Tag: community

community

The past has been a great success, and the future remains unwritten

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So once again we are drawing to the end of another year, 2025 has been a very busy year and at times overwhelming through the levels and range of Youth Action that has been undertaken. There is no need to review the youth work as it has been detailed on our monthly blogs which has kept all interested parties updated and fully informed.  I would however want to highlight some important data and figures as detailed below which illustrate the outputs and hard successes of SCYAP in 2025: 

SCYAP Key data and outputs 2025Download

In reporting back this month to Foundation Scotland on the completion of our three-year  grant award . I commented that:  The funding provided through Foundation Scotland has contributed to young people gaining confidence, abilities and the skills to make lasting positive change in their community. A Youth Action approach was successfully delivered which has the dual benefits of improving young people’s connections with the local community whilst also advancing their own personal and social development. The funding leaves a legacy and the potential to build on existing success and further support young people’s contributions to the development and improvement of Camelon and Tamfourhill and to better prepare them for advancing through life as active citizens.

The notion of legacy and the potential for further Youth Action are both embedded within these end of grant conclusions, and the challenge for me and the TTRO is to now secure further funding and resources to take the SCYAP beyond this year and into the future. We are optimistic and it will not be for a lack of effort and commitment in what is a very competitive funding world. Being a small voluntary organisation can often feel like you are in an unstable and short-term reality, but it also enables greater levels of flexibility , creativity and localism that are simply not afforded to local councils, health boards or other public bodies

The young people who took part in the  Youth Participation Project were involved with their own end of Project evaluation this month. An opportunity for them to reflect upon their own experiences, what they had enjoyed and leant in the process and contribute to the feedback required to the funders. This Project was funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and is managed by Falkirk Council, so it was a fixed  term short project, and it was therefore important that a legacy was left in terms of local Youth Action. In that respect we have ten Dynamic Youth Awards and two High 5 Awards pending and a couple of Saltire awards  and the Article 31: The Right to Play mural boards are now fully installed at the Games Court in Easter Carmuirs. Notable feedback indicated that the young people really enjoyed attending the Lock 16  open day in September where they led their own stall , Article 31 activities and consultation process and also engaged with the general public and the other partners. I personally would like to praise the group very highly for that day , they were exceptional and a great credit to their peers and the community. OUTSTANDING !!!   

In the short term in 2026 we will  continue to support the work of the two-schools based Climate Action Groups at Carmuirs and Easter Carmuirs Primary Schools. This will be augmented by the formation of a community focused Youth Climate Action Group with all three working towards young peoples  agreed priorities for climate action as detailed in the report published in  April 2025. Work began with the schools in November and along with the  YAG they  will gain pace through  January and February. This work has been made possible through the funding received from FEL and their next steps climate action fund.  

The second phase of the Twilight Sports programme  begins on Friday 16th January 6pm-8pm in Tamfourhill Community Hub , the full programme is detailed below. Although we haven’t been quite as busy as previous winter programmes we do have a high energy and loud group attending every week. Thank you to our sessional staff, coaches and our volunteers, its been especially rewarding to  see two young volunteers giving up their Friday nights to come along and make the Twilight sports a resounding success.

Finally, a thank you to the colleagues and partners  who have contributed  to our end of year evaluations , completing surveys and discussing projects, this is an important aspect to planning future work and indeed sustaining the Safer Communities Youth Action Project.

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Twilight Sports Winter  Programme , Youth Participation in October  and our Awards ceremony:

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The Clocks have gone back, and the nights are fare drawing in and that means it’s time for the SCYAP Twilight Sports Winter Programme to begin, which again this year will be hosted by Tamfourhill Community Hub. I would like to convey our thanks and gratitude to the Camelon Community Sports Hub who awarded us a grant a few months back to cover our winter programme 2025/26.

