A new partnership between Dunbritton Housing Association, West Highland Housing Association and Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust has secured the funding support needed to launch ACT Argyll with teams in Helensburgh and Oban.

ACT Argyll will employ local people to deliver environmental contracts for a range of partners whilst offering a progressive structure for training and skills provision for local jobs. This will take care of and enhance our countryside and green spaces and at the same time provide real jobs and training opportunities.

Dunbritton Housing Association were successful in being awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s People and Communities funding stream, which was then matched by contributions from Argyll and Bute Council, Forestry Commission Scotland , Scottish Natural Heritage, West Highland Housing Association, Skills Development Scotland and Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT). Sephton MacQuire, Convenor of Dunbritton Housing Association said “We have a proud record of creating jobs and apprenticeship opportunities throughout Argyll and Bute. Dunbritton are delighted to be part of a new partnership with the recently formed ACT which will result in more valuable jobs being created for local people. We would like to thank the Scottish Government for their support through the People and Communities Fund and look forward to working with all our partners to ensure that ACT is a great success.”

Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust was launched in April 2014, and this project is a major step forward with its objectives to provide skills and training opportunities whilst delivering environmentally focussed projects. Ian Hepburn, ACT Chairman said “Working with partners across the area to establish ACT Argyll is one of a number of exciting projects which ACT has been developing. It’s been a great first year for our charity and we are looking forward to moving our operations to the next level.”

ACT Argyll Projects will be established as a new limited company wholly owned by ACT charity.
The recruitment process for a Skills and Contracts Manager to lead the project has already begun, with full details and application form on the act website www.act-now.org.uk. Opportunities for Team Chargehands, and an Administrator will be advertised in the near future, and each team will offer 12 month Trainee positions and 6 month Environmental Assistant placements. Teams will be on site in Helensburgh and Oban in autumn 2015.

For further info contact Julie Young, ACT Development Officer info@act-now.org.uk tel: 01546 604309

A part of the work is to create community art on the site for all residents to enjoy. The community has been involved in creating this art over the summer when CAOS delivered two art sessions per week over a period of six weeks in Skypoint, Faifley. 51 people took part in the workshops, with 24 young people attending youth artline sessions and 27 children and adults attended family play area workshops. More art workshops are due to be carried out in February 2014.

Artline
Thanks to residents and local people taking part in the workshops, CAOS now have designs for the artline, focusing on the theme of Faifley’s history. This builds upon a number of successful art projects that have been undertaken with the Faifley community.

Cobble Mosaic
A good body of work has also been achieved and decisions made on the design for the cobble mosaic areas that will be laid within the existing roadway. Final workshops will be carried out in February 2014.

Informal Play Zone
The informal play zone will include a living natural feature created out of live intertwining willow which can be shaped

to form tunnels or domes. We will be looking for Watchmeal Crescent residents to come and get involved in fun workshops in early 2014 to help shape the willow.
Community Zone
Also in early 2014, the community zone will have individual stencil markings that will encourage storytelling, play and dance.

Training & Employability
The Trust is delivering the training and employability element of the project. Thanks to funding secured from the Scottish Government’s People and Communities Fund, six unemployed young people from the Faifley area have been given six months waged employment, together with training and support to help them move into future employment.

Trainees completed working on other sites within Faifley, and have now moved onto Watchmeal Crescent as the site clearance works are finished.

More updates on the project will be posted on our website and published in our quarterly newsletter.

Volunteers met on Tuesday which allowed us to gather information on their feelings, benefits and barriers to being a volunteer. All volunteers were very positive reporting they had a sense of achievement, felt a part of a team and had a laugh when working with us. An increase in confidence, gaining new skills and overcoming shyness were some of the benefits the volunteers felt they gained.

This year, our volunteers had a chance to participate in a number of training sessions. CLS has recently become an accredited SQA training centre and we’ve been running a PDA in youth work, which many of our volunteers took part in.

