SCHOOLS have been at the heart of our Streets Ahead campaign since it launched seven years ago.

By working hard to build local relationships, Glasgow nurseries, primaries and secondaries make sure their pupils are proud of their communities – and that’s what our campaign is all about.

The Evening Times and its partners – Scottish Fire and Rescue, City Building, City Charitable Trust and Glasgow City Council – are delighted to champion excellent examples of community-minded schools.

As year seven of our awardwinning campaign continues to gather steam, we want to hear from schools having a positive impact in the wider community.

That could be through mentoring schemes or befriending programmes, social enterprise projects, local business links or community garden planting – or something completely different!

There will be an award for the best school in our annual prizegiving ceremony next year, so it’s a great idea to tell us about what you are doing now.

Perhaps you link up with local care homes or lunch clubs to support older members of your community. Maybe you have teamed up with businesses and shops in your area to deliver a specific project. Or perhaps you invite members of the community into your school to take part in different events or activities?

It could be something as simple as helping to plant bulbs in a community garden, or something enormous, like creating a lasting legacy through a history and heritage project – whatever it is, we want to hear about it.

There is funding available for projects that demonstrate a strong commitment to the community.

Inside, we catch up with Dalmarnock Primary in the east end, an excellent example of a Streets Ahead school putting itself at the heart of its community, and its recent links with former Streets Ahead awardwinner Eco Drama.

Let the pupils, staff and parents at Dalmarnock inspire you…and get involved in Streets Ahead!

Email streetsahead@heraldandtimes.co.uk or call 0141 302 6555. Visit our website www.eveningtimes.co.uk to find out more about our Streets Ahead campaign.

If you would like to apply for funding, send an email with details of the project, how much you need and what the money would be spent on, to ann.fotheringham@heraldandtimes.co.uk