Together, we are Inspiring Scotland
Our vision for Scotland is achievable, says Chief Executive Celia Tennant.
A Scotland without poverty or disadvantage – that is our vision. It is not going to be easy to achieve. But we know from experience when people, communities, charities and government all work together, remarkable things can be accomplished.
We want to tackle some of the long-term, entrenched social problems faced by Scotland’s people and communities. Problems such as poverty and longstanding deprivation have caused deep-rooted, self-perpetuating inequalities among our communities, leading to long-term unemployment, poor health, and diminished opportunities.
To be in with even a chance of solving these problems, we all need to work together across all sectors. And that’s what we aim to do. We build networks and foster greater collaboration between organisations and the people who work for them; we build long-term strategic partnerships between the voluntary, public, private and academic sectors, and increase long-term funding and help develop sustainability within the voluntary sector.
As we strive for a better Scotland, we are helping essential charities to become extraordinary charities, allowing them to better help those they support.
We are working with government, local authorities, academics, communities and local people to develop new ideas and shape effective public policies.
We evaluate, we learn and we share our knowledge. What we do works because we have the opportunity to work with incredible people and we test our work to rigorous standards.
We believe a better Scotland is possible; a Scotland without poverty; a Scotland without disadvantage; a Scotland with opportunity for everyone.
We have this belief because of the extraordinary commitment, compassion, skill, professionalism and drive of the people we work with. We have this belief because of the extraordinary things we have achieved together already. None of which would have been possible without the support of so many generous and warm-hearted supporters, investors, partners, friends and colleagues.
Our vision for Scotland is achievable. And as we look to the future, as we design new programmes and develop our current funds, we will continue to build partnerships and strengthen existing relationships, tapping into the knowledge and experience of Scotland’s people, communities and charity sector.
Celia Tennant, chief executive
Make outdoor play the norm for our children
Rachel Cowper from our go2play fund urges us all to let children play outside in The Herald.
With a sunny start to April and the longer days ahead, you might begin to see the streets and green spaces of Scotland filled with children and wonder: is it not always so? Sadly, like the rose-tinted memories of endless childhood summers, it isn’t. But it could be.
While Scotland’s children and their families have been taking full advantage of the weather and time off school to go outside and play, it is, in truth, far from the common state of affairs. Children are not playing outside enough and it is a serious problem.
Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cardiovascular problems, and mental health issues are all linked to inactivity and are on the rise. Instances of bone fractures and osteoporosis are also increasing, caused by a lack of physical activity and poor motor skills. Our children are sitting inside too much and not running and playing outside enough, and the ill-effects of this will be with them long into adulthood.
In a 2016 study of 38 countries, the Active Healthy Kids Report Card, Scotland scored an F for levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour – joint last place. Yet we scored high marks – joint second place – for both physical activity policy and facilities.
Public investment has been made into the play sector but we are not yet at tipping point. The problem lies with us as adults. It is up to us to unplug the computer, take away the tablet or smartphone, open the back door and put our wellies on. It is easier not to, of course. It is less demanding of our time, effort and energy to settle for sitting on the couch with a screen but it is damaging our children.
The benefits for children of playing, and playing outside, are enormous. Research, from Scotland and elsewhere, shows playing physically active games increases children’s health and fitness and teaches them the basic physical skills they need throughout their lives. Studies also link active playing, and the interaction that comes with it, with the development of social skills and emotional resilience. Children learn to problem-solve and risk-assess through play and being physically active develops cognitive ability and is linked to academic achievement.
And all of this comes perfectly naturally to children; play is physical activity, and personal development, by stealth. But we still keep our children indoors.
If we believe in a better future for our children, we need to make playing outdoors a fundamental part of growing up in Scotland. Why don’t we take down No Ball Games signs and make outdoor spaces in our communities safe, child-friendly places where play is encouraged? Why should we make playing outside weather-dependent when puddles are fun and snow is magical? Why don’t we make playgrounds accessible outside of school hours to act as community spaces?
