OUR HISTORY
The project was started by a group of parents and community representatives who recognized that there was a need for something for young people to do within the area.
A lack of anything other than hanging around the streets was a problem with regards to anti social behavior.
So they set about creating something different for the young people. Little did they know back then that 36 years later it would still be going strong.
It all started in what was a Community council flat above the old shops on Shafton Road.
After a successful application to the Urban Aid fund, The project started in August with Janet Muir becoming the first project leader.
Our first home August, 1987
In May 1988, The project received Charity Status from the Scottish office.
In September the first official management committee was formed and Charlie Matheson was elected as Chairperson.
In 1989 the project was fortunate enough to get funding to build its own premises and The Hut was open in December at this point the project was now led by Eric Steele. So finally the community now had a drop-in facility and covered during the day 16—25 year olds. Young people were given ownership of the project right from the start. At this time the main activities were typical of the times Pool, Table tennis, music, Café provision, and of course a TV.
In 1991 Julie Fox arrived as the new Project Leader and things started to change events such as community Lunches took place regularly.
A European youth exchange was planned and took place and the young people started going places over the following years, Germany and Italy to meet a couple.
Further on Driving lessons became very popular and outreach work started to be developed along with typical youth work services.
It quickly became apparent that The Hut was too small and an extension was added in 1993, a lot of fundraising had to take place.
In 1996 the funding from Urban Aid came to an end and the fears were that it would be the end of the project but thankfully to Glasgow City’s Council, we managed to secure 50% of the funding needed to keep The Hut alive.
Applications were made everywhere to get funding mainly the National Lottery but this proved unsuccessful.
So as of today, applications go out everywhere to get funding.
Thankfully Glasgow City Council still provides the main core funding required to keep the doors open.
The project ran numerous groups for everyone from unemployment, specialized health groups mothers and toddlers, after-school groups, computer classes you name it The Hut did it.
In 2002 the age range changed to 10—25 years. Angela Molloy started as a Youth Development Worker. Little did she know the changes over the coming years would take place.
In 2002 while on a Rleigh International experience, Craig Donnachie met a Princess.
Sadly in 2004, Julie decided to move on after 15 years of taking the project forward. Thus creating an opening for a new project leader.
Enter Paul Smith, one of his first moves was to get Christine Carlton away on the tall ships taking Shirley Rothnie along as her carer. This proved to be a trend until now where these opportunities are very rare now, but we still get the odd one.
2007 witnessed 32 people go off to Paris for 4 days with the young people asking where next.
Well, the staff pulled out all the stops because the next big challenge was off to Australia in 2009 in a partnership with the PCYC from Harvey Bay on the East Coast.
What an achievement, friendships for life were created and even to this day Australia is still spoken about. In 2011 yet another group went but this time independently and had just as an amazing time.
We had a very successful
Run with Duke of Edinburgh Awards groups for a long period, but young people being allowed to take the Award during school time killed the group off. But watch this space as we are trying to organize something to get more young people to complete the Award.
Obviously, it would be a miss not mention the effect of the Covid epidemic. It was hard for everyone but even more so for children and young people, getting them to understand the effects of spreading the disease was difficult to start with. But typical of the project we got through it and supported the children and young people as mush as we could.
Since our return, the numbers have fluctuated but are steady.
We are on the rise and thanks yet again to Glasgow City Council we have been able to add providing free lunches during school holidays.
This has been a huge success and we hope it continues for a long time. We are aware that working in one of the lowest areas of deprivation within Glasgow draws up different challenges every week. But we welcome them and will always be hear for the wider Community as well.
So keep reading and watching as who knows what young people will come up with net.
What we can say is that what ever it is we will give it our best shot.