News

ASH Scotland has small grants available to support community organisations to improve people’s health and wellbeing, by addressing smoking. The support available includes access to a small grant of £500, a package of tailored support over 6 months, and free resources and training. The deadline for the next round of applications is Monday 29th August.

Paths for All’s new Ian Findlay Path Fund is now open for applications, with £1.5 million available. Community groups, charities and third sector organisations in Scotland can apply for £10,000 – £100,000 for path management projects which improve the accessibility and resilience of existing paths between homes, community services, active travel routes and public transport facilities or connections. Paths for All is also holding a free, in-person Managing Community Path Projects training course on Wednesday 28th September in Stirling, with support for anyone considering developing a new project.

Carers Scotland and Carers UK have launched the State of Caring Survey 2022. The survey is aimed at current and former unpaid carers who look after a relative or friend who is disabled, older or seriously ill. It aims to be an extensive survey into the experiences of carers; Carers Scotland and Carers UK are keen to hear about carers’ lives and experiences in as much detail as possible to build a picture of what it is like to be a carer in 2022. The deadline for responses is Sunday 11th September.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in Falkirk has released their local Summer 2022 Partners’ Newsletter, with information for partners of SDS’ digital and face to face services at the Careers Centre in Falkirk.

The Arkbound Foundation has launched its new crowdfunding and crowdpublishing platform, Crowdbound. Crowdbound is designed to support books covering social or environmental themes, by authors who come from disadvantaged or under-represented backgrounds. It also seeks to support a range of projects linked to social inclusion and environmental sustainability. Backers can donate to different campaigns, with reward platforms available. There is no registration fee, or fees at the start of any campaign – only 1% of the funds raised, at the end of the campaign.

There are current opportunities to join the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), Strathcarron Hospice and Food Train volunteer teams who support the Home from Hospital project. To find out more about which volunteering role would be the best fit for you, people are invited to join the project for a drop-in event at the Forth Valley Sensory Centre (FVSC), Redbrae Road, Camelon, FK1 4DD on Tuesday 27th September, 2pm – 7pm.

Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre’s next 2 Dementia Information Sessions for carers will take place on: Tuesday 30th August: “Alzheimer Scotland”, with information on support available from Alzheimer Scotland in the Falkirk and District area; Tuesday 27th September: “Shadowing and Sundowning”, where carers will learn more about these two behaviours, what causes them and how to manage them. Both sessions take place 10:30am – 12:30pm, and carers have the option of attending via Zoom, or in-person at the Carers Centre, 1A Bank Street, Falkirk FK1 1NB.

NHS Forth Valley has announced the next dates for their “Ask, Tell” Mental Health Improvement and Suicide Prevention workshops throughout the rest of the year, taking place: Wednesday 31st August, Wednesday 7th September, and Wednesday 14th September, 11am – 12pm; Monday 31st October, Monday 7th November, and Monday 14th November, 3pm – 4pm; Thursday 24th November, Thursday 1st December, Thursday 8th December, 10am – 11am. The workshops are designed for people with no previous training in mental health and suicide prevention.

To celebrate the re-opening of the newly completed Zetland Park, the Zetland Park Regeneration Project, with a number of local groups, have organised the Zetland Park Grand Re-opening event on Sunday 28th August, 10am – 3pm, at the park.

Enough Is Enough is a cross-sector campaign, launched this week to tackle the cost of living crisis in a co-ordinated way. The launch video includes a number of points where Enough Is Enough is calling for action, including a “real pay rise”, the October energy price hike cancelled and the lower pre-April price cap restored, an end to food poverty through various methods, a rent cap, and more council homes built.