Interest Link Borders

Interest Link Borders is a charity based in the Scottish Borders. It received a £2,500 organisational grant in April 2023. This grant helped Interest Link achieve its aims to overcome the social isolation faced by 30 children and young people in Roxburghshire between the ages of 8 to 25 years who have learning disabilities and Autism by establishing one-to-one befriending and friendship groups.  

Interest Link aimed to give these young people the same opportunities as their peers who do not have additional support needs and allow them to access personal development activities and experiences through the befriending service. The project also aimed to give the family and carers of the members much-needed respite.  

Children and youth members met fortnightly in the evening at the Burnfoot Hub, Hawick, or Wild Woods outdoor centre. During these sessions members took part in a variety of activities.  

The youth group also took part in Interest Link’s first two-night group trip to Amsterdam. The group travelled by ferry in partnership with Interest Link’s Central Borders branch.  

“I’m much more confident to talk to now [...] because of the drama” 

Participant  

Other highlights included a performance of The Beauty and the Beast pantomime. Members performed in front of family and friends at the Heart of Hawick Theatre.  

The Children’s Group also took part in exciting activities. An Outer Space project introduced the younger participants to space travel with an astronaut training checklist of physical fitness activities, an introduction to STEM subjects and a Robin Hood themed parents open evening – with mediaeval games! 

There were also three in-school groups which met fortnightly enabling the project to reach members with higher support needs.  

“Knowing your young person is safe and enjoying themselves gives the family peace of mind so that time can be spent chilling, shopping, visiting friends and relatives which can be tricky otherwise” 

Parent of Participant 

Urban Uprising

Urban Uprising is an Edinburgh-based charity which supports access to indoor and outdoor rock-climbing opportunities for at-risk or vulnerable young people; the charity was awarded a £2,500 organisational grant in April 2023.  

Urban Uprising aims to provide climbing opportunities to young people who would not normally be able to benefit from the sport, provide personal support from its volunteer coaches and build supportive social groups to enable participants to interact with their peers.  

There are a number of programmes offered by Urban Uprising to meet their aims. The ‘Climb’ programme is an introductory course at local climbing centres in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Bristol and Cambridge. ‘Climb’ has been run by Urban Uprising for seven years and is tailored to the needs of its participants. In Aberdeen, Urban Uprising works with recently bereaved young people for six weeks. This programme runs alongside their other support and activities. Three ‘Climb’ programmes run each year in both Edinburgh and Glasgow with two in Aberdeen.  

Participants in Glasgow and Edinburgh can also take part in the ‘Outdoor’ programme. This takes the form of a day trip with Climb Scotland or a two-night stay at Glenmore Lodge to try climbing in the wild! Participants are exposed to parts of natural Scotland they may never have visited and offered a new social group experience away from home. There are around four to five ‘Outdoor’ groups each year.  

Urban Uprising takes referrals from a number of partner organisations including The Prince’s Trust, Crossroads, Wester Hailes Education Centre and many more. Many participants experience difficulties at home, poor mental health, anxiety, depression and involvement with the criminal justice system. Problems with drugs or alcohol and anti-social behaviour often means the young people supported by Urban Uprising are at risk of exclusion or are already not in education, employment or training.  

Urban Uprising reported a very positive response by participants to the activities and programmes they offer:

“We saw an increase in confidence to try new things, resilience to deal with failure and participation in physical activity in the young people” 

The Refresh Project by Articulate Cultural Trust

Articulate Cultural Trust was awarded a £2,000 organisational grant in April 2023. The grant contributed to the Refresh project: a long-term well-being project offering communal self-care experiences via therapeutic and educational workshops held bi-weekly for individuals aged 15 to 25. Founded in September 2022, Refresh has become a fully youth-led initiative and is currently overseen by Emerging Artist in Residence, Ezra Berrnico, who has lived experience of care.  

The aims of the project were: 

1. To establish Refresh as a secure, inclusive, and youth-led programme of events that improves well-being through the arts and culture for care experienced young people.  

2. To provide trauma-informed mental health support that understands the complex nature of growing up in care and can elevate the pressure on long waitlists for NHS and CAMHS.  

3. To integrate Refresh as a well-being service that actively engages in research to understand and disseminate optimal strategies for assisting and empowering young individuals in navigating the challenges posed by the current mental health crisis and cost of living pressures combined. 

There were a number of activities as part of Refresh including printmaking with artist Georgina Hickey, pottery with artist Niamh MacKaveney at the Art Space G41, creative writing and creative cooking. Lead artist Georgina Hickey said: 

“I thought the workshops went really well. I found the main focus to be spending a creative evening together, with learning a new skill secondary and I can see how this less-pressured atmosphere really benefits the well-being of the participants. Nevertheless, the standard of prints that were produced were very high and it’s easy to see that the whole group is very creative! There is a warm, welcoming and inclusive atmosphere in Articulate and I could see how it inspired the group to express themselves through conversation and also through the activity.” 

