Bluevale Community Club

Changing Lives, Local People, Local Solutions

Background We are Bluevale Community Club, formerly known as Bluevale Boxing Club has been delivering boxing and associated exercise classes since November 2019. As we entered the first lockdown in March 2020, the club were exploring the options around taking on a new venue in .

In order to make the most of the new venue and assist with delivery of quality exercise, we rebranded and became a charity. Bluevale Community Club linked with Life, Jobs and Business Glasgow, and Milnbank Housing Association to develop the venue and prepare for the time when indoor exercise can start.

Covid-19 has meant that no indoor exercise has been delivered in our state-or-the-art facility, but that has not stopped the club working with the community to support the community.

The club have re-focussed their efforts to help people in need within the Dennistoun area. This has led to the club providing food packages, IT equipment, ingredients and some outdoor exercise for local people.

What did you expect to do? Bluevale Community Club expected to be delivering quality and affordable fitness classes/ boxing-based sessions to the local community of Dennistoun. This would provide an affordable option for local people to be active at a local venue.

It became obvious to the club that the options around indoor exercise was not going to happen as we entered the tiered system of lockdown.

The club then started to plan activity and initiatives to help people in need in the local community. We were able to link with local businesses to provide food parcels for elderly and families struggling through lockdown and financial pressures.

What we actually did? The club volunteers linked to local shops and suppliers to gather groceries for distribution to local people. We then packaged these into bundles for local people and arranged for them to be dropped off to those most in need. These food parcels were well received by the community and the volunteers were overwhelmed by the stories coming from local people.

Our volunteers also worked with partners to deliver ingredients for healthy meals. These were fresh veg and healthy options for meals. The families that received these packages were encouraged to cook together and send in pictures of their meals.

The final part of our changing lives project was linked to home-schooling. The realisation that some families were struggling with access to IT, the club worked with the local IT experts to provide second-hand IT equipment to local families, to help with the task of doing schoolwork at home.

What difference we actually made? Through the changing lives project, we have supported a number of local families in their time of need. Through the various strands of the project the club have help provide a better quality of life for people in real need of positive action.

Challenges and Changes or Learning for the future? We recognise that we will have to refocus on delivery of sport, when restrictions allow. We intend to support and help the local community and continue to be at the heart of the Dennistoun area. The challenge will be not too over stretch ourselves and to continue to do what we do.

We are delivering a holiday project at Whitehill School pitch for local children between 5 and 14 years. This project will include sport, dance and all young people will receive a lunch as part of the programme.

Quotes Kenneth Trainer, Chairperson of Bluevale CC: As a new club in the Dennistoun and and also being a local person all my life, I want to support and help local people. Life is difficult for everyone at the moment. Bluevale CC are fortunate to have many dedicated volunteers and links to local businesses. These strong partnerships have allowed us to do so much for local people and help those most in need. We hope that this support helps local people, we will continue to be there for the residents of Dennistoun.

Local Resident: Hi Guys, Just to say a great big thank you to yourselves for the amazing food parcel which I received yesterday. I was absolutely overwhelmed. Also thank you for the pasta arrabatia ingredients too. I will make n send pics tomorrow. I c that East End Flat Packs put a flyer in the bag in which I can use them directly n pay for the ingredients. I have chosen to do that….. I feel that way it lets someone else within the community get a chance of a freebie one I can’t thank you enough for all your support in tehse difficult time Keep up the good work.