BIG HEARTS COMMUNITY TRUST 

Welcome Through Football is a social inclusion and employability project that welcomes young people from refugee, asylum seeking and migrant backgrounds who have made Scotland their new home.

By tackling food poverty and social isolation, the School's Out! project enables young people living in challenging circumstances to thrive during the school holidays.

We will deliver wellbeing support to isolated older people; either remotely via fortnightly reminiscence packs and weekly phone contact, or in person via social gatherings at Tynecastle Stadium.

This group will use the funding to continue their Kinship Care Programme which supports Kinship Care families living in Edinburgh. A range of services and activities will be provided for families ....more

This group will use the funding to continue their Kinship Care Programme which supports Kinship Care families living in Edinburgh. A range of services and activities will be provided for families including an after school and carers support group a male carer group a teenager group school holiday activities and a youth befriending service.

This group will use the funding to employ a project officer for their ‘Memories’ project which brings older people in Edinburgh together through reminiscence sessions.

Detailed information not yet available.

Detailed description not provided.

To contribute to the organisation?s Christmas Programme in which the charity will coordinate with volunteers to deliver food, gifts, and offer services to help the most vulnerable and isolated in ....more

To contribute to the organisation?s Christmas Programme in which the charity will coordinate with volunteers to deliver food, gifts, and offer services to help the most vulnerable and isolated in their communities during the holiday time amidst the pandem

Our project brings together older people from across our community who are suffering from or at risk of social isolation.

towards the Schools Out Plus project.

Kinship Care Programme engages and supports children living in kinship care, and their carers, across Edinburgh – a community of families who face many challenges. The programme harnesses unique ....more

Kinship Care Programme engages and supports children living in kinship care, and their carers, across Edinburgh – a community of families who face many challenges. The programme harnesses unique strengths to help fill an identified gap - engaging young people who need additional support and offering a needs-led support service which gives them the best chance to thrive in the care of their family.

Detailed description not provided.

Detailed description not provided.

To contribute towards providing digital conferencing and video-editing software, additional staff phone and transport costs and materials to supply activity and support packs for distribution to ....more

To contribute towards providing digital conferencing and video-editing software, additional staff phone and transport costs and materials to supply activity and support packs for distribution to service users.

This group will use the funding to deliver weekly reminiscence groups for isolated older people living in South West Edinburgh. The project provides regular positive activities which revive fond ....more

This group will use the funding to deliver weekly reminiscence groups for isolated older people living in South West Edinburgh. The project provides regular positive activities which revive fond memories, improving social connections and reducing social isolation.

Towards the weekly After School Club for Kinship families.

We are seeking funding to expand the capacity of our existing Kinship Care Programme to respond to an increasing need for more tailored support and advice on welfare reform for this targeted group of ....more

