December 2023

6 December - Award winning project connects cultures through food (Education Services)

Scotstoun Primary school in the west end of the city has a diverse international school community with more than 40 languages being spoken! Their Café Culture project is an amazing example of members of the community working together, with their local school, to bond over a common love of food, create new memories with new friends and boost language skills at the same time.

As Grace Cameron, English as an Additional Language (EAL) teacher, explains: "The idea for Café Culture came direct from the parents themselves. After Covid, many parents were feeling isolated and as a school we wanted to rebuild our partnerships with the community, so we initially suggested a reading project with funding to get off the ground from Strathclyde University. However, it was the mums who came up with the idea of sharing their cultures with each other through food and it has now gone from strength to strength. Earlier this summer we also able to launch our very own international themed cook-book - where all proceeds will help us to sustain the future of Café Culture and become self-sufficient."

Every Tuesday afternoon, a group of mums, with support from the team at school, meet at Scotstoun Primaryto share recipes, cook food and chat. Their children also get involved in helping to make, and of course taste, the foods from around the world - expanding minds and palates at the same time! 

Pauline McFadden, the school's family wellbeing worker explains: "Café Culture originally started back in October last year as a collaborative literary project with St Paul's Primary in Whiteinch and it has now expanded in unexpected ways and become about so much more.

"Today Café Culture is helping families in the community to from friendships and connect with each other - whilst learning how to cook on a budget. We don't hear the word isolation here anymore. It has also been really rewarding to see some of the mums increase in confidence and become volunteers at our school too. Having bilingual support workers is a huge bonus for us."

Islah Abdyen, who is from Sudan, has a six-year-old son, Muhammad Ali at the school said: "Coming here for the first time I was out of my comfort zone, I was stressed. But Grace and Pauline are so nice, and I have made new friends. It has definitely made me more confident."

The Aljundi family came to Glasgow eight years ago, to escape the war in Syria.

Nsrin Aljundi, whose daughter Tala, nine, is in primary four, sums it up. "For a long time, I wanted to get involved in the life of the school, I was a schoolteacher in Syria, but I could not, because of the language - I had no confidence to speak out, and that was difficult. It has been hard but coming here I feel relaxed. I have done my PVG training which allows me to work with young people, and I can volunteer. Doing something for the community, finally - I like that."

Cooking up an award!

In November Café Culture were rewarded for their community work and won the North-West Glasgow Community Champion 2023 award.

You can buy a copy of the book by contacting the school on 0141 959 3247

6 December - Scottish Welfare Fund Team: supporting our citizens in their time of need (Financial Services)

The Customer and Business Services (CBS) Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) team delivers the national SWF scheme, which is funded by the Scottish Government and administered by each of the thirty-two local authorities. The SWF aims to provides a safety net to vulnerable people on low incomes by the provision of Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants.

Crisis Grants are made in the form of a cash payment and are provided where an individual is facing a disaster or emergency situation, and there is an immediate threat to the health or safety of that individual or their family. The SWF team must make a decision within 24 hours of receipt of a Crisis Grant application.

Community Care Grants are provided where a qualifying individual needs help to establish or maintain a settled home. A Community Care Grant may also be provided to support families facing exceptional pressures. Any award made will be fulfilled through goods, which are sourced and delivered by the Council. The SWF team must make a decision within 15 days of receipt of application.

Since April 2023, the SWF team have received in excess of 36,000 applications for both Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants.

In addition to applications from citizens, the SWF team work in partnership with colleagues in the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership to provide Community Care Grants to individuals moving from temporary accommodation into their own tenancy. This joint working provides vulnerable citizens with the support they need, whilst also helping to alleviate the pressures on our homelessness services by freeing up temporary accommodation that is required for others.

Hear from Deborah McQueen, SWF team member, who recently assisted a customer to receive a Crisis Grant during a very distressing and challenging time in the customer's life.

