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October 2020
Hi
Welcome to October’s Sport Social Enterprise Newsletter
The partial re-opening of the sport and leisure industry is starting to shine a light on the true extent of the damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Whilst some organisations have had an opportunity to flourish, re-opening has not been as encouraging as others had hoped.
Operating at reduced capacities, low public confidence in returning to facilities and ongoing costs associated with increased hygiene and sanitisation measures, continues to hit the sector hard. Following various conversations with concerned Sport SEN members recently, we wrote a follow up letter to Joe Fitzpatrick (Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing) on the back of the original letter we submitted in July 2020. Alongside the letter is a briefing which evidences the impact so far on four Sport SEN members – Showcase the Street (Dundee), Banks O’Dee Sports Club (Aberdeen), Atlantis Leisure (Oban) and The Spartans Community Football Academy (Edinburgh).
The follow up letter highlights the particularly vulnerable position of many Sport SEN members. This article also highlights the continued plight of many sport and leisure operators and UK Active are urging Government to consider categorising swimming pools, gyms and leisure centres as essential services, vital for public health.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, support really is needed, especially at grassroots and community sport level, to help the sport and leisure industry to not only survive, but to keep delivering activities which positively impact people and communities in terms of physical, mental and social wellbeing. This is where sport social enterprises excel, and some of them, who were operating viable businesses before, still need immediate cashflow assistance until such times as they can operate feasibly again.
As always, please get in touch if there is anything I can help with.
Take care,
Jude
M| 07495 925 388 E| jude@senscot.net
SEN’s and Social Enterprises
Virtual SEN Sessions
On Wednesday 9 September, the Sport SEN joined up with the Health SEN for a virtual session on using sport and physical activity to promote positive mental health. Work has been ongoing for a long time to address mental health using sport and physical activity, but as a result of Covid 19 the demand on mental health services has increased significantly.
Many sport social enterprises already play a key role in this area and many have indicated their intentions to address mental health in future. With this in mind, we hosted a session to hear and learn from social enterprises about how they are tackling this topic.
Scottish Sports Futures and SAMH talked about their Wellbeing Ambassador programme which they developed in partnership together and received funding for through the Changing Lives Fund.
It was an opportunity for training and L&D for young people to become equipped to help other young people with their mental wellbeing. This programme has been incredibly successful and was a lifeline for many young people during lockdown. Duncan, one of the Wellbeing Ambassadors joined us and it was great to hear from him directly about how he approached his role as an ambassador and what he learned and his experience.
Greenock Morton Community Trust are delivering a variety of programmes aimed at improving mental health and they spoke about two in particular – Active Age and Team Talk. Both have been developed following a need being identified within the community. Pre-Covid, they were delivering Active Age into 8 elderly care homes and have used intergenerational approaches. You can find out more about from organisations such as Generations Working Together and the Intergenerational National Network .
Team Talk was developed to help address the high male suicide rate in Inverclyde. This is a safe space where men can meet up and talk, on a weekly basis. The programme did move online during lockdown, but most of the participants agreed that they prefer being able to meet up in person and have a face to face conversation.
Scotland All Strong is a fitness gym where mental wellbeing is prioritised. They have a programme called Fitness to Feel Better where core elements include physical activity, followed by stretching, guided relaxation and socialising.
They have developed an App: ALL STRONG – Mind and Body. It has a variety of activities, groups and resources. Scotland All Strong are interested to hear from other wellbeing providers who might want to share links and resources and highlight the good work that is happening – if anyone is interested please contact Andy Douglas - andy@scotlandallstrong.com.
If anyone would like any more information in relation to the above, please feel free to contact me. I would also be interested to hear if any sport social enterprises would be interested in a further session on this topic.
Upcoming Virtual SEN Sessions
SE Restart and Rebuild will take place during the week commencing Monday 16 November 2020 hosted by SENScot, the local SEN’s and other partners to inform, inspire and connect social enterprises from across Scotland. This follows on from SE Reset which we held back in May and the full programme and booking details will be available soon. We are currently planning sessions so if there are any topics which Sport SEN members would be interested in, please let me know.
