The Youth Impact Fund is a unique initiative that puts funding directly in the hands of young people under the age of 18 to create real, positive change in their community.  This programme will provide grants for youth- led projects, supporting innovative ideas to make a difference.

Young people will have the opportunity to design and lead their own projects – whether it’s creating a community garden, organising a youth led event, painting a mural, or running a mental Health awareness campaign. These projects will be selected by young people, for young people, ensuring their voices are heard

The programme will be managed by a Youth Council, who will review applications, decide on funding and oversee the impact of the projects.  We believe this initiative will empower youth with leadership skills, encourage community involvement, and bring creative, new ideas to life.

By supporting this project, you’re investing in the next generation of changemakers, helping them take ownership of their community and build a better future – one small grant at a time!

We have a programme of three levels. All the schools start with the first level where we cover the essential and basics of firstaid. We start with how to keep themselves safe, why we do first aid, calling for help, talking about how we can be the ones tohelp friends and family. Not only with people that we know but this can also be used in the wider community. We also coverasthma, choking, DRAB and recovery position. We have discussion, the children do group work, fill in booklets they can keepand hands on practice of DRAB and recovery position.

We plan to set up the centre ar least one morning a week to offer soup and a roll in a warm and friendly safe space with no cost to entry.  All our volunteers will have been trained in the rquirements of food hygiene (L2) legislation and will have PVG accreditation.  We will be building up a pool of volunteers and team leaders to ensure that we have a sustainable rota built in for ensuring local continuity once the project starts.  We will also be looking to collaborate with Lochside Academy and other community partners in the management and delivery of this project to assist young people gain experience in the running a model of a social enterprise community cafe with an offfer of friendship and hot soup and a roll, acommpanied by a welcome cuppie.  We will endeavour to source quality produce from CFINE, supermarkets and other suppliers at no cost wherever possible, and where needed we will seek external funding to support our operational costs.  We have also set aside a reserve within our business planning for operational costs to ensure we can achieve our charitable purposes and meet an un-met local need in Torry.

We are looking for your support of ‘Loons & Quines o’Mastrick and Northield’ project and the of launch a social campaign with a key focus on history, revitalisation, heritage, multiculturalism, identity and integration of people who live in Mastrick and Northield, Aberdeen. We have been encouraged by the success of similar projects in Torry, Seaton and Old Aberdeen. This also an area where many Poles in Aberdeen live.

Our project is a multifaceted community campaign emphasising diversity as a major potential and strength of modern-day Mastrick and Northield areas. The neighbourhood reflects the dynamic character of local and European history intertwined through stories of the past and the present. On one hand, it is characterised by a strong sense of community amongst the traditional residents. On the other hand, identity of the neighbourhood is influenced by immigration nowadays and, in the case of Poles, population movement going back to the Second World War.

We look to promote the area by focusing on its residents and their personal, cultural and work-related experiences of the neighbourhood by: Community campaign and exhibition (still sourcing a suitable place TBC). Key visual materials will be installed.

Middlefield Hub will facilitate monthly Games and Activity sessions with our Nurseries, Youth Hub, and Older Adults in the area.

The purpose of these sessions will be help combat isolation and loneliness, keep older people active engaged in lifelong learning opportunities such as arts n crafts, board games, dancing, and more.

Young people that attend the Youth Hub will support adults with taking part, serving food/drinks, and helping them work their mobile phones and tablets. Nursery children will take part in activity and sing songs, make gifts and birthday cards during the week, and create more opportunities for different age groups to mix and be around each other.

Studies show mixing generations and ages is beneficial for everyone. These experiences, which will also have food and drinks at each session to help combat poverty and the cost of living crisis, will help nursery children in their development and learning, older youths will gain valuable experiences to help them reach their full potential, as well as increase learning about other people and empathy, and will help older people feel connected with the community. We can also use these sessions to signpost participants and families to other services at The Hub and in the community should they need further help or support. We will also invite different agencies to come in and speak to groups about other services, such as AHSCP Wellbeing Team, Sport Aberdeen, AFCCT, Mental Health Aberdeen, SamH, and more.

ALC recently held a workshop at St Machar Academy which listened to students’ thoughts on the issues and challenges facing their communities and to hear their suggestions for services ALC could provide which could help. Students highlighted many issues, However, there was two notable recurring themes, which was access to a safe warm environment and the of issues related to food poverty ortunately, ALC is in a great position to address these concerns. We propose to offer a breakfast club primarily for academy student though open to younger age groups if required. The service will be available five days a week during term time and open from 07:30-09:00.