Free outdoor activities for kids
2025-02-08 • No comments • • Rattray
We are exploring the possibility of this funding to try and offer children from Rattray some fun activities. These activities will offer far more than fun, opportunities to learn or improve on skills, fitness, be part of a team, work on respect, nature, environment, self-confidence all at their own pace and learning ability.
At Mantalk we have a lot of men coming through our doors with issues that stem from childhood. We are big believers that the more positivity you can give to children can help them them right throughout life. Whilst we are unable to accommodate them at our group we are always looking at ways where we can offer some help and support.
We talk about our own childhood experiences and when things like activities or sport camps came up many of us missed out because our parents couldn’t afford to pay the costs. From our own experiences during childhood we wouldn’t wish that feeling on any child but due to the cost of living we know there will be many children in similar positions. If we are successful then these spaces will be offered to any child in Rattray for free on a variety of activity days during the school holidays including paintball, cycling, football, rugby and archery. We will partner with Albert Douglas of AK Paintball, Piotr Gudan of Outdoor explore and Cally Gordons activity camps to deliver these activities to the children of Rattray.
Wonderland Event - Coupar Angus
2025-01-21 • No comments • • Coupar Angus, Meigle & Alyth
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 Perthshire. 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 (Coupar Angus), out of doors during the summer holidays.
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 Coupar Angus 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/
Coupar Angus PS Toast For All
2025-02-07 • No comments • • Coupar Angus, Meigle & Alyth
Coupar Angus PS Parent Council would love the opportunity to provide each pupil with a piece of toast when they come into school in the morning. Research has shown that eating breakfast is important for everyone, but especially for children. In general, kids who skip breakfast will feel tired, restless and irritable. Eating a healthy breakfast has been shown to help attention span, concentration and memory - all very important for learning.
Senior pupils carried out a breakfast survey, the majority of pupils surveyed said they do have breakfast most days, however 6% said they don’t have breakfast before school. Pupils said when they don’t have breakfast in the morning they come into school feeling hungry, tired, unhappy, sad & angry. 86% of pupils surveyed said they would like to be offered toast when they first come into school.
P7 teacher Mrs Gourlay believes offering each child something to eat in the morning will improve learning & behaviour within the classroom.
Around 20% of pupils at Coupar Angus PS are classed as living within relative poverty – we want to do anything we can to help these pupils by offering warm toast as they come into school. Giving every child the best start in life is the first of five strategic priorities adopted by Perth & Kinross Council and we believe providing breakfast will give them a good start to their day.
Coupar Angus PS currently runs a breakfast club from 8am however this is chargeable at £2 per day which could potentially exclude some families. Toast For All will be free for every pupil.
We plan to run Toast For All initially on a Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday and if it’s as big as a success as we think it will be we hope to roll it out to 5 days per week. We plan to start on the first day of term after the Easter holidays on Wednesday 23rd April and run until the Easter holidays in 2026. The teachers will monitor improvements in learning/behaviour and we will do more surveys with the children to gauge their opinions on the project.
A rota will be drawn up for each week and a teacher/volunteer will arrive at 8.45am and prepare the toast. It will be put on lidded trays to keep it warm and senior pupils will take it around all classes at 9.05am and offer it to every pupil.
We believe every child should have something warm to fill their tummy in the mornings and we hope this will improve behaviour, attention spans and willingness to learn.
North Muirton Community Allotments
2025-02-07 • 5 comments • • Central and North Perth
After public consultation we know that there is demand for community allotments in the North Muirton area.
These will provide a huge range of benefits to those who are involved, including fresh, sustainable food, a real sense of community, exercise and fresh air, access to others’ knowledge and skills, and access to a tool library.
The increased cost of living is affecting everybody, and having somewhere local, cheap, and healthy to meet others will be of huge benefit. Allotments often become social hubs for those who engage, meaning people will not need to pay to travel into the city centre to meet friends. Tools are often a large expense in gardening and DIY, the library will alleviate this allowing people to make meaningful improvements to their home, garden, and life.
This is not a profit making exercise. We expect to charge at most £30 per year to cover the cost of general upkeep and stocking the tool library.
We are also in conversation with Riverside Primary School and if successful will provide them an allotment for free to help educate the next generation on food, nutrition, budgeting, and sustainability.
North Muirton Community Group is well established as a constituted group that works to support local people, running free lunches, multiple Community Fun Days which attract hundreds of people, maintaining the local Community Hall and providing that space at low rates for other groups to use.
There is a disused and graffiti covered pitch owned by the council that in principal they have agreed we can use for allotments when we have the funding in place. It is currently an eyesore between the community and the river, a common dog walking spot, so transforming it visually would also be an important benefit to the community.