We need to start early and make outdoor play something children do every single day and not the preserve of school holidays or a lucky few kids. Playing doesn’t need expensive equipment or facilities, just space – a street corner, a park, a garden or a woodland. And all children want to play. All we need to do is learn to let them.
Originally published in The Herald 18/04/17
Pro Bono brews up a fine new brand of business
Callander’s Bridgend cafe development shows how our free support network can help, says Elaine Crichton, Pro Bono Executive
If you find yourself in Callander in need of a pick-me-up, I highly recommend you stop by the Bridgend café and get a young barista named Jamie to make you a coffee; he may well make the best latte north of the M9.
Jamie hasn’t always made such great coffee, and the Bridgend café wasn’t always a place worth stopping off, but the fact I now hold both statements to be irrefutable truths has as much to do with accountants and property lawyers, as it does with the training Jamie received at the coffee machine.
The Bridgend café, and the Callander Youth Hostel which houses the café, are both social enterprises run by the Callander Youth Project Trust (CYPT) – a charity specialising in helping young people into work and education.
The hostel occupies a beautiful building just off the main street in Callander and has been re-vitalised by CYPT in the last five years, including picking up 5-star visitor status from VisitScotland. The success of both businesses is a direct result of the Trust’s determination to have a place where local young people can meet and socialise, as well as to create employment and training opportunities for local young people.
CYPT Managing Director Chris Martin was a key factor in this success and he often tells the story of when he first presented the idea of developing the building at Bridgend to the charity’s board – they thought he was completely mad.
That’s when he turned to the offer of support from Inspiring Scotland’s Pro Bono network, a group of individuals who offer non-financial, expert support to charities free of charge.
Most social change organisations such as CYPT don’t have the ready access to resources such as strategic marketing, finance, IT, and HR that they need to succeed. When skilled volunteers from the Inspiring Scotland Pro Bono group bring their expertise to these organisations, they not only help them accomplish projects, they help develop strong organisations and allow them to fulfil their mission statement.
In many ways the project at Callander is the poster child for the power of pro bono, it simply would not have been as successful as it is today without pro bono input. The list of requests from CYPT was long and varied at the outset; support with property issues, project management, consultancy work on tourism, marketing and accounting support, website design, interior design and even a request for advise on gable-end water ingress! These were all delivered for free.
As Pro Bono Executive at Inspiring Scotland, I now have a group of over 260 people from all walks of life with myriad skills and experience reflecting almost all professions, from employees of large legal and accountancy firms to individuals, business entrepreneurs, consultants and retired executives.
The common purpose among pro bono supporters is the desire to give freely of their expertise but pro bono is more than corporate volunteering. The level of involvement, strategic input, and mutual collaboration embodies something that often goes on to build long-lasting relationships.
It’s a great way to match willing experts to the incredible organisations doing amazing work in communities across Scotland.
The Callander Hostel and Bridgend café are very visible examples of the power of pro bono but this happens on a daily basis across our portfolio of over 200 charities. Requests range from business mentoring and coaching as a charity approaches critical mass, to requests for social media training or professional photography.
Our charities are actively encouraged to use the pro bono resource and they do. Last year nearly 1600 hours of pro bono support was delivered amounting to a (very understated) value of £302,000. What we can’t yet measure is the compounding effect this has on the organisation.
I am constantly struck by how important this kind of professional assistance is to our charities; it can give them renewed hope with a problem or open up solutions they thought were beyond their expertise.
The support provided by the Pro Bono network at Inspiring Scotland is a key part of making the organisations we work with more sustainable and allows them to achieve their vision more effectively. In the case of CYPT and the Bridgend café that has meant, not just two successful social enterprises, but a place in Jamie’s home town where
he could get a job, earn money, learn new skills and pursue a career. As well as make fantastic coffee.
Callander Youth Project Trust is a youth orientated charity which is part of the Inspiring Scotland 14:19 fund set up in 2009 with a view to support disadvantaged young people aged 14-19 into employment, education or training.