Engage Update - 17 August

Scottish Parliament Communities Open Day - Friday 25 September 

If you’ve ever wanted to find out more about the Scottish Parliament, then this day is for you!

It’s the start of a new parliament and we’ve welcomed new MSPs and now we want to welcome you, as a newbie to your Scottish Parliament.

The day will be a friendly, informal, and fun opportunity for you to explore your Parliament and find out more about how it works. Children and young people are very welcome too!

This is your Parliament and we want to show you round our building, learning more about what we do here and to chat to other people from all over Scotland and also Parliament staff.
Places are limited, so if you’ve never been to the Parliament before and want to find out more, please email PACT@parliament.scot by Friday 4th September to book your spot.

When registering, please let us know:  

• That you have never visited before or if you are supporting someone attending
• Your name
• Organisation (if applicable)
• Contact details
• Any access or support requirements
• Any dietary requirements

Support for travel and accommodation may be available on request. Please ask.
 

Totnosh are running fully funded 6 week cooking courses in Howwood and the first block starts on Monday 17^th August. 
 
The classes are small and welcoming and help people to learn new healthy recipes that they can recreate at home which will help them reduce food waste and lower food bills. 
 
The classes are funded by Scottish ministers in conjunction with Greater Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Community Led Local Development Programme. 

Totnosh info@totnosh.net

Confidence Building 

Our Confidence Building Class will be a fun, friendly, and supportive group designed to help you take positive first steps back into your community.

Whether you’ve lost confidence through changes in life, health issues or simply spending too much time on your own, this course will be a welcoming space where you can meet others, have a laugh, and start believing in yourself again.

Find out more

Haus of Seisay - SURE Fund

We’re delighted to share that Haus Of Seisay has been awarded funding through the SURE Fund to deliver a new 10-week programme for care-experienced young people and those on the edges of care.

We are currently reaching out to our partners and referral networks to help us spread the word, identify potential participants and gather interest before confirming a start date.

About the programme

The project aims to help address drug and alcohol-related harm by providing positive alternatives, safe spaces and consistent support.

We know that care-experienced young people and those on the edges of care can face additional challenges, including social isolation, low confidence, lack of belonging and limited access to meaningful activities. These factors can increase vulnerability to substance misuse and other risk-taking behaviours.

Rather than focusing solely on substance misuse, our approach is about early intervention, prevention and creating positive opportunities.

The 10-week programme will provide a welcoming and supportive environment where participants can build confidence, develop new skills, form positive relationships and explore healthy ways of managing stress and challenges.

The programme will include:

• A taster of the Haus Of Seisay Beginner Hairdressing Programme
• A two-hour group session each week for 10 weeks
• Creative and practical hairdressing activities
• Confidence building and self-expression
• Transferable life and employability skills
• Opportunities to build positive peer relationships and reduce isolation
• A flexible drop-in service for additional support
• One-to-one guidance and safe conversations when needed
• Signposting to specialist services where appropriate

Referrals & Expressions of Interest

We don't currently have a confirmed start date, as we would first like to gather expressions of interest and speak with our referral partners to understand what dates and times would work best for potential participants.

We would really appreciate it if you could share this opportunity with your teams, young people, families and networks and let us know if you have anyone you feel may benefit from taking part.

There is no expectation for someone to already have experience in hairdressing. The programme is about providing a positive opportunity, building relationships, developing confidence and giving people a safe space where they can learn and feel part of something.

If you have potential referrals, would like further information, or would like to discuss whether the programme may be suitable for someone you support, please get in touch with us.

Thank you, as always, for supporting Haus Of Seisay and helping us reach care-experienced people and those who may benefit most from these opportunities.

Thomas Seisay SRSH

Chair/Founder – Haus Of Seisay

M:07983476611

E: Info@hausofseisay.org

www.hausofseisay.org

2026 Surf Awards

2026 SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration are open for applications.  You can read the press release here: https://surf.scot/2026-surf-awards-open-for-applications/
 
The SURF Awards are delivered in partnership with the Scottish Government, with additional support from Creative Scotland, ng homes, Scottish Procurement Alliance, South of Scotland Enterprise, and Scotland's Towns Partnership.
 
The purpose is to highlight, celebrate and share the achievements of initiatives that address physical, social and economic challenges in communities across Scotland.
 
​The 5 categories this year are:

• Community Led Regeneration
• Creative Regeneration
• Improving Scotland's Places 
• Removing Barriers to Employability 
• Housing and Regeneration

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Monday 07 September. 
 
You may be interested in applying for an Award or you may know a project who might be interested in applying or who deserves an Award. 
 
You can download all of the application materials and find out more about the Awards here: https://surf.scot/surf-awards/surf-awards-2026/  
 
We ask that you download and read the Information Paper with the full criteria and read the helpful hints box on the website.  A recording of the Launch Event and a short film from previous winners are also available.