Author: bighosie

The Jagster
community

A Fabulous Fun February ,Falkirk Wheelers wronged and  Camelon has its first Community Orchard

bighosie

Twilight Sports

The Twilight Sports Winter Programme was operational through November 2024 until the last session on Friday 21st February 2025 in Tamfourhill Community Hub . Once again, I would like to highlight that we were unable to operate the second half of the Winter indoor Programme from Easter Carmuirs Primary School and I am aware that many young  people have missed out as a consequence of that situation. The Falkirk Wheelers, as many local people will be aware, have been prevented from using the halls and gymnasiums on the Councils school estate, and despite their best efforts and the pressures of others to get this erroneous decision overturned they continue to be unable to make use of these  facilities. The SCYAP continues to support the Falkirk Wheelers, and we will get involved with any future public demonstrations that campaign to get this access reinstated. We are however very grateful to the Tamfourhill Community Hub committee for their ongoing support through  making their centre available for our use on a Friday night despite all the building improvements and new net zero  energy technologies that are being installed. The Twilight  Sports programme continued to be well attended with young people developing great skills and confidence on the wheels along with their footballing skills and this has been noted by  the respective sports coaches. The social and developmental aspects of engaging with healthy  activities in a safe and supportive environment is clearly valued by local young people and their families. My thanks therefore to the Wheelers and our new football coach Ewan at the Stenhousemuir Community Foundation. There has also been significant contributions from our young Twilight Sports volunteers and it’s great to see them all undertaking Youth Awards as  part of their volunteering  involvement.

SCYAP Angling Group

The angling Group eventually got  their opportunity to take part in  a coach led session at Magiscroft Coarse Fishery, this was after a third classroom-based session where they had learnt about different species and their anatomies, baits and ground baits and how to set up their rods and reels. This preparation and learning was evident at the fishery, however the freezing cold and snowy conditions made for very difficult angling conditions. The group were using  whips prior to practicing their casting with a rod and reel set up. The very cold-water conditions discourage the fish from feeding but despite these adverse circumstances every young person managed to catch at least one fish , including some  nice sized roach and a roach bream hybrid. Our thanks to Gus and John from the Scottish Federation of Coarse Angling , these guys are exceptional anglers and a fountain of knowledge on all matters angling. The Group will continue to meet for learning sessions, go on  further angling trips and  complete their Youth Awards. This Project very much illustrates that learning can be enjoyable , social and take place in so many diverse contexts.

Outdoor learning and nature therapy

We have formed a fruitful partnership with the Well Wild-A therapeutic approach to Forest School & Bushcraft  based in the Rough Castle Woods, and this has facilitated a wide array of learning opportunities and the development of core skills for the young people we work with. The activities are really focused on core interpersonal and social  attributes , including, communication, trust, resilience and teamwork and our partnership has opened up these opportunities to a wider array of local young people. Our close involvement with the local primary schools has enabled the Youth Action Project to better achieve its key outcomes of better connecting young people with their local community and to deliver accredited learning opportunities. In addition, this February we also had our own Youth Award  Group participating in bushcraft and survival activities which have facilitated  positive relationship building and improved confidence in wider learning for these young people. An outstanding feature of working with the Well Wild Project is the therapeutic and reflective qualities that are facilitated through young peoples engagement with the natural environment. Often it is those quiet almost spiritual moments that instil an understanding and appreciation of nature and a sense of individual wellbeing that young people will take with them throughout their lives.  And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my sole: John Muir  I would really like to thank John Wells for his empathetic and flexible approach at his Well Wild Project it has enabled the SCYAP to support young people achieve their various  personal targets on their development journey to achieving various youth awards. 

Community Orchard Planted in Camelon:

SCYAP are supporting a small group of boys from P6 at Carmuirs Primary School to gain a Dynamic Youth Award with a challenge that involves them getting more involved with and improving their local community. Recently with the support of the Environmental Manager at Scottish Canals we were able to create a new community orchard on the towpath of the Forth and Clyde canal near to lock 16. The Group worked tirelessly as they  prepared the ground, digging the holes, planting the  fruit trees and putting in the compost. This is a magnificent legacy for these young people and the community will be able to pick their own fruit as they make use of the canal and the towpath.  This is a community development project facilitated though local Youth Action and is fully aligned to our Community Climate Action Plan. This then is an appropriate point to conclude this blog and  a useful means to highlight next month’s main blog topic of reviewing our three Climate Action Events. I will then next month be able to confirm  young people’s priorities for tackling climate change in Tamfourhill ,Bantaskin and Camelon.  

community

Please support the proposed Youth Work (Scotland) Bill , here is how

bighosie

A happy and guid new year to everyone.

I want to start our first blog of the new  year by emphasising the importance of youth work  and the positive  contributions it makes to both young people and the wider community. I have spent the last year writing Blogs that highlight  the successes of our Youth Action Projects and activities and the benefits to both the young people and the community. At every opportunity I have flagged up and reiterated that our Youth Action approach is underpinned by the dual benefits it affords to young people and the wider community.  In this respect I want to encourage as many people as possible to contribute to the consultation that is currently taking place in relation to  the proposed Youth Work (Scotland) Bill. This is a Private Members Bill, and it will therefore require after the consultation process is completed, the support of at least 18 cross Party MSPS’s, after which the  proposals will move through the 3-stage scrutiny process before eventually coming before our parliament, to hopefully be confirmed as a new Act. The deadline to respond to the consultation is 31st March 2025:  Here is the link to the draft Bill and the consultation:   https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/proposals-for-bills/proposed-youth-work-scotland-bill

The Safer Communities Youth Action Project is concerned and completely focussed upon achieving these key outcomes:

  • Young People will have better connections with the wider community
  • Young people will improve their mental and physical health and wellbeing
  • Young people will have increased opportunities to take part in activities that address community safety and reduces their risk taking.
  • Young people will increase their social skills, confidence to learn and levels of attainment.
  • Young people will grow as active citizens, expressing their voice and enabling change.