The Rural SEN are facilitating three virtual Community Learning Exchanges in October. Hosts include: Bùth Bharraigh Community Shop (13 October); R-evolution Community Benefit Society R-evolution Community Benefit Society (19 October) and Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (28 October).
What the Social Enterprises are up to!
Mallaig Pool and Leisure are open again and have implemented new procedures to ensure they are complying with relevant Covid-19 guidance for sport and leisure facilities. You can find out more about changes they have made here. They have also been busy with their £1m refurbishment project, turning the centre into more of a community hub. They have started the first phase, updating their reception and adding a new café with lots of natural light and views of the football pitch and the seascape of the Small Isles in the West. Find out more here.
Randori Social Enterprises in Midlothian used lockdown to sign a lease and fully kit out their new judo dojo in Dalkeith. With a little funding, enthusiastic support and donations from local businesses, and many volunteer hands, they transformed an empty industrial unit into a fully equipped dojo with sprung floors, mirrors, climbing wall, cafe, office and therapy room. They are now open and welcoming their community judo clubs and classes, with consideration given to safety and social distancing. Randori has been a real project of love for social entrepreneur and judo coach Mark Taylor, and his team of coaches and volunteers. It's also a great example of how a social enterprise has benefitted from joined up business support from Just Enterprise, Midlothian TSI and Midlothian Council's Economic Development Team.
Scottish Sports Futures have adapted several of their existing Education Through Cashback modules to be delivered online. Allowing the same flexible blend of practical and theory learning to be delivered with ease via your screen! From experienced coaches eager to develop their skills to young people keen to increase their confidence, there is a module to fit their needs. Contact etc@ssf.org.uk to find out more!
Twist and Hit Cheerleaders based in Paisley have re-opened and are welcoming new members – boys and girls, aged 4+, with no experience required. They are a successful club with various teams from the adorable ‘Marshmallow’ aged from 4-7 to the ‘Raisins’ Master Cheer, aged 25+ and includes parents who have taken up the sport as a result of their child’s participation. They are also active in the Para Cheer movement which aims to help those with disabilities become more involved in the sport. Find out more about here.
Westdyke Community Club partnered with Aberdeen FC Community Trust during lockdown and joined their #stillstandingfree campaign. This involved identifying households in need within their community and delivering food parcels twice a week for six weeks. Find out more about the fantastic efforts of their players, coaches and parents here.
Partners and Stakeholders
sportscotland
Research has been published on how sportscotland’s programmes contribute to the Active Scotland Outcomes Framework (ASOF). Key findings reports for Schools and Clubs and associated infographics are on the website and you can find the reports here.
All staff across the sector are being invited to take part in a survey about equalities and inclusion. The survey will take around 20 minutes to complete and is open until 7 October.
sportscotland want to understand how you feel work is progressing in this area and what could help us all take action to reduce inequalities. The survey is part of new research they have commissioned into equality and sport. It will help our sector understand and address inequality and inform sportscotland’s equality outcomes for 2021 to 2025. This research will also deliver a new range of practical learning resources for staff across sport.
Active Girls Day is an annual initiative which celebrates the amazing work going into girls' sport, the progress around girls' participation, and the incredible role models making it happen. This year's Active Girls Day will be Friday 30 October 2020.
Clubs, hubs and schools are encouraged to get involved by supporting on social media. The focus is on girls staying active and staying connected. Resources will be live on the sportscotland website very soon – please check here over the next few days.
Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week 2020 will take place between Saturday 24th October – Friday 30th October 2020. The theme for 2020 is to highlight the positive impact of physical activity and to celebrate the return of sport in Scotland.
This year, Active Scotland are working with Actify who will lead the weekly theme of #SheCanSheWill which should be used to share women and girls content on Actify throughout the week.
Find out more about how you can get involved here. #SheCanSheWill
Sported and Winning Scotland Foundation
Sported are collaborating with Winning Scotland Foundation to provide some training and development opportunities for members, targeted at helping young people develop confidence and resilience. To ensure the training is designed to be as effective and accessible as possible for you, they would appreciate you taking 10 minutes to complete this survey by following this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WSZSSSQ
You can also find out more about the existing PCS Plus programme here.
