As a result of improvements made at the stadium at Davie Park, Blairgowrie & Rattray Community Football Trust (BRCFT) are excited to offer a programme of activities within the new built-for-purpose social space, designed to benefit the needs of the entire community, by promoting improved health & wellbeing.

It is BRCFT’s intention to open the space on an ad-hoc basis daily to provide a warm, welcoming space for residents of the SIMD 1 community in which it sits. As a result of ongoing community engagement, this has been identified as something that is very much needed, particularly during the winter months, due to the levels of deprivation the neighbouring communities are facing, resulting in glaring health inequalities.

However, not only do we want to open this space to use when needed, but we also intend to develop an activity programme that brings the community through the doors, providing the ability to utilise other support services that are on offer and, thus, reducing the stigma of accepting help. Due to the strength of the presence that BRCFT and the sport of football has in the local community, it provides the unique opportunity to destigmatise and normalise the acceptance of support, making the Trust in a powerful position to monitor changing needs and be responsive to this.

The health & wellbeing project is designed to alleviate the impact of poverty and the cost-of-living on the health and wellbeing of Rattray residents. Recent key findings from SPICe publication titled ‘getting the inactive active: barriers to physical activity and their potential policy solutions’ (Scottish Parliament, 2025) highlights that Scotland have ‘disproportionately poor health outcomes’ and those facing the highest levels of deprivation are far less likely to participate in sport and physical activity, despite being the population that benefit most from it. Therefore, this identifies the need for a more targeted offering, due to the following conclusions: 1. 35% of school pupils living in 20% most deprived areas in Scotland are most likely to be inactive (only 23% for those in 20% least deprived areas evidencing the health inequalities). 2. People with disabilities, who are also experiencing poverty, are considerably more likely to have higher levels of sedentary behaviour. 3. Only 55% of 65–74-year-olds meet CMO guidelines for physical activity – 29% have very low activity. 4. Physical inactivity costs NHS Scotland over £77 million per annum.

Therefore, to support the Rattray community to improve these outcomes, the health & wellbeing project will encompass the following main features: 1. Introduce free BRCFT-led activities using new staff structure – Football Education Officer, Football Development Officer & sessional coaches 2. Provide venue hire at no cost to community organisations that promote improved health & wellbeing - 3 hours per week available with the focus being on mental health, women & girls, and disabilities, due to identified need. 3. Ad-hoc use of venue as a warm space – community café-style offering, hot drinks facilities consistently available etc.

This funding would be utilised to develop our initial programme of free activities, inclusive of: 1. Games club - video and board games in a social environment with physical activity incorporated into session - designed to encourage inactive children and young people to attend and increase physical activity levels. 2. Weight management sessions 'Fan Fitness' - 90-minute session for over 35s to improve mental, social and physical health by promoting lifestyle and behaviour changes through fun, educational and interactive activities. 3. Walking group - low-level activity suitable for all ages and abilities. 4. Sporting memories - supporting people aged 50+ including those living with dementia, depression or facing social isolation to improve their mental and physical wellbeing. 5. Activities for people with disabilities - adaptive and inclusive activities for people with disabilities who face limited access to activities to support their health & wellbeing due to related barriers.

It is essential to be able to provide access to activities at no cost to support those who are least active to become more active by reducing the barriers of participation, such as cost. This provides the opportunity to build upon the activity provision to reduce health inequalities in the area as BRCFT continue to build partnerships with NHS Tayside.

Although the maximum benefits are likely to be experienced by those living in Rattray, due to evidence that targeted physical activity provision is largely more beneficial in the 20% most deprived areas, it won’t be limited to the Rattray community due to BRCFT having a broader remit in Blairgowrie, Rattray and surrounding areas, and pockets of deprivation existing even in more affluent areas.

References: Meir, D., & Scott, D. (2025). Getting the inactive active: Barriers to physical activity and their potential policy solutions. Edinburgh: The Scottish Parliament. Available at: https://bprcdn.parliament.scot/published/2025/1/10/c1a1038a-6254-45be-b329-edba530b47e1/SB%2025-03.pdf

Letham4All SCIO has been working with a variety of partners across Perth and Kinross at a very local community level, a dignified and holistic route to reduce the impact of poverty.  As a result of this work, Letham4All has successfully piloted the use of the Pay Point Platform and extended to scope of Perth Cards, to provide small amounts of financial support, to help people in immediate financial crisis. Working with existing referral routes this project will provide an additional route for support for those who are not successful with a crisis grant or where a crisis grant is not an appropriate option. The Paypoint Platform enables the sending of utility voucher codes by text message to a mobile phone that can be redeemed in the usual place people top up their utility cards/keys and the Perth Cards across Perth and Kinross can be used in a variety of shops to purchase food and utilities.

