About People Making Waves

People Making Waves is part of The Scottish Project, which will create a cultural legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Scotland. It is supported by Legacy Trust UK and by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland. It is a 4 year programme that will invite the people of Scotland to connect with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Olympic Movement in general to express its values of excellence, respect, equality, courage, determination, inspiration and friendship. People Making Waves will focus on creating a legacy in Scotland through people’s awareness and involvement in the Olympic Movement encouraging people to learn new skills through volunteering, make new connections through volunteering and to try things they never have before through volunteering.

People Making Waves was the first project in Scotland to be awarded the Inspire Mark, the badge of the London 2012 Inspire programme.

This project is funded by Legacy Trust UK and by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland

For more information on the projects which make up People Making Waves please visit the FAQ page

The four waves are:

Make a Splash!

Make a Splash! is run by Voluntary Arts Scotland, and aims to get as many people taking part in arts and crafts activities as possible. We know that participation in the arts can bring about so many physical, mental and social benefits – as well as being great fun - so we’d like to help you encourage more people to join in!

Here's how Make a Splash! works:

• Information sessions – From October 2009 to early 2012, Voluntary Arts Scotland is travelling around the country, holding free information and training events. We’ll look at the barriers that potentially stop people joining your group, or taking up an art/craft form – and how those barriers can be pulled down. Visit the Events section to see when we’re in a town near you.
• Funding – Until March 2012, you can apply for between £250 - £2,000 to try something new to get people involved in the arts and crafts. Your application must show how the money will be spent increasing participation long-term.
• Celebration Event – After our successful pilot in 2011, we'll be running another Voluntary Arts Week in May 2012, and we'd love you to get involved. Events will be taking place across the UK this time, so visit www.voluntaryartsweek.org to add yours!
• Stories – We're asking people to tell us a story. Not a fictional one – a true story about how you encouraged people to get involved in arts and crafts participation. Whether you used a Make a Splash! grant to achieve it or not, or took part in Voluntary Arts Week, please share your story with everyone else – you never know who you'll inspire!

For more information about Make a Splash, please contact the Voluntary Arts Scotland office on tel: 0131 225 7355 or email: makeasplash@vascotland.org.uk

Wave of Friendship

The Wave of Friendship is a volunteer exchange programme that encourages and supports the exchange of volunteers between Scotland and London, and within Scotland. Volunteers can apply for bursaries of up to £500 for Scotland/London exchanges and up to £100 for exchanges within Scotland to cover travel, accommodation and other costs involved in the exchange.

Volunteers can choose any opportunity that takes place between now and September 2012 that demonstrates one or more of these values; Friendship, Respect, Courage, Determination, Equality and Inspiration.

Suitable Opportunities

There are many suitable opportunities and these could include providing support for an event, carrying out an assignment or volunteering for a set time, rather than an ongoing commitment. The scheme is very flexible so if you have an idea which you think might be suitable please contact us.

A Fantastic Opportunity

It provides a fantastic opportunity to gain experience of volunteering in another part of the country and to share your volunteering experiences with others. You can learn new skills, enhance existing skills and help to build new relationships and connections between Scotland and London.

If you would like more information about this scheme please email: wof@peoplemakingwaves.org.uk We'd be glad to hear from you.

A Scottish Wave of Change

A Scottish Wave of Change is about people bringing about change, Scotland and international connections and exploring the potential of the Olympic and Paralympic values and vision.

Making Connections

It is also about developing national and international connections for Scotland between the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

It will create forums of discussion, debate and action, it will explore what kind of Scotland, society and communities we want to see in the future, through imaginative activities including volunteering, participation in events and community action.

A Scottish Wave of Change will encourage you to create your own stories and futures. This will reflect Scotland in the 21st century - diverse, creative, positive, and outward looking. It will also explore how we make it happen.

A Mass Imagination Project

A Scottish Wave of Change will produce a range of materials to aid thinking, imagining and doing. It will be a mass imagination project, opening up and democratising the debate about the future and involving story competitions and commissions, events and a final project book that will provide a lasting legacy beyond 2012.

If you would like more information about this scheme you can contact us at 01786 479593 or email: vds@vds.org.uk We'd be glad to hear from you.

My Volunteering

My Volunteering is about people like you - who volunteer or are thinking of volunteering. We want to capture your stories and experiences online and you can help us do this right here.

By joining and contributing you will become part of the digital record we are building. The record will capture the diverse range of cultural activities which take place in Scotland and beyond in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The record will continue to grow during the games and after the games.

Social Networking

It creates social networking opportunities for like-minded people to link with each other - share experiences and stories and gives groups the opportunity to invite people to get involved in activities and events they are organising.

Value Volunteering

The record and your involvement will highlight the positive benefits volunteering brings to our people and our communities. Volunteering really does make a difference and this record will illustrate the many ways real people and local communities benefit.

If you would like more information you can contact the Volunteer Development Scotland office on 01786 479593 or email: vds@vds.org.uk We'd be glad to hear from you.