This funding injection from the Camelon Sports Hub  coincides with the ending of our 3 years funding from the Falkirk Community Schools Fund 2008 ,which has been the main source of support for all of our youth action programmes and activities and not least the Twilight Sports Programme. This funding support has been in place since the Twilights Sports was established after an initial pilot phase back in  2022 . Having met with the Falkirk Schools Fund Trustees relatively recently we are unclear when further funding from them will become available and indeed whether a continuing application would be successful or not. At this stage we can only thank the Falkirk Schools fund for their significant financial commitment over the previous 3-year period and also be equally grateful that the local community sport Hub similarly recognises the  worth and benefits of this unique form of community-based youth provision. The longer-term aim is to be able to sustain and further develop the programme over the next few years. I will of course keep the community and all our partners and stakeholders  updated with all potential options and  developments. For the time being lets  look forward to a 12-week winter indoor programme starting on Friday 31st October as detailed below and with the full involvement of our partners the Falkirk Wheelers , FEL, our young football coach, the regular volunteers and staff and the fantastic support from Tamfourhill Community Hub.

The October holidays afforded lots of opportunities to progress both the Youth Participation Project and the interlinked Right to Play Article 31 activities  over at the Games Court in Easter Carmuirs. An initial game of rounders involving 12 local young people and 3 members of staff got the ball rolling in many directions. We chalked up different methods for choosing teams and getting games started, and the game of rounders was nonstop laughter and some competitiveness as eventually  bad light stopped play. We reconvened for three days on the 15th, 16th and 17th October and began the process of taking the ideas from the Rounders evening and converting them into hand painted decorative signage which will now be mounted onto the Games Court perimeter fencing. Oot Skoot you are oot, Rock, paper scissors, knots and crosses and a new scoreboard for the cage will all feature along with some of the play images created by the Participation group through their consultation event at Lock 16 back in September.

Our Volunteering Matters Action Earth Project made significant progress in Easter Carmuirs park on Monday 13th October where  our volunteers Rachel and Alex led on a very busy bat and bug box building workshop. Six new boxes were constructed involving 12 volunteers, mainly young people and younger children  but also a couple of family teams. It was also really positive that most of the SCYAP volunteers  took part in the Green Action Trusts Neighbourhood trees project through a workshop conducted around the park. We would like to convey our thanks to our colleagues at Under the Trees who  made a huge contribution to a successful Wild Connections Falkirk’s Greener Future locally in the Easter Carmuirs Public Park.

The outdoor learning theme for this week was also explored and enjoyed by members of our Youth Participation Group who spent an afternoon at the Well Wild Project in the Rough Castle Woods. The Group learnt how to build and start a fire with flint and steel and then how to manage that fire safely to cook a chicken casserole. Using tools was another feature of the session and we also made time  for some nature therapy and off course time to play in the woods and reminding ourselves of Article 31 the Right to Play and to play safely and manage risks.  

On Thursday 16th we held a wonderful Youth  Awards ceremony for family and friends at Tamfourhill Community Hub. Well done and a massive congratulations to all the young people who received their Youth Awards Certificates at the Awards ceremony. High 5, Dynamic & Youth achievement and Saltire Awards. A very sincere well done from everybody at SCYAP, the TTRO and Tamfourhill Community Hub. Most of these awards were gained through young people’s  involvement over the Summer Programme 2025 but there was also some longer-term outstanding volunteering commitments being recognised and it was with a sense of personal pride and joy that we made all of these awards. What an amazing group of young people all committed to Youth Action and developing their own skills, knowledge and experiences. Youth Scotland

And finally, as always I like to conclude on a happy note, I am therefore very  excited to announce that the SCYAP funding application to FEL Climate Action Next Steps fund was successful. This was a strong application based on the implementation of our Community Climate Action Plan and the priorities and key themes identified by young people themselves at  our climate action events held back in February and March of this year. Its very uplifting to recognise that FEL have supported our climate action events and the work of the Climate Action Core Group over the last 3 years and have now further invested in the young people of Tamfourhill, Camelon  and Bantaskin to make significant positive contributions to local climate action.