"We received an application for a Crisis Grant from a single parent with one child. They were in a violent relationship down south and had to flee the area to protect themself and their child. As they had a local connection to Glasgow, they managed to find a private let in the city and once the let was confirmed they fled from their home. All their money was used to arrange travel to Glasgow and to buy some essential items for their new let. Unfortunately, this left them with no money for basics such as food, gas or electricity."

"As part of the application, the relevant information confirming they had no funds was provided.  We were able to assist with funds for the period up to their next income payment. The applicant was so thankful that we were able to assist as this helped to remove an element of extreme anxiety during a very stressful period in their life."

"It made me feel good knowing we were able to provide some help and just how much that support meant to the individual."

ChrisMcDonough,Service Delivery Manager said: "The team are here to assist those that are going through the most difficult periods of their life and provide them, where we can, with the necessary support during their really hard times."

Sharon Gillespie, Customer Operations Manager said: "The team work tirelessly to assist the most vulnerable citizens in the city. The increasing demand for applications, can at times present the team with significant challenges. However, the teams' dedication and continued hard work ensures citizens get the essential financial help and/or goods to assist them during their period of personal and financial crisis."

For more information visit our Scottish Welfare Fund homepage

6 December - Empowering Nicole: 'Glasgow Helps' Change Lives (Chief Executive's Department)

Nicole, a single mother with two autistic children, has recently benefitted from the integrated support offered by Glasgow Helps to help improve her family's life. Her story demonstrates how the council, through our Pathfinders process and cross-Service Glasgow Helps Team, successfully delivered a solution, putting the family's needs at the heart of their approach.

Background

Before reaching out to Glasgow Helps, Nicole lived with her mother in her 2-bedroom house, where she slept in one cramped room with both her children. This was incredibly challenging due to the children having different sleeping patterns - due to their individual complex needs. As Nicole is unable to work, due to the additional daily support her children require, she felt alone and isolated from her community, alongside being constantly exhausted. She also struggled to get the twins to nursery regularly due to travel logistics and financial constraints.

Her Health Visitor and Head of Nursery both witnessed her struggles and stepped in to make a referral to Glasgow Helps - with the aim of improving the family's current living conditions and mental wellbeing with support from a dedicated network of partners.

Changing lives forever

Glasgow Helps delivered! Through collaborative work with partners Differabled, One Parent Family Scotland and Central Parenting Team they helped to empower Nicole, remove service barriers and improve the family's overall quality of life. The combined team played a vital role in assisting Nicole in submitting housing applications, securing support for her children and gathering the necessary documentation for her family's specific needs. This intervention led to Nicole being offered a 3-bedroom property in her preferred area, ensuring that her family's support network remained close by.

As Laura-Jane Richards, Strategic Housing Officer, Glasgow Helps explains: "Nicole was overwhelmed by her situation and the complexity of her day-to-day challenges. Being able to work with Nicole to build her confidence and support her was extremely rewarding. It was a privilege to be part of her journey, to witness her grow and take more control over this area of her life for her and her children's future."

Elizabeth McKechnie, Lead Officer, Glasgow Helps explains: "The benefits of Glasgow Helps are multi-faceted and Nicole's journey is a prime example. She has now secured a suitable home with a private garden for her children. She is filled with newfound optimism, and the ongoing collaboration with her Holistic Support Officer and partner agencies promises a brighter, more secure future for her family.  The entire Glasgow Helps team has made a real difference in someone's life.

"Glasgow Helps has become a lifeline for people who are just coping. Without our support they could be pushed over the edge to crisis. We are able to offer early intervention that can help them thrive within the community. In supporting the individuals, we allow other services, such as education, do the jobs they were hired to do. It has been life changing to see the positive impact Glasgow Helps has made to so many."

Nicole's journey showcases how Glasgow Helps joins up organisations and services across the city to work in partnership and connect people to the right support at the right time - in this case before crisis intervention was needed. By helping families like Nicole's, Glasgow is building a stronger, more inclusive city, where every citizen and every child can thrive.