University of Glasgow Activate in community development was another successful course run by CLS. This year, three youth groups took part and one of them – Arrochar’s YOUTH – won the Gold Team award at this year’s Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Community Partnership, Volunteer of the Year Awards 2013. Another one, Ten2Ten, made a trip to France as a part of their foreign exchange programme and became a fully self-governing group.

Angela Mckell from the Arrochar YOUTH and Youth Club said, “Our young people have gained valuable skills and knowledge which has allowed them to personally develop, feel valued and actively challenge social exclusion and discrimination within their community.”

Volunteering brings opportunities for further personal development and in many cases leads to employment or further education. Eight of our volunteers moved onto college or university and 12 into employment as a direct consequence of their volunteering experience.

A volunteer said, “Volunteering with CLS has allowed me to follow a real career. This is just the beginning.”

Our Training and Volunteer Development Coordinator has recently taken part in a  Joint Practice Placement Steering Group with the CL&D Standards Council and four universities to help write up a practitioners training programme for fieldwork supervisors responsible for ensuring students/volunteers gain appropriate learning experiences that fit their learning outcomes.

We also continue to provide the Activate course for our volunters (another session starting in January, if you’d like to take part, please contact us), and hope to run another PDA in youth work early next year too.

If you or somebody you know would like to become a volunteer, please get in touch with us. Our Training and Volunteer Development Coordination Janette Devlin can help you find the perfect opportunity for you. Call Janette on 0141 952 4382 or email janette@comlinks.org.uk.

Projects we were successful with:

Forgewood Community Centre

• CLS worked with North Lanarkshire Council and Forgewood Housing Co-op to prepare the application
• £1 million approved to develop a new community centre in Forgewood
• This project is being led by Forgewood Housing Co-op

Barmulloch Community Residents Centre

• CLS worked with Barmulloch Community development company and Glasgow City Council to prepare the application
• £350,000 approved to develop a new community facility in Barmulloch
  

  Cadder Community Centre is to receive £1m form the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund

• This project is being led by Barmulloch Community Development Company

Cadder Community Centre

• CLS worked with Cadder Housing Association and Glasgow City Council to prepare the application
• £1 million approved to develop a new community centre in Cadder
• This project is being led by Cadder Housing Association

There were 22 projects in total that will benefit from the fund. The list of all successful projects can be found on the Scottish Government’s website.

£25 million regeneration boost for communities

Housing Minister Margaret Burgess and Cllr Stephen Hagan COSLA Spokesperson for Development, Economy and Sustainability jointly announced today (November 22) the allocation of a £25 million fund, which will transform disadvantaged areas in Scotland.

In total 22 local projects will benefit from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF).

The fund, which has been developed in partnership with local authorities, will support projects that will deliver new and improved infrastructure bringing significant positive outcomes for deprived areas.

Projects across Scotland are set to benefit including: a number of listed buildings which will be brought back into sustainable use within Scottish Towns; the West Harris Trust on the Isle of Harris which will receive funding to create a community enterprise centre with visitor, community and business facilities; and the Glasgow Women’s Library which will receive funding for the refurbishment and relocation of the Library.

Ms Burgess said:

“Investment in such transformational regeneration projects is absolutely key for stimulating economic growth throughout Scotland.

“The development of the fund, which will benefit 22 local projects, is a great example of how Scotland’s public bodies can work in partnership to deliver initiatives that help to create more jobs for Scottish people, while bringing our communities closer together and injecting new life into deprived and run down areas.

“Community involvement is integral to the success of the design and delivery of local economic and social regeneration initiatives.

“This Government is absolutely clear about the contribution that regeneration makes to growing our economy and improving the life chances of Scotland’s people.

“I am pleased that COSLA have agreed to work with us on this initiative and that local authorities will play a fundamental role in delivery while ensuring local people are at the heart of the projects that will help transform the spaces around them.”

