On Wednesday 19 June, CashBack-funded partner organisations came together in Edinburgh to learn, share, and collaborate.
The event was an opportunity to reflect on learning and challenges over the first year of the current funding period (April 2023-March 2026), and to highlight success and share best practice.
Siobhian Brown MSP, Minister for Victims and Community Safety, welcomed the strong performance of the programme, noting that it has exceeded targets in many areas so far. She also highlighted that the CashBack programme is more than the sum of its parts – through collaboration, partner organisations are able to build relationships and better connect with young people and their communities.
This year, 15,000 young people were supported through CashBack programmes that address complex issues that lead to community disruption and crime.
Siobhian Brown, MSP
Sharing what works
Kelly Shearer and Jessica Ho from Scottish Youth Dance and Adil Ibrahim and Harry Economou Strengthening Communities for Race Equality Scotland shared their approaches to building trusting relationships, and the importance this has in achieving longer term outcomes such as supporting young people towards positive destinations.
A collaborative networking session invited small groups of partners to discuss their approach to delivering a key CashBack outcome: diverting young people from involvement with the justice system. Many discussions explored themes around building trusting relationships, creating a safe space where young people are listened to, and taking a non-judgemental person-centred approach.
Support available for Scottish charities
Afternoon sessions highlighted sources of support available to Scottish charities.
Paul McCann from Disclosure Scotland shared how partners can support young people with criminal convictions into employment. For example, preparing young people to have conversations with potential employers that address their concerns can help to build trust. Paul encouraged partners to contact Disclosure Scotland to learn more or for training opportunities.
CashBack Fund Manager Tommy Seymour also shared free support available to charities through the Specialist Volunteer Network. Run by Inspiring Scotland, the network connects charities with free, bespoke, professional support. Volunteers include lawyers, accountants, marketing and communications experts, HR professionals, and more – sign up to the newsletter to find out more.
Highlights and challenges
Tommy also shared an overview of the highlights and challenges our partners report experiencing over the last year.
Often, highlights and challenges mirrored one another. For example, while many partners reported evidencing and exceeding outcomes as a highlight, evidencing outcomes was also reported as a challenge for some. This demonstrates the potential benefits of collaboration between CashBack partners – many will be facing the same challenges, and those who have had successes in evidencing outcomes may be ideally placed to share learning.
Thank you!
Thank you to all those who attended and contributed on the day. This was the second partner learning event in this funding period (Phase 6), and it is the hard work and contribution of all of you that make these events so rich and inspiring.
It was great to have so much time to network, we already have some contacts we are arranging to meet over the summer!
The Larder West Lothian
A pleasure to attend the collaborative Partner Learning Day. We learned interactive ways to measure our impact alongside fellow partners and Minister Siobhian Brown.
Access to Industry
We’ve had a great day sharing ideas and best practice with other CashBack partners at the Partner Learning Day! It’s always inspiring to see the different people and projects which are committed to improving the lives of young people across Scotland.
Ocean Youth Trust Scotland
It was a great opportunity to hear about some of the fantastic work the partners have been doing over the past year. Feeling incredibly inspired (and motivated!) having recently taken on the role as the support worker for the CashBack for Young Parents Project at Fife Gingerbread.
Fife Gingerbread (Starcatchers partner)