Glasgow Helps - council staff living outside of Glasgow

All staff working for the council family are able to access Glasgow Helps support - even if they live outside the council boundary and within another local authority area.

However, please note that the support offered will only be for yourself, and not for any members of your family that live with you - and that some solutions may not be available as they are localised to the Glasgow area. If you have any friends and family who live within the Glasgow area they will be able to access Glasgow Helps support as normal.

Staff support - Financial wellbeing - poverty isn't a choice: supporting one another - Glasgow City Council

6 December - What a transformation - the garden that keeps on giving! (Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability) 

Earlier this summer, officers in NRS Vacant and Derelict Land, and Greenspace and Biodiversity, came together with the local community and students from Strathclyde University to create a new community garden on Glasgow's High street - Greyfriars Garden.  The project is a great example of how a dedicated group of council officers and locals worked in partnership to transform a previously vacant plot of land into a stunning and productive food growing garden for locals, visitors and wildlife to enjoy and benefit from.

The original Greyfriars Garden was located in Shuttle Street as part of the previous Stalled Spaces initiative. However, this space was always a temporary location as the site had been earmarked for future development.  Once plans were agreed, officers worked with the community to find a new local permanent site.  

And what a location!

The new Greyfriars Garden is located in a beautiful council-owned site near the Victorian neo-Gothic style Barony Hall in High Street: 56 raised growing beds were built, (11 more than previous), including three accessible ones with space for wheelchairs. The attractive location is enclosed by a sandstone wall and also boasts a welcoming communal seating area and storage units. To support sustainability, items from the original site, such as barrels, have been repurposed into new planters in the garden. All the growing spaces were quickly allocated to growers ranging in age from mid 20s to over 80 years old - creating a real diverse, permanent,  community garden.  

Sandy Paterson, Assistant Manager (Food Growing) Greenspace and Biodiversity, NRS said: "The opening of this community growing space is both a wonderful example of what can be achieved through our city's Food Growing Strategy and also an important milestone in the revitalisation of our historic High Street area.

"The garden was a collaborative project involving support from both the community gardeners and also students at Strathclyde University in the development of a design to secure Vacant and Derelict Land funding. Transforming this under-utilised space has created a city centre oasis for both locals, visitors and wildlife to enjoy. It has created a social, welcoming space for like-minded gardeners to enjoy and support one another with their home-grown food. This project is providing a catalyst for similar local growing spaces to be developed with the support of the community."

Rachel Smith, Assistant Group Manager (Greenspace and Biodiversity) in NRS said: "Seeing the development of this garden really inspired and energised me as it has helped us to create a toolkit for other Vacant and Derelict land spaces across the city. We can now visualise what can be done. I was encouraged to see how well colleagues in our Design and Food Growing Teams worked with the community growers to bring this project to life- it was as a real team effort that will be enjoyed by many for years to come."

Alasdair McLeod NRS Project Officer, Glasgow's Vacant and Derelict Land Fund Manager added: "This is a great inner city example of the impact that the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund can have in bringing these sites back into productive, community use. It's great to see the regeneration and repurposing of vacant land to benefit the health and wellbeing of the local community and also support local biodiversity the same time."

6 December - Creating environments where 'Meaningful Connections' flourish (Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership)

Our Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership's Residential Care Homes for Older People strive to enhance the lives of their residents.

The staff at these care homes recognise the profound importance of meaningful connections in the lives of the residents - connections that span family, friends, staff, and the broader community.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a host of restrictions, profoundly impacting the ability of individuals in residential care to engage with their communities and receive visits from loved ones.

In response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, staff recognised the need to ensure that residents continue to thrive in an environment that nurtures these vital connections.

Robin Wallace, Head of Older People, Residential and Day Care Services, Glasgow City HSCP said: "During the pandemic our residents were restricted in the contacts and relationships that they could have so coming out of the pandemic, it has been really important that we re-ignite the approach we take to place our care homes and their residents in the hearts of our communities and provide opportunities for the residents' families to enjoy good quality time with them."