Councillor Stephen Hagan, COSLA Spokesperson for Development, Economy and Sustainability said:

“The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) will help improve physical, economic, social outcomes across our communities and will result in long term strategic and transformational change.

“Communities want resources focused on delivering large scale regeneration projects which can also deliver wider impacts of job creation, clearing up land as well as regenerating buildings and infrastructure. The projects awarded funding from the RCGF will help do this and lever in significant additional funding from a number of other sources.

“Regeneration is a key aspect of the work of local authorities, and this fund will go some way to helping communities realise their aspirations for their local area.

“This fund is another example of strong local democratic processes delivering viable, innovative and sustainable regeneration outcomes for communities across Scotland.”

Angela Mckell from the Arrochar YOUTH and Youth Club, one of such organisations, has sent us her comment on the experience of working with us:

“Arrochar YOUTH and Youth Club wish to thank Community Links Scotland for the support and training opportunities that have been given to us to help establish and secure the longevity of youth service for young people in Arrochar, Tarbet and Succouth.

Arrochar YOUTH participating in the Activate course run by CLS and University of Glasgow.

“The young people and the adult volunteers attached to these projects have gained a greater understanding of a community and the challenges it may face when setting up youth services. We are more aware of the legality, ethics and the theory surrounding the role of a youth worker and the challenges faced in the development and the delivery of youth service through the Activate course and PDA in youth work. Our young people have gained valuable skills and knowledge which has allowed them to personally develop, feel valued and actively challenge social exclusion and discrimination within their community. The young people in partnership with Community Links Scotland have also played a key role in the creation of a youth club that had been designed with the needs and wants of young people at the core.

“I would encourage any community group struggling to set up service for young people to get in touch with Community Links Scotland and take up their offer of support. It could be the difference between success and failure of your project or vision.”

We wish Arrochar YOUTH and Youth Club all the best in their future and look forward to working with them again.

Morag is a mature volunteer who came to CLS to enquire about the opportunities available for her to volunteer and give something back into her community. In turn, Morag wanted to gain some experience as she has wanted to change her career and work with young people but never had the medium in which to do this.

Morag registered with the ViPP in October 2012 and since then she has volunteered 91 hours in the first five months of her time volunteering and a further 361 hours in the months from April to September. In total, she has given CLS 452 hours of her time to dedicate to frontline experiential youth work and access the training opportunities that the programme offers.

Morag attended and completed the Activate course which resulted in her gaining a guaranteed interview for the postgraduate course in community learning and development. Morag has now started this course as a direct result of her participation in this programme. She is also following a career change and is currently applying for positions working with young people to help her work her way through a self funded university course. Morag has made herself a crucial part of a team working alongside young people and helping deliver activities such as group work, early intervention work, fundraising events, streetwork, club work and provided her time (a much needed resource) on a ten day French exchange residential where she helped support staff and young people take part in a cultural and environmental exchange visit. Morag has been a terrific ambassador for this programme where she has successfully built on her existing skills learned new skills, knowledge and increased her capacity and ability throughout her participation in this programme.

This are Morag’s own words about her experience as a volunteer:

“To date my volunteering with the organisation has made an incredible difference in my life. By actively participating in the community I have travelled on a journey of self discovery: gaining incredible knowledge, skill sets as well invaluable experience, allowing me to effectively help others improve or change their circumstances. This has been a very steep learning curve; from actually learning what community really is and how we can help people participate in their own development both as individuals and as a collective group.

“The projects I have been lucky to participate in have opened my mind; allowing me to step out of the naive consciousness I selfishly displayed into the real world. Through support and teaching from my fellow workers I was able to learn as well as attend and participate in the Activate course, which has led me to pursue a complete career change. I am now studying a postgrad diploma in CLD at Glasgow uni which I hope will lead me into the community as a full-time worker.  Therefore my outcomes have been incredible in my short time with Community Links Scotland/Streetlinks and I can only thank you all, especially Janette and John for their support and teachings.”

