“I have enjoyed being in an environment that allows you to be creative. I have also enjoyed the feeling of achievement that I could never get at school.”
Participant
Express Yourself
Have you left school but aren’t quite sure what to do next? Not quite ready to move on to work or college? This programme could be perfect for you.
If you are aged 16-24 and interested in exploring creativity, our experienced tutors can help you build confidence through art! This is a fun opportunity to make friends; learn new skills; improve physical and mental health; and have your voice heard.
Young People will be able to explore creativity, imagination and making!
What to expect
Express Yourself is a creative youth employability programme for young people aged 16-24 years who are not in school, training or employment. The aim of the programme is to provide a creative space where people can explore various artistic techniques. During the sessions, our Youth Worker can also offer 1-1 support to help participants decide what they’d like to do next and then help to achieve their goals.
Participants can receive up to £24 per week as a training allowance for attending the programme, plus travel costs can also be reimbursed.
Download our Participant guide
We Work With Some Incredible Partners
CashBack Hubs
Are you a young person interested in exploring creativity? Our experienced tutors can help you build confidence through art!
This is a fun opportunity to make friends, learn new skills, improve physical and mental health, and have your voice heard.
This programme is ideal for young people who find school tricky, struggle with mental health, are care experienced, or are new to Scotland.
All materials and snacks are provided and we will reimburse public transport costs.
Glasgow (ages 14-19)
Days: Mondays and Tuesdays, 10am – 3pm
Dates: April 22 – June 10 2025
Where: The Boardwalk, 105 Brunswick Street, G1 1TF
Edinburgh (ages 14-19)
Days: Fridays, 2pm – 4pm
Dates: April 25 – June 13 2025
Where: Impact Arts, 5-7 Montgomery Street Lane, Edinburgh, EH7 5JT
North Ayrshire (ages 14-19)
Please note the next block in North Ayrshire will be later this year as part of CashBack Summer.
Young People will be able to explore creativity, imagination and making through digital and visual art.
What we offer
Over 100 young people reported improved confidence from taking part
Our Cashback Hubs programme is a fun way to grow your skills and confidence in a non-traditional environment, beyond the classroom or local youth club.
Over the course of the programme, using the arts as a tool, we will support you to feel more confident, overcome some of the hurdles you might be facing and gain qualifications.
You will be supported by a Creative Lead and a Wellbeing & Opportunities Worker. We will provide you with everything you need to get involved.
Where it suits your needs, we can also support you to gain qualifications like a Level 3 SQA unit.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Cashback Hubs programme, the young person must be aged 14-19*Â and either:
- Living in an area of deprivation (as defined by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation)
- At risk of disengaging from school
- At risk of engaging in anti-social behaviour
- Living with a disability or mental health condition
- Not in employment, education or training (if over 16)
Where
Glasgow – 105 Brunswick St, Glasgow, G1 1TF
North Ayrshire – 60 Bank Street, Irvine, KA12 0LP
Edinburgh – 5-7 Montgomery Street Lane, Edinburgh, EH7 5JT
Discover James’ Story at Cashback Summer
Case Study
We Work With Some Incredible Partners
Creative Connections
[please note this project is not currently open for referrals]
Creative Connections is an innovative programme that engages secondary pupils who are experiencing difficulty or declining to engage in mainstream education. Piloted in the East End of Glasgow in 2015 the programme is proven to dramatically increase pupil engagement with education.
Our experience tells us that school refusers are often those experiencing extreme social anxiety which in some cases is as a result of bullying or those engaging in anti-social behaviour. Creative Connections has been designed in response to these challenges and aims to build confidence and ignite an interest in learning as a result of working in small peer groups.
We are able to work with schools to identify young people who are not engaging in education or are at risk of being excluded from school and particularly where there are major contributors of turning to crime and antisocial behaviour. Furthermore, through our existing relationships with Children Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Throughcare we are able to engage with young people who may have had adverse experiences in their formative years.
Through the project, participants will:-
- Engage in an alternative curriculum designed to reach out and -reconnect with low and non-attenders
- Build confidence, core skills and early stage employability & enterprise skills
- Gain vital accreditation
- Overcome obstacles and identify opportunities for positive progressions beyond school
Make Space
[please note this project is not currently open for referrals]
It’s important to take time to look after your emotional health and mental wellbeing. With all the challenges life throws at us, this can sometimes leave you feeling anxious, down, filled with negative thoughts and reluctant to go out and engage with friends and family.Â
Make Space sessions are fun, varied and will help you protect your mental well-being as well as bringing happiness and structure to your day.Â
This programme is ideal as an introduction to our work, or for those looking for something they are able to drop in and out of as and when they like.
Remember, this programme is for everyone – not just creative types. We just ask that you are open to the idea of working creatively in order that you are able to achieve amazing things.
Make Space sessions are fun, varied and will help you protect your mental well-being as well as bringing joy and structure to your day.
What to expect
A virtual programme accessed at a time to suit your needs.
Make Space offers you a virtual, creative hub designed to support and develop your emotional and mental wellbeing.Â
Activities are varied, sessions can include visual and digital art, photography, creative writing, guided nature walks and top tips for ways to protect your wellbeing – there is something to suit everyone.
We will ensure you have everything you need to get involved, including materials/art packs and a device or data if this is a barrier to getting involved.
You will:
- have access to pre-recorded online content, (so that you can take control and access this at a time to suit your needs)
- be invited to join live online, therapeutic group work sessions with our artist and youth worker
- access a wide range of wellbeing activities
- receive 1-to-1 phone support from our Youth Worker
WE WORK WITH SOME INCREDIBLE PARTNERS
Enterprising Pathways
[please note this project is not currently open for referrals]
Remember, this programme is for everyone – not just creative types. We just ask that you are open to the idea of working creatively in order that you are able to achieve amazing things.