I am advocating that the adoption of this Bill into Scots law will provide a legal basis and a mandatory commitment for our services, agencies, community organisations and governments to ensure these key outcomes and similar aspirations are delivered universally throughout  Scotland. I am being overtly political and requesting your support for this Bill through responding to the consultation, and here are some of the reasons I believe this is a good idea for both our young people and our communities:  

The Key Objectives of the proposed Bill would include:

  1. Universal Access: Mandating youth work services to be available to all young people aged 11–25, with particular focus on targeted support for disadvantaged groups.  
  1. Equity and Fairness: Breaking down systemic barriers to ensure youth work is inclusive and accessible, regardless of geography or background. 
  1. Sustainability: Establishing a dedicated Youth Work Fund to ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery across Scotland.  

The Bill mandates that local authorities develop comprehensive Youth Work strategies that align with a National Youth Work Strategy and address the specific needs of their communities.

These strategies will be required to:

• Reflect the voices of young people, involving them directly in shaping

services.

• Respect young people’s rights under the UN Convention on the Rights

of the Child (UNCRC) by ensuring their right to participate, develop,

and access support.

• Integrate youth work with broader community services, including

education, health, and social care, for a holistic approach.

• Establish sustainable funding models to maintain resilient and

adaptable youth work services

The alignment between our own key outcomes and the above proposed strategies are both consistent and complimentary.  

The consultation asks questions around a number of themes relating to the Bill, firstly it asks the reasons why we believe legislation is required, SCYAP responded:

There is a need for Youth work to be a statutory service and to have professional parity with other educational and social work provisions, and this is required consistently throughout Scotland. It will ensure that the voices and contributions of young people have a statutory footing, especially in terms of how future services are resourced, planned, provided and delivered. Youth Empowerment will in effect be embedded in law and statute. 

Secondly the cost and financial  impacts upon other public services and  businesses of making  Youth work a legal right for every young  Scot with its own ring-fenced mandatory budget  is questioned, SCYAP highlighted the following:

 Making strategic and sustained investments in youth work and ensuring that young people’s services are delivered collaboratively and in partnership will make significant savings to other public sector budgets, including Health, Criminal justice and education. The contributions of young people will have significant financial benefits to the wider community and most importantly much of this will be social capital through improved community cohesion and active citizenship.

How would this proposed Bill relate to and impact upon equalities, SCYAP Stated:

This Bill would require to be inclusive and remove barriers to involvement whether they are by age, gender, poverty, race, geography, sexual orientation and so on. The Law would by necessity have to mitigate exclusion and ensure that all sectors of the youth population were able to access appropriate services and opportunities equitably and on their own terms. 

A new law can impact on work to protect and enhance the environment, achieve a sustainable economy, and create a strong, healthy, and just society for future generations, How should this Bill relate to sustainability and protecting the environment, SCYAP highlighted

Undoubtedly there will be an impact upon the environment and the aim of improved sustainability, this Bill will need to give cognizance to Scotland’s journey to Net Zero whilst also aiming to create a tolerant, inclusive and equitable society. Youth work needs to champion these values and aspirations, and this Bill must be an enabler of these conditions and standards. The Bill should be concerned with promoting young people’s involvement with the outdoors, of its therapeutic values and our responsibility to conserve and facilitate environmental improvements. Climate action should be a central facet of all community-based youth activities, and this should be aligned to a strategic climate action commitment

 Any finally , SCYAP offered a summary statement of support:

This is a unique opportunity to enshrine youth empowerment and youth action in Scottish statute and it should be progressed. Scotland can be greatly improved nation through active engagement with young people and by communities taking greater ownership of their own development. This Bill must embrace those values through a national strategic commitment to youth work and youth action. Funding should be ring fenced and protected for this to happen; however, it should be devolved to local decision making as much as possible and avoid a recentralization of control by Local authorities. The third sector can play a crucial role, and funding needs to be sensitive to local dynamics and opportunities which can include young people making significant budgetary decisions.

Finally, a reminder that our Twilight Sport programme continues throughout  January and into February and won’t be interrupted by the installation of the Tamfourhill Community  Hubs new low carbon energy and heating  system and upgraded with new toilets. The full programme is below:

In next month’s blog I hope to be able to introduce 2 new community development  projects for Camelon and a review of recent groupwork with local young people.

community

Camelon Action Plan , Youth Empowerment and Climate Action.   

bighosie

This is my last Blog of 2024 , and I would like to finish the year on a positive  and upbeat tone. I will be highlighting the recent Youth Action work with young people where we have provided opportunities for giving them a meaningful  voice within the Camelon Community Action Plan and in their achievements through gaining various national Youth Awards.

