Three charities recognized for Community Spirit in Glasgow by Clydesdale Bank

Three Glasgow charities have received a funding boost through the Clydesdale Bank Spirit of the Community Awards.

Venture Scotland, Young Enterprise Scotland and the Healthy n’ Happy Community Development Trust each received £5000 to recognise the important role they play in the local community.

Clydesdale Bank announced the substantial donations to voluntary groups at an awards ceremony in Glasgow on 27 June 2017 to recognise the charities and not for profit organisations which are going the extra mile.

Fifteen community groups across Scotland were selected to share funding of £80,000 to make a real difference in their local area.

Venture Scotland helps young people make an effective transition to adulthood and independence by improving their mental and physical health with a focus on finding employment, education or a training place. The charity received £5,000 to deliver 10 specially developed employability sessions and ongoing job search support for 120 highly vulnerable young people from Glasgow and the surrounding areas. On completion, participants will receive certificates to demonstrate their new skills to employers.

Young Enterprise Scotland is a charity that supports over 13,000 young people aged between five and 30 throughout Scotland to develop their business knowledge, entrepreneurial skills and ultimately become more employable. The charity received £5,000 to deliver their Pathway Programme, a practical skill-building project that moves the most disadvantaged and disengaged young people closer to work and helps them to reach their full potential.

The Healthy n’ Happy Community Development Trust received £5,000 in funding to support Bike Town, an initiative which aims to replace short car journeys with cycling to reduce carbon emissions and help the environment. The funding will support existing services and enable them to accept bike donations which can be refurbished and made available to the community. They already have a zero-emission electric van which can be used to attend events and collect the bike donations.

Now in its fifth year, the awards programme aims to recognise charities and not for profit organisations for the invaluable contributions they make to their local communities. Groups were invited to enter the awards programme under one of three categories; projects which help people to have a healthy relationship with money, projects which help people to improve their local environment and projects which help people into employment.

Debbie Crosbie, Group Chief Operating Officer at Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks and Chair of the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation, said: “Clydesdale Bank’s Spirit of the Community Awards aim to recognise and support the vital contribution that voluntary and charitable projects make to their local communities. This is our opportunity to say thank you to the incredible community groups across Scotland for the inspiring work they undertake.

“All of the successful organisations are extremely deserving winners which have been recognised for their role in their local communities with these awards from Clydesdale Bank.”

Donna Hegarty, Programme Manager of Venture Scotland, said: “We are so thankful to Clydesdale Bank for presenting us with the award for £5,000, which will go towards an outdoor programme for young people who want to turn their lives around. This generous award will help some of the most disadvantaged to build a happier, healthier and more fulfilled future for themselves.”

Geoff Leask, Chief Executive of Young Enterprise Scotland, said: “On behalf of Young Enterprise Scotland, I would like to say a massive thank you to Clydesdale bank for supporting our Pathway Programme. Their generous donation will have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the lives of underprivileged young people. Self-improvement has to begin with the individuals themselves, but they also need a toolkit to succeed. Young Enterprise Scotland helps provide young people with the skills and self-belief that will move them closer to employability and a fulfilling life.”

Jim Ewing, Bike Town Senior Team Leader, Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust, said: “CamGlen Bike Town works to improve the environment through promoting cycling and provides a range of training and support for people to cycle, including free bikes for cycle training. Bike Town is part of the Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust family of projects improving the health and wellbeing of people in Rutherglen & Cambuslang. A huge thank you to Clydesdale Bank for this generous donation, which will really make a difference and help preserve our environment for future generations.”

The Clydesdale Bank Spirit of the Community Awards 2017 winners are:

Help people have a healthy relationship with money category:

• Edinburgh Young Carers Project
• Deaf Action
• Edinburgh Headway Group
• Levenmouth Foodbank Community Support Project
• Aberdeen Foyer

Help people into employment category:

• Scottish Waterways Trust
• Venture Scotland
• Fife Young Carers
• Young Enterprise Scotland
• Lothian Autistic Society

Help people improve their local environment category:

• Community of Arran Seabed Trust
• Impact Arts (Projects) Ltd
• Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust
• John Muir Trust
• Central Scotland Green Network Trust

Clydesdale Bank’s sister organisation, Yorkshire Bank, has also announced 15 successful recipients of £80,000 to support local projects in England as part of the Spirit of the Community Awards initiative. This brings the total funds awarded to community projects up and down the country to £160,000.

For further information about the Clydesdale Bank Foundation’s Spirit of the Community Awards, visit www.cbonline.co.uk/foundation