Our Social Group brings together autistic people (aged 18-35) from across West Dunbartonshire. The group reduces social isolation among autistic people living locally, and supports them to become more active in the community. Our Social Group is run by a specialist support worker and 3 volunteers. The grant would cover the costs of the staff involved, plus a range of social group activities. This will benefit up to 15 autistic people aged between 18 – 35 years who live in West Dunbartonshire.

Sessions at the horticulture project at Knowetop form part of the recovery programme offered by Alternatives to clients in its community-based and residential programmes. Our Into Nature programme of afterschool and school holiday sessions, runs from March to October and there is a range of outdoor activities, storytelling, and nature inspired art and crafts. We also work with schools, and to date 108 children from the 2 local primaries have taken part in our schools programme. This funding will be used to develop and deliver a programme of outdoor activities at Knowetop for 11 to 18 year olds, providing young people with opportunities to experience nature and take part in workshops to learn new practical skills. This project is aimed at young people between 11 and 18 years old from anywhere across West Dunbartonshire. Our programme to date has focused more on younger children, and we’ve identified a gap in our provision for this age group.

Clydebank Community Sport Hub (CCSH) was formed in 2012 when 4 local sports clubs came together with the vision of creating a hub facility that would not only provide a home for the clubs but also deliver a variety of outcomes to benefit the wider community. Our project will provide sport and physical activity sessions and workshops on Friday evenings at Clydebank Community Sport Hub for young people aged 11-16 years. The main beneficiaries will be the young people who engage in the project. We will advertise the project through the existing clubs and partner organisations and also ask other local organisations and schools to promote the project.

Based in the heart of Clydebank serving all ages of our community from art classes, Music Making for adults, Music school for youths, creche area and toddler groups, Gaming, Pool tournaments, Fortnite and FIFA tournaments, Karaoke Club, Magic School, Cooking School for adults and Meditation classes. We are applying for funding for a special filming project that follows teens around their areas who keep saying ‘Nothing to do.. or I’m bored’. This mini documentary film will be a week-long diary of times and places where they can access services in their local community. This will consist of community youth groups within the local area and highlight the activities on offer at certain times and days. We will work with our youth film making group to plan, write, film and edit the documentary as well as take part on screen. The youths within the Clydebank area will have a chance to join our filming group and take part in this fantastic project. This can benefit all the families who have youths that keep hearing.. ‘I’m Bored and there’s nothing to Do…’ 

Working in schools, colleges and other organisations we work alongside young people the Autistic Spectrum who may not fit the We aren’t school, we aren’t church, we are somewhere in between.  We can help individuals, parents and those who work and live around folk on the Spectrum and if we can’t help we will point people in the direction of those that can. We will use the funding for Developing and paying for our website so people can access help and ideas, travel, equipment and getting this activity of the ground properly. This will benefit Individuals and their parents, as well as organisations such as schools, Churches and all those working with folk on the Spectrum.  Examples of our work can be found on our website.