If you are inspired by Morag and would like to know more about about volunteering programme or would like to participate yourself, please contact Janette on 0141 952 4382 or email janette@comlinks.org.uk.

The aim of the project is to improve the quality of life of the local residents of Pollokshields, through provision of a new community hub to offer a place to meet, socialise, and access services, activities and facilities. The hub will focus on meeting the needs of the existing local population by bringing together Southside Housing Association and Nan McKay Hall alongside a wide range of other partners.

The current hall is based in Pollokshields in Glasgow’s south side and has been operated by a group of volunteers and staff for the last 31 years. Originally named after a local resident and community activist, the portacabin hall is now well over 50 years old and in need of replacement. Working alongside Southside HA, the group hope to develop a new facility as part of a future Southside HA housing development.

We are looking forward to bringing together these different groups to achieve a fantastic new facility for this part of Pollokshields which will incorporate office space for Southside HA and community space for local residents.

Suzannah took the lead on developing an application for West Dunbartonshire where the eight community based RSLs plan to work in partnership with three credit unions as well as the Clydebank Independent Resource Centre and the Dumbarton CAB through the Supporting Change Project which will improve the advice and financial services available to their tenants, providing them with easily accessible support to alleviate hardship and mitigate the impact of welfare reform.

Christine pulled together the Argyll NET Works initiative in Argyll and Bute between West Highland Housing Association, Dunbritton Housing Association and Fyne Homes who are hoping to employ three crisis intervention workers who will focus on financial mentoring for tenants progressing those in crisis or experiencing long term hardship into more manageable financial circumstances. This project also aims to enhance the links between the RSLs, their tenants and the local providers of starter packs in Argyll and Bute. The project proposal has received strong backing from Argyll and Bute Council Housing Services and the Welfare Reform Working Group.

Stephen Singer and Suzannah supported Cadder Housing Association in Glasgow with an application focussed on accessing financial advice in Cadder which will provide the Cadder community with a more accessible financial support project. This project will build on existing partnerships with Greater Milton and Possilpark Credit Union, Maryhill and Possilpark CAB, Glasgow City Council, Maryhill Job Centre and the associations’ two tenancy support providers Quarriers and North United Communities.

Louise and Stephen Horsburgh provided assistance with further initiatives in Inverclyde. Louise worked with River Clyde Homes on a bid for the Supporting Inverclyde-Future Skills project which will work in partnership with Inverclyde Council and Grand Central Savings to provide a holistic package of training, drop-in facilities and direct one-to-one support to increase tenants’ financial resilience. Whilst Stephen prepared an application for Inverclyde Connections – a partnership between Inverclyde Community Health and Care Partnership, Inverclyde Advice and Employment Rights Centre, Inverclyde Council on disability and Financial Fitness.

The secret to preparing so many complex partnership initiatives in a short timeframe as a submission deadline looms – CHOCOLATE! And lots of it! As a team we also maintained a good sense of humour, patience with the occasional colleague temper tantrum, a supply of safe items to throw at our computers when they just won’t co-operate, endless cups of tea and coffee and the flexibility to burn the midnight oil if needed. The Big Lottery fund are aiming to let applicants know their decision by the end of November so fingers crossed we’ll have some more positive funding news to share with you before Christmas.

We asked June Glancy, the organisation’s co-ordinator to tell us more about the work they do and why they do it:

What is your role in the group/organisation?
As my role as co-ordinator, I manage the project’s overall, the day to day activities, volunteers and soon to be office assistant. I also importantly network with organisations and support agencies, which increases links, joined up working, creates stronger working relationships and and raises awareness of the work we do at Starter Packs Inverclyde.

