Find A Solution 2008
In 2008, the following three organisations approached the SRC & University of Glasgow Settlement with a specific problem they were facing in their field of operation and tasked us with finding to find students to help them Find a Solution to these problems:
Three pairs of students, all for varying backgrounds, experiences and expertise worked over a 2 month period with these organisations.
Glasgow Women’s Library
Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL) is the only women’s library in Scotland. It has grown from a small volunteer-led organisation into the main information hub for information by and about women.
In 2008 a new potential partnership arose through the shared aims of GWL and Women’s History Scotland to begin to “map” the resources and in particular archives on women in Scotland – there was a substantial challenge for GWL to assess the feasibility of such a mapping project and piloting it, so it was decided that two students would undertake a feasibility study into this project and gauge whether or not such a resource would be widely used.
Their findings were well received, and although a major cut in funding for Glasgow Women’s Library’s Lifelong Learning provision has meant that they have to focus their attentions on other areas for the time being, the work of the students will provide a basis for future discussions and planning. You can read their findings here:
The Mark Scott Foundation
The Outward Bound Trust and The Mark Scott Foundation work in partnership to enable 17 and 18 year old young people to participate in The Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award. The Mark Scott Foundation was formed following the unprovoked sectarian murder of Mark Scott in 1995.
With the partnership looking forward to the next five years, the two organisations wanted to do a further evaluation of the programme to ensure that areas for improvement are identified and to have appropriate evidence for funders and supporters of the programme, so two students were selected to carry out a three month evaluation of the Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award.
This evaluation saw the students carry out focus groups and surveys of previous & current participants, as well as school champions, and resulted in a report being submitted to the Trustees in August 2008 and 20 suggested recommendations being made for potential improvement, a number of which are now being considered by the Executive Group of the Outward Bound Trust and The Mark Scott Foundation. You can read their findings here:
Rainbow Turtle
Rainbow Turtle was set up in Paisley in 2002 with the objective is to raise public awareness of fair trade and encourage more people to buy fairly traded products. The organisation comprises two distinct but related areas of activity – a Charity and a Trading Company.
Due to significant changes that were occuring within the structure of the organisation, Rainbow Turtle sought the Settlement’s assistance to continue growing the profile of Rainbow Turtle without the aid of a shop front so that the influence of the charity in promoting fair trade is not compromised, and devise a way of increasing ‘off-site’ sales.