This referral-based support has been accessed by a range of public agencies and 3rd sector organisations who have had no other means of supporting people with financial support to offer a breathing space while longer-term solutions are set up. This has been particularly effective out with traditional working hours and at weekends and support can be organised and delivered within an hour.  We know from feedback from agencies that being able to offer this quick solution to those most in need is very beneficial to the household, encourages further discussion to longer-term solutions to prevent further crises, and reduces stress and worry. Partners have also told us that being able to use the Pay Point Platform as a means of offering support saves valuable staff time in handling and delivering cash payments for utility tops-ups and is a much faster way of getting support to their clients.  To deliver this project Letham4All and its partners use the Citizen Advice Bureau’s information-sharing protocol, The Fast Online Referral Tracking System, FORT. This system enables all partners to see what referrals and support services have been received by a service user eliminating the risk of duplication, and giving support services a clear picture of services received and of any gaps emerging in meeting the needs of the person.Letham4All will reach out through its existing partners and networks in Coupar Angus, Meigle, and Alyth to ensure that information on how this support can be accessed through the referral process and The Fast Online Referral Tracking System is widely shared and understood.

Overview: Wonderland is a community-based initiative devised by Adventure Circus SCIO in 2024. Wonderland’s aim is to bringing free outdoor circus performances and workshops to local parks in the school summer holidays. The project focuses on engaging children and families, particularly those from low-income areas, offering them the opportunity to experience live circus entertainment and actively participate in circus skills training within their own community (Crieff), out of doors during the summer. 

Our goals: 

• Access to the Arts during cost of living crisis: we want to provide children and families in low-income / semi-rural areas with the chance to see a professional circus performance, something that may otherwise be financially out of reach. 
• Skill Development: we love to share what we do, and so our performances always include an element of participation to encourage children to engage in circus skills. For example our performers will help members of the public to try juggling, hula hooping, and aerial arts, promoting physical activity, creativity and self-confidence. 
• Community Building: Our visits are intended to offer a community activity that brings local people together for a fun, inclusive and interactive experience. As an outdoor spectacle, there is no limit to the number of people who can attend. In 2024 we performed Wonderland in Crieff to approximately 250 people of all ages. 
• Wellbeing Focus: It is our long term aim that our Wonderland events provoke audience members to consider taking part in circus skills, either through our education programme, or through self practise. Circus arts have a well known reputation for improving mental/emotional wellbeing due to a long history of inclusivity, and the skills offer an opportunity for self-expression, resilience and crucially for young people, play. 

Key Activities: 

• Outdoor Circus Show: Our professional circus performers will put on an engaging outdoor show that is family-friendly and accessible to all ages.  The show is based on Alice in Wonderland and so the story concept is recognisable to many people because of it’s well known characters and timeless themes such as curiosity, exploration, personal growth, absurdity and nonsense! 

• Taster Sessions: After the performance, children and adults will be invited to try their hand at various circus skills like juggling, hula hooping and aerial hoop workshops led by the circus performers. Participants will be encouraged to experiment and learn. 

• Community Involvement: Alongside our performers, local volunteers from Adventure Circus, including our young leaders, will assist with workshop delivery and gain valuable community experience. We will spend time getting to know local people and can encourage them to join us, continue to practise independently. 

Target Audience: 

• Children aged 3-14, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds who may not experience many special activities / experiences due to the cost of living crisis and limitations of the family budget 

• Families and community members who may not typically access large-scale entertainment or arts events because they cannot afford to attend or because they do not have the means to travel out with their area due to limitations of public transport / cost. 

Benefits: 

• For Children: Encourages physical activity and boosts confidence and resilience through fun, engaging experiences. 

• For Families: Provides a free, inclusive arts/circus experience that brings joy for all the family and introduces new ways to engage in physical activity. 

• For all: floor skills such as juggling and hula hooping are extremely low cost and are accessible beyond our Wonderland experiences through our community classes, or through self exploration at home using resources such as youtube/TikTok/Instagram 

• For the Community: Strengthens local connections Adventure Circus has within different areas throughout Perth & Kinross and helps to create lasting memories by bringing a positive, uplifting event to the community. 

Outcomes: 

With your help, we will be helping to increase access to the arts for children in underserved areas, we will encourage/enhance physical and mental wellbeing through creative circus play and we will help to strengthen community cohesion and pride in local parks as venues for cultural and recreational activities. 

By bringing the magic of the circus directly to the community, Wonderland creates a free, accessible opportunity for children to see, learn, and play, and best of all, it is all set up right in their own parkland!

