A local toddler group and primary school are the latest recipients of CALA Homes’ community bursary initiative, sharing a combined £750 which will help support two projects that benefit both tots and pupils in the city.
Babies and toddlers from birth to four-years-old and their parents who attend Hilton Toddler Group will be able to enjoy a host of new toys, arts and craft materials as well as supplies for messy play sessions, thanks to the housebuilder’s donation.
And the driven Primary 7 youngsters of Bramble Brae Primary School are using their funding boost to organise a business breakfast.
The toddler group, which is based in High Church Hilton on Wednesdays from 10am, was awarded £200 to cover the cost of the new equipment.
Katrina Paterson, organiser of Hilton Toddler Group, said: “Our tots are so excited to have lots of new toys to play with and activities to participate in. They especially love messy play and art and the sessions are a fantastic way for toddlers and parents to have fun together.
“Our toddler group has been part of the community for decades and relies on parent volunteers to operate, so we’re delighted to receive support from CALA to help us ensure it continues to be a vital resource for families in the area.”
The Bramble Brae Primary School P7 Business Breakfast is a pupil led event which involves more than 15 business people coming to the school to tackle team challenges and chat about their career choices with the primary 7 pupils.
The pupils are responsible for organising all aspects of the event, which will take place in January 2020, including designing and ordering branded items, organising refreshments and arranging activities.
CALA donated £550 towards the cost of resources for the event.
Amanda Murray, head teacher at Bramble Brae Primary School, said: “We aim to ensure all our pupils realise their potential and the business breakfast is a superb project to help achieve this.
“We are pleased to have support from CALA which is helping to cover the cost of refreshments, branded stationary, goody bags and LEGO kits for one of the activities.
“The business breakfast is fast becoming an annual event, with our previous P7s passing on their knowledge and contacts to our new P7 class to enable them to follow in their footsteps this year.
“The project is helping to build the confidence of our pupils and teach vital skills including budgeting, communication and organisation. We hope it will also inspire them to start thinking about what career paths they may like to follow ahead of making the transition to secondary school.”
The two donations were made as part of the CALA Homes (North) £10,000 Community Bursary scheme, which has helped a total of 10 local groups, charities and organisations this year.
Mike Naysmith, managing director at CALA Homes North, said: “Groups and projects like these are exactly the reason we launched our community bursary four years ago. We are proud to be able to lend a hand and support young generations in our city.
“Hilton Toddler Group provides a great opportunity for parents and toddlers to meet and take part in activities together and we were very impressed by the enthusiastic pupils of Bramble Brae Primary School.”
Now in its fourth year, CALA’s Community Bursary aims to provide support for a wide range of organisations and projects within the communities in which CALA builds.
In 2019, the Community Bursary scheme will award more than £55,000 to 63 good causes across Scotland.
For further information on CALA Homes’ 2019 Community Bursary, visit www.cala.co.uk/bursary.