To ensure that this experience is not repeated, the staff came together and developed a policy document 'Meaningful Connections' that sets out how residents will be supported to maintain their personal relationships with friends and families as well as with one another.

Allowing connections is also helping residents transition to living in a residential setting easier by continuing the activities and interests they had when living at home, or trying out new things to stay active and independent for longer.

The staff recognise the importance of tailoring support to individual preferences, and this is reflected in the personalised support plans for each resident. By understanding and incorporating the activities that residents enjoy, the team ensures that the daily lives of those in their care are not only comfortable but also fulfilling.

In addition to individual pursuits, the commitment extends to fostering connections with friends and family members. One of the main aims of 'Meaningful Connections is to ensure that residents have unrestricted opportunities to spend time with their loved ones, provided there are no outbreaks of infection.

A great example of 'Meaningful Connections' is the community engagement efforts to connect with local groups, schools, and religious organisations important to the residents.

In Meadowburn Care Home, local school children were invited to listen to stories of Glasgow's past told by the residents as well as local collages delivering exercise classes and music classes for the residents.

Through their comprehensive commitment to supporting residents, engaging with families, and utilising innovative strategies, the team ensures that the elderly in their care not only receive high-quality physical assistance but also thrive emotionally and socially.

The resilience and compassion displayed by all staff in our residential care homes serve as a shining example in the broader context of elderly care, setting a standard for creating environments where meaningful connections flourish.

6 December - Team secure 150-year lease for Glasgow's historic Tontine Building (City Property)

City Property Glasgow (Investments) LLP (CPGI) has recently secured a 150-year lease to Tontine Properties Limited for the eastern part of the historic Tontine Building located on the city's Trongate, in the Merchant City.

The deal was secured by City Property's new Asset Maximisation team, which was established in early 2023 to realise income and capital opportunities, with this lease successfully securing a substantial premium and a long-term rental income for CPGI. The lease is for more than 154,000 sq. ft of both office and retail space and secures the long-term future of this significant heritage building and will contribute to the growth of opportunity and prosperity for Glasgow.

The Tontine Building, which was originally built as a hotel in the mid-18^th century has had a number of uses over the years including warehouse, retail and office space in four interconnected sandstone buildings which are a familiar part of the Merchant City's heritage, with extensive frontages to Trongate, High Street and Bell Street.

Speaking on behalf of the team, Allan McDonald, Asset Maximisation Manager said:

"Regeneration is one of City Property's core values - we're proud of the city and will continue to be ambitious when bringing forward property assets to the market. We're delighted to complete this deal, which will not only optimise the use of a historic and characterful building in Merchant City for years to come; it will also assist Glasgow in achieving its' ambitions for quality developments, regeneration and sustainable investment.

I'd like to thank the City Property team and our agency and legal advisors for their work during the negotiations, which were long and complex but ultimately helped deliver a substantial contribution to our vision, to positively invest in the inclusive growth of Glasgow's economy.

City Property will continue to bring forward their own development opportunities, and in partnership with the Council, with a number of new opportunities expected to be brought to the market in 2024".

With a number of tenants already in place in the building, property firm, Tontine Properties Ltd plan to further optimise the space to enhance the historic building including the delivery of office space, improved retail and additional leisure uses which will ultimately increase footfall to the Merchant City area. The refurbishment of the building provides a more sustainable development opportunity as well as safeguarding the future of this iconic heritage building. Final plans for the building are currently being finalising and further details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

6 December - Staff going above and beyond - a 'Big Thank You' tea break (City Building)

There are a number of City Building's tradespeople who go above and beyond in the delivery of exemplary customer service.   The description of "above and beyond" is used widely but as an example there are individuals who delay the finish of their workday to complete the installation of a shower because there are young children in the house (without asking for overtime) or  another who works the four day on four day off shift  not only works on to 10 p.m. beyond her 8 p.m. finish but comes in on their non-working day just to check that the follow on work they requested for a customer has been done as the customer "is just like my granny" and she wants to make sure they have hot water.