The Camelon Community Action Plan is concerned with confirming  a 10-year strategy and vision for Camelon that includes local improvements and priorities that are agreed by the local community. This process is well aligned to the SCYAP Key Outcome: Young people becoming active citizens, expressing their views and enabling change and Young People having better connections with the community.

SCYAP therefore worked with the Councils Community Planning  Officer and facilitated a number of youth engagement workshops  with P7 classes at Carmuirs and Easter Carmuirs primary schools and young people who attended the Twilight Sports in Easter Carmuirs Park. A wide array of aspirations were documented through a mapping and photo auditing process, some of these issues will form a part of the finalised CAP but there were also a number of specific local youth action  projects which SCYAP is now very enthusiastic to move forward.

  • The installation of new benches and planters  into Easter Carmuirs Park based on the mindfulness benches that the Youth Action Group designed and installed for the Basketball Court and Park in Tamfourhill back in 2023. This Project will hopefully be taken forward in early 2025 by Easter Carmuirs Primary 7 class as part of their Youth Action in the Community Programme. There will be further community consultation about these benches and this process and how to get involved will be highlighted on our social media in the new year.
  • In addition, the P7 Class will also be clearing up the park and  planting an orchard in Easter Carmuirs Park as part of  the Community Volunteering Action Earth Project which is funded by Nature Scot.
  • Carmuirs Primary School P7 and the Youth Action Group will both potentially  be contributing to a community arts project at Camelon Railway Station along with other environmental improvements and biodiversity activities at the railway  station and other local green spaces in Camelon.

              

It was with great pleasure that on Friday 6th December that I awarded 14 Dynamic Youth Awards to young people who had gained these awards through their involvement on our Summer Programme 2024, this included the Community arts project; The fantastic animals woodland trail, The Junior Sports Leadership Award and the Bushcraft and overnight survival programme. This is a great credit to all the young people, and I would want to also give special mention to Jorga Muir who earned 2 Three Star Dynamic Youth Awards and Leo Cierpikowski who received a certificate of distinction for his  outstanding contributions to local youth action. The awards ceremony took place at Tamfourhill Community Hub and was attended by parents, families and friends and included a  power point presentation from Jorga and a display of photographs from  the various award activities that took place over the summer.   

I have previously highlighted in our blog and  Facebook page the new partnership we have agreed with the Scottish Federation of Coarse Angling which has arisen from an interest amongst  young people in fishing the local canals. This programme is a further accredited opportunity for the 8 young people in the Group and we started with  a session in the Hub where we learnt how to set up a float rig and make a loop knot. Unfortunately, due to the freezing conditions we have had to cancel our planned trips to Magiscroft Coarse Fishery, however we will reschedule this trip for the new year along with other indoor sessions looking at fishing tackle and techniques.  

I have previously written about our plans to relaunch the Community Climate Action Plan for Camelon and Tamfourhill and I am now able to confirm the dates for three young person led Climate Action events which will form the basis for the Plans  relaunch:  

  • Friday 7th February 2025 10am-2pm in Tamfourhill Community Hub: P7 local primary schools.
  • Sunday 23rd February 2025 11am – 3pm in Tamfourhill Community Hub: Young people From the local area.
  • Friday 7th March 2025 10am-2pm in Tamfourhill Community Hub SI & S2 from FHS

Staying on the Climate Action theme there is  great news  that Tamfourhill Community Hub has begun installing a  sustainable  and renewable energy efficient system  which  includes cavity wall and roof insulation , positioning  solar panels on the roof of the building and with a ASHP heat pump system along with a number of new energy efficiency measures and a battery storage system. The Tamfourhill Energy Efficiency and Net Zero project  received 80% funding from the Scottish Governments Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) with 15% match funding also  being  secured from the Scottish Power Networks Net Zero Fund. This really is a success story with the Hub leading the way in Falkirk district on Scotland’s journey to net zero, this project will have significant positive environmental impacts, reducing our  carbon footprint whilst massively reducing the Hubs energy costs.  This project was originally stated as a longer-term aim of the Local Community Climate Action Plan which was also linked to the local community safety strategy so on many levels both  personal and professional I am overjoyed to have played a supporting role with the Hubs committee in bringing this environmentally  progressive project to its actual realisation.  

Finally on behalf of the staff and volunteers at the Safer Communities Youth Action Project and the Tamfourhill Tenants and Residents Organisation we wish everyone a very merry Christmas  and a guid new year.    

community

The Return of the Twilight Sports Programme, and does anyone want to go fishing ?

bighosie

The nights are darker, and winter is here, so I am glad to illuminate the gloom by announcing that  the Twilight Sports Winter Programme returns on Friday 8th November from 6pm-8pm in Tamfourhill Community Hub. The main activities will be football and rollerblading and on the 8th we will also have Dr Bike in attendance who will service your bikes for winter and issue every cyclist with a light. The Programme is open to all 10 – 16-year-olds and food and drink will be provided, and this is all free of charge thanks to our funders at the Falkirk Community Schools Fund and the National Lottery Young Start Programme. There will be some special sporting activities on the programme, and these will be confirmed and announced nearer to the particular date, the regular programme is detailed on the attached flyer.