In addition to these activity sessions, Refresh also provided Person Centered Counselling for 8 care-experienced young people over a 15-month period. This trauma-informed approach to counselling provided an important service and bridged a gap created by NHS and CAMHS waiting lists.  

“Knowing I have access to someone to speak to about how I’ve been feeling, it makes just each day feel that bit easier.” 

Refresh Participant 

Mood Yoga also provided an opportunity for Refresh participants to relax and unwind. Yoga sessions helped to alleviate physical ailments and pain due to lived experience of trauma and consequential poor mental health. The yoga offering also provided well-being tools to support improved self-regulation and intrapersonal relationships 

Refresh participants provided overwhelmingly positive feedback about their time on the project. Many of the young people supported by Articulate Cultural Trust struggle with the aftermath of growing up in care, coupled with childhood trauma, a deficit of family support and guidance. Young people shared that the Articulate studio feels inviting, safe, and friendly; providing human essentials such as trusted support, reciprocal friendship, food, warmth, purpose, and creative engagement.  

Trefoil is proud to have supported the work of Articulate Cultural Trust and their Refresh project. Similar organisations can apply for an organisational grant here.

A Standing Ovation for Deaf Youth Theatre!

Glasgow-based Solar Bear was awarded a £2,500 organisational grant by Trefoil in April 2024. This enabled the delivery of 34 weekly Deaf Youth Theatre workshops for deaf children and young people aged 11 to 21 years old.  

Deaf Youth Theatre sessions use storytelling and performance to develop problem solving skills, team building, communication skills and confidence of participants. Sessions also aim to improve the well-being and self-esteem of participating children and young people.  

Participation is not limited to acting. Before each week’s session an hour-long workshop allows members to receive focused support and advice on academic or employment opportunities.  

“I was extremely isolated and lonely but attending DYT gave me an incredible among of support... It’s a unique group and one that helps raise up some of the most isolated children in Scotland and I would be a very different person is it hadn’t been there for me.”

DYT Participant 

Solar Bear also ran an intensive summer project in 2023. This project focused on short films which involved young people writing their stories and learning acting skills, filming, editing and evaluating.  

The project was tailored to its participants’ needs. Deaf children and young people were able to express themselves creatively in a way that feels most comfortable to them, whether in English, BSL or SSE. Each activity was led by the young participants. As a result, they experienced a sense of belonging and empowerment.  

Participants have gone on to great success following their time at Deaf Youth Theatre. Through Solar Bear’s partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland several participants have matriculated at the Royal Conservatoire are BA Performance in English and BSL students. Others have secured places at the University of Strathclyde, Ayrshire College and the City of Glasgow College on a range of courses.  

By following a social model of disability, Solar Bear and Deaf Youth Theatre have been able to break down barriers so often faced by deaf young people.  

Trefoil is proud to have supported Solar Bear and congratulates its participants on their many successes! 

Trefoil's 2023 Grant Making

Trefoil is a grant making charity which exists to support the development of children and young people with additional needs in Scotland, to enable them to maximise their capabilities and achieve as much independence as possible. 

During the past year Trefoil has made grants of £144,087.31 to 88 individuals and organisations. Trefoil continues to fund personal development grants, organisational grants and holiday grants. 

We were delighted to hear of the impact of this funding on those applicants. Throughout the year we have been updated on the important work of organisations and the personal development of individuals. A small selection of these stories has been featured on the Trefoil website over the year which can be viewed here. 

“These weekly sessions have had a significant impact on our pupils in terms of developing their confidence and self-esteem. Initially one of our pupils was unable to join in the activity within the same room. Patience to include this young person, and a positive attitude from all staff to encourage this pupil to choose songs and play percussion instruments from a distance, helped this young person to develop and build a feeling of security and confidence”. 

2023 Grant Recipient 

39 organisations were awarded a combined £92,707.62 through Trefoil’s Organisational Grants. Their projects have included arts, life skills and adventure activities, sports and culture. All have had a positive impact on their participants.  

32 children and young people with additional support needs were awarded a combined £43,169.19 by way of Personal Development Grants. This has enabled positive support for these children and young people and their families. Many Personal Development Grants fund specialist equipment, as well as extracurricular lessons and activities.  

“Thank you for allowing us to buy the hoist. This has opened up our lives and gives us the opportunity to holiday with family and friends. We are extremely grateful, C is very excited about our visit to Disney in October” 

2023 Grant Recipient  

Finally, 17 Holiday Grants were awarded in 2023 totalling £8,210.50. This has allowed children and young people get some much-needed respite in destinations across the United Kingdom.  

Applications are open for 2024. The deadline for the next round of Organisational and Personal Development Grant applications is 9 February 2024. Trustees also meet to consider applications in May, September and December. Holiday Fund grants are considered on a rolling basis throughout the year.  

The application for links and criteria can be found on the Trefoil website. If you have any questions, please contact trefoil@wssociety.co.uk.