Cash boost secured for EK disability sports club
Members of East Kilbride Youth Disability Sports Club are celebrating a great start to the New Year after securing a £5000 grant.
The cash boost comes from Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire (VASLan), local administrators of the Scottish Government’s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.
It will go towards a residential activity weekend for club members at the Lochgoilhead National Activity Centre in Argyll this August and help to pay venue hire and professional coaching costs for the club’s year round multi-sports programme.
Established in 1999, EKYDSC is an entirely voluntary organisation promoting interest and participation in sports and recreational activities for people with additional support needs, including learning difficulties.
Chairman Len Richardson told the News: “What a great start to the New Year for the club.
“We are so grateful to VASLan for this fantastic support, which enables us to maintain our much needed community service.
“During the pandemic our normal fundraising activities have been severely curtailed, and this grant allows us to continue to deliver all our services throughout 2022.”
VASLan chief executive, Steven Sweeney, said the organisation was “proud to celebrate and champion” the incredible achievements of people, neighbourhoods and communities across South Lanarkshire.
He told us: “We are delighted to be supporting these third sector organisations to deliver fantastic projects, whether independently or as part of a local collaboration.
“We are carrying out ongoing assessments for all applications, we would like to encourage you to apply sooner rather than later, to support mental health and wellbeing in our communities.
“Our application process is straightforward, we can get the funds to you promptly so you can act quickly and deliver upon your vision.”
EKYDSC meets on Saturdays 10.30am to 12.30pm at Universal Connections in East Kilbride, where members get the opportunity to try out a wide range of different sports, all delivered by qualified specialist coaches.
The Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is a £15m Scottish Government fund which aims to help grass roots initiatives across Scotland tackle the impact of social isolation, loneliness and the mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic.
In South Lanarkshire, the fund is administered by VASLan and the deadline for fund applications is March 22 or until all of the fund is allocated, and those interested in applying can get more information on their website.
To find out more about EKYDSC go to their Facebook page or contact Len Richardson on 01357 520553 or 07762 567 730.
Former Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie last week turned the spotlight in the Scottish Parliament on a Lanarkshire charity’s ambitious campaign that champions the rights of people who have a learning disability.
Here, we report on ENABLE Scotland’s campaign, #MyOwnFrontDoor, which lifts the lid on a “national scandal” that denies the right to independent living for hundreds of people who have a learning disability.