I am very disappointed that the Twilight Sports  Programme will not be visiting Easter Carmuirs Primary School this winter and this is due to Facilities Management  banning rollerblading from  all Falkirk Council  school halls and gymnasiums. We did not want  to deliver part of the Programme without our valued colleagues and partners the Falkirk Wheelers, so the decision had to be made to not make use of the school hall at Easter Carmuirs. I know this is to the disadvantage off young people from that neighbourhood, but we would consider some type of safe transport provision  for these young people ,if there was demonstrable intertest. I would like to explicitly put on record my opposition to this ban and I am particularly frustrated at how an engaging healthy sporting activity like this can be spuriously removed from the community and indeed the school curriculum. There is inconvenience to us locally and community safety concerns however there is also a much bigger picture here where young people are being prevented from participating in a very  healthy sporting activity that addresses health inequalities , reduces the attainment gap and facilitates positive social development. There has been objections raised, and an informal campaign being promoted by the Falkirk Wheelers and we fully support all of  their actions and would encourage parents , careers and concerned individuals and groups to approach elected members or highlight the matter in any local or national forums. A summary to the background to this situation can be found here:   https://falkirkwheelers.co.uk/mitie_ban.php I would also like to use this opportunity of thanking the Committee at Tamfourhill Community Hub who have been willing to accommodate the entire winter Twilight Sports programme from November through to February, it is very much appreciated.

On a much more positive note, I am delighted to report on the  formation of a new partnership between the SCYAP and the Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling, which will deliver a bespoke angling programme for local young people. I am aware that many young people enjoy fishing on the local canals, and we have also ran fishing trips as part of our summer programmes, so this new partnership will provide an excellent  accredited learning opportunity. The course will begin on Thursday 14th November at Tamfourhill Community Hub at 6pm and will involve some indoor sessions and then coached angling sessions at Magiscroft Coarse Fishery, the local canals and a trout fishery. All the participating young people will be able to gain a national award and the programme will includes: water safety, fish biology, fish welfare and safe handling of fish, fishing tackle and tackling up and of course the best methods and approaches to catching fish. There will also be volunteering opportunities provided and the potential to then go on to gain an angling coach qualification , this is a fully funded package and there will be no cost for the young people or volunteers. If you are interested  then please contact me directly at john@ttrohub.co.uk and more details about the SFCA can be found here: https://www.sfca.co.uk/

The Community Climate Action Plan has to date facilitated many opportunities and a wide array of  activities like community growing initiatives, encouraging biodiversity, active travel and the  Tamfourhill energy efficiency and net zero hub project, and this has involved various groups and schools throughout  Camelon and Tamfourhill. The time felt right for a relaunch of the CCAP and in line with the ethos of Youth  Action it seemed very appropriate to revisit the Plan  and involve young people with confirming the current priorities for tacking climate change at a community level. The SCYAP were recently successful in securing another FEL Seed Grant with the purpose of relaunching our CCAP and fully involving young people with that process. In partnership with FEL we will be holding a number of roadshow events in the community where young people and the existing CCAP Core Group members can revisit the original plan and enhance those actions or indeed set new local climate change actions. These events will provide a hands-on experience with different activities being available that involve active travel, community growing, examples of sustainability and creativity with the arts, and all involving some element of fun based consultation. I will keep the community updated with this project and how young people and others can get directly involved. The key will be to take  part in meaningful activities  but to also further develop our plan to include a very strong youth led  programme of actions.

  

Another environmental improvement opportunity has been made possible through   the Volunteering Matters  Action Earth Project. This will be about establishing several community orchards around the local area, and I hope that a variety of groups will come on board with this activity.  I again will highlight this Project on our social media platforms and in the meantime if anybody has a particular interest with establishing community orchards then please do get in touch with me directly: john@ttrohub.co.uk

Next months blog will be focused upon the Camelon Community Action Plan and in particular  the youth consultation process and the developing work of the Nailer Road Safer Streets Group.

community

Supporting Young People’s Readiness to Learn and Getting on Yer Bike

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 I  want to use the main section of this month’s Youth Action Blog to celebrate our recent #Summerprogramme2024 and to align aspects of the successes of that Programme with the findings of the  recent Youthlink publication:  The Role of Youth Work in Supporting Young people’s readiness to learn. This report is also particularly relevant to the recent work that SCYAP carried out in partnership with local schools ,as the Youthlink report notes: The factors impacting upon school attendance and engagement are complex whilst it also acknowledges that school cannot effectively tackle these issues alone. Evidence is presented that highlights the invaluable contribution of a Youth Work approach and how that methodology  can positively contribute to successfully addressing the Scottish Governments Attainment Challenge.

A SCYAP key outcome is that Young People should increase their social skills, confidence to learn and their levels of attainment. This was achieved on two levels  through our Summer Programme, firstly by the variety and quantity of national accreditations that young people undertook over the summer.  Our Evaluation report notes that 18 accredited programmes were completed, including 14 Dynamic Youth Awards, 2 High 5 Awards and with 2 older young people significantly progressing their Bronze Youth Achievement Awards. The second level is not as quantifiable but would include the development of  a wide array of soft skills or what are sometimes referred to as core skills, including; resilience, confidence, decision making, forming positive peer relationships, improving their capacity and confidence  to learn  and a willingness to take on new challenges. The participating young people did this in spades over the summer, the comments and reflections of our  partners at the  Well Wild  Project absolutely highlight these very attributes and the feedback from all the staff and partners involved with the programme delivery scored this facet a very high average of 9.4 on their feedback survey responses. This is similarly reflected in young people’s own evaluation and feedback forms with 72% indicating they had learnt new skills and scoring on average 7.4 on a scale of 10 in  relation to how their confidence to learn had improved through their involvement with the programme. This process is very apparent within the Youthlink report :  Youth work offers young people a wider range of pathways for learning and achievement that can be offered in the classroom, providing more personalisation, choice and agency in learning  This fits very nicely with the experiences of our Group who undertook the Bushcraft and Survival programme,  further the Youthlink report notes  that the success of  a youth work approach is because young people enjoy experiential learning and different contexts for learning, including practical learning and learning outdoors in the community. Young people value the opportunity that youth work gives them to shape their own learning and develop a greater sense of personal agency. This was very much echoed in the work that was undertaken in the Community Arts Project and the Bushcraft and survival programme , John Wells of the Well Wild Project noted in his evaluation feedback that:

The entire  experience was Young person 

friendly and ensured that their learning outcomes/ targets

were met in full. Their learning targets  had all been 

chosen by the young people  themselves, and they had identified what 

they would like to gain out of this Bushcraft programme and overnight wild camping

experience.

And further John explains:

They learned how to build trust, good relationships, and the importance of working as a team & also have gained the ability to work on their own independently how to take instructions and how to learn from their mistakes

And in relation to learning in different contexts and outside in the community, Sarah Diver Laing our Community artist noted that:

It was nice to see the young

people directly engage with the

outdoors and I felt there was the

right balance during this

programme of imagination,

creativity, play and engagement

in places and the community.

These young people then have not only gained a recognised certificate of achievement  they have evolved in confidence and in their ability and willingness to learn , and this is also a positive outcome for the young people’s capacity to learn within the school curriculum and beyond and will impact positively upon the wider community.

Another significant highlight of the #Summerprogramme2024 was the Junior Sports Leadership Award, and it was really great to see some young people who have been regular participants at the Twilight Sports  over the last few months take that involvement onto another  level. I have every confidence in this Groups ability to now lead on delivering sports and games sessions with their peers and  with  younger children, An array of skills in planning , leadership and communication were developed and underpinning all of these attributes was a notable growth in confidence and self-belief. The Group members are now being linked in with the Active Schools coordinators and hopefully  they will get further involved with sports leadership activities within their respective schools. An important aspect to this is community capacity building and it would be the SCYAP longer term aim to support these young people to become sports leaders and coaches at our Twilight sports programme and other community-based sports and youth provisions.

My concluding remarks about our Summer of activities relates to our significant key outcome: that Young People will have better connections with the wider community. This featured heavily in our evaluations and feedback responses and undoubtedly this has been a significant success. We focus our activities on local assets like the Tamfourhill Community Hub , the local parks in Easter Carmuirs and Nailer Road and our outdoor learning is generally focussed on the canals and  local woodland. We support young people to be visible in their own community and to link in with local community assets and other projects and organisations. Underpinning all of this is our commitment to make community Learning and development a fun experience and one that is built around the views, circumstances, needs and aspirations of the young people themselves.

SCYAP #Summerprogramme Evaluation report is available in full here:

summer programme 2024 Evaluation reportDownload

Youthlink report: Role of Youth Work in supporting young people’s readiness to learn :

Click to access The-Role-of-Youth-Work-in-Supporting-Young-Peoples-Readiness-to-Learn-.pdf

On Yer Bike!

We are fortunate to have the support of volunteers without whom we could not deliver this range and quality of programmes and activities for young people and indeed link that Youth Action in a meaningful way with the wider community. In that respect I would like to take this opportunity to both thank and highlight the contributions over the last year and beyond of Rachel Timblin. Rachels contributions are dynamic and varied and go way beyond the activities delivered by SCYAP, in particular her work with community growing , the Scottish Wildlife Trust and with support services for people impacted by Hepatitis B. Rachel is also a stalwart of the Twilight Sports Programme and quite simply the programme could not run without her involvement and support. It therefore was fabulous and fitting that Rachel was recently awarded with a bicycle from FEL as part of their  Free Bikes For Forth Valley Volunteers Scheme, more information about this initiative can be found here: https://felscotland.org/news-and-events/free-bikes-for-forth-valley-volunteers/

Here is Rachel being presented with  her new bike by FEL staff at a recent Twilight Sports session in Easter Carmuirs Park:

Thanks Rachel

#Summerprogramme2024 can be viewed here:

Summer prgramme 2024 SCYAPDownload

community

Fantastic Animals and Birds Woodland Trail

bighosie



This summer young people from the Safer Communities Youth Action Project made fantastic animals out of collage materials, taking inspiration from their favourite animals and the birds and creatures found in the woods at Well Wild. The group recorded sounds made by their animals and a map so you can find them if you visit the woods. Can you spot these fantastic animals or some other creatures at Well Wild Rough castle woods today? 

Here is the link to the virtual woodland trail

https://www.sarahdiverlang.com/yagwoodlandanimals



community

Summer Programme 2024, Tackling climate change with Tamfourhill Community Hubs journey to net zero and supporting creative recycling youth action:

bighosie

Tackling climate change and facilitating local environmental improvement are the keynote highlights of this month’s Safer Communities Youth Action Projects blog.

