SHAX received the most member votes and were awarded £15,000. The runners up – Lanarkshire Cancer Care Trust and Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre each received £5,000. CONGRATULATIONS to all three groups.
Ordinary General Meeting – Bellshill – 2nd October 2023
The People’s Pantry received the most member votes and were awarded £15,000. The runners up – Glasgow’s Golden Generation and No-one Dies Alone each received £5,000. CONGRATULATIONS to all three groups.
Annual General Meeting – Bellshill – 24th April 2023
Old Kilpatrick Food Parcels received the most member votes and were awarded £15,000. The runners up – Sunshine Wishes Children’s Charity and Open Water Rescue each received £5,000. CONGRATULATIONS to all three groups.
Ordinary General Meeting – Bellshill– 4 October 2022
Bear Necessities were awarded £15,000 while both REACH and Cerebral Palsy Scotland were awarded £5,000.
Bear Necessities is a small charity based in Airdrie who support vulnerable families who have experienced poverty, isolation, or a survivor of domestic abuse. They support families by providing recycled clothing and equipment for babies. They also work closely with NHS Lanarkshire and social Work and First Steps teams by providing groups and activities for families to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and develop support networks to help families and children living in poverty, isolation or surviving domestic abuse achieve their full potential.
REACH was established in 2012 to bridge the gap in post diagnostic services across Lanarkshire, to provide support to families who have a young person with an Autism Spectrum Condition living within North & South Lanarkshire. They hope to use the funds towards activities, hall hire and trips throughout the year as these things help children, young people and families to help feel included within their communities.
Cerebral Palsy Scotland is a charity that improves the lives of children and adults with cerebral palsy through specialist therapy, support and information. For over 25 years their therapists have worked alongside people with cerebral palsy, their families and carers, helping them develop practical skills which transform daily life. Funds from Scotmid will power their work, providing up to 100 therapy sessions, so that every person with cerebral palsy in Scotland can reach their full potential.
Annual General Meeting – Bellshill– 25 April 2022
The Moira Anderson Foundation were awarded £15,000 while both Levern Valley Defibrillator Community Partnership and Maggie’s Forth Valley were awarded £5,000.
The Moira Anderson Foundation is dedicated to supporting people across North Lanarkshire and surrounding areas, that have been affected by childhood abuse. Supporting both young people and adults, the aim is to help people heal, prevent further abuse and raise awareness of the issue. Funding from Scotmid’s Community Connect Award will be used to deliver therapy and ongoing support to 50 new clients helping them to build resilience and focus on their personal strengths.
Levern Valley Defibrillator Community Partnership operate in communities throughout the Levern Valley of East Renfrewshire, they help to save lives by installing and maintaining Public Access Defibrillators (PADS) as well as providing invaluable free training in how to use them. Cardiac Arrest affects people of all ages and the funds from Scotmid’s Community Connect Award will be used to continue their aim of ensuring that a defib can be accessed any time of the day or night to help make the community safer and stronger.
Maggie’s Forth Valley helps people take back control when cancer turns life upside down, with professional support for anything from treatment side effects to money worries. They provide practical and emotional support to anyone with cancer, whatever kind of cancer, and whatever stage they’re at. Scotmid’s Community Connect Award will fund people with cancer to get expert benefits advice, helping them focus on their treatment and less on the financial struggle of supporting their family.
Ordinary General Meeting – Bellshill– 27 September 2021
Counselling & Benefits in Action (CABIA) were awarded £15,000 while both West Scotland Deaf Children’s Society and The Miracle Foundation were awarded £5,000.
CABIA (Counselling and Benefits in Action) is based in Airdrie and provides help, support and guidance to individuals and families who may be isolated or experiencing financial hardship. Run by a team of dedicated volunteers, support from Scotmid will be used to cover their running costs and to improve the indoor space for clients.
The West of Scotland Deaf Children’s Society provides social and emotional support to deaf children, young people and their families. Deaf children are at a substantial disadvantage in accessing mainstream clubs, services and activities. Support from Scotmid will be used to provide a range of face to face and virtual social clubs and fun activities which are fully inclusive & meet all their individual & communication needs.
The Miracle Foundation is based in Motherwell and helps children and young people who have experienced a bereavement or trauma by offering play therapy, talking therapy, art therapy counselling and support sessions. The Community Connect funding will help fund a Peer Support Worker and to update their website with practical help and advice so it can work as a library of resources for children, young people, schools and parents.
Annual General Meeting – Glasgow (Online) – April 2021
PLUS, Beatson Cancer Charity and Back To SchoolBank East Renfrewshire were all awarded £8,500.
PLUS (Forth Valley) is a charity who works with children and young people who have a disability and/or severe and complex learning and health needs. They also provide information and support to families. The funding will help with the the coordination and cost of providing high quality play and learning activities.
Beatson Cancer Charity provides a wide range of support, care and treatment to people living with cancer and their families across the west of Scotland. The funds will be used to support their hairdressing and wig-fitting service within The Beatson, and local hospital settings.