Creative Employability programme for unemployed young people. During the 12 week project you will get training support from a dedicated Creative Lead Tutor and Pastoral/Youth Worker enabling you to advance your practical and interpersonal skills whilst developing key creative skills.
Enterprising Pathways is a Creative Employability programme for unemployed young people aged 16 to 26.
What to expect
We will provide you with everything you need to get involved
You will gain new artistic and practical creative skills throughout the project, for example woodworking or furniture upcycling, fashion or design, landscaping or landscape design skills etc.
You will also be given the opportunity to engage in an enterprise project that will be focused around responding to local community needs or gaps in the market.Â
You will be provided with one-to-one support with progression planning such as CV writing, self-employment guidance, as well as job searching/matching. You will also work towards gaining a Level 4 SQA-accredited qualifications.
WE WORK WITH SOME INCREDIBLE PARTNERS
Make It Your Own
- Have you been homeless or are you care experienced?
- About to move, or just moved into your first tenancy?
- Struggling to make this house feel like your home?
- Feeling lost as to where to start?
Make It Your Own can help you to gain creative, practical and life skills to help sustain your tenancy.
We will work with you to explore how you can turn a house into your home.
What?
Almost 100% of people sustain their tenancies long term following Make It Your Own support.
A creative interior design programme that provides bespoke support to help you take ownership of your tenancy and to decorate it in your own style so it feels like yours.
You’ll benefit from practical decorating support and equipment. We will also help and support you to find your own style; design and make items for your home such as cushions, throws, upcycled furniture, accessories and artworks for the walls; a home improvement budget; life-skills training and development (e.g. financial management, CV writing, setting routines) and support to set goals for the future.
You will also:
- Receive £150 home improvement budget
- Receive a welcome pack that is tailored to you and contains creative and practical materials
- Have weekly one to one sessions with the tutor, where they will work with you to set out tasks for the week ahead. Including a tour of your home and discussions to establish what you would like to improve while creating mood boards.
- Have the opportunity to attend weekly private Facebook live sessions to allow you to join in a creative activity, ask questions and have the opportunity to share your creative creations with other people on the project
- Remain part of the Make It Your Own community after sessions are complete
Discover Mava’s Story at Make It Your Own
Case Study
We Work With Some Incredible Partners
CashBack Summer
2025 signups and referrals are now open!
Are you aged 14-19 and interested in exploring creativity? Our experienced tutors can help you build confidence through art!
This is a fun opportunity to make friends, learn new skills, try out a variety of creative activities, improve your physical and mental health, and have your voice heard.
This programme is ideal for young people who are: finding school tricky, struggling with mental health, care experienced, or new to Scotland.
For CashBack Summer 2025, we’re offering two groups in Glasgow and one group each in North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire and Edinburgh.
Explore creativity, imagination and making through digital and visual art
What we offer
Over 100 young people reported improved confidence from taking part
Our Cashback Summer programme is a fun way to develop your skills and confidence in a non-traditional environment, beyond the classroom or the local youth club. Delivered at a venue near to you, we give you the opportunity to explore the creative side of who you are and grow as a result.
Where it suits your needs, we can also support you to gain qualifications or a dynamic youth award.
CRWIA CashBack to The Future
Programme details
This year, CashBack Summer is running for five weeks from Tuesday July 8 until Thursday August 7 2025.
All blocks will run three days per week from 10am – 3pm (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) in the following locations:
- Glasgow – The Boardwalk, 105 Brunswick Street, Glasgow G1 1TF
- North Ayrshire – 60 Bank Street, Irvine KA12 0LP
- Edinburgh – Venue to be confirmed
- North Lanarkshire – Venue to be confirmed
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Cashback Summer programme, the young person must be aged 14-19Â and either:
- Living in an area of deprivation (as defined by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation)
- At risk of disengaging from school
- At risk of engaging in anti-social behaviour
- Living with a disability or mental health condition
- Not in employment, education or training (if over 16)
Discover James’ Story at Cashback Summer
Case Study
We Work With Some Incredible Partners
Creative Pathways
A creative pathway to gaining qualifications, increasing your confidence and finding onward routes towards employment. Delivered by qualified artists and youth support workers we will ensure you have everything you need to get involved and move beyond this programme and into employment, College or Training.Â
Remember, this programme is for everyone – not just those looking for a career in the creative industries. We just ask that you are open to the idea of working creatively in order that you are able to achieve amazing things.
A 12-week employability programme designed for 16-26 year olds.
What to expect
12 week programme | Full time Monday – Thursday | 10am-4pm Â
Creative Pathways supports those who are not in work, education or training to reach their full potential and move on to a positive destination. Using a range of activities and interventions that help to build confidence, support people to get into a stable routine and develop employability skills.
We will have a heritage focus, teaming up with Historic Environment Scotland. Where we will visit historic sites and meet the teams who help to conserve them. Participants will produce creative responses inspired by these visits.
Participants will benefit from work experience opportunities and linking up with partners in the creative industry. The Youth Worker will work closely with each participant to provide a tailored plan for their next steps.
We are also working in partnership with Glasgow Kelvin College, so one day per week will be spent attending their Easterhouse campus to enjoy student life and take part in creative activities there.
At the end of the programme, there will be a final celebratory showcase of the work that been created.
Participants can receive up to £55 per week training allowance, plus travel costs can be reimbursed.
Discover Hannah’s Story at Creative Pathways
Case Study
We work with some incredible partners
See them all
