The Access to Adventure Project will provide financial support for the pupils of Rattray Primary School and Nursery to take part in learning outside of the classroom. The funding would cover the costs of transport and entry fees to venues for children from low-income families to ensure that financial hardship does not prevent any child from participating in school trips.

A significant proportion of children attending Rattray Primary School live within SIMD quintiles 1 (36%) & 2 (5%) and 35% of pupils are entitled to free school meals. Under the Acorn measure of poverty in rural areas, 48% of Rattray pupils fall into the categories Acorn 5 and 6 which are the most deprived rural communities.  A large proportion (36%) of families have multiple children attending the school and 41% of Rattray pupils have additional support needs, putting further financial pressure on parents/carers.

In this rural community, with limited transport options and with the rising cost of living, a school trip may be the only outing a child experiences out with Blairgowrie.

In previous years, the school and the Parent Council have provided subsidies to reduce cost to families. However, due to increasing levels of need and increased costs, this is unsustainable and there is a very real risk that school excursions may be limited.

The head teacher, staff and children recognise the importance of these wider experiences. The Scottish Government notes the value of learning out with the classroom and wants all children and young people to have positive learning experiences in a variety of settings (See attached document).

These experiences can enhance academic learning, whether it be visiting a historic castle, local museums, farms, or places of cultural significance, and give context to classroom learning. Often, the children gain first-hand experiences that cannot be replicated in school. This helps develop engagement and interest in subjects that may help shape their future choices.

Trips away from school also develop personal growth allowing children to develop a sense of independence, perhaps experiencing life out with their comfort zone. They develop skills, responsibility and confidence that helps them try new things, explore new environments and look after themselves. Children can develop a sense of adventure, and these fabulous types of experiences can encourage communication with teachers, families and peers.

As a Parent Council we feel it is important to be inclusive and equitable for all the children and families in the school to avoid the stigma and/or embarrassment of having to ask for help. Therefore, the funding would not only be beneficial to those on low incomes but for every child, every family, so that all pupils are included.

School trips can be great fun for children and staff alike and provide lasting memories. I’m sure everyone who has kindly taken the time to read this proposal can remember their own school trips and what it meant to them growing up. We sincerely hope we can continue to support the school in being able to provide these valuable opportunities. (See attached documents for staff and pupil comments on school trips). 

 

For the last year and a half, coaches who live locally from stirling shinty club along with  Active Schools Coordinator for Crieff & Fairview  Nick Keiller, have been running primary age after school clubs in crieff. A club session for primary aged kids has also developed this with kids playing in local and national festivals and competitions. Currently crieff has access to plastic first shinty equipment , but to move to the next level and start sessions in the high school, we are looking for wooden sticks, helmets , balls and Multi purpose goals. This equipment would be used for outdoor school competitions , from primary and secondary schools, festivals, PE lessons and after school clubs  We hope to develop Shinty as a sport for the local community where kids will grow up to be part of local club, and be part of a traditional sport that is at the heart of many areas in scotland, which can grow  in strathearn, as it has for clubs in Lochabar , Badenoch, Oban, Inverness to Glasgow.

The Care Van operates with the support of local churches in Perth, Holy Trinity, St John’s Episcopal Church and St Marks, Letham. The outreach model reduces barriers to accessing support whenever possible and is available to all. The Care Van brings community and support to those in Perth who need it. Every Wednesday the Care Van is located at St Catherines Square and St John’s Episcopal Church, strategically located near multiple temporary accommodation hostels. During the winter months, this stop with St John’s operates as a warm space. In July 2024 the service expanded to the Letham area, as it was identified as an area where one-to-one support often took place. This stop has been in demand from the outset, with 415 access to support since launching.  

Swarthick, our Pioneer Coordinator who runs the Care Van, has worked with people experiencing homelessness in Perth for over a decade, and he was highly involved in shaping the service of the Care Van to ensure it was addressing local needs. There are several well-established organisations in Perth who provide a meal for those who need it, but we identified a serious lack of outreach and support for transient individuals struggling with homelessness and other complex needs. Our Care Van is helping to fill this gap. The demand for Swarthick's time and assistance since he initiated the Care Van in 2021 is further evidence of the need. He supports over 1,500 presentations each year through the van and through those connections, he assists around 60 people with more targeted, one-to-one support. And last year, the demand for one-to-one support was much greater, in large part due to the Cost-of-Living Crisis. A local resident himself, Swarthick has become well-known in the community, and he is often stopped by service users wanting support on visits to the supermarket or walks along the high street in his free time. 

Two examples of the collaborative work done by our Pioneer Coordinator and volunteers: 

During our regular care van stops, we met Cindy. She was quite shy and hesitant to approach the van at first, but after a lot of reassurance, she found the confidence to approach the van and accept some support. She was suffering from the consequences of a traumatic and abusive marriage breakdown, and she didn't know where to go for help. Over a few weeks, we were able to signpost her to various organisations, and we offered one-to-one support whenever she needed. Remarkably over a period of 8 months, Cindy built her confidence enough to find work. She also moved out of social housing into a private let and has held a job ever since. We're still in touch with Cindy and every now and then still receive a message from her stating how grateful she is for the support we gave her.  