We are seeking funding to expand the capacity of our existing Kinship Care Programme to respond to an increasing need for more tailored support and advice on welfare reform for this targeted group of families. WHO & WHY: Over the last two decades the number of children in kinship care arrangements in Scotland has grown exponentially; and with legislative direction to prioritise kinship care over other placements, this trend is set to continue. With one in 77 children in Scotland today growing up with friends and relatives it is imperative that providing these children with the right kind of early experience is "the single most important factor influencing a child's intellectual and social development, whatever the material status of their family". In the majority of cases, these arrangements are grandparents caring for their grandchildren full-time due to parental substance misuse. Most children living in kinship care will have experienced some form of abuse, trauma or neglect in their past; but often do not receive the right support to overcome attachment, emotional and behavioral issues. Most kinship carers face multiple disadvantages; with many forced to give up work and complicated family dynamics, including parental conflict, resulting in increased anxiety and isolation. With the majority of kinship families existing as informal arrangements, many carers are unaware of or hesitant to engage with what support does exist. As a result, many do not access crucial information and advice, financial assistance and peer support networks. The rights and responsibilities of kinship carers can be complicated. Getting advice is important so they know about your options and if they are getting the practical and financial support that they are entitled to. Nearly 40% of all children in kinship care live in households located in the 20% of the poorest areas, which implies that the financial burden on kinship families is a major area of concern. The majority of these families are involved in the benefit system with many having to start claims when they took on the care of a child. Many carers had to give up their employment to meet care responsibilities and their outgoings now far exceed their income. Housing conditions are challenging with many homes unequipped to deal with new additions to the household and so new premises are often sought. Additional costs also exist around childcare, clothing, outings and activities as well as clubs or school outings and the use of foodbanks is steadily on the increase. Together with the added complications around the introduction of Universal Credit, many carers are confused and unsure what they are entitled to and with conflicting information provided by finance services and local authorities many carers are claiming inappropriately which in turn has a knock on effect to the care and support they can provide to the children in their care. WHAT: We launched our Kinship Care Programme in October 2015 as a direct response to our recognition that Kinship Care families are both under-represented and under-supported, relative to the size of the community and the challenges faced. The programme comprises the following key elements: • Social Marketing Campaign to celebrate kinship carers and get the message out that we are offering help / engage 'hidden' families. • Annual Family Day held at Tynecastle which brings together local support services and offers free activities for families. • Weekly Afterschool Club and Carer Support Group for families who require regular support. • School Holiday Activity offering free football coaching and excursions for young people and much needed respite for carers. • Youth Befriending offering kinship care young people, who require more one to one support, a volunteer befriender as a trusted mentor • Emergency Essentials Fund provides small crisis grants to kinship families for items such as bedding, clothing and household appliances. Our programme uses peer support, mutual trust and shared experiences to help increase knowledge and confidence among kinship carers. Our carer support group is facilitated by a trained family support worker; offering advice, guidance, training and support on specific issues but also, crucially, the opportunity to develop a strong network of peer support and to share and learn with other carers who have faced similar challenges. The programme is innovative and different to other provision in the range of regular and one-off support it offers, ensuring all families can access help that is relevant and tailored to their specific needs. The programme has also set itself apart in its ability to engage harder to reach families. Of the 220 families we have engaged to date through our programme, we know that approx. 35% of these families were previously 'hidden'. Moreover, football is obviously a strong 'hook' for engaging men and male carers and our strength in this area has led to 1 in 4 carers involved in the programme being male. The strength of our delivery partnership with Mentor Scotland is also unique and crucial to the programme's success. As Big Hearts, we bring the strength of our connection to Hearts Football Club and the facilities and reach into the community that comes with that. Mentor bring their expertise and over 12 years' experience of delivering their wrap around family support service. Together, we offer a uniquely holistic approach to supporting families through our programme. WHAT: Further Development with Support from CCRF: Through our ongoing consultation and evaluation of the programme, we have identified a growing need for more tailored financial advice and assistance, particularly with the introduction of Universal Credit as a new unknown for Kinship Carers. With this funding, we will respond to this feedback and increase the capacity of the organisation and programme to provide more dedicated family support worker time for families. This additional staff resource will be targeted specifically at providing tailored financial advice and information to carers who are struggling to get to grips with their financial entitlements, the change to Universal Credit or financial planning in general. This support will be delivered by an experienced family support worker with the knowledge and information required to help carers feel more informed and confident, as well as helping them to make connections, enquiries and changes directly with Social Work team, DWP or through other agencies such as the local Citizens Advice Bureau, if necessary. This targeted support will help Kinship Carers, who are struggling with multiple challenges, to find out if they are eligible for any extra money and, if they are on a low income, will help to advise carers on any changes to benefits and tax credits or help them navigate the introduction of Universal Credit. This support will be delivered through both group work inputs at our weekly Carer Support Group and also through one to one support if carers require more detailed assessment and advice. This may take place as part of the weekly group or through home visits. The Family Support Worker will also facilitate inputs from expert partner agencies such as Citizens Advice Scotland who have a national Kinship Care Advice Service and can offer detailed training on areas such as changes to Universal Credit. WHERE: The programme's geographic reach is Edinburgh-wide, with a priority focus on our immediate local community of South West Edinburgh which is recognised as having considerable problems in terms of high levels of poverty, unemployment and deprivation, relative to other parts of the city.

Using football and group work to improve the wellbeing and social connections of 100 local young people from multi-cultural communities in Edinburgh. Final amount of grant dispersed may differ due to ....more

Using football and group work to improve the wellbeing and social connections of 100 local young people from multi-cultural communities in Edinburgh. Final amount of grant dispersed may differ due to project underspend and within agreed tolerance.

Detailed information not yet available.

This group will use the funding to develop its kinship care programme. This will support families to build strong bonds where children and young people can thrive. Activities will include annual ....more

This group will use the funding to develop its kinship care programme. This will support families to build strong bonds where children and young people can thrive. Activities will include annual family days, an afterschool club, a carer support group, activity days and a befriending service.

This group will use the funding to continue its 'Big Hearts Volunteers' programme, providing fans of Heart of Midlothian Football Club with opportunities to volunteer in their community, helping ....more

This group will use the funding to continue its 'Big Hearts Volunteers' programme, providing fans of Heart of Midlothian Football Club with opportunities to volunteer in their community, helping local families and individuals in need.

The salary costs of the Volunteer Development Officer

The Big Hearts Kinship Care Programme was launched in October 2015 following consultation with key partners across the sector which highlighted that kinship care families were under-represented and ....more

The Big Hearts Kinship Care Programme was launched in October 2015 following consultation with key partners across the sector which highlighted that kinship care families were under-represented and under-supported in Edinburgh. Working closely with Mentor Scotland, a key player supporting kinship care families in Scotland, they created a programme which harnesses their collective strengths and resources to help fill an identified gap - engaging families who were not accessing support and offering tailored activities for kinship children - designed to reduce isolation, improve family relationships, strengthen resilience and promote improved confidence and wellbeing.