Our counselling service for young people and our dementia-friendly project for older people have both been awarded funding from the Ellen and Ian Graham Foundation.
The US-based philanthropic organisation, which has strong family roots in Scotland, was created in 2004 to honor the legacy of entrepreneur Ian Graham and his world-renowned photographer wife Ellen Graham. Big Hearts’ relationship with the Foundation started in 2024, with an initial grant to support our efforts over the winter 2024/25, including football-based initiatives for members of our local community. Watch the video to find out more.
This winter, the Foundation is generously extending their funding to Big Hearts through a £25,000 donation, which will enable the charity to continue running two of its most critical services throughout 2026.
Around 40% of young people supported by Big Hearts are on CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) waiting list of up to a year. Set up in 2025, Big Hearts’ Young People Counselling aims to enhance mental health provision within Big Hearts youth services. Our qualified trauma-informed Counsellor provides confidential one-on-one therapeutic sessions, in a non-clinical environment, to young people aged 13 to 24 who might be struggling with emotional distress, family breakdown or bereavement.
Now having run for over a decade, the Big Hearts’ Memories project has become a lifeline of support for aging Hearts fans and their carers. Last year, Big Hearts saw a surge in referrals, up to 15 in a single month. The reminiscence-based afternoons at Tynecastle Park offer a well-suited environment to build friendships and community support in later life. For some elderly isolated participants, attending the group every week is the only opportunity to leave the house and connect with others. The group is running twice a week and is free to attend.
Craig Wilson, Chief Exec at Big Hearts Community Trust, said: “It’s been a privilege to get to know trustees and members of the Ellen and Ian Graham Foundation, and see how Big Hearts’ mission to change lives through the Hearts’ badge aligns with their vision for communities in Scotland. We’re grateful to the Foundation for their renewed trust: it’s a pledge that older and younger generations can access free, expert support at Tynecastle Park through Big Hearts, when they need it most. Thank you.”
Ian Tracy of the Ellen and Ian Graham Foundation and Trustee of the Ellen and Ian Graham SCIO in Scotland said: “We first came to know about these programs through another third sector executive who said Craig was “switched on” and that what Big Hearts have been doing is impressive. We couldn’t agree more and have enjoyed getting to work with Craig and his team. I was particularly delighted to sit down with Craig last year and bring a family friend in Eric Milligan, former Lord Provost of Edinburgh and avid Hearts fan over, to hear more about these Big Hearts projects. Leaving that meeting, we knew these were collaborative minds genuinely interested in helping the marginalised of Scotland. Big Hearts indeed! This aligned directly with our charitable mission in Scotland and so it was a natural extension for the Graham family to support the Big Hearts Memories and Youth Counselling programs. We’ve never been to a game at Tynecastle but we do try to live by following our hearts every day! We wish these programs great success and are honored to be a small part of them.”
Find out more about:
– Young people’s counselling
– Memories project