Sport for Development Coalition
The Sport for Development Coalition (SFDC) is a UK wide growing ‘movement’ consisting of charities, governing bodies, funders, delivery and community organisations. They are funded by Sport England, Comic Relief and Laureus Sport for Good to mobilise and support organisations who demonstrate the positive social outcomes that can be delivered through the intentional use of sport and physical activity.
Like us, they have been representing their members and the wider sector, by advocating to Government for support to help the sector recover from Covid-19. They have also published a report on the Impact of Covid 19 on the Sport for Development Sector in response to the DCMS (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) Committee enquiry on the impact of the pandemic.
Scottish Football Association (SFA)
The Scottish FA and Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) have teamed up to offer free environmental support to football clubs across the country.
Further details can be found via this article on the SFA website and a new resource – Environmental Sustainability in Scottish Football which document covers a range of related topics and useful information on how clubs can adopt sustainable practices as well as providing some case studies of best practice across Europe.
In respect of climate change and environmental sustainability, there is a free online conference on Tuesday 3 November as part of Scotland’s Countdown to COP26. This will explore innovation, inclusive growth, cultural change around climate action, and ultimately how collaboration could achieve national net zero targets. SENScot is helping to facilitate a response from the social enterprise community and will include highlighting the actions social enterprises are already taking and helping to persuade others to follow.
Scottish Government is inviting community groups and organisations to share ideas and evidence, based on their own experiences of responding to the current pandemic, and their engagement with people facing poverty and inequality. Responses will inform the work of the Scottish Government’s Social Renewal Advisory Board (SRAB) and our Director, Pauline Gordon, is part of a Third Sector Policy Circle that will be advising SRAB on third sector matters. The deadline for submissions is Friday 16 October 2020 and you can find details on how to submit a response here.
Funding and Support
The SCVO website is still the place to go for the Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub which is the key resource for the whole third sector in responding to Covid 19.
The Community & Third Sector Recovery Programme is now open for applications. This is a £25m Scottish Government Programme which aims to support third sector organisations and communities through the shift between lockdown and recovery. It has two strands: Adapt and Thrive which is capacity building to help organisations adapt, change and thrive post Covid-19 and The Communities Recovery Fund which is grant funding to deliver support and services in communities.
Thanks to players of the Peoples Postcode Lottery , the Postcode Recovery Fund has launched to support charities to address issues affecting society as we recover from the effects of the pandemic. The application form is available until 30 October 2020. Find out more here.
Foundation Scotland offers a diverse range of funding programmes for organisations working to benefit communities. Some of these are Scotland wide and some are restricted to particular sectors or geographies. Have a look here to see whether they have any funding programmes which would be relevant for your organisation. Their Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund remains open.
The Robertson Trust have launched their new 10 year strategy . It sets out why they are focusing on helping to further understand and alleviate the effects of poverty and trauma on society. Find out more about the variety of funding grants they have available here.
The Aldi Scottish Sport Fund is now open for Glasgow and West Central Scotland. You can apply for up to £2,500 for your organisation and have until Monday 2 November to get your applications submitted. Find out more here.
The Amazon Smile Programme enables charitable organisations to receive 0.5% of the net purchase price from an eligible purchase when a customer selects to support your charity through shopping at smile.amazon.co.uk . Find out more about this programme and whether your organisation could apply here.
And Finally:
Many of our members were concerned about insurance when the pandemic hit, facilities were temporarily closing, and attention was turning to engaging with members online. Even insurance companies didn’t have all the answers immediately. With the return to sport and physical activity, providers need to consider their insurance needs and this article shared by ConnectSport highlights some things to think about in an interview with insurance company Ripe Thinking talking about their Insure4Sport product.
There are various providers of sports insurance and you should shop around for cover that best suits your needs. The Scottish Sports Association announced their preferred insurance partner at the beginning of 2020 and various other sports and leisure organisations and governing bodies have associations with particular providers so it’s worth asking around and making sure that you have the cover you need.