June Glancy, the Starter Packs Inverclyde Co-ordinator (second from left), Duncan McNeil, MSP for Greenock & Inverclyde (second from right) and the rest of the team

What does your organisation do?
We provide practical help to families and individuals moving from homelessness into a tenancy by providing basic household items, crockery, pots, utensils, bedding, towels, hygiene and cleaning materials. Some items are good quality second-hand goods that are donated. Others are purchased new.

What are your group’s/organisation’s aims?
We provide practical assistance in the setting up of a home through the provision of a Starter Pack and develop new initiatives which enhance feelings of well-being and self-worth; we may also assist in the sustaining of a tenancy.

Why did you join (or set up) the group/organisation?
Starter Packs Inverclyde was set up in 2002 in partnership with Inverclyde Council, Scottish Churches Housing Action and Inverclyde Churches Together, in light of the provisions in the Housing Act (Scotland) 2001 requiring local authorities to develop a new Homelessness Strategy.

What is the greatest achievement of your group/organisation?
Securing a 21 month grant from The Big Lottery’s Support and Connect fund, which covers the majority of our larger costs and money for wages to employ an additional part-time member of staff.

What are the biggest challenges your group/organisation has faced?
In May 2012 we moved out of Belville Street flats into a rented a property owned by Inverclyde Council and were given notice 6 months later. We struggled to find alternative accommodation and in the end it was agreed we take on a commercial lease. We would have struggled to exist and for how long, I don’t know, due to the added costs associated with this lease had we not secured the Support and Connect funding.

If you were given £10,000 for your group/organisation, what would you do with it?
Purchase additional items to enhance the Starter Packs, i.e. iron/iron board, sandwich toaster, or putting together and printing of a cook book full of healthy, affordable recipes.

What are your hopes for the future of the group/organisation?
Security of having long term funding, or there was no need for our service as there was no homelessness or families struggling to have a basic standard of living.

How did your relationship with Community Links Scotland develop?
CLS work with local housing associations active within the Inverclyde area and who as part of their regeneration plans identify projects that include helping to enhance the health and well being of those living in hardship. CLS working with Oak Tree Housing Association was appointed two years ago to work with Starter Packs Inverclyde in the aim to help us sustain the project over the longer term.

How does Community Links Scotland help your group/organisation?
CLS work in partnership with Starter Packs Inverclyde to help identify what is required to sustain the project, advise on the sources of grants available that we can apply to, the type of information required that will enable us to compile the application and monitoring and reports.

Three distinct streams were available to organisations:

1. community-wide advice

2. help for tenants of social landlords

3. thematic projects offering advice for specific target groups.

Inverclyde is amongst the hardest hit local authorities in Scotland by welfare reforms and we supported two projects to secure £286,964.91 of Making Advice Work funding.

Inverclyde Advice First

This partnership project brings together Inverclyde Community Health and Care Partnership, Financial Fitness and Legal Services Agency and offers a new model of working to deliver advice and information services to Inverclyde residents facing debt, housing and benefit problems. A more responsive triage system introduces a new free phone helpline service where skilled advisers provide initial advice to try to resolve problems at the first point of contact. Where people are at serious financial risk, emergency face-to-face appointments with project staff will be available on the same day. In many cases tribunal and representation is required for clients and cross referral is available for those which require the input of specialised welfare rights and legal advisers.

River Clyde Homes Extra-Care Plus

River Clyde Homes Extra-Care Plus secured MAW funding of over £103,000 to develop a project that provides an intensive, ongoing relationship with new tenants to reduce the incidences of tenancy failure. This funding enables employment of two part time Welfare Support Officers, who will provide 1:1 welfare benefit advice and signposting to the most vulnerable tenants who are taking up tenancies during a time of change to the welfare benefits system, to reduce abandonments and increase tenancy sustainment and tenant’s wellbeing in their new home.

Extra-care Plus also introduces new smart phone application technology that will be available initially to new tenants, including basic level financial inclusion advice, a reminder system for debt repayments and a budget calculator to complement the work of front line advice staff.