John was already receiving some one-to-one support when he received a letter from the DWP that he didn't understand. On reading the letter, Swarthick thought it was strangely worded, and the letter asked for proof of ID. Swarthick phoned the helpline for John, and it was suggested that the letter must be sent in error because they don't need evidence for clients who have been in receipt of benefits for several years, as John had. They said nothing further needed to be done; however, three months later another letter appeared asking the same questions and threatening detrimental consequences if there was no response. This made John panic, and his anxiety peaked. John has limited literacy and is unable to use a computer, which made handling the situation even harder for him. Swarthick called the helpline again and was put through to the department that investigates fraud. They said that a form of sophisticated fraud was committed using John's details and that is why photographic evidence was needed to confirm his identification. John only had a bus pass as a form a photo ID, and Swarthick suggested that a copy of the bus pass could be posted. Swarthick also informed them about John's literacy, and based on this information, they said that an official would contact Swarthick if they required to get in touch with the service user. A few weeks later, the entire case was dropped due to the rightful intervention. John was delighted with the outcome, and his anxiety dramatically reduced once the situation was resolved. 

Partizan Gymnasium is a new Boxing and Kickboxing Gym based in North Muirton Perth. I’ve grown up and lived in North Muirton and aspire to give back to the community after travelling the world gaining a wealth of experience in both sports and achieving Scottish & British titles.

Knowing how boxing and kickboxing has enhanced my life, my aim is to share what I’ve experienced with the local community and provide a chance for people to get involved in both sports. In response to the cost-of-living crisis and the continuous interest from youths and community organisations it has inspired us to develop this free programme to support young people, provide new opportunities to learn skills, without putting financial strains on families.  

Through Boxing and Kickboxing we can address so many social issues and we are keen to work with partners in the community to tackle these. After recent spates of anti-social behaviour there is an increasing number of youths who are disengaged.

At Partizan Gymnasium we want to promote a sense of pride in the community which is why we are developing a new angle of approach to widen opportunities to get involved with sport, in a safe environment, with our motivated and keen coaches and volunteers who are positive role models supporting this programme.

Partnership working is key to our proposal, we already have a wide range of partners on board including interest from the Police Scotland and the Safer Communities team and we are keen to explore new partnerships. As we build trust with our young people we can support them to build confidence and develop skills in the sport that they can use in their everyday life and become a part of the community. We can work with them to engage with the community supports available to them through partner organisations that can provide them with the supports they need, improving their life chances.

We plan to run a referral system for this programme and we are keen to work with Schools and Community organisations/ groups who are at the frontline and working with youths deemed hard to reach, as a result of the impact of the cost of living crisis.

We will run 3 Allstars programmes targeting different age groups throughout the year and we plan to work with 20 individuals each programme.

The 12 week programme is divided into 3 key areas and can be adapted to reflect the different age groups involved, some activities may change in order keep things fun and engaging.

The full programme can be viewed as an attachment and will cover three main areas.

Week 1 – 4 = Fundamentals (Weeks 1 – 4)

Week 5 – 8 = Wellbeing, Fitness and Nutrition (Weeks 5-8)

Week 9 -12 = Technique and Finesse (Weeks 9 – 12)

As part of our funding, we will purchase additional boxing gloves, shin guards and pads required for participants to use during the programme, this equipment is costly and can be reused for those who aren’t able to buy their own equipment. I would also like to offer Allstars participants a Partizan Gymnasium T-shirt and certificate on completion of the programme.

 With this funding we will also look to upskill volunteers with Boxing Scotland coaching qualifications, First Aid training and cover the cost of PVG scheme disclosures.

Being able to offer opportunities like this to the community and share my passion was entirely why Partizan Gymnasium was set up, Allstars success will also provide evidence for future programmes and the future of Partizan Gymnasium.

 

 

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 Rattray 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 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 (Perth), 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 Perth to approximately 150 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/

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.

Addressing the cost of living Rattray primary children will have the opportunity to have a fun filled afternoon with laughter and joy and bring about memories.   This project combats poverty and alleviates the cost of living pressures on parents who are unable to afford additional costs outwith the normal weekly living expenses.   This is not about education, keeping fit and active,  learning a new skills or achievement - it is a simple approach to providing a little extra excitement and fun in a world where the challenges against the cost of living crisis can be overhwelming for many parents.     The party events can be spread over a period of time ensuring that Rattray Primary School children can share fun with their school friends in an environment where they will feel safe with no stigma.  This project aligns with the Perth & Kinross Community Action Plan 'for everyone to live well, free from poverty and inequality'.   

 

 

The CAYAG Adventure Seekers project aims to get more young people outdoors and being active.  There is evidence that suggests young people being outdoors can improve their physical and mental wellbeing, support social skills and academic performance. Spending time outdoors can reduce feelings of stress and anger, and boost self-confidence and self-esteem by allowing young people to take risks in a safe space. In Coupar Angus and surrounding areas we are very lucky as there are so many great spaces we can explore and utilise.

We would start the project in May and end in October with every second Saturday having a different activity on offer.  Each activity will be facilitated by skilled staff, which CAYAG staff and volunteers will support.  Activities will include, adventure tubing, archery, gorge walking, mountaineering, paddle sports, clip n climb, mini highland games and more! We would be tailoring the activities to the young people's needs and abilities and set the programme with their input.  There would also be the opportunity to gain awards and certificates in paddle sports, mountaineering, map reading etc.  We would end the project with a residential to celebrate everyones achievements and also to deliver training oppotunities in outdoor first aid and Dynamic Youth Awards. 

All activities would be open to the young people of Coupar Angus and surrounding areas, whether they are a member of CAYAG or not and will be free of charge.  We are looking to boost engagement with the young people in the town and hope this project will encourage more young people to attend CAYAG.  There would be free refreshments offered at each session with lunches provided for full day activities.  Transport will also be available at no extra cost to the participant. 

We will be working in partnership with local businesses, youth work partners and youth scotland to create a varied programme with something for everyone.