Engage Update - 19 October

Engage Renfrewshire Annual General Meeting 2026

Thursday 12 November between 3pm and 5pm at our offices in Ferguslie Park

The AGM will be held as a hybrid meeting and, due to limited space, members and partners are encouraged to join online. 

Taking place both during Trustees Week (09 to 13 November) and DigiKnowVember attendees will hear presentations from staff and partners about Engage's support for volunteering and digital inclusion work across Renfrewshire.

The annual report for 2025/2026, including our audited accounts, will also be presented and made available following the AGM.

If you would like to attend please contact info@engagerenfrewshire.com for more details.

We hope to see you there! 

Newsletters

Trading Standards Scotland Bulletin 15 October

Disability Confident Newsletter - October 2026

I Am Me Scotland Autumn Newsletter ???? 

 

Single Year Funding for 2027 available

The Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is now welcoming application for its sixth year, covering activity and projects in 2027. The fund has a strong focus on prevention and early intervention and aims to support grassroots community groups in tackling mental health inequalities and address priority issues of social isolation and loneliness, suicide prevention and tackling poverty and inequality. 

The fund will be open until 30 October and successful groups will be notified by the end of December 2026. 

The Guidance and Funding Examples can be found on our dedicated webpage – Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund
Application Form

Remember that Engage is currently offering Application Writing Training and Bookkeeping training to the sector. See our full calendar of training and events: https://engagerenfrewshire.org/calendar/

Closing soon – have your say on stop smoking support!
A big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to complete our survey so far. Your feedback will help shape future work and resources to support people to stop smoking.
There’s still time to take part — please share the survey with any colleagues who may be relevant.
 
Who can take part?
The survey is anonymous and open to anyone who provides direct support to people as part of their role. You do not need to currently support someone who smokes, and you do not need to have made a referral to stop smoking services to take part. We want to hear from staff who may have an opportunity to raise the topic of smoking or signpost someone to support, as well as those who may not currently do this. Your responses will help us understand what makes it easier or more difficult for staff to raise the topic of smoking and connect people with stop smoking support.
 
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and share it with relevant colleagues before it closes.
Your views can help shape future support.
 
Many thanks,

Cyberbyte October 2026

Please find attached this months Cyberbyte which focuses on personal security and a functionality you can use on your mobile device.
 
The functionality  is the Emergency SOS option on your mobile device.
 
Most mobile devices are regarded for use for quick texts, emails, social media use but there is so much more to them and it is important to become familiar and comfortable using them under pressure, especially in this related context and to take the time to understand the emergency features on your existing device.
 
Emergency SOS is a handy option to be aware of and make use of, especially if you were to find yourself alone and in an extremely high stress situation requiring emergency support.

Let's Talk Homelessness Prevention - 'Ask & Act' Conference

November 6th - Strathclyde University

Invitation to attend the inaugural Ask & Act Conference, a landmark national event focused on preventing homelessness and preparing for the implementation of the new ‘Ask & Act’ duties within the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025. 

Hosted by Advice Direct Scotland, in collaboration with the Scottish Government, the full-day conference will take place on Friday 6 November at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. 

The conference will bring together decision makers, commissioners, frontline professionals, researchers, people with lived experience and policymakers to explore one of the most significant shifts in homelessness policy and practice in a generation.

Why attend?

• Gain strategic insights and explore key learnings from the Scottish Government’s Test and Learn Prevention Pilot Fund.
• Learn how to embed ‘Ask & Act’ into daily practice, start conversations earlier, and build workforce confidence.
• Connect with key decision makers and other professionals working in this important area, as well as those with lived experience of homelessness.

The delegate rate is £60 per person, which includes full-day conference access and lunch. With a programme designed to encourage meaningful discussion, knowledge-sharing and valuable cross-sector networking, places are limited. Secure your place today at Ask & Act Conference Registration.

We hope to welcome you to Glasgow as we collaborate to shape the future of homelessness prevention in Scotland.
 
Ask & Act Conference Event Website

Book Week Scotland 2027

Book Week Scotland, brought to you by Scottish Book Trust, is Scotland's annual, national celebration of books and reading. From its inception in 2011, Book Week Scotland has provided an evolving programme involving libraries, communities and cultural organisations ensuring that people across Scotland have the opportunity to engage with the power and pleasure of reading - events in community, for community, by community.
 
Following partner feedback, Book Week Scotland has moved from its traditional November slot and is now taking place from 14-20 June 2027. 
 
What we're looking for
Book Week Scotland is all about bringing communities together to celebrate books and reading. We want organisations to programme unique, inspiring events that showcase the joy, power and togetherness of books. If successful, your organisation will receive £700 to programme an event during Book Week Scotland 2027, as well as tailored support from the Book Week Scotland team throughout the whole process – everything from logistics to marketing. 
 
So if you've got a great idea for an event that's going to get people excited about reading, we want to hear from you!

How to apply
You can find all the information on our criteria and how to apply on our website. Please do take time to read our Funding Guidance before you get started. 
 
When you're ready to submit your application you can complete our short application form. 
 
The deadline for applications is by midnight on Wednesday 13 January 2027. 

Getting in touch
We're here to help with any element of your application, so if you have questions please get in touch – we'd love to hear from you! 
 
Contact bookweekscotland@scottishbooktrust.com and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.