community

The Right to Play, Youth Participation and Climate Week

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SCYAP was successful in securing a Community Empowerment Grant  from Falkirk Council which is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. As a Youth Action Project we were keen to encourage further youth participation and to link that with wider community developments. The key aspects of a  Youth Participation approach , include; Taking part, young people having a say and being listened to , being involved with decision making, being  involved through your own choice, contributing to the community, enjoying activities and working with others and gaining national youth awards. Our new Youth Participation Project was targeted initially at young people who were not regularly involved with any of our previous or ongoing youth action activities and the programme began with an introduction and programme planning session at the end of August

A Dynamic Youth Award programme has begun and includes a wide variety of challenging activities which focus on teamwork, decision making, skills development and community involvement . Creativity and outdoor learning feature significantly throughout the programme and the Group had a brilliant day when they attended the recent Scottish Canals Open Day which was held at the  old Barrs factory in Tamfourhill.  This open day was an opportunity for Scottish canals and their partners at Historic Environment Scotland  to showcase the traditional  skills and the Centre  for Excellence that will operate from this building. The Open Day  also provided a unique opportunity for our  Youth Participation Group to contribute through their interactive games stall which promoted Article 31 of UNRC: The Right to Play  

UNCRC Article 31

I have a right to rest, relax and play

Adults should make sure children have the chance to play and relax in a safe, supportive and stimulating environment.

Governments should make sure children can be part of cultural and artistic activities.

When decisions are made about activities in the community, adults should include children in planning these.

Want to come out to play?

Our commitment to the  promotion of  Article 31 is being further explored through the second strand of our Youth Participation  project: A series of arts  drop-in sessions will take place at the games court on Mariner Avenue in Easter Carmuirs on the 15th, 16th and 17th October. If you are between 10-18 years old please pop along in the afternoon between 1pm-4pm, perhaps play some games, tell us about the rules and then design and build signposts and boards which illustrate these games. Part of this process will be involved with the design of new box seating for the Cage , and the process kicks  off next Wednesday 8th October at 5.30pm when you can come down for a game of rounders, get some free hot dogs and also tell us about the games and sports that are played at the Cage. This community arts aspect  of the Participation Project is aligned to proposals highlighted within the Camelon Community Action Plan in relation to improving communal spaces and increasing opportunities  for local young people.  

Scotland’s national climate week runs from 29th September until 5th October, and this is an opportunity to consider what climate action we can support and take which will contribute to tackling climate change and making our communities greener and sustainable.

Climate Week is an important awareness raising tool and to coincide with this I am very pleased to announce that we will be beginning the process of reinstating the community orchard that was recently decimated on the canal towpath next to Camelon Juniors football ground. We are extremely grateful to Scottish Canals who have found resources to replace the heritage fruit trees and the support of their Environment manager with the process of preparing the ground and the planting of the replacement orchard. We will be working on the towpath on Thursday 2nd October with the Carmuirs Youth Action Group who worked so hard and took so much pride with the planting of the original orchard back in February

Following on from the reinstatement of the Camelon Community Orchard we are excited  to partner with Under the Trees Outdoor Learning for an event called Wild Connections: Falkirk’s Greener Future that will bring a whole host of climate related activities to Easter Carmuirs Park on Monday 13th October from 1pm-4pm. SCYAP through funding accessed from Volunteering Matters Action Earth will provide volunteering opportunities to build and decorate bat and bug boxes. Forth Climate Forest will deliver a Neighbourhood trees workshop and Under the Trees have a climate scavenger quiz with prizes, crayon recycling on the campfire and acorn planting and a climate lab with climate experiments to explore. Although this is a young person led event the whole community are invited to participate, and the only restriction is that under 10’s must be accompanied by an adult of 16+ years old

And finally , SCYAP is overjoyed to acknowledge that we have 24 National Youth Award Certificates to present to young people , these in the main were gained through taking part on various activities during our Summer Programme 2025.  The overnight survival programme, community arts  project and its Stand up for Nature theme, the angling project and the wonderful active travel mural and arts installation at Camelon Railway Station. This included two Silver Youth Achievement Awards for our young youth action volunteers Leo and Victoria, my congratulations to you all, an outstanding achievement.