This funding would get us started on the project but not finished. Securing the allotments from vandalism is vitally important and this funding would go towards that in the main. The next step would be building in the actual allotments and acquiring tools, before launching them for the community.
Breaking Barriers: Making Rugby Accessible for Every Child in Perth and Kinross
2025-01-28 • 1 comment • • Central and North Perth
Perthshire Rugby: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures
At Perthshire Rugby, we believe every child should have the chance to enjoy the benefits of sport—no matter their background. That’s why we’re launching a FREE summer rugby and multi-sports camp, ensuring financial barriers don’t hold kids back!
With the rising cost of living, many families struggle to afford extracurricular activities. But sport is more than just a game—it builds confidence, resilience, leadership, and friendships.
Our Vision: A Week of Sport & Community
Monday 11th August | 9 AM – 3 PM – Multi-sports camp
Saturday 16th August – Community Funday & BBQ
Completely FREE – No hidden costs! Healthy lunches, snacks & drinks provided Expert coaching from qualified rugby & sports coaches Inclusive & fun for all skill levels
This isn’t just about rugby—it’s about building a stronger, healthier, and more connected community.
We need your vote to secure funding and make this happen!
Vote for Perthshire Rugby today! Help us inspire the next generation and create lasting change.
Strathearn Building Bridges
2025-02-07 • No comments • • South Crieff
Whilst the charity is focused on the young people the range of activities they are involved in allows respite for their families and carers. By delivering more than 5,000 hours of purposeful activities every year, our members can each benefit safely from over 4 hours per week of vital socialisation and friendship.
The heating costs of community halls has gone through the roof, it has meant that halls have to charge a lot more for rent, whether they want to or not. It is heating costs that have prevented our clubs from moving premises. The cost-of-living crisis has impacted in particular on the poorer and less able members of clubs. Many members spend the majority of their time at home, so are affected to a greater extent by the increased heating costs. If we receive money we will be able to continue to offer these sessions at affordable prices to the young people.
We are seeking funds for the cost of the room hire for activity classes stated below and the cost of the Volunteer Co-ordinator for next year. We can only deliver these projects by having a roster of 24 local volunteers who unfailingly offer their time to support our range of activities, and having a co-ordinator to support them is essential. The total cost is £7,030. However we are seeking £2,343 (a third of this cost to equate to the proportion of our young people living in South Crieff ward).
We run the following activities which makes a huge difference. • Tuesday Club social group – weekly, average 20 attendees – promotes social and interpersonal skills and with the support of volunteers allows members with learning disabilities to access a range of enjoyable activities of their choice including arts and crafts, games, quizzes, films, music and trips further afield. • Wednesday Social afternoon group – weekly, average 6 attendees – meeting to socialise and enjoy games, music and films. • Knock Down social & citizenship group – fortnightly, average 15 attendees – similar to Tuesday Club, but with more emphasis on partnerships and involvement with other local groups and organisations, such as Crieff Highland Gathering, Perthshire Amateur Operatic Society, Remake Scotland and the Co-op. • Thursday Zoom informal friendship group – meeting fortnightly via Zoom with average 6 attendees. A one-hour online get-together to chat about what each person has been doing recently and to share news. Hosted by two adult volunteers. • Boccia group in partnership with P&K Disability Sport – weekly, average 15 attendees (including some younger, non-SBB members) • Saturday Lunch Club- a popular kitchen workshop - monthly for 3 hours with 6 places. Members are taught food skills to prepare and make a themed lunch led by an Activity Leader and supported by volunteers. The group then sits down to enjoy lunch together and chat.
Souper Good
2025-02-07 • No comments • • South Crieff
Crieff ConneXions Cafe is a social space in Crieff Connexions where people can meet, chat and find support from volunteers and staff. We will be open 3 times on the week providing a safe, accessible and warm environment for people from across the community to meet. A range of people in Crieff experience social isolation due to their family circumstances, age or condition. The community cafe provides a low-cost place to meet others, get support and access services. We would like to step up from offering tea, coffee and biscuits to delivering a warm plate of soup to those who come along. With this added value will reach more people and provide them with nourishment. We will be able to utilise some of the surplus vegetables and bread, which we collect, to make an impact on food waste. Money will be spent on storecupboard ingredients, equipment and training. Some existing volunteers will be upskilled to make and serve soup, we have young volunteers working with us as well as volunteers with special needs and those who find it hard to get work.. Crieff ConneXions also provides a community pantry, offering low-cost food, a school uniform shop, providing gently used school uniform, public WiFi, access to computers and printing and a low-cost second-hand shop. We want to provide support for people whilst giving the dignity and choice. For this part of the project we would like to reach out to local elderly people through an invitation leaflet,