Back to Schoolbank East Renfrewshire is run by a small team of dedicated volunteers, the charity provides brand new school uniform, clothing and other essential items, to children and their families in the local area. The funds will be used to purchase a range of Summer and Winter school clothing and provide financial security for their premises
Annual General Meeting – Glasgow (Online) – September 2020
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Ordinary General Meeting – Bellshill– 1 October 2019
Strathcarron Hospice were awarded £15,000 while both Ronald McDonald House Glasgow and The Haven, Blantyre were awarded £5,000.
Based in Denny, Strathcarron Hospice provides specialist palliative and expert end of life care for the people of the Forth Valley, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth. They plan to use the Community Connect funding to purchase new laptops so Clinical Nurse specialists can access and update patient information in real-time when they are caring for people in their own homes.
The Haven, Blantyre offers a programme of support designed to help individuals cope with the physical, emotional and practical aspects of their own or a loved one’s illness, to enable them to face the future positively and with hope. The Connect funding will be used to help to refurbish and revitalise rooms within the centre to meet the increasing demand.
Ronald McDonald House Glasgow keeps families together by providing free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families from across Scotland, the north of England and often further afield whose seriously ill child is in hospital in Glasgow. The Community Connect funding will be used to refurbish a bedroom to make it fully accessible and suitable to meet the different needs of families.
Annual General Meeting – Bellshill– 30 April 2019
Trust Jack Foundation were awarded £15,000 while Glasgow’s Finding Your Feet received £7,500 and Barrhead’s Tuesday Friendship Club received £2,500.
The Trust Jack Foundation aim is to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, promote awareness and provide support and help to young people suffering from a mental illness. The Community Connect funding will go towards creating a trusting and friendly environment where young people can talk freely about their emotions and get the support they need to achieve their full potential.
Finding Your Feet (FYF) provides information, emotional and practical support to families in Scotland affected by amputation or limb difference. The charity’s accessible clubs are free for amputees and include swimming, climbing, skiing, pilates, cycling and general fitness plus social ‘Ampu-Teas’ drop-in sessions where amputees meet for a coffee and a chat. The Community Connect funding will be used to fund these activities plus an ambitious programme of new clubs as well as help with transport costs.
The Tuesday Friendship Club is the vision of Chairperson Mags Monaghan, who is determined to provide adults with learning disabilities with stimulating, safe and fun nights out every Tuesday in Barrhead. The club was formed in May 2016 and hundreds of people enjoy a wide variety of entertainment including bingo, karaoke and cabarets every Tuesday evening in Barrhead’s Columba Club. The Community Connect Funding will be used to extend the support to individuals and families by providing respite caravan short-breaks in Ayrshire.
Ordinary General Meeting – Bellshill– 1 October 2018
St Andrews Hospice were awarded £15,000 while Esteem Clydesdale received £7,500 and Equitots received £2,500.
St Andrews Hospice provides specialist palliative care to patients with life limiting illness in both South and North Lanarkshire. The funding will be used to purchase a new minibus to transport patients to their outpatient services. Their outpatient services include complimentary therapy, adult bereavement sessions and children’s drop in services.
Esteem Clydesdale are a volunteer led organisation based in Lanark who aim to support individuals and families with mental health problems and self-harm thoughts. The funding will be used to help the group expand into the most isolated and rural communities in Clydesdale to train volunteers and to set up self-support groups and hubs.
Equitots assist children and adults (particularly those with additional support needs) across Lanarkshire who require an alternative approach to learning to improve their health and wellbeing using ponies. Funding from community connect will be used to provide free Equine assisted learning and Forest School sessions to children with who would be unlikely to be able to access such services due to family or financial circumstances.
Annual General Meeting – Bellshill – April 2018
Street Connect were awarded £15,000 while West Dunbartonshire Community Food Share received £7,500 and Glasgow East End Community Carers received £2,500.
Street Connect are based in Glasgow and support disadvantaged individuals dealing with drug/alcohol addictions and related life-controlling issues such as mental health, homelessness and isolation. Volunteers at their Outreach Cafes offer a friendly welcome, a listening ear and information on the range of services available which includes one-to-one consultations, group work to gain new skills and rehabilitation support. The aim is to empower people to overcome their life controlling issues and have a better quality of life. The Community Connect award will be used to refurbish the Glasgow city centre Outreach Cafe improving the premises and the services available within it. This includes improving disabled access, decorating and purchasing new equipment.
West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare was formed in 2013 in order to help people, who are experiencing food poverty. Alongside distributing food, toiletries, toys and uniforms to people in immediate need, they also work with agencies, who can provide longer term support. In addition, they are planning to run a ‘cooking and growing’ project which enables people to learn how to grow their own food and cook healthy meals on a budget. The Community Connect award will be used to commence weekly cooking sessions for people experiencing financial hardship. The participants will then hold a ‘community meal’ for their friends and family and be able to keep the cooking equipment they have been using, so that they can continue to use their new skills at home.
Glasgow East End Community Carers was formed in 1992 by a group of local people, who had experience of having to care for someone. The group recognised that carers need support, information and advice to allow them to continue in their caring role and they provide this through offering services and support in their ‘Carers Hub’. This includes activities which improve physical, emotional and mental well-being, provide a break from caring, help to reduce stress and build resilience. The Community Connect award will be used to enable carers to attend workshops and support groups which teach stress management and relaxation techniques, helping them to continue caring and reduce pressure on health and social work services.