Video: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17929916303875766/

Your support with this funding would allow us to

Continue to rent a property on the High St which creates an accessible and visible community venue for everyone in North and Central Perth to be involved in making and mending.

To build on those connections that individuals have made in their community, and all the positive impacts that has on well-being by offering more workshops and groups.  

Offer free or very low cost access to an activity that has proven environmental, health and well-being credentials. 

To continue to put volunteering and peer mentoring at the heart of everything we do at On the Mend by upskilling and increasing opportunities. 

Expand what we currently offer over more days and to reach more people who cannot afford to enjoy lots of the leisure activities on offer in Perth.

Share the knowledge and skills of CATH outreach, housing support and literacy staff to as many in the community as we can and help those experiencing difficulties in housing, accessing benefits and the social isolation that poverty/lack of opportunity often brings.

On the Mend has been based on the High Street for just over a year having a positive impact on the Central and North Perth Community.  We would like to be able to open more days and offer more opportunities for individuals and local groups to be able to access our workshops.  This continuation funding would also enable current participants to build skills further as we have found peer mentoring has been a really successful way of engaging and is a gateway to more structured volunteer opportunities.

On the Mend currently operates Wednesday to Friday and the current core activities are;

Wednesday morning Textile Upcycle, which currently has 16 participants where attendees can come along and knit, crochet and sew all with donated materials and all free of charge.  Some participants come with a strong skill level and take great pleasure in sharing those skills, others are perhaps new to making.  For many in the group it would be prohibitively expensive to buy and learn to use a sewing machine but with the support of On the Mend staff and others in the group we have seen confidence and skills grow.  We currently do not have enough time to accommodate everyone wanting to use a sewing machine and would want to create a new group for this activity to develop and increase inclusion.

Wednesday afternoons is Furniture Upcycling.  To keep within space constraints and to adhere to health and safety best practice this group is kept to a maximum of 8 participants.  Again, this activity is free and we provide all materials with the pieces of furniture being saved from going into landfill.  This workshop has created a small income with upcycled items being displayed in the window and sold.  This creates a huge sense achievement,by working on something over a number of weeks, and seeing the finished piece going to someone’s home.  This group demonstrates, on a tight budget, the impact of repurposing rather than buying new.

On Thursdays we have had a community-driven crochet group, this developed from a tutored group with participants wanting to keep the group going themselves.

The Friday the Fun Crafternoon has been a huge success and we do not have the capacity for everyone who wants to attend.  During the Crafternoon participants are given the opportunity to make an upcycled item to take away, no special skills are required.  A huge part of this, as with all the groups at On the Mend, is the social aspect. Whilst being creative everyone is chatting, laughing and connecting with their community.  It has been extremely difficult to turn anyone away and we would very much like to be able to offer a second session of the Fun Crafternoon. 

We have run a number of volunteer led workshops in,for example, upholstery and needle felting and have worked with local organisations like Trauma Healing Together and would aim to build on collaborative projects with other organisations in Perth. Everyone who attends On the Mend groups has access to the expertise that CATH staff have in housing, benefits issues, literacy and building confidence and skills .  This is not the focus of any On the Mend activities but can serve as a gateway to anyone who may find themselves in need of support or advice.

Kids Week in Crieff has been running for 9 years now. Our 2025 event shall take place between Monday 14th and Friday 18th July this Summer. We plan to organise a range of events and activities for families to enjoy throughout Crieff over a 5 day period. Including various service providers, local groups and businesses. And something for a variety of ages and interests. Events that we plan to hold again this year are a family film night, family quiz, an outdoor assault course, family disco, a Teddy Bears Picnic, cycling event, social meet at the skatepark and nature yoga. New event for this year is a performance in the park - music, show or storytelling. 

Our project

We work tirelessly to empower refugees, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable individuals to rebuild their lives in a foreign land. Through consistent engagement with our students and service users, we have identified a pressing need many of them are battling poverty due to unemployment. A significant number of new refugees have recently joined our society with little to no knowledge of how to access employment opportunities. Despite their eagerness to work and contribute, they lack the skills, confidence, and awareness needed to secure jobs.

To address this challenge, we are launching the "Job Club” project, a program exclusively designed to equip refugees and asylum seekers with the essential skills and confidence to enter the workforce. This initiative will provide a structured pathway to employment through tailored workshops, practical training, and one-on-one support.

Objectives

1. To teach key employability skills such as CV writing, interview techniques, and job search strategies.
2. To build participants’ confidence through soft-skills training, including communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
3. To provide guidance on navigating the job market, including understanding workplace culture and labor laws.
4. To foster connections with local employers and create opportunities for work placements or apprenticeships.