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Railway Station Arts Project Officially Opens, Experiential Learning in the Wild Outdoors and a Photographic Review of #Summerprogramme2025

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Climate Action through Saving Nature, Learning life skills through Bushcraft and Survival activities and having fun through connecting with  the local Canals and parks, these were the main  themes of the SCYAP Summer Programme 2025. The highlights included the opening of the Environmental improvements and community arts project at Camelon Railway station on Wednesday 16th July when Tracy Stevenson Scotrails Community Rail Executive joined local organisations including: The Fire and Rescue Service, FEL, Falkirk Council , FVSC and local community activists, when the new artwork was officially opened with the ribbon being ceremonially cut by Lucy Auld. Lucy gave total commitment to this project , giving up lots of her own time to work on the project and she was supported by other members of our Youth Action Group, the original designs had been worked up by her P7 Class at Carmuirs Primary School. Lucy will gain a Dynamic Youth Award for her outstanding contributions to this Project along with her friend from school Oliver Mcarthur who will gain a High 5  Award.

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/about-scotrail/news/youth-led-art-biodiversity-project-transforms-camelon-station

https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/people/young-people-help-transform-station-access-path-in-camelon-5229985

The days celebrations then moved onto Nailer Road Park where SCYAP hosted a community  active travel day which presented a number of different and fun approaches to active travel. This included our regular partners the Falkirk Wheelers who provided inline skating around the park. FEL again supported our activities with their adapted and led bike rides also around the park , which encouraged a wide range  of participants including families and older people. Falkirk Council Energy and Climate Change Team  also provided a stall in the  park on the theme of sustainable communities. This active travel event was linked to the illustrations detailed on the mural at Camelon railway Station and these ideas are also aligned to our community climate action plan, similarly young people’s priorities for local climate action were also picked up by  our Summer Programme arts project when we supported 12 young people to Campaign For Nature.

Standing up for Nature, Appreciating Nature , Helping Nature, Understanding Nature, and Calmness in Nature were all statements from the group of young community artists when we began to plan our summer arts project. The Climate Action Events that SCYAP facilitated back in February and March had clearly demonstrated that young people were most concerned about how climate change was negatively impacting upon the plants, forests and animals around them, this in fact was a clear priority for young people in terms of taking positive climate action. We identified 4 aspects to the natural world around us: Sun, Water, Earth and Air, and we began to explore the areas around Tamfourhill and at the YAG bench on the canal. The Group developed their sketches into 4 large banners which depicted these aspects of nature, and this enabled them to learn new skills in screen printing, calligraphy, drawing and sewing. One of the group Anya was particularly interested in digital creativity, so she got further involved with the project and designed the poster which is detailed below. These images will be displayed around the community in the coming weeks along with a wider #Youthaction visual campaign called: Standing up for Nature, so please look out for the group’s creations appearing in public spaces around Camelon and Tamfourhill,  we plan to  run a competition where you can report your sightings of any of these images and win  climate action prizes.      

When I heard the storm and looked  out, I made haste to join it: John Muir    

SCYAP has formed a really good working relationship with the Well Wild project, and we have successfully developed programmes and activities that have an excellent synergy with our  key outcomes, and which take an innovative approach to experiential learning. Our  Bushcraft and Survival programme ran over a week and cumulated with the overnight survival experience at the  Well Wild Project  in the Rough Castle Woods. I would like to congratulate and acknowledge the resilience and adaptability of our group on the overnight experience when they had to contend with a period of prolonged overnight rain, a gathering storm and a degree of discomfort. Their skills were put  into action, teamwork and supporting each other were critical, fire lighting and their shelter building were all put to the test. The night was filled with screaming owls protecting their territory, startled foxes passing through the woods and difficult weather conditions. John Muir the Scottish conservationist and explorer  famously exclaimed in response to a rising tempest in the Sierra Mountains in North America that: “When I heard the storm and looked out, I made haste to join it” The SCYAP Group in their own fashion did similar and their  learning was consequently substantial and will have impact well beyond the 18 hours they spent over night in the woods, with  a plethora  of life skills  being developed. Each young person remained focused on achieving their personal Dynamic Youth Award learning targets and it will be an absolute pleasure to later present their certificates.  

