Hillcrest’s award of £25,000 to homeless charity Move On – how the money helped
£25,000 which was raised through a special event by Hillcrest and awarded to charity Move On last year has been instrumental in bringing brighter futures to a number of vulnerable and homeless people.
The money was raised through a black tie fundraising event back in November 2017 to celebrate Hillcrest’s 50th anniversary, and was attended by nearly 500 representatives from businesses and charitable organisations.
From the proceeds, £25,000 was awarded to Move On and the money has made a big splash in securing positive futures for a number of people.
Move On works with vulnerable young people and those affected by homelessness in Edinburgh and Glasgow by enabling and empowering them to unlock their potential and achieve a variety of positive outcomes.
One of the key programmes that the money has helped fund is Move On’s eight-week Brighter Futures employability course for 16-21 year olds.
Split between Move On’s dedicated wood recycling facility, where innovative products and furniture are created from recycled materials, and their Edinburgh city centre office, the course offers employability focused SQA skills and qualifications.
Participants cover a range of skills and achievements, such as certified manual handling training, practical learning and training in the workshop, and one-to-one employability support along with planning for their next steps.
Participants can also gain their Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card, which provides proof of skills for people working in the construction sector.
Move On’s programmes are peer-led, with course instructor Kai Eddie himself alumnus of the Building Brighter Futures course.
Discussing why he enjoys working on the programme based in the Move On workshop, Kai said: “I love the hands on activities, and also being around other people while developing skills like using wood working tools.”
“Working here has also increased my confidence and I feel like I am continuing to grow as a person. It’s a great experience.”
The Building Brighter Futures programme also sees a number of volunteers help support activities in the workshop.
Volunteer Danielle Horwell said: “I love having the opportunity to learn new skills and help with recycling wood. It’s great to help create new products and furniture from waste materials.”
Another volunteer, Jorge Roldan added: “I love learning how to use wood, building products and also learning how to tell the difference between different types of timber. I also enjoy doing something good for the environment and I get a lot out of the social side of the project and also the community aspect.”
Hillcrest Fundraising and Grant’s Officer Clare McNally, said: “As part of our 50th anniversary celebration for the company, we raised a significant amount of money. We were delighted to donate £25,000 to Move On who do a fantastic job supporting vulnerable and homeless people.”
“As an organisation that is dedicated to helping others, we are always keen to do what we can for the people and charities in the communities that we work in. Through the money raised and the work that Move On do, we’re delighted to have been able to make a difference to the lives of people who may have otherwise been forgotten about.”