Shogufta Haq of East Dunbartonshire-based group for BME women over 60, Apna Ghar, tells us how a 'Come on in' microgrant from Creative Lives helped the group reach out to new participants.

"We are Apna Ghar - which means 'our home' - a women's project based in East Dunbartonshire. We are a group of older BME women above 60 who meet to build strong community connections and friendships, tackle loneliness and isolation and take part in a range of activities including painting and art therapy. 

We formed in October 2022 and have been going strong ever since, with nearly 60 members. We used our wonderful 'Come on in' grant from Creative Lives to bring more ladies into the group and to advertise the group in their community language. We wanted to spread the word about the group by setting up a Facebook page and advertising with posters in community venues (e.g. libraries, mosques, temples and community centres).

Recently we have been enjoying community cooking classes at Ramekin and Rolling pin community kitchen and learning how to make healthy nutritious meals for our families whilst catering for our Asian palate! We have also been busy learning how to ride a bike and
that has been such a wonderful experience for many. The freedom of being on a bike and keeping fit has been phenomenal!"