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Tag: social inclusion
A wheelie grand gesture!
A Glasgow charity has received a donation from a UK regional housebuilder to help support children to engage in cycling activities. Free Wheel North received a £1,000 donation from Persimmon Homes West Scotland, as part of the housebuilder’s Building Futures campaign.
The charity encourages children of all abilities to participate in cycling at an affordable cost, improving mental and physical wellbeing as well as learning key life skills.
Not only does Free Wheel North cater for disabled children with specialist bikes, but their facility also allows families who financially cannot commit to owning their own bike or do not have the space to store one, the opportunity to still participate in regular cycling.
Carol Thompson, who applied for the funding for Free Wheel North, said: “Cycling is a key life skill as it means independence for the children as well as it being a skill that they will carry with them for their entire life.
“Donations such as this are so important with COVID-19 restrictions directly affecting our visitor numbers. In 2019 our disability cycle track welcomed more than 41,000 but this year that number has dropped to just 7,224 causing a dramatic drop in our funding.
“With the kind donation from Persimmon Homes, we hope that this year we will be able to create even more opportunities for children to enjoy again. The funding will help us to maintain and service our fleet of speciality bikes, making them ready for when more children can return to the track.”
Persimmon Homes is giving away £1million through their Building Futures programme. The campaign aims to support community groups working with under-18s across three categories – education & arts, health, and sport.
A total of 128 grants of £1,000 will be awarded across Persimmon’s 32 regional businesses to improve local facilities and the delivery of vital community projects.
Three initiatives will go on to win £100,000 each through a national online public vote. The winners will be named at a gala dinner for finalists in October.
In each sector – education & arts, health, and sport – as well as the £100,000 first prize, there will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000.
Chris Logan, managing director of Persimmon Homes West Scotland, said: “Our Building Futures initiative allows us to support community groups that focus directly on young people across the areas that we are building.
“We are delighted to be able to donate £1,000 to Free Wheel North. The inclusive activities they provide for young people within the community is a much-needed service and allows opportunities for those who may not be able to experience them safely elsewhere.
“The Building Futures campaign is still open for applications and we are encouraging charities and services who work specifically with under 18’s to apply now via our website.”
For more information about the new developments available across West Scotland or to find out more about the Building Futures initiative, visit:
Diversity in Community Councils: Free information event on Tuesday
Are you passionate about making difference to places where you live in Edinburgh ?
Free event for BME communities ahead of the Community council elections.
To register: http://bit.ly/2m4YbGH
Ama-zing Harmonies celebrate first anniversary with Easter event
The Ama-zing Harmonies group celebrated their one year anniversary at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on Monday evening. Marking the occasion, founder and organiser Ama Shallangwa told supporters and guests: “I have lived in this community for over 13 years. I must say there is very much I have gained from this community. Continue reading Ama-zing Harmonies celebrate first anniversary with Easter event
OneCity Trust open for grant applications
GRANTS from £5,000 – £10,000 AVAILABLE
The OneCity Trust’s main grant programme is now open for applications. Registered charities and constituted groups based in Edinburgh and focussing their work in the city with an annual income of less than £200,000 are invited to apply for funding for social inclusion projects meeting one or more of the priorities of:
· COMMUNITY CONNECTEDNESS
· CULTURAL BRIDGING
· CIVIC INCLUSION
New this year is a partnership with Travis Perkins Managed Services and the City of Edinburgh Council. A Community Benefit fund offered to the Council by Travis Perkins as part of a major contract will be allocated through the OneCity Trust.
Applications for this funding will be considered from organisations that involve City of Edinburgh Council tenants, or from other organisations aiming to benefit geographical areas with a high proportion of Council homes. The themes will be the same: community connectedness, cultural bridging and civic inclusion.
Overall, the Trust intends to make up to 8 grants, each at the level of £5,000 to £10,000.
For further information and to request an application form, please see www.onecity.org.uk
If you’d prefer to speak to someone, please telephone Susan Shippey on 0131 469 3874 or email 1617applications@onecity.org.uk Please note that the Trust is supported by the council on a part-time basis.
The deadline for applications is 29 April 2016, and projects should commence on 1 July 2016 and run for up to one year.
A city for all ages? Have your say!
Are you aged over fifty? Do you have an opinion on city services? Of course you do! Share your views at a session in Stockbridge next week:
EVOC (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council) are holding discussion groups for older people (aged 50+) across the city as part of its evaluation of ‘A City for All Ages’. The North event will take place next Monday (14 July) from 2- 3.30pm at Stockbridge Library.
Participants can either drop in for a short time, or stay longer.
We are keen to get as many local older people along to this as possible to hear their views on what services are provided and where there is room for improvement.
If you are in this age group, please come along on Monday and take part. We’d also appreciate, if you represent a local group, if you can bring this to the attention of any older people your project is in touch with, and encourage them to come along, or please consider bringing a group of clients along? Refreshments will be provided and the event will be informal.
Any questions, please contact Alex.clark@evoc.org.uk, tel 555 9100
Anna entertains at OneCity birthday event
Broughton High School pupil Anna McLuckie was the star attraction at a charity event held to support the OneCity Trust at the City Chambers last week.
The fundraising dinner, hosted by the Honorary President Lord Provost Donald Wilson, celebrates 10 years since the Trust’s inception and was attended and supported by key businesses in Edinburgh including Qatar Airways and Petroleum Experts.
Guests were entertained by compere Grant Stott, and teenage harpist Anna McLuckie. Anna, who’s from Stockbridge, made her public debut at the Lord Provost’s annual garden party and made a huge impression across the country when she appeared on BBC One’s The Voice earlier this year.
The mission of the OneCity Trust is to promote equality of opportunity and a sense of community throughout the capital. The OneCity Trust funds and manages projects that help advance, facilitate and promote social inclusion and the tackling of poverty in Edinburgh communities.
As part of the Trust, the Lord Provost’s Rapid Acton Fund supports smaller community group projects that require urgent help through grants.
The Trust places great emphasis on bringing together different groups to work together in innovative and creative ways to tackle the problems of social exclusion, and is this year funding initiatives for the allotment group Piershill Plotters, Edinburgh’s Northwest Foodbank Warehouse, and the Edinburgh Garden Partners SOS Programme which helps disabled and older people care for their gardens*.
The Lord Provost, Donald Wilson, said: “On becoming Lord Provost it was clear to me that the role had great fundraising potential and my objectives chime identically with the OneCity Trust. As the Honorary President, I am delighted the fundraiser has received so much support from Edinburgh based businesses.”
“The money raised will go directly the Trust’s continued promotion of community initiatives in the city, and will enable us to support even more worthy projects that tackle poverty and inequality in Edinburgh. I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has shown support for the OneCity Trust and all of those who have worked so hard make this fundraiser such a success.”
Matthew Haggis, Chair of the OneCity Trust, said: “Edinburgh is a divided city, and perhaps always has been, with wealth and privilege rubbing up alongside poverty and deprivation. The OneCity Trust attempts to bridge those divides, bringing many parts together for the benefit of all.
I hope that the dinner has not only raised money, but raised awareness. And that some of the companies who supported us will seek ways to tackle social exclusion in the city themselves, with or without the help of the Trust.”
The OneCity Trust also sponsors the prestigious Edinburgh Lectures Series 2014 which is running throughout May and June. For details and tickets, please visit
If you have an interest in applying for funding or supporting the Trust, please visit www.onecity.org.uk
