Care Home Legends and Care Home Legends on Ice are pioneering annual community events developed by Tees Active. They were established in response to concerns around social isolation, limited opportunities for physical activity and a lack of meaningful community engagement for care home residents.
Care Home Legends brings residents together for a fun, accessible sporting festival featuring adapted activities such as archery, table tennis & curling. Care Home Legends on Ice adds a unique and memorable dimension, giving residents the opportunity to experience an ice arena environment, watch performances and, take to the ice themselves with support from staff and volunteers.
Set up in 2020 in response to rising child poverty in the city, the rationale was to take a new approach to lifting families out of poverty by focusing support on a single point of contact for each family.
Support begins with identifying each parent’s barriers to progress – immediate crisis needs, such as food, fuel, and housing, are addressed first. A personal Action Plan, agreed between each parent and Key Worker, then sets out employment goals and identifies the support needed to achieve those goals.
Starting with a team of 4, the programme has grown to 20 Key Workers who last year supported 598 parents to achieve 456 learning and employability outcomes and helped them to secure over £2 million in increased household income through employment
Fife Sports and Leisure Trust takes an organisation-wide approach to inclusion, supporting all people to participate. Across 14 accessible venues, their model connects four elements: affordable access, inclusive programmes, practical adjustments and community partnerships for all ages, abilities, and circumstances.
Affordable access includes a redesigned membership model whilst inclusive programmes run year-round. Alongside Fife Council, Disability Sport Fife, national governing bodies and community groups, staff work with individuals and families to provide funded places, adapted communication and inclusive coaching.
This joined-up approach matters because 24.1% of people in Scotland have a long-term limiting condition or disability. Cost, confidence, communication, and geography can prevent participation. Addressing them together creates practical routes into movement and community.
The Inverness Botanic Gardens & Cafe’s ‘Grow Project’ was established to tackle isolation, improve wellbeing and create meaningful opportunities for people with additional support needs who often face significant barriers to education, employment and community participation.
Rather than providing activities in a segregated environment, the Grow Project enables participants to contribute to the everyday operation of Inverness Botanic Gardens alongside professional gardeners, café staff, volunteers and thousands of annual visitors.
