A HNC Working with Communities student helped the Centre Forward initiative towards a funding goal, when she successfully applied on their behalf to the Grangemouth Rotary Santa Sleigh scheme.
Sophie Steven from Larbert was on placement through her course with the Forth Valley College backed programme when she completed the worthwhile application.
Grangemouth Rotary Club were very impressed and donated £345 to fund an end of term celebration event for students on the Centre Forward: Making Your Next Move Programme- a two year long initiative designed to help young people (aged between 16-24) with learning disabilities achieve their aspirations, develop existing skills and improve confidence through using sport and physical activity to deliver positive life changes.
Eddie Collier, President of Grangemouth Rotary Club dropped in to the Falkirk Campus on Wednesday 4 March to meet Centre Forward students Kirsty McCallum, Ian Anderson and Steven Stone, as well as Sophie.
Lynne Frail, Workplace Coordinator based in FVC’s Department of Business and Communities, said: “We are all very proud of Sophie. As part of Sophie’s work-placement and course unit she had to complete a mock funding application - I thought to myself why complete a mock one when she could do the real thing.
“She applied to the Grangemouth Rotary Santa Sleigh and was successful. This provides added value to Sophie’s learning experience knowing that as part of her Funding Unit, she secured funds to support an end of course event for the Centre Forward students. The event will be held at Falkirk Football Club where students have the opportunity to showcase their achievements on the course, celebrate with friends and family and also invite students on other courses such as Workstart and Project Search.”
FVC’s Department of Business and Communities – who have extensive expertise in this area – run the Centre Forward programme and have teamed up with the Falkirk Football Community Foundation (FFCF) who will use the ‘Development through Sport’ model to help accelerate learning and development as well as promote self-esteem and confidence.
Combined with certificated SQA units, the project will offer a comprehensive suite of skills that will enable each young person taking part to overcome their individual barriers to progression. All of the classroom based workshops are coupled with practical sport/physical activity sessions to enhance skills-for-work, decision-making, problem-solving and team work, whilst enhancing feelings of belonging, contribution and achievement.
In addition, young people taking part are enrolled as FVC students and will therefore benefit from the range of student resources available, including the Learning Resource Centre, Student Services and on-campus gym.
The Changing Lives Through Physical Activity grant programme - which helps to fund the programme - is supported by The Robertson Trust, The Scottish Government, sportscotland and Spirit of 2012.
Anyone looking to find out more should visit: https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses/supported-learning/centre-forward-programme