Funding for Castlemilk's Jeely Piece Club runs out
It has been credited with transforming the lives of children in of Europe’s biggest housing estates.
But now a ground-breaking scheme is facing the axe after government funding came to an end.
The Jeely Piece Club in Castlemilk has enabled over 24,000 children to enjoy the outdoors through various activities designed to get them engaged in their local environment.
Over the last five years the charity has received some £440,000 from the Scottish Government – but this has now dried up.
It means hundreds of children in the area – one of the UK’s most deprived – will lose out as will the community as the popular scheme has been credited with cleaning up no-go areas and transforming them into children’s play area.
Tracy Black, director of services at the Jeely Piece Club, explained: "We have been funded for five years by Inspiring Scotland through Scottish Government money to provide outdoor play to children in Castlemilk but have come to the end of the funding cycle.
One boy who suffered from asthma found his symptoms eventually reduced dramatically
“The money allowed us to employ three permanent staff and to take children out into the woods where they built dens, went on mud slides, played in the water and climbed trees.
“Kids loved it and schools would bring classes of kids every day to what is now a beautiful wood with water running through it.
“There are kids who have never been in an outdoor environment because their parents were nervous of taking them out to the community wood in case they got hurt.
“However, children will manage their own risk which is one of the things we teach them and in the five years the scheme was running, not one child got hurt.
“One boy who suffered from asthma found his symptoms eventually reduced dramatically.
“We got £100,000 in the first two years and £80,000 in the following three years and while Inspiring Scotland was great, unfortunately the money has come to an end.”
The charity has applied for a Children in Need grant of £120,000 over three years in a bid to keep the scheme running and is waiting to hear if this has been successful.
If the Jeely Piece Club does get the cash it will be able to run the outdoor play scheme for 2,500 children a year from June.