As a way of thanking these colleagues we have set up a "Big Thank You" tea-break monthly.    This means they can have their "breakfast roll" and tea in the Conference Room at Darnick Street rather than in their van!  It also allows them to share their views on changes taking place or give suggestions for future improvements.

Graeme Watt, a lead plumber who has taken on several extra roles recently where as lead plumber he mentors the younger trades and assists them with any issues they may have on a job said "It's great to get a chance to sit down and chat and be recognised, but we are just doing our job."

6 December - It's creating happier and healthier citizens - Live Well programme (Glasgow Life)

Glasgow Life's innovative Live Well Community Referral (LWCR) programme is aimed at removing barriers and helping people to access a variety of local activities and services that can improve their physical and mental wellbeing. A recent independent study has shown that the programme is helping Glaswegians to live healthier and happier lives.

This includes arts and creative workshops, museum visits, walking groups, sports and fitness sessions, family activities, learning and skills classes, and volunteering opportunities.

The initiative has been working to tackle health inequality in some of the city's most deprived communities since launching in Calton in June last year. It has since expanded to include Bridgeton, Parkhead, Shettleston and Tollcross due to increased demand.

Participants are linked with a Live Well adviser who works with them to find local activities they're interested in, and even attend with them if they feel their first visit could be a bit daunting. Advisers provide structured support until the person feels comfortable accessing activities and services on their own, for up to 12 weeks. 

Glasgow Life's Live Well Community Referral Project Manager, Irene Cree, said: "Our initial evaluation shows the main reasons Live Well can help people improve their health and wellbeing are around personalised support and the accessibility of activities. Participants are finding out about activities they were unaware of, and also telling us that the help they've received is a major factor in their continuing attendance.

"People are supported in different ways according to their need; for example, as well as the existing range of wellbeing activities provided by Glasgow Life and community organisations in the pilot area, we have co-produced three new tailored programmes.

"Our Singing for Fun; Healthy Body, Healthy Mind; and Coffee and Culture initiatives were created in response to a local need for more accessible sessions and they have been really well received. Our Live Well programme reflects Glasgow Life's unique position as a connector, deliverer and co-producer of wellbeing activities."

Results

An independent evaluation of the programme has produced positive results. Carried out by partners, Social Value Lab, it shows 240 people received support as part of the pilot from June 2022 to September 2023 and found:

• 100% of participants felt their general happiness had improved.
• 98% said they felt listened to, and the information they received was relevant and useful.
• 98% said they were supported to identify individual wellbeing goals and 75% went on to achieve them.
• 97% agreed that taking part in activities had helped them to feel less lonely or alone.
• Crucially, 96% of participants agreed they would not have taken part without LWCR support.
• 96% were more physically active and 93% were better connected to people in their community.
• 93% indicated that the support from Live Well Health and Wellbeing Advisers was a key factor in finding out what was available to them.
• Overall, 95% indicated that, based on their own LWCR experience, they would recommend the programme to others.

Referrals into the Live Well programme have been received from a range of partner agencies, including Community Link workers within GP practices, Glasgow Helps and Police Scotland. Participants can also self-refer, and this has accounted for almost 50% of all referrals received. The main reasons for referral throughout the pilot phase were to increase physical activity; connect with the community; and improve low mood.

Evaluation data from the pilot showed 71% of all LWCR participants were female, 66% were aged 35-74, and 36 participants had a disability. Over half of the people receiving support lived in communities ranked among the most deprived 10% in Scotland.

Glasgow Life's ambition is to expand Live Well Community Referral to become a sustainable and mainstream, citywide initiative, which could support around 2,500 people each year. We are now engaging with local and national partners and stakeholders as we look to secure the external funding required to enable a phased roll out of the programme across Glasgow next year.

• For more information on the programme, click here.
• To read more about the evaluation, click here.
• To watch a short video about some of Glasgow Life's health and wellbeing activities, click here.