The great news is that Tamfourhill Community Hub has secured sufficient funding to retrofit the building with a  sustainable  and renewable energy efficient system  which will see the installation of solar panels on the roof of the building with a ASHP heat pump system along with a number of new energy efficiency measures and a battery storage system. The Tamfourhill Energy Efficiency and Net Zero project has received 80% funding from the Scottish Governments Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) with 15% match funding being recently secured from the Stirling and Clackmannanshire Environmental Trust and the final 5% being committed by the National lottery’s new Awards for All programme. This really is a success story with the Hub leading the way in Falkirk district on Scotland’s journey to net zero, this project will have significant positive environmental impacts, reducing our local carbon footprint whilst massively reducing the Hubs energy costs.  This project was originally stated as a longer-term aim of the Local Community Climate Action Plan which was also linked to the local community safety strategy so on many levels both  personal and professional I am overjoyed to have played a supporting role with the Hubs committee in bringing this environmentally  progressive project to its actual realisation.      

It is then absolutely fitting that the new recycled plastic bottle lid mural was formally unveiled on the exterior wall of the Tamfourhill Community Hub  on Thursday  6th June  

 Reduce, Reuse & Recycle:

Tackling Climate change through creative Youth Action in Camelon & Tamfourhill

The Safer Communities Youth Action Project in collaboration with community artist  Sarah Diver have been tackling climate change through creativity and Youth Action. Groups of young people have been out litter picking around Lock 14 on the Forth & Clyde Canal and other locations in Camelon and Tamfourhill to survey the number of plastics and other significant forms of litter that are being discarded. The bigger plan was to come up with innovative ways to recycle plastics into a useful and decorative community-based arts project. The recycled plastic bottle top mural is both an artistic creation which will brighten up the external wall of the Tamfourhill Community Hub  and a hands-on way of exploring climate change and environmental damage through direct action. This has been a great learning experience for the groups from Carmuirs Primary School, Falkirk High School and the Community based  Youth Action Group. Young people made posters located at school and at Tamfourhill Community Hub to collect bottle lids for the artwork. School groups attended led walks and litter picks and identified things in their local area which were important for them to protect including: animals, birds, insects, trees,  plant life and importantly each other.  The finished mural was officially opened on Thursday 6th June when the young people from Carmuirs Primary School created their own commemorative badges  made entirely from  recycled plastic. The Project has been part funded by Forth Environment Links Climate Change Seed  funding  and  the Falkirk Community School Fund 2008.  The mural project forms part of a wider conservation, biodiversity  and Climate Change Project which has been developed and delivered by the local Youth Action Project . This has involved wild gardening and planting pollinators, tree planting in local parks and paddle pickups on the canal  as part of the national upstream battle to stop plastics getting into our waterways. #Upstreambattle

Summer Programme 2024

We have another summer of exciting youth action planned and much of this programme has been funded through the Scottish Governments School Holiday Food and Activity fund. There are opportunities for 12–16-year-olds to get involved with community arts projects, a junior sports leadership award,  an overnight survival challenge with the Well Wild project, angling, water-based activities on the canal and some nature, conservation and cooking based activities. Every young person who is registered onto the programme will be given an opportunity to use the summer programme as the basis to gain either a High Five or Dynamic Youth Award with some of the young volunteers working towards their Youth Achievement Awards, to book onto the activities please go to this link:  

https://tamfourhill-gymnastics-club.classforkids.io/

The full programme with booking information is detailed below:

 

Summer fun in the outdoors 2023

community

A review of Year 1 of the Youth Action Project and the Summer Twilight Sports Season 2024 is announced:  

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Twilight Sports returns for the summer season 2024 on Friday 7th June from 6pm-9pm in Nailer Road Park, the main sports will be Rollerblading and football but there will also be big games and nature activities to get  involved with. Food and drink is available free of charge and to register you need to be 10-16 years old and you just turn up and take part and the registration  form can  be returned on the next Friday that the young person attends. The full programme  is detailed below and there will be other activities and opportunities which will be announced nearer the time; and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our main funders and supporters, including: The National Lottery, The Falkirk Community Schools Fund, the Local Police and Fire and Rescue Services, Camelon Community Sports Hub, Tamfourhill Tenants and Residents organisation and off course our ongoing delivery  partners: The Falkirk Wheelers,  Stenhousemuir FC Community Foundation and Forth Environment Link.  


There was a smooth transition in May 2023 from the Our Place Project and the Community Safety work over to the establishment of the Safer Communities Youth Action Project. The emergence of this Youth Action Project has been possible due to the funding and support of the National lotteries Young Start Programme and the Falkirk Community Schools Fund. At the conclusion of the first year the Tamfourhill Tenants and Residents Organisation are obliged to report back to the funders about the progress over the first year and to detail what has been achieved in relation to the SCYAP agreed outcomes and targets. Although these are the two core funders of the Project we have also received funding support form Forth Environment Link to support climate change activities in the community and grants from Falkirk Council holiday activities and food fund and Link Housing. Needless to say, securing funding and resources to support projects and new Youth Action activities is an ongoing process that takes time and effort from the Project staff, volunteers and the TTRO.

