Projects Supported
Email: info@gemtrust.co.uk
Registered Charity: SC052404
Sunny Govan Radio
The Trustees enjoyed a fascinating morning at Sunny Govan Radio, one of the first community licensed radio stations in the UK.
Steven (Steg) Gilfoyle who has been involved for some 25 years explained the importance of the station to the local community offering information, entertainment and education to their multi cultural audience and running practical courses particularly aimed at young people.
GEM was delighted to provide funding to support those courses. The photo shows Steg with Scott Hislop, radio presenter, and David and Bob from GEM.
Radio Lollipop
The Trustees were delighted to visit the flagship showroom of Slater Menswear in Glasgow to meet up again with Catherine and Raymond, senior members of the team at Slater Menswear and also long term volunteers with Radio Lollipop which has ambitious plans to extend their support for the young patients at The Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
GEM was very happy to provide funds to enable the project to be realised. We also heard from Catherine and Raymond of the many innovative ways in which Slater Menswear support Radio Lollipop.
Friends 4U Group
The Trustees enjoyed a joyfully noisy meeting with the members, carers and volunteers of the Friends 4 U group at their regular Musical Friday event, one of a variety of activities which take part throughout the week and which also include arts, crafts and cookery classes.
The Trustees were very happy to make a contribution to the group to support their upcoming trip to Blackpool and the accompanying photo shows David and Martin with some of the executive committee.
East Kilbride Integration Network
Two of our Trustees, David and Bob, enjoyed meeting Simon Jeacocke and Lorna Murray from EKin, a small charity which provides practical advice, support and education throughout South Lanarkshire to asylum seekers who have been relocated to this community.
Working with other local and statutory organisations they endeavour to provide a welcoming social and cultural experience which GEM was happy to support with our donation.
Baby Bank Scotland Clothing Packs
The Trustees revisited the busy premises of the Baby Bank charity in Hamilton meeting volunteers Sheena and Patti along with four other British Gas employees providing their support for the day to the organisation.
GEM were pleased to have assisted Baby Bank with further support of £2,000 enabling the purchase of all the necessary new underwear required to complete the clothing packs for immediate and future distribution.
Loaves and Fishes Childrens Treats
Summer holidays can be a particularly challenging time for parents with young children and to meet this challenge Loaves and Fishes have introduced supplementary packages of fruit, snacks and cake mixes to add to their food parcels.
Every week 590 children will enjoy these tasty treats and a fun activity. This proactive approach fits perfectly with GEM’s philosophy that a little help can make a big difference and the Trustees were delighted to support this project.
NWRC - Glasgow
The Trustees were delighted to have been referred to North West Glasgow Recoveries Community as a worthy recipient of support.
NWRC provides a wide range of support services for individuals and families affected by addiction issues. Staffed partly by volunteers with life experience of addiction and supported by a small team of dedicated professionals they offer a range of activities to which everyone is made welcome.
The donation from GEM will be used to fund their 2025 Family Fun Day at Hamiltonhill Claypits Nature Reserve.
CHAS - Robin House
The Trustees re-visited Robin House to see the wonderful work being done by CHAS to support young people and their families afflicted by the most serious illnesses.
They experienced first hand the talented Clown Doctors performance who attend Robin House each Wednesday bringing such joy to the children.
The Trustees were delighted to present a cheque to the wonderful staff supporting the next three months costs delivering this greatly appreciated action packed entertainment programme.
Radio Lollipop
Radio Lollipop, based at Glasgow’s Sick Children Hospital, is staffed entirely by dedicated volunteers and provides daily fun, games and entertainment for the young patients.
GEM were delighted to be put in touch with them and to provide funds which will cover the cost of new trolleys, games and arts and crafts for the children.
A wonderful small charity entirely deserving of our support.
PEEK - Cash for Kids Joint Venture
In an exciting new development for GEM we have partnered with the iconic charity Cash for Kids to provide joint financial support for Spring, Summer and Autumn projects of PEEK which will see 200 children for each outing enjoying visits to the Seasonal holiday programme venues.
