April has been a busy time at SCYAP, and we were so happy with the amazing weather we had for both our Easter Programme and the Canal benches celebrations. The parks were busy with activities, and I would like to personally thank all our partners who made such a significant contribution to the success of the Programme and ensuring that it was fully enjoyed by the staff and young people. Forth Environment Link who delivered their Dr Bike Service, and the amazing oven baked pizzas at each of the three parks, the artistic and the creative inputs of our community artist Sarah Diver and the amazing FEL Smoothie bike at Nailer Road Park. The Falkirk Wheelers kept everyone wheeching around the parks and the Stenhousemuir FC Community Foundation who despite the heat kept the football flowing. It was also great that our young volunteers were able to carry out some much needed weeding and re-planting at the mindfulness benches in the park on Carradale Avenue in Tamfourhill.
The Canal benches have now been available to users of the towpath for several months, but it was really important to host a community celebration to acknowledge the creativity and the inputs of the young people of Camelon and Tamfourhill. The new benches are an integral part of the Falkirk Five Trail https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/about-us/maintaining-and-developing-the-canals/our-projects/5km-active-travel-route-development and it was a day of community celebration at the location of Canal bench two at Tamfourhill. This was a Jagtastic day with such an amazing atmosphere with the members of our Youth Action group arriving at the event on the Jaggy Thistle canal boat, thanks you so much to Go Forth and Clyde for providing this opportunity , and for many of our group it was their first experience of both cruising on a canal boat and the entire Falkirk Wheel experience. Gus from the Scottish Federation of Coarse Angling provided a taster experience of coarse angling and this was also a new opportunity for many of the young people and James was overjoyed to catch his first perch. The Falkirk Wheelers along with our young volunteers provided guided skating trips along the towpath with Make it Glasgow running creative activities under the gazebo. The day was made even more memorable by the live music and the tasty barbecue with fruit kebabs.
There are two local community arts projects which we have been supporting, initially with the local primary schools, and both are aligned to our Climate Action priorities and are focussed upon; active travel and helping nature and wildlife.
Camelon Railway Station: Biodiversity and Community Arts Project
The first phase of this Project has involved the P7 class at Carmuirs Primary School designing a mural which will be painted onto the footbridge at Camelon railway station, a location that will greatly benefit from an environmental and creative upgrade. We picked up on the nature and animals theme that young people had highlighted at the recent Climate Action Events, and they worked over several weeks with designing and creating their own animals. The active travel element of the different designed animals was explored through interactive games in the playground. The mural as illustrated above depicts how long it would take for their different animals to travel to the young people’s important locations in the neighbourhood.
The next phase of this project will involve young people from the local area building creative totem poles, bug hotels and planting pollinators around the footpath leading onto the footbridge at the station. I will keep the community informed of opportunities for young people’s further involvement and updated with the progress of this Project, and we are very grateful to Scotrail who have part funded this project.
The Easter Carmuirs Park bench & planter project:
This creation has involved the P7 class at Easter Carmuirs primary school and forms an important part of their Dynamic Youth Award challenge. Again, we picked up on the young peoples main issues as raised at the Climate Action Event that was held in February. The progress of this Project is reliant upon a process of community consultation and is also linked to a planed upgrade of the play park area and that is all detailed on the flyer below:
| Young Peoples Priorities for Climate Action | Suggested Activities | Led by/Partners | Resources | When |
| Encouraging Active Travel | Organise 2 active travel events: including led rides, Dr Bike & experiencing different wheel sports as a means of active travel. | FELFalkirk WheelersSCYAP | Partners existing budgets | Summer/Autumn 2025 |
| Campaigning for local climate action | Deliver 3 public arts projects and or creative advertising/social media campaigns on issues agreed by young people.Develop a local climate charter for businesses, community groups & organisations.Support classroom and community building climate audits. | SCYAPCommunity artistFC Climate Change OfficerFELSchoolsLocal businessesTCH | External fundingPartners existing budgets | March 2025-Spring 2026 |
| Helping Nature and biodiversity | Plant wildflower meadows and establish biodiverse planters & wildlife gardening in public spaces/parks.Build bug houses & Bat/bird boxes and erect them around the community.Arrange tree planting sessions at suitable locations in the community. | FCFELSCYAPForth Climate ForestTCVSCYAP (Twilight Sports) | Woodland trustExternal fundingFalkirk Council | May 2025 – Spring 2026 |
Safer Communities Youth Action Project 