Climate change project with Easter Carmuirs Primary School
Planting Pollinators on the canal towpath

May 2024 then is an appropriate time to review the Projects achievements and areas of progress through year one and to also take stock and reflect upon priorities and look to where there may be gaps that need to be addressed. The ethos of work has been focused upon Youth Action which has the dual approach of benefiting local young people directly and also contributing to local community developments and improvements. We acknowledge our successes and I am very pleased to be highlight the following:
• The twilight Sports Programme delivered 35 sessions on Friday nights 6pm-9pm which were delivered at 4 venues , there are 113 young people registered onto the Programme and 730 contacts were recoded over the entire programme.
• Community development projects focussed upon climate change and environmental improvement have taken place, involving: the installation of mindfulness benches into a local park, designing and creating a wall mural from recycled plastic bottle tops and plastic bags, designing new benches along the local canal towpath. An array of conservation and biodiversity programmes were also supported which included: paddle pick-ups on the canal, community litter picks, planting pollinators, building bird boxes, planting trees & bulbs and making natured themed t shirts.
• Outdoor learning has been used in a number of contexts and sessions have been focussed upon learning Bushcraft and survival skills and using nature therapy to facilitate social and personal development opportunities for individual young people and groups.
• There has been significant partnership and collaborative work undertaken involving local community organisations and voluntary and statutory service providers.
• Support is being provided locally to set up a youth drop-in facility.
• Outreach work has been delivered in an ad hoc basis and targeted at young people 14-18 years old.
• Established a community-based Youth Action Group , involving 10 core members 10-14 years old. They have been involved with peer consultations, community arts projects and volunteering within the community.
• Designed a young people’s information leaflet with logos and priorities and a young person led Project development plan.
• 4 Youth Action Groups involving 38 young people 10-14 years old established in local schools, one of these groups was targeted at 6 specific young people who are facing challenges at school and who were causing concern within the local community.
• A young volunteer’s group has been established with 8 young people 10-15 years old.
• 28 Dynamic Youth Awards achieved through the project in year one and one Bronze Youth Achievement Award
• 12 High- 5 Awards were achieved through the Project in year one.
• 6 young people, 12 -14 years old completed their Junior Sports Leadership Award
• 31 Saltire volunteering Challenge Awards made in year one
• A 6-week summer programme 2023 delivered 27 sessions involving 135 young people 10-15 years old
• 3 community arts projects were delivered which contributed to environmental improvements and building new facilities in the community involving 63 young people 9 -14 years old.

Fab Feb Fun with this group receiving their Bushcraft and survival skills certificates at the Well Wild Project.

As year 2 rolls in , we have considerable plans and have priority areas of Youth Action that will be progressed in line with our agreed development plan. There are challenges ahead and not least having the capacity to sustain and deliver on the wide array of existing activities and the evolving opportunities that can happen for local young people. This does not all sit within the responsibilities of the SCYAP and there has to be other services and organisations playing a role with local youth provision. It is extremely positive to see the formation of the Camelon Community Group and the development of the Camelon Community Action Plan. I know that the Camelon CAP has a strong commitment to engage, involve and consult with local young people and that this will be carried out in an empathetic and empowering fashion. This augers well for the establishment of more opportunities for local young people and to recognise them as key stakeholders in the further development of the local community.
In the immediate future the SCYAP will be delivering a full summer programme 2024 and this will be published and highlighted in next month’s blog. We are also currently supporting Tamfourhill Community Hub to establish a drop in for older young people and this age group will remain a priority throughout year 2 of the Project.

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Climate Change and Creativity

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Youth Action in March 2024:

Our Youth Social Action throughout February and March has been focused upon tackling climate change, encouraging biodiversity and facilitating learning through creativity and public arts projects. We are grateful for the Climate Change Seed Funding we received from Forth Environment Link as this has enabled us to collaborate with the  local schools, the Youth Action Group , Scottish Canals, Tamfourhill Community Hub and local volunteers. This approach has allowed the SCYAP to tackle local  environmental issues and priorities in a creative way and in that respect I would like to thank our Community Artist Sarah Diver for her amazing inputs with the ongoing recycled bottle lids public mural project and her T-Shirt making at our Fab Feb  climate change  workshops.  We have also worked closely with Scottish canals Environmental Manager  Olivia Lassiere  and Rebecca at their activities team who have significantly contributed to our Climate & Biodiversity Action Day at the Falkirk  Wheel, our citizen science and towpath pollinator planting sessions  and with several paddle pick-ups along the canal through Camelon and Tamfourhill.  Encouraging active travel and the notion of the low traffic neighbourhood has also been on our agenda and it has been inspirational to work with @MakeitGlasgow from the wonderful Maryhill, who have been facilitating the creation and design of much required seating through the creation of six new benches for the canals towpaths. This Project has been enthusiastically supported by the Youth Action Groups  from Carmuirs and Easter Carmuirs Primary Schools and the Community based Youth Action Group who have all been identifying themes through a mapping process and then designing and making ceramic and clay tiles for these new benches. The FEL funding has thus provided us with addionality to our ongoing Youth Action Programmes and enables aspects of our community development approach to be underpinned with improved biodiversity and very practical  environmental improvement activities for young people which are also aligned to our Community Climate Action Plan. In addition, Rachel Timblin as part of her involvement with the Scottish Wildlife Trusts Pioneers Programme has been able to also support some community activities that have involved planting pollinators and building bird boxes and involved groups from Tamfourhill Community Hub, SCYAP and the Camelon Early Years and Childcare Centre.  

The groups from the local schools are all being supported to complete Dynamic Youth Awards and this approach is demonstrating how experiential learning and wider achievement can be recognised and effectively accredited. This wider community development approach is  evident within all of our current Youth Action Projects where strong links between young people , the wider community, local agencies and the schools are being established. Here are some key examples of local youth action that have been happening over the last 6 weeks:

The Recycled Bottle Top Mural Project

  The Recycled Bottle Top Mural Project involves groups from Carmuirs Primary School , the Community based Youth Action Group and a group from Falkirk High School who are all tackling the problem of littering  and in particular the environmental damage caused by  plastic bottle tops. Climate Change and environmental improvement were key issues that young people had identified  in the summer of 2023 through their involvement with the Safer Communities Youth Action Projects Development plan.

