The next step in tackling poverty starts with wellbeing

The Next Step initiative follows on from the good work of the Youth Connections Food for Thought programme which has been helping to tackle poverty and support families in the area for the last three years.

Kay Clark, who worked for Youth Connections on the venture, is also delighted to build on this success, which has resulted in community gardens, an after school get-together for parents, and volunteering and children's programmes.

She said: "We have funding from the National Lottery of £111,000 over three years and are lifting off with four community gardens at Youth Connections, Aileymill and St Andrew's primaries and Larkfield Children's Centre.

"We are also continuing to tackle poverty and offer volunteering opportunities.

"We now have five volunteers through the Venture Out volunteering programme, who will help to support the garden at Youth Connections in Burns Square."

Kay says the group has started off the Next Step initiative by targeting families at Aileymill and St Andrew's and asking them what activities they would like to see.

She said: "Just before the summer we had 53 parents and children come along to Aileymill after school."

To start the new programme they are running a series of pilots beginning with yoga.

Kay said: "We are trying to tackle issues around poverty and help people to get access to health and wellbeing, so we are running an activity pilot every week.

"When we asked parents what they wanted yoga was on the list and the women really enjoyed it.

"It also gives people the opportunity to try something they have never tried before.

"It was a good way to kick it off and for everyone to get to know each other."

Other sessions planned on Mondays after school at Aileymill include first aid, cyber security to make sure children stay safe on-line, and healthy eating education.

Kay said: "This means we can harvest the food we grow in our gardens and get a community chef in to use the food and run cookery sessions."

Future plans include creating a Hallowe'en garden at all the site, with parents and children making crafts such as cut-out ghosts and carved pumpkins.