Funding boost for yoga charity

Yogability has quadrupled its number of volunteers following a £9,900 grant from Voluntary Action Fund (VAF).

Yogability was set up in 2013 by Helen McGinn, from Bearsden, and Debbie Ritchie, from Milngavie.

Helen started practising yoga because she suffered from chronic lower back pain after having three children.

Her pain disappeared when she started regularly practising yoga, and she also noticed huge benefits to her health - both physically and mentally.

This led her to embark on a teacher training course with her friend Debbie, whose son had cerebral palsy.

After introducing yoga to him, and seeing the incredible positive impact it had on him, they both took part in special needs yoga training and then established Yogability.

Helen said: “Yoga has many health benefits not only increasing flexibility and reducing stress, but also mentally.

“Seeing how it helped me and Debbie’s son was the deciding factor as to why we would set up Yogability and focus primarily on people with disabilities.

“Volunteers are an integral part of the Yogability community but we always needed more, which is why we contacted VAF and applied for a grant to run a year-long volunteer programme which would help us to bring in and support our volunteers, and improve and grow the charity.

“We were delighted when we received the grant which has allowed us to set up an amazing volunteer programme from induction to fruition and where our volunteers now take part in training, fundraising, administration duties, assisting in teaching and organisational activities.

“VAF has provided us with more than just finances; the support, advice and help right from the beginning has been of enormous benefit, especially as we’d never run anything like this before.

“VAF have given us the toolkit for a strong and thriving volunteer future.

“Without such support, both financial and advisory, we’d have struggled.

“We are excited for the future and will continue to welcome volunteers long after the programme has finished.”

The £9,900 grant awarded over the last two years has allowed Yogability to increase their volunteers from four to 16 over the last 12 months, and also to increase the number of classes.

Yogability also provides mainstream classes.

February 2016 on the £1.1m continuation of the Volunteering Support Fund, charities can now apply for funding through the VAF website, www.voluntaryactionfund.org.uk. Deadline for entries is 31st March 2016.

Issued on behalf of Voluntary Action Fund, (VAF) by Michelle Brown PR Ltd. For further information, please contact –