MY Adventure team keep their promise to North Edinburgh
Last year MY Adventure ran a hugely successful Crowdfunder campaign (http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/towford) to renovate an old school house in the Scottish Boarders for the children, young people and the families of North Edinburgh to spend time in a truly wonderful location. Continue reading Mikaeel Memorial Play Park completed at Towford
Muirhouse based MY Adventure (MYA) has received £25,000 to support plans for a training base at Towford to support their employability programme for young people from North Edinburgh.
The funds come from the £1 million Legacy 2014: Sustainable Sport for Communities Fund which was created with investment from the Scottish Government and The Robertson Trust, and has been delivered by these organisations in partnership with Social Investment Scotland, sportscotland and Senscot.
MYA, a trading arm of Muirhouse Youth Development Group, plan to use the funds to help transform the Towford Outdoor Education Centre residential facility in the Borders (pictured above). The space will be turned into a training base for their MY Academy programme, a unique employability scheme for young people in North Edinburgh.
MYA is one of twelve third sector organisations to receive a total of over £250,000 in the fund’s second round of awards to help develop sports facilities for use by their local communities.
Ja:mes Howell, Director of MYA said: “Support from the Legacy 2014 fund will enable MY Adventure to realise the potential of our Towford Outdoor Centre in the Scottish Borders. The centre will operate as a training centre for our MY Academy programme, helping young people in North Edinburgh.
“It will also provide a wild retreat for children and young people from North Edinburgh and a space for meaningful outdoor learning. The Legacy fund will support a project officer to focus on the development of the project as well as community consultation, including conducting a full feasibility report for the building and its land and business planning to ensure the project’s success.
“MY Adventure is looking forward to this exciting project taking shape and offering increased opportunities for the communities of North Edinburgh.”
Alastair Davis, Chief Executive of Social Investment Scotland which administers the fund, said: “MYA has presented a compelling case outlining the benefits of their plans which will provide an incredible opportunity for local young people, families and marginalised communities in North Edinburgh.
We know that sport has the potential to bring a whole range of benefits to local communities and therefore we look forward to seeing the benefits their outdoor learning programme will have on the community of Muirhouse and surrounding areas.”
Other organisations receiving funding include Active Bellshill who will receive £14,000 for the planning of a new sports hub in Glasgow, the Comrie Development Trust who will receive £15,000 to carry out a study into local sports and recreational needs, and Scottish Athletics who will receive £25,000 to look at how they can increase community engagement through their clubs.
Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said: “Small organisations like this are doing tremendous work to encourage more Scots to be more active, more often. Almost a year after Glasgow hosted the best Games ever, it’s important that Scotland continues to benefit from their legacy, and this fund is a key part of those efforts.
“The Sustainable Sport for Communities Fund is there to offer help to social enterprises and to allow them to ensure their long term sustainability. I look forward to seeing the positive impact the Fund will make.”
Kenneth Ferguson, Director of The Robertson Trust, added: “Sport can provide a range of positive benefits for individuals and communities. We are delighted to be able to use this Legacy 2014 programme to support organisations across Scotland which are helping to enhance the lives of the people they work with through sport.”
FACENorth is working for the community … in all weathers!
Over the last three months FACENorth (Focussing on Alternatives to Crime Edinburgh North), in partnership with POP (Preventative Opportunities Programme) have been working with a core group of eight to ten young people running a series of work parties at Towford Outdoor Centre, the bothy owned and managed by Muirhouse Youth Development Group and MYAdventure. As well as working at Towford the group has painted the café in PYCP and bag-packed at Sainsbury’s in Craigleith to raise money for MYDG.
This group of young people has been helping get Towford ready for use by the wider community whilst gaining real work experience, working as part of a team, following instructions, preparing and cooking their own meals, preparing a dinner table, washing up after themselves, showing respect for themselves, their environment and for others, planning and implementing ideas, conservation training, learning about their own and a new environment and most importantly putting something back into their own Community.
When we started, there was no heating or hot water in the bothy, few lights downstairs and very basic cooking facilities, so with some nights dropping to below freezing the warmth of sleeping bags at night with a meal and hot drink were very welcome!
So far the group has removed an unsafe, old mouldy shed which had stood unused for a number of years and turned the space left into to a temporary car parking space. They have also planted trees, removed old wood from around the site, cleared work areas, helped to create a temporary road surface at the entrance to the Centre, dug out trenches to create a drainage system to stop the access road from flooding, removed root systems around the trenches and carried out general labouring work.
With the Centre being surrounded by over 17 acres of ground including hills, forest and a large pond, the group intends to return to dig more trenches and create a proper road drainage system using underground pipes etc., create a new access road to the centre with an asphalt/concrete surface, clear an old deforested area to help create a football pitch/camp area, assist in the planning and creation of a bike and walking track, clear and drain the pond area and re-route part of a river to run through the pond to allow this to be used for fishing, canoeing and wildlife area!
Once plans are finalised for the remembrance area for Mikaeel Kular the group is keen to contribute to getting this ready so that whole community of North Edinburgh has somewhere to spend some quiet reflection time.
At Pilton Youth and Children’s Project the group has painted the café area (above), creating a brighter more user friendly area for centre users to enjoy and the group will shortly be taking part in a conservation project based on the local cycle paths.
Twenty days to raise three grand
MY Adventure’s race against time to raise funds
MY Adventure, Muirhouse Youth Development Group’ social enterprise arm, is using crowfunding site Crowdfunder.co.uk to try to raise £6000 for essential repairs to their very own Borders bothy. With twenty days to go, they’re halfway there – but if they don’t reach their target they receive NOTHING.
