On 1st September, Artlink Central staff member Rachel Tilling will be cycling round the Applecross Peninsular to raise money for Artlink Central projects.

The route - Bealach Na Ba - is a twisting, single-track mountain road, and one of very few roads in the Scottish Highlands which is engineered in a similar fashion to the great mountain passes in the Alps, with very tight hairpin bends which switch back and forth up the hillside, with gradients approaching 20%.The spectacular and arduous route involves 90 miles and 10,000 feet of ascent including the highest road pass in Britain.

If you would like to sponsor Rachel, please phone / email us with your name, address and amount you would like to give. You can also download a sponsor form from the link below.

All sponsorship raised will go toward our art, music and drama projects for children and adults who are vulnerable or socially excluded because of disability or ill-health.

Image: Bealach Na Ba.

'Count me in Tune' is an innovative new project emanating from the partnership between Artlink Central and The Clydesdale Bank plc. Inspired by two existing projects - 'Bank Notes' and 'Count me in', it involves the creation of learning packs which will use music and song to encourage numeracy skills in relation to coins and their value among primary age children with additional support needs.

Through a series of workshops in different schools, the content of the learning packs will be created and then distributed to schools and libraries within the Stirling Council area.

Our talented and versatile Learning Disabilities Music Group took on a new challenge by performing extracts from the operetta 'Die Fleidermoose'. Supported by musicians Taylor Wilson, Lesley Ann Smith, Ursula Heidecker and Aimee Watt, the group members performed to one of our largest ever audiences at the Cowane Centre Theatre. Congratulations to everyone who took part.

The partnership with Artlink Central and the Restorative Practices Programme at HM Institution Cornton Vale started in May with a short piece of Theatre performed by the young offenders demonstrating the consequences of irresponsible actions and the use and implementation of restorative practices. This piece of work was led by Elly Goodman and devised by the group. It was presented to delegates at the Restorative Practices Conference organised by the Butler Trust. The young offenders learnt how to work together positively, looking at issues which gave them a greater understanding of role play and improvisation, all contributing to their own self development.

This project was followed by a song-writing project led by Carol Laula in June and a stage makeup project led by Shirley Sweeney in July. These projects also addressed restorative issues and were well attended by the young women. A dance project with Andy Howitt from YDance and Sharon Miller is about to commence.

We are now members of the Fundraising Standards Board self-regulatory scheme. The Fundraising Standards Board works to ensure that organisations raising money from the public do so honestly and properly. As members of the scheme, we follow the Institute of Fundraising's Codes of Fundraising Practice and comply with the key principles embodied in the Codes and in the fundraising standards board members' promise.

Our website provides all the information about what our membership guarantees. If you would like to know more, follow the link below.