Summer Programme 2025 in a compendium of photos:

 

Unfortunately, some Bad news:

Everyone connected with SCYAP were absolutely deflated and disappointed to be informed that the only Community Orchard in Camelon has been wiped out by extensive ground clearance on the canal towpath. The planting of this orchard was a joint project that was planned and implemented with Scottish Canals and involved considerable SCYAP funding and resources. The members of the Carmuirs Youth Action Group along with our community volunteers who planted and then maintained this orchard are upset and angry with this inexplicable action. I want to reassure the community that as an organisation we are looking into the circumstances that have led to this, our understanding is that  Scottish Canals now have a team investigating this incident which they view as an act of vandalism which has been  carried out on their Land. We will off course follow this matter up until some sort of resolution is found, we will report back through our social media and other channels when we have an unequivocal explanation of who was responsible and what actions are being taken.

Let’s conclude with some good news:

We are very  pleased to announce that we were successful in our application to the UKSPF Community Empowerment Small Grant Fund and we will therefore be implementing two new opportunities for local  young people 10-18 years old. These projects will run from September through to December and will involve creativity and  community improvements through an arts drop-in initiative and also the delivery of an accredited groupwork programme. The funds are administrated through Falkirk Council and are well aligned to the SCYAP five key outcomes and aim to also address aspects of the recent Camelon Community Action Plan. A central aim is  to include young people and volunteers who are not regularly involved with any of our current project’s and especially those that are linked to National Youth Awards. I will in next month’s blog  explain how young people and volunteers can take part and highlight the benefits to young people and the wider community.   

And finally, we were also successful with our second round of funding from the Volunteer Matters Action Earth Fund, which is resourced by Nature Scot and the National Lottery Community Fund. This is all about tackling climate change and promoting volunteering in the community and we will be linking the activities to our Climate Action Plan and the priorities identified by local young people  earlier this year. This Project will be taking place in the autumn and again we will highlight in a future Blog  how you can get involved. 

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Active travel day planned, COP2 and SCYAP  Summer Programme 2025:

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The SCYPA Summer Programme 2025 is detailed below and  there are still places available for some of the activities, the booking link is here:

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

The programme offers a wide variety  of opportunities for young people including hands on arts and creativity workshops, outdoor learning and an overnight survival experience and our Summer Fun in the Park sessions.

Summer prgramme 2025 SCYAP actual for bookingsDownload

A key community event  on the Programme will be our Active Travel Day scheduled for  Wednesday 16th July from 12 noon to 4pm and which will also coincide with the opening of the Community art mural and nature project at Camelon Railway Station. The day will begin at the Railway Station where there will be an official opening of the public art mural and the nature installations and will involve both Scotrail and Network Rail along with the young community artists from SCYAP. This has been an excellent partnership and collaborative Project which will bring about environmental improvements and also much improve the experience of traveling to  and from Camelon Railway Station. It made absolute sense to align this celebration with our Active Travel Day as the themes of both events are focused upon environmental improvement, helping nature and promoting climate action. The Active Travel Day, which will take place in the nearby Nailer Road Park, is an outcome of the involvement of over 80 young people who took part in  the SCYAP Climate Action events which  were held at Tamfourhill Community Hub back in  February and March of this year. The day will include various forms of active travel, including: Inline skating, bicycles, rickshaws, adapted bike rides and also information stalls provided by Falkirk Councils Energy and Climate Change Team. SCYAP will also provide some snacks and drinks, and a fun football session, so please keep an eye out for these events details which will be posted on our social media and will also feature on the Falkirk Council website and other local forums.

On Wednesday 18th June we had the pleasure of attending a Picnic in Easter Carmuirs Park to celebrate with family , school and community the installation of the new Wild Bench. SCYAP had over the last 3 months  worked with the P7 class at Easter Carmuirs Primary School to design a seating bench with a planter which was to be  located into the play park within Easter Carmuirs Park. The young people designed this  Wild Bench which in addition to providing some much-needed seating  for the play park also encourages biodiversity through helping local nature and the wildlife that lives in the park. Our Youth Action approach is always concerned with facilitating  multiple benefits for both local young people and the wider community, and in this Project the park and local families will now be able to enjoy this new facility when visiting the park, the participating young people have all gained Dynamic Youth Awards through their participation and there is also the additional benefit for the local environment and its biodiversity. The young people have designed the benches with wild nature in mind, and this is reflected with the artwork which decorates the bench and planter, and through planting  pollinators this will truly be a Wild Bench for Easter Carmuirs Park.