MY Adventure’s Jonny Kinross gives some good reasons why you should pledge your support:
‘We believe in beautiful idyllic peaceful and natural wilderness spaces being accessible to everyone – Towford is just that.’
For many years now registered Muirhouse Youth Development Group (MYDG) and its Social Enterprise MY Adventure have been looking to secure a building, a bothy, a place that people can get away to and relax in – that is basic, comfortable and affordable. A place where young children can play safely but adventurously in the outdoors, exploring Scotland’s natural heritage with their families and friends. A place where teenagers can get away from pressures and learn new skills. A place where groups of adults can build friendships but enjoy space to themselves.
Towford Outdoor Centre, near Jedburgh, set in the beautiful remote yet accessible Scottish Borders, is the place we have been seeking.
Towford Outdoor Centre lies in the upper Kale Valley, on the northern slopes of the Cheviot Hills and has been lent to MYDG absolutely free, initially for 10 years but for the longer term if we can sustain it and assure our landlord that people are using it.
Towford was formerly an Outdoor Education centre until it closed in 1996. Before that, it was a school from 1876 to 1964.
The school log reads on June 30th 1964: ‘Today is the last day of Towford School. We have closed today and will not be returning’. Let’s return to this building a playful spirit and keenness to learn about the natural world, each other and ourselves!
You couldn’t find a better location for a Centre as Towford. Feeling remote but a mere 15 minutes from Jedburgh, the area contains an abundance of features of educational interest, quite apart from its out-standing potential for hill-walking and the beautiful conservation grade grounds. The area is typical of the Scottish Cheviot country, with its rolling hills and wide valleys, clear streams, shelterbelts and rich grazings.
The widely scattered hamlets and hill-farms are linked by narrow, winding roads, little used but essential to settlement in the area. Roman remains, along with standing stones, hill forts, cultivation terraces and the like all add to the educational potential of the area. This area and this building with your help can make an outstanding contribution to the lives of many children, groups, adults and communities.
Why are we crowdfunding?
The building has been empty and unused for 17 years. It urgently needs some heating and a rewire if it is to survive its first winter in our care. We also seek to make it more sustainable and more importantly more accessible to people with disabilities. Many of the old systems are now considered unsafe. The roof needs patching and the grounds have become hugely overgrown and inaccessible. We have a fantastic community of volunteers who can provide the labour (we are of course always looking for more, especially people with trade’s experience). However, funds are needed specifically to:
Crowdfunding is the best way to fund this project because we can offer amazing incentives (see below) including use of the building once it’s fully operational. We also need the funding urgently to complete the essentials for Towford to survive the Scottish winter.
Rewards – What you get for your pledges
Exclusive to TIC TOC Backers
Pledge £5 or more – Your name (or a dedication) on the ‘wall of supporters’ in the Centre and on the website. You get this for all the other pledges
Pledge £10 or more – A unique ‘TIC TOC ! Time for MY Adventure’ snap band
Pledge £20 or more – a Commemorative ‘Key to Towford’
Pledge £25 or more – A designer TIC TOC T –shirt
Pledge £50 or more – A Tandem cycle hire for a day for two people (and 2 ‘TIC TOC Time for MY Adventure’ snap bands) – making this a fantastic unique Christmas or Birthday Gift !
Pledge £60 or more – A Scroll of an extract from the original Towford School Log book (dating back to the 19th Century)
Pledge £75 or more – A Limited Edition Print of an original painting of the Centre in its grounds (framed and posted) with a certificate of appreciation for your support
Pledge £100 or more – A 2 hour Archery Session for 12 people – a fantastic Christmas Gift, birthday party or work celebration – competitive, fun, enjoyable for all ages and abilities!
Pledge £120 or more – for a Family Weekend self-catering at Towford – enjoying the beautiful Scottish Borders!
Pledge £250 or more – A half day Family or Group Day out (Mountain Biking, Coasteering, Canoeing, Canyoning for 6 people) – as adrenaline rushing or relaxed as you wish!
Pledge £500 or more – A self-Catering weekend at Towford with an activity for up to 30 people! Tonnes of hills, a warm fire, isolated setting with the freedom to explore!
Pledge £600 or more – Your Company or Dedication details engraved onto a traditional wooden Bench
Pledge £1000 or more – A Dynamic Team Building Day (Wet/Dry/high-low impact) Activity of your choice and a plaque with your company details inscribed upon it – acknowledging your support
Pledge £6,000 or more – An idyllic water feature named after you and no one else for ever! (set in Towford’s beautiful 17 acre gardens).
Your pledge will benefit many people from all different walks of life. The organisations who have already stated that they will use this fantastic facility is huge and includes groups who organise or fund:
We are a ‘hands-on’, ‘can-do’ social enterprise that look for creative and sustainable ways of changing young people’s lives – we do this on a daily basis. We can organise huge teams of volunteers – we have successfully done so on many projects – and this keeps costs down to a minimum (materials & technical advice only).
Due to this tremendous social capital your pledge will go far beyond how you imagined – making a huge difference to the long term prospect of this wonderful building becoming the source of so many positive memories and life-changing experiences.
Please pledge generously and remember – we’re not asking for something for nothing: you, your friends and family will love the rewards for your pledges that are exclusive to TIC TOC backers.
You have the opportunity to help create something that will benefit thousands of people every year – year on year.
Convinced? If you’d like to pledge your support to MY Adventure’s project go to www.crowdfunder.co.uk/towford