The recycled bottle tops mural project is funded in part by Forth Environment links Climate Change Seed funding. Tackling climate change creatively is the focus of this project where the different groups of young people have carried out community litter picks and gathered plastic bottle lids and instead of them ending up in landfill to take hundreds of years to breakdown are being used to create a community mural which itself will contribute to community improvement. This is an  upcycling project which is facilitating young people’s expressive and creative skills, improving the environment whilst raising awareness of climate change at a community  level. This Youth Social Action approach has a dual benefit  where there is community improvement and also a direct benefit to the participating young people where their involvement has enabled them to gain Dynamic Youth and Saltire Awards which are nationally recognised certificates of achievement

The New Canal Benches Project with We Make  It Glasgow.

This Project began with groups from the local primary schools and the community YAG mapping out the  local canals and the key locations and sites in their community. We looked at different perspectives of the canal, its central role through the history of Camelon and Tamfourhill , its polluted past and its more recent regeneration as a location for recreation, active travel and improved biodiversity. The young people have been designing ceramic and clay tiles based on these different themes and the  natural environment around and in the canal which  they identified  as being significant. The finished benches will be decorated with these individualised tiles and each groups bench will present a distinct story about that groups involvement  with the design and making of their tiles. This is a much-needed addition to local community safety and active travel on the canal  towpath which  will provide new bespoke seating for anybody who is walking, cycling or just wants to sit and ponder the natural environment around  them.

Designing tiles
Focused on making tiles for the canal benches

Easter Carmuirs Primary School Climate Change Project

The Primary 7 class from the school have been undertaking  a climate change project with great enthusiasm and positive commitment as part of their Dynamic Youth Award Programme. Last week the class took part in a Climate & Biodiversity Action Day at The Falkirk Wheel with the aim of tackling climate change. This was an empowering learning experience as we looked at our Carbon footprints, the environmental damage of plastics and glass, marvelled at the biodiversity in the canal and the excellent water quality, discussed active travel to and from school, two bags of rubbish were also cleared from the canal from canoes, and congratulations to everyone who received their Climate &  biodiversity Action Day Certificates for taking part and contributing to our  #communityclimateactionplan. The towpath and canal also received an extensive litter pick as part  of Keep Scotland Beautifull’s national  #upstreambattle campaign to address the issue of plastics polluting our seas by preventing them getting into our waterways in the first place. The Group also planted pollinators around the Ochiltree Ave access point to the  canal towpath so we can all look forward to  a riot of colour and biodiversity on the towpath this spring.     

citizen science and biodiversity
Certificates for the biodiversity and climate change day at the Falkirk Wheel
#Upstreambattle
Access to the towpath
Preparing the ground for pollinators
Hard work
Stomping in the seeds

Carmuirs Primary School : Dynamic Youth Award Group

This Group has been following an issue based and activity programme of Youth Action in the community on their journey to achieving a Dynamic Youth  Award. This has been a very diverse programme where we have covered outdoor learning ,nature therapy , survival skills, canal clear up, planting pollinators, cooking and a workshop on alcohol and substance use. This Group has excelled in the  outdoor learning environment where  their den building skills were notable as were  their skills with using tools and lighting fires with natural materials. A Group goes through many stages of development and this Group from being very tentative have evolved through an   experiential  learning  process to be a creative and resilient group with a host of skills and positive attributes.  

Getting the plastic out our waterways
Sailing by
Another can removed
Listening to the well wild instructions
An amazing shelter
Hot cup of soup on a cold day
Beer goggles
A good night turned bad

Easter Carmuirs Pocket Places Project

I was really pleased to attend the concluding session with the SUSTRANS pocket places team at Easter Carmuirs Primary School last week to get a  tour of the installations and new features which were designed with the school and community to improve safe access to the school and encourage greater levels of active travel to and from the  school. The new seating and planters are visually very impressive and provide  an excellent new social space for parents and carers to meet when dropping of and picking up the youngsters at the school. New layouts and fencing in the school campus better manage vehicular traffic in the playground and create a much safer route and space for active travel in and out of the school. The installation of an extensive new ramp and expanded pathways make a significant contribution to more inclusive  access around the school. I had originally got involved with this project back in the early  days of the Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill Project and the development  of our local community safety strategy, it was therefore very rewarding to see this long-term project come to fruition.   

    

Twilight Sports in  the Easter School Holidays

After a very busy and high energy winter twilight sport sprgramme concluded at Easter Carmuirs Primary School on Friday 23rd February, I am happy to announce three twilight sports sessions for the Easter School holidays. We have been involving young volunteers with the Twilight sports and this is a feature we will build upon over the Easter holidays with young people receiving development training and the  opportunity to gain certificates in first aid, sports leadership and with food and hygiene. The programme over Easter will include football and rollerblading but there will also be opportunities to get involved with biodiversity and conservation activities in the park like tree planting and  some basic Bushcraft skills. As always food and drink will be provided and its all free for 10–16-year-olds, the programme is detailed below, please contact john@ttrohub.co.uk if you require any further information. (The full summer programme will return on Friday evenings in June)