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Background

Annexe Communities (known locally as The Annexe) is a community-led health and wellbeing charity. We support people to improve their own health and wellbeing, particularly older people and those living with long term health conditions. We also help local groups to build their capacity, and local people who want to volunteer.

Annexe Communities began life as Partick Community Association in 1986. Residents petitioned Glasgow City Council and secured the lease of The Annexe building in Stewartville Street in 1998. Lottery funding enabled the community association to establish a thriving and enterprising Healthy Living Centre. The healthy eating café became the hub – as it is today, serving the local community healthy and affordable meals. Glasgow City Council’s funding also enabled residents’ access to health and wellbeing activities.

Current Projects

Past Projects

PMCAI (2001-2006) – Partick music and cultural arts initiative where arts and music activities and events were developed including monthly Folk Nights and annual Folk festival with Mike West Partick Fayre Productions re instating Partick Fayre with David Cruickshank, Partick Beat drumming group with Michele Keenan, Partick Community Players drama group with Sheila and John Reid, taking part in the West End Festival Carnival parades every year for 5 years in various life sized fruit and vegetable costumes with Mark Barrett , ran club for local kids afterschool called Streetcorner, establishing REDDOTART a platform for local artists to exhibit and sell their work, Annexe Health Farm with a group of complimentary therapists and Partick Boyz Club with Joe Mooney running football training and trips away for local kids.

Healthy Living Initiatives (2006 to 2020), funded by Glasgow City Council integrated grants. Annexe staff worked across Townhead, Anderston, Yorkhill, Whiteinch and Partick developing and delivering health and wellbeing activities including physical activities, stress management and healthy cooking workshops.

Connects Project (2011-2019) operated with Lottery funding - working with older people in the community to develop and deliver an exciting programme of activities to reduce loneliness and tackle isolation. Many activities were supported by volunteers who, through their involvement in the project, gained confidence to help others and give something back to their community. Partick Pluckers ukulele group is one example. Another is the Knit n Natter group. The global travels of their knitted penguins(see their journey) are a whole other story! Many groups continue their activities today as volunteer-led groups as a legacy of the Connects Project.

AXIS Health Hubs (2012 to 2020), a community health initiative delivered in partnership with another healthy living centre and funded by a NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde contract. The Annexe worked in Drumchapel and Easterhouse, involving people in healthy cooking workshops and activities such as Health Issues in the Community courses. A key part was building the capacity of local volunteers to enable them to develop and run their own community group.

Aim for Less (2017-2020) was a Climate Challenge Funded project addressing food waste. It worked with residents to raise awareness and promote positive behaviour change through group work and food waste initiatives. The project utilised surplus supermarket food to create healthy three course lunch club meals for older people. These lunch clubs continue today and are more popular than ever.

Step Forward project (2020-2023) was funded for 3 years by Glasgow Community Fund and aimed at engaging, supporting and building the capacity of isolated and vulnerable people living locally, including the hardest to reach individuals who were directly referred by their GP or health professional. This included opportunity to access volunteer training and be supported to access a local volunteering opportunity. The project was based in our healthy living centre in Partick served surrounding neighbourhoods. The Step Forward project identified and delivered solutions which allowed people and communities access to services and supported opportunities that improved their lives and well-being. The project provided and supported preventative health care through its Step Forward Footcare service and provided a local accessible, available, affordable and regular service and, by bringing people into local community venues, served to combat isolation and give them access to other activities and better social interactions.

Younity (2020-2023) was funded by The National Lottery Community Fund - worked in partnership with other local organisations, especially thanks to Ruth from Dowanvale Food Pantry and Viki from Partick Housing Association and Rev Andy from Partick South Church and Angela from Hyndland Secondary Food bank and Leila, Tracy and Karen from Partick Community growing project, to help put “You” back into community going through and coming out of Covid and then with Cost of Living too. Funding was sought to host Free local seasonal Community events in Partick, Thornwood and towards the end of Younity, down at the Harbour. Spring Equinox, Summer Festivals, Halloween fun and winter Light Up Partick were ran by Behind the Scenes local volunteers. Health Issues in the Community courses were hosted and links with the new Glasgow University building were developed. New groups established through these three years were Partick John Muir Group and Dreams and Aspirations with Behind the Scenes volunteer group and Partick John Muir group becoming constituted with their own bank accounts so that they can secure their own funding going forwards. 

 

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