Prevention or relief of poverty and relief of those in need
We have worked with the likes of the Outward Bound Trust, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Clwyd Theatr Cymru and the Children’s University Scotland as part of our portfolio of ScottishPower Foundation 2014 poverty, disability and disadvantage projects. Find out more about all of these initiatives and many more besides below. Have you also perused our ScottishPower Foundation 2015 poverty, disability and disadvantage projects page for information regarding our ongoing initiatives?
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE)
DofE is leading the world in empowering young people, regardless of their start in life. It engages and supports partners to help young people (from all backgrounds) through the DofE – enabling them to grow in confidence, build new skills, improve their employability and give back to their communities.
Funding will continue the positive work that was initiated by the DofE in 2010; which has helped 6,711 young people in Glasgow and the Liverpool area by enabling them to undertake the DofE award.
Activity will take place from January-October 2014, with a DofE Award celebration to be held in Glasgow in October 2014. Similar events will be held in the North West.
Outward Bound
The Outward Bound Trust aims to unlock the potential in young people through learning and adventure in the wild. In 2012 The Trust worked with 6,500 young people in Scotland, of which 70% came from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Funding will support the Skills for Scotland’s future project which has been developed following the evaluation of a pilot in May 2013. The main aim is to provide young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the skills and confidence to consider what choices they need to make to leave school and enter a positive destination. Built around an Outward Bound experience, the project will enable the young people participating to develop their confidence, build skills and raise aspirations by taking part in adventurous activities in a challenging environment which enables them to realise what they are capable of.
Activity is planned for March 2014.
Scottish Youth Hostels Association (SYHA)
SYHA Hostelling Scotland is the largest network of tourist Youth Hostels in Scotland, offering over 70 locations across the country. SYHA’s purpose and ethos is to provide the advancement of education for the public benefit by helping all, but especially young people, to experience Scotland’s natural heritage and places of historic and cultural interest.
Funding will build upon a pilot project funded by the ScottishPower Foundation in 2013, Life and Employability Skills through Outdoor Learning at Rowardennan Lodge Youth Hostel. Schools will be encouraged to select pupils who are in danger of disengaging from education and, working with their teachers, business volunteers and SYHA activity providers Boots n Paddles before, during and after the two-day residential course, participants will experience a range of practical outdoor learning opportunities. These will incorporate problem-solving and collaborative working experiences that are linked to curriculum areas such as mathematics and social subjects, which will open a world of possibilities to them within future growth industries such as renewable energy.
Activity will take place in May, June and September 2014.
Clwyd Theatr Cymru
Clwyd Theatr Cymru is Wales’ major drama producing operation, originally built as a Regional Arts Centre. It is the home of a highly acclaimed producing company, which also presents much of its work on tour throughout Wales and the rest of the UK. The company produces mainly in English, but also in Welsh. There is a fully integrated Theatre for Young People department which uses the same performers, technicians and creative staff.
Funding will support one week of a five week tour of Justice in a Day; a project that uses professional actors to examine, in a hard hitting and realistic drama, the causes and consequences of becoming involved in the criminal justice system. Taking place in seven venues across North Wales including one week at Clwyd Theatr Cymru, it is targeted at Year 9 students across Wales to discourage them from becoming involved in criminal behaviour.
Activity will take place between 24 February and 11 April 2014.
Children’s University (CU) Scotland
CU aims to promote social mobility by providing high quality, exciting and innovative learning activities and experiences outside normal school hours to children aged 7 to 14. Although open to all, the CU aims to reach children and young people facing socio-economic and educational disadvantage through the targeting of grants to, and the promotion of activities in, areas of deprivation.
An independent Children’s University Scotland has successfully been established as a direct result of the ScottishPower Foundation’s support in 2013. Funding will continue to focus on the operational development of CU Scotland.
Activity will run throughout the year from January - December 2014.
Northern Lights
Northern Lights is a children’s charity formed to raise funds to give seriously ill children the unique experience of a very special holiday they will never forget.
Every December they take a group of children, aged between 6 and 11, on a 5-day holiday to the Arctic Circle in Laplandto meet Father Christmas.
Funding will help to facilitate the trip to Lapland in 2014.
O Ddrws i Ddrws
O Ddrws i Ddrws (door to door) provides support to disadvantaged people in the Llyn area in Wales. Due to low populations in the village in the area there is a lack of public transport available, and as a result the elderly, the sick or those with disabilities can find it difficult to get out which can lead to isolation.
Funding will support O Ddrws i Ddrws’ on-call bus service which provides subsidised transportation to those in need 24 hours a day.
The Project will take place from January 2014.