Our founding Trustee, David Urquhart, joined Heather from Cash for Kids in presenting cheques to Karlyn, Business Development Manager for PEEK.
West Scotland Deaf Children’s Society
The Trustees enjoyed visiting the West of Scotland Deaf Children Society where Iain Campbell, Lisa Sultana and Lesley Winning gave them a fascinating insight into the wide range of activities they provide for the children and their families.
The energy they bring to these projects is remarkable and the value of these efforts is obvious.
The trustees were highly impressed and delighted to provide a donation which will be used to cover the costs of three summer outings in 2025.
PEEK - Possibilities for Each and Every Kid
The Trustees were delighted to visit Fountainwell Road Red Play Park, Sighthill, one of the many community based projects run by PEEK (Possibilities for Each and Every Kid) from their base in Bridgeton, Glasgow.
We met Karlyn Robertson, Development and Fundraising Manager, together with her colleagues, volunteers, parents and of course the children who were enjoying supervised play and toasted marshmallows.
It was pleasure to be able to provide some financial support to such a worthy cause.
Loaves and Fishes Christmas Appeal
The Trustees were delighted to hear from Lesley at Loaves and Fishes of their ambitious plans for Christmas 2024.
The intention is to provide hundreds of food and gift bags for struggling families over the festive period.
Our donation is earmarked for this excellent project and we hope that this will give a significant boost to their efforts.
Baby Bank Scotland Christmas Appeal
The Trustees visited the busy premises of the Baby Bank charity in Hamilton meeting volunteers Sheena and Agnes, and also Alex and Caitlin, both pupils at Hamilton Grammar High School who were helping as part of a volunteer programme.
It was particularly pleasing to meet two excellent representatives of the school and explain the background to GEM before presenting a cheque to Baby Bank to help fund their Christmas Initiative.
Glasgow's Golden Generation
The GEM Trustees, David, and Martin were pleased to meet Kay and Sandy from Glasgow’s Golden Generation. Glasgow’s Golden Generation is committed to enhancing the lives of older adults across Glasgow’s four quadrants. They achieve this through a range of support services, advocacy, and community engagement.
The GEM Trustees were delighted to contribute £1,000 to fund a Christmas outing for at least 50 older adults using their services.
Sandy commented, “The generous donation will provide an extra special treat for the older adults supported, especially during the Christmas season.”
Loaves and Fishes
GEM Trustees, David and Martin, were given a fabulous insight into the remarkable work done by Lesley and her team from their East Kilbride base and warehouse.
They not only provide a superb Food Bank service but also a much wider range of practical support for those in our community who are most in need- "full tummieswarmheartsclearheads "says it all. It was a pleasure to be be able to provide financial support to such a great cause.
Baby Bank Scotland
The Trustees were delighted to meet Jillian, a Trustee of Baby Bank Scotland in Hamilton, and her group of dedicated volunteers. They provide essential practical support to young families who may be struggling with day to day necessities when caring for children.
GEM’s donation of £1,000 will be used in a project to provide new bedding and linen for families in need.
The photograph shows David Urquhart, our founding Trustee, with Jillian and her volunteer colleagues.
Nil by Mouth
Nil by Mouth is a wonderful charity which is committed to informing and educating people about the destructive impact on society of sectarianism in all its forms.
It was a privilege to meet Dave Scott and his colleagues to learn more about the Charity’s work.
The Trustees of GEM were very pleased to make a donation in support of their imaginative Neeps & Tatties project.
CHAS - Robin House
The Trustees visited Robin House to see the wonderful work being done by CHAS to support young people and their families afflicted by the most serious illnesses.
They were given a fascinating insight into the range of medical and social services provided by CHAS not only at Robin House but in all communities throughout Scotland.
The Trustees were delighted to present a cheque to Stephen Hart, Trust and Foundations Manager.