I was pleased to be invited to Falkirk High School on 5th June to attend and participate in the Falkirk School Pupils Climate Summit or COP2. SCYAP has supported our own Community Climate Action Plan, so it was really useful and pleasing  to see how well aligned that our climate actions are to the work of young people from schools throughout Falkirk. The workshops were interesting and reflected the commitment of young people to take positive action to tackle the climate crisis. I would want to  give a big shout out to Green New Deal Rising for facilitating an excellent workshop, as an organisation they are focused upon campaigning for climate justice and making Scotland a greener, more equitable and environmentally sustainable nation. Green New Deal Rising is building a movement of young people to fight for a response to the climate crisis that totally transforms our economy to deliver a safe climate and fairer society. We believe in people power, and through a combination of disrupting the political system and reaching into our communities, we plan to make the Green New Deal an era-defining issue. 

I would also like to acknowledge and thank  the pupils from  Falkirk high School, Maya and Olivia who regularly attended and contributed to the work of our Community Climate Action Plan Core Group, and I wish them well as they move onto further education.    

Finally, I would  like to convey our thanks to the Camelon Community Sports Hub who have awarded a grant to SCYAP to operate our Twilight Sports Programme over the winter of 2025/26. The longer-term funding which has  supported this programme over the last three years concludes at the end of this calendar year, so there are longer term challenges ahead in terms of the Twilight Sports and other programmes we deliver with local young people.

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Light Nights and Twilight Sports and the launch of the Camelon CAP

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The seasons seem to move so quickly and with the arrival of the lighter nights and with such an amazing spring we have speedily arrived at the start of this year’s Twilight Sports Programme. We  look forward to  welcoming lots of regular faces and hopefully plenty of new ones to the opening session on Friday 30th May 6pm-9pm in Easter Carmuirs park. Once again we will have the Falkirk Wheelers providing the Skating and the football  being provided in conjunction with Stenhousemuir FC Community Foundation. The full programme is detailed below and over the 12 weeks we will have all the usual big games , food and drink , a monthly barbecue, nature based and creative activities and Forth Environment Links  Dr Bike in attendance for 6 weeks of the programme providing their fabulous bike maintenance service. Dr Bike along with our regular visits from the Fire and Rescue Service and community police officers are  reminders of this programmes community safety approach. The origins of the Twilights sports are to be found in the Our Place Community Safety Strategy for Camelon and Tamfourhill and we continue to align the Twilight Programme to that purpose. This is achieved  through  providing local young people a safe place to socialise, take part  in games and  sport , form positive relationships  with the different services and link into other community learning opportunities all on Friday nights in local public parks.

The Community safety strategy remains a relevant framework for supporting wider  local Youth Action, and that has been reflected over the last six months with the SCYAP and local young people’s  ongoing role and involvement  with developing and  confirming the Camelon Community Action Plan. The Falkirk Community Planning Partnership describes  a community action plan (CAP) as a participatory tool that helps community members identify and address the problems, needs, and potential within their community. It also aims to encourage community involvement and management of their environment. A community action plan can include various programs and activities that are designed to improve the quality of life and well-being of the community The Camelon CAP was officially launched last Tuesday evening 20TH May in the Forth Valley Sensory Centre and it was an amazing experience for some of the young people involved with SCYAP , along with members of our Youth Action Group , young people from the local primary schools, staff and volunteers to all attend the multi-agency community launch and provide three youth action stalls.  I cannot praise the young people highly enough, they were brilliant ambassadors for their peers, schools, youth project and the community and they provided a real sense of community participation throughout the event. The Link to the Camelon CAP is below:

Click to access CamCAP-Apr2025.pdf

Our Community artist was also in attendance at the launch and aligned to the CAP ethos and its engagement process we showcased our two big community arts and environmental improvement projects. The nature, active travel mural and totem pole installations for  Camelon Railway  Station were well received by the leader of the Council and the representatives of the other organisations and the mural in particular also received lots of interest from local people. The benches and planter for Easter Carmuirs Park  was also very  popular and people got a chance to add their decorative prints to a scaled version of the bench. There is a diary of sessions and workshops for community involvement and participation  with the Railway  Station project , young people  just turn up at the workshops at Tamfourhill Community Hub and the sessions at the railway station will  operate on a drop-in basis. The plan is to hold an official  opening of the Railway station art installations along with an  active travel day in mid-July, and we will off course publicise that day’s events and how you can get involved. I would like to personally thank Scotrail for their funding towards this project and the support of Network Rail.  

programme details community arts at Camelon Railway stationDownload

Our third stall was presented by our young volunteer Leo Cierpikowski and highlighted and celebrated our various Youth Awards programmes and activities. Leo himself has recently begun his Silver Youth Achievement Award after successfully gaining his Bronze. His Silver challenge is focussed upon further  developing his leadership skills and community involvement. This young man is an outstanding role model and community activist and can have a significant leadership role with the relvevant aspects of the Camelon CAP.    

The SCYAP Summer Programme 2025 is scheduled to begin on July 4th, and it will be a programme that includes creativity, community projects, outdoor learning and an overnight survival experience, canal-based activities and lots of summer fun in the park. In next month’s blog I will publish the full programme and details of how to get booked onto the sessions.

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Successful Climate Action Events and our Easter programme 2025

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The Community Climate Action Plan for Camelon and Tamfourhill was developed by a core group of local partners  and that process  was facilitated by Keep Scotland Beautiful throughout the spring and summer 2022. The Plan has facilitated a number of local climate action projects, including: The very recently completed Tamfourhill Energy Efficiency and Net Zero Hub Project,  a wide array of environmental improvement projects, community growing initiatives and young person led community arts recycling projects. Although this Plan continues to be a valuable framework for tackling climate change at a community level, SCYAP believed it could be greatly enhanced  and reinvigorated by organising young person led Climate Action Events. These would involve  various hands-on workshops facilitating experiential learning, were empowering and giving young people a meaningful voice, encouraging further collaboration between the community, schools and relevant agencies  and successfully identifying young people’s priorities for future community-based climate action in Camelon and Tamfourhill. The Climate Action Events were delivered through February and March 2025 and were part funded through the FEL Seed Grant Funding and the SCYAP core youth action funds. The intention is to now confirm a delivering plan for  local young person climate action over the next 12 months which will be fully aligned to our existing CCAP.

Climate Action event 7th March programmeDownload

83 Young people, 10-15 years old took part in 3 Climate Change Events held at Tamfourhill Community Hub , involving Carmuirs and Easter Carmuirs Primary Schools, Falkirk High School and members of the SCYAP Youth Awards Group. They  all participated in a number of themed workshops, including:

  • Recycle, Reuse , Reduce: Our SCYAP Community artist delivered a  workshop focused on sewing, using left over materials and fabrics and which attempted to share skills in sewing and reusing materials as a way or example of how  to reduce waste. The young people were tasked with creating badges which contained a symbol of a climate opportunity they felt was most important to them and based upon the Falkirk Schools Climate Agreement. It was noted that young people felt most connected to protecting the natural environment and wildlife, with energy and transport also being important – waste and food growing seemed to be much less important.
  • Waste Management : Falkirk Council facilitated an interactive workshop around the councils approaches to waste management and highlighting the environmental impacts of waste, litter and fly tipping.
  • Sustainable food networks: This workshop was delivered by FEL and  involved watching some video footage and discussing facts about the environmental  impact of world-wide food production and some food tasting took place.
  • Active Travel and reducing our Carbon footprint: These sessions were delivered by FEL Project Officers and Falkirk Councils Energy and Climate Change Coordinator. In the first activity young people were asked  to indicate which actions they thought would result in the highest Greenhouse Gas reductions using counters on a table and the groups then talked through discrepancies between beliefs held by the general public and the reality of potential Greenhouse Gas  emissions reductions. Young people indicated which actions they would be willing to take using counters, they also discussed the practicalities of taking on these actions and weighing up other concerns with making those emission savings (e.g. financial cost, time, and convenience)  the second activity was focussed upon making suitable net zero adaptations in the Communithy and  encouraged creativity and problem-solving, with participants sharing their thoughts on how to improve the environment. Over 150 ideas and observations were submitted, covering a range of topics such as reducing pollution, active travel, increasing green spaces, and using renewable energy sources. The workshop helped the young participants understand the importance of sustainable living, showing them how small changes in their communities can have a big impact on the planet. The event emphasised practical actions like better waste management, more eco-friendly transport options, and the need for greener buildings. Finally, was an opportunity for every young person to have a go at the very popular smoothie bike: At this activity the young people spoke about how the energy we create from our own bodies can be used to help the environment, from walking or cycling to school, to powering a blender that would usually be powered by electricity, by bike and therefore our bodied energy. The fruits that  were used in the smoothie bike were all healthy and fairtrade and this emphasised the positive impact that healthy food can have on our bodies and on the planet.  This approach was further emphasised by the opportunity for every young person to make their own fruit kebab as a low carbon snack
  • Helping Nature &  the  Environment: This input was delivered by volunteers from SCYAP and the Scottish Wildlife Trust and had 2 distinct elements, firstly;  young people were tasked  with building bat boxes, bird nesting boxes and bug hotels, it was very hands on and very much enjoyed by the young people with 14 boxes being built over the 3 events, and secondly: groups of young people were accompanied to the woodland area beside the Hub to carry out a survey and analysis of the different  habitats and places for wildlife, and taking consideration of some of the challenges and risks to these habitats, especially in relation of littering. This session concluded with a litter pick of the woods and later the installation of the bird, bug and bat boxes along with a hedgehog house.   
  • Plenary and casting your votes session: Each event concluded with an opportunity for every young person to cast 2 votes, a first and second preference vote for their priorities for local climate action. The intention was for young people to cast their votes in line with their experiential learning over the day, and there were six themed ballot boxes for casting their votes:
  • Campaigning for Climate Change
  • Community Growing Projects
  • Environmental Improvement Projects
  • Encourage Active Travel
  • Helping Nature & Encouraging Biodiversity
  • Recycle, Reuse & Reduce

The Next Steps:

Having collated the voting returns as detailed above an action plan will now be proposed for young person led climate action in Camelon and Tamfourhill. Although priorities vary between age groups the feedback from partners workshops allied to young people’s voting response indicates that the key areas for future activity should be focused upon:  

  • Encouraging active travel
  • Campaigning for local Climate Action
  • Helping nature and encouraging biodiversity
  • Community growing projects.

A draft report with recommendations for a young person led climate action plan will be presented to the next meeting of our CCAP Core Group on 22nd April 2025, I will off course present that outcome in Mays SCYAP blog, with the view to full implementation from the summer of 2025. Watch this space !

Any finally:

Our Easter Programme 2025: All activities are free, food & drink are provided, you just turn up and if required registration forms will be issued. The Twilight Sports sessions are open to all 10–16-year-olds and I am pleased to advise that Dr Bike will be in attendance along with the smoothie bike at each twilight sports sessions over the 3 locations , the snacks will be pizzas and make your own fruit kebabs.

The Canal benches celebration on Friday 11th April 12noon to 4pm is being hosted by our Youth Action Group and is open to all the community, we would advise however that anyone under 10 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. The programme on the 11th will include: arts & creativity, nature activities, active travel, an angling taster opportunity , a barbecue with fruit kebabs and live musical entertainment.

Thanks to our partners: FEL Scotland Falkirk Wheelers Go Forth and Clyde Make it Glasgow

Further details available at: john@ttrohub.co.uk & 07391524528

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

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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.  

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

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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.

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Camelon Action Plan , Youth Empowerment and Climate Action.   

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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.