026 with successful applicants continuing to be selected throughout the year*.
For more information about the Barratt and David Wilson Homes Scotland 2026 Community Fund including eligibility and how to apply, visit:
Seized criminal assets support 1.4 million young people to date
Thousands more young people who may be at risk of becoming involved in antisocial behaviour and crime will be supported by an additional £26 million of CashBack for Communities funding.
CashBack uses money recovered from seized criminal assets and reinvests it into communities. The funding supports young people by providing safe spaces, training and free activities that build confidence and skills, while also addressing issues that could lead to harm before they develop.
In this latest round of funding a record 51 projects will share up to £26 million – bringing the total amount paid out to CashBack to £156 million since it began in 2008, with more than 1.4 million young people supported so far.
https://twitter.com/i/status/2016813569946636698
New projects include North Edinburgh’s Scran Academy, an acclaimed catering social enterprise that works with local schools, youth workers, social workers and the police. SCRAN will soon be opening a new cafe in West Pilton Park, and the project has been awarded funding to help young people aged 11–25 learn catering and customer service skills and gain work experience in a busy community space.
Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said: “CashBack for Communities turns the proceeds of crime into life-changing opportunities for the thousands of young people who take part in projects across Scotland every year.
“Seeing the fantastic work of Scran Academy first hand and meeting the young people benefitting from projects like this, is exactly why investment in the CashBack programme matters.
“Since 2008, CashBack has had a transformational impact on young people’s lives. This unique initiative underlines our commitment to support Scotland’s young people to live full, healthy lives and to help address some of the underlying causes of crime and antisocial behaviour in our communities.”
Will Bain, CEO of Scran, said: “We’re thrilled to be part of the CashBack for Communities fund. Too often we talk about young people as a problem, but at Scran Academy what we see every day is pure potential, just waiting for the right chance.
“This fund will help unlock that potential, creating the relationships, experiences and opportunities that allow young people to shape their own futures.
“Every young person, no matter their background or barrier, deserves that chance, and we need a Scotland that offers it. Because the truth is, young people are never the problem; they are the solution.”
Phase 7 of the CashBack for Communities programme will run from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029 with an increased overall programme budget of up to £26 million.
SCRAN Academy are excited to announce that we have been selected asBarratt Homes East Scotland’s charity partner for 2026 & 27!
This partnership is a huge moment for us and the young people we support, helping us grow our impact and reach even more young people across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Will Bain, CEO, Scran Academy, said: “We’re so excited to be partnering up with Barratt Homes East Scotland! Working with our biggest home builder will transform just how many young people we can help feel at home in education and employment. We can’t wait to help build positive futures together!
“It’s been amazing to welcome such an enthusiastic team from Barratt Homes on board. They’ve already shared brilliant ideas that will genuinely benefit both organisations, and it’s been an absolute pleasure getting to know the whole team. We’re really excited to keep building this partnership and creating new opportunities together.
“What matters most to us is the difference this partnership will make for young people. It will open doors to new experiences, and opportunities to build skills, gain confidence, and create trusted relationships.
“Hearing directly from Barratt Homes’ directors, sharing their own stories and showing real belief in Scran and what we do, has been incredibly reassuring.
“It’s clear they truly value our work, and we can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”
Andrew Morrison, Managing Director for Barratt and David Wilson Homes East Scotland, said:“We’re very proud to be partnering with Scran Academy and to support an organisation that is creating so many meaningful opportunities for young people. Their work is making a real difference, helping individuals build confidence, gain valuable experience and move towards brighter futures.
“Barratt and David Wilson Homes care deeply about the communities we help shape, and this partnership reflects our commitment to supporting initiatives that have a lasting, positive impact. We’re excited to see what we can achieve together over the next two years.”
This partnership will include a range of collaborative initiatives, including fundraising, volunteering, work experience opportunities, and direct engagement with the young people we support. It’s going to make a real lasting impact!
Scran Academy are proud to be Barratt Homes East Scotland’s charity partner and can’t wait to see all the amazing things we’ll achieve together over the next 2 years!
BREAKING NEWS!
We’re looking for Academy support volunteers! 