Activities

• Weekly classes on employability skills.
• Mock interviews and practice sessions.
• Digital literacy training for job applications and online communication.
• Networking events with local employers and recruitment agencies. We regularly work with Street League, Search, and Graham Hygiene. Our in-house Admin Officer supports our students with searching for jobs on job boards, applying for suitable jobs, and writing CVs.
• Ongoing mentorship and support to help participants sustain employment.

Expected Outcomes

1. Increased employability among refugees and asylum seekers.
2. Improved confidence and self-reliance in navigating the job market.
3. Strengthened connections between employers and the refugee community.
4. Reduction in poverty levels within the community

The Royal Voluntary Service manage approx  150 volunteers in the Perth & Kinross region and we have a need for transport to support the elderly & vulnerable in the community.We are applying for a mini bus and need to upskill the volunteers for the coming years. We would like to train 10 drivers on the MIDAS mini bus course and also 15 first aiders. Currently we run Perth lunch club,Perth social club,Crieff lunch club,Bridge of Earn lunch club and are looking at a new lunch club in North Muirton. The elderly clients need transport to get them to the clubs which will greatly help with nutrition ,mental and physical well being. We are being tasked with growing the numbers at each of the clubs and opening new venues thus requiring a transport solution.

This vital training will allow us to run this service.

2025 will be our fourth year running our Back to School Pack. In 2021 we provided 152 packs, in 2022 - 340, in 2023 - 400, and in 2024 we provided 512 Back to School Packs and 91 Back to Nursery Packs (our first year running this service). Our Packs are available to anyone who lives in these wards.

What is in a Back to School Pack? 

Our packs include 3 shirts, 2 bottoms, 2 jumpers/cardis, 2 PE t shirts, 2 PE bottoms, a PE jumper and a school bag. We also aim to include school shoes and/or trainers plus stationary and other back to school essentials like pack lunch boxes or pencil cases. Everything a child needs for taking part in their school journey. 

What is in a Back to Nursery Pack?

Our Back to Nursery packs include 5 days of mix and match outfits; 5 jumpers, 5 t-shirts, 5 bottoms, messy play clothing, a seasonal jacket and footwear. We also add in extras such as sun hats, vests and socks as we know children need these items to fully participate in their learning and no one comes home clean after one day in nursery!

Packs are personalised to each schools colours and the child’s style preferences (so you can tell us if they won’t wear shorts, or will only wear cardigans!) and their sensory needs to make sure the packs are made to suit the individual. We also ask for bag colours and characters and try our hardest to match up to their personal style. We believe our service should make the child feel confident and comfortable that they match their peers. 

SO IF YOU THINK THAT...

- All children should have access to high quality school uniform?

- We should protect our environment and make positive pre-loved clothing choices? 

- By making little changes to our own lifestyle to support others we can make big changes for the future of our children?

Then please support us by voting for our Back to School & Nursery Pack project.  Thank you.

Team Social Flock

Letham4All SCIO has been working with a variety of partners in across Perth and Kinross at a very local community level, a dignified and holistic route to reduce the impact of poverty.  As a result of this work, Letham4All has successfully piloted the use of the Pay Point Platform and extended to scope of Perth Cards, to provide small amounts of financial support, to help people in immediate financial crisis. Working with existing referral routes this project will provide an additional route for support for those who are not successful with a crisis grant or where a crisis grant is not an appropriate option. The Paypoint Platform enables the sending of utility voucher codes by text a message to a mobile phone that can be redeemed in the usual place people top up their utility cards/keys and the Perth Cards across Perth and Kinross can be used in a variety of shops to purchase food and utilities.

This referral-based support has been accessed by a range of public agencies and 3rd sector organisations who have had no other means of supporting people with financial support to offer a breathing space while longer-term solutions are set up. This has been particularly effective out with traditional working hours and at weekends and support can be organised and delivered within an hour.  We know from feedback from agencies that being able to offer this quick solution to those most in need enables is very beneficial to the household, encourages further discussion of longer-term solutions to prevent further crises, and reduces stress and worry. Partners have also told us that being able to use the Pay Point Platform as a means of offering support saves valuable staff time with handling and delivering cash payments for utility tops-ups and is a much faster way of getting support to their clients.  To deliver this project Letham4All and its partners use the Citizen Advice Bureau’s information-sharing protocol, The Fast Online Referral Tracking System, FORT. This system enables all partners to see what referrals and support services have been received by a service user eliminating the risk of duplication, and giving support services a clear picture of services received and of any gaps emerging in meeting the needs of the person.

Letham4All will work with existing partners in Central and North Perth to deliver this much-needed support to prevent further the impact of poverty which can result in stress and trauma for many families.