Our CashBack Move Forward programme helps young people through three core projects: Our Youth Media programme, shmu’s Training Academy and the Media Access Project at HMP Grampian. 

The programme makes a real difference and we’ve just published our Year 1 Report which details how. Read it here:

During the Covid-19 outbreak the editorial volunteers and the shmu support team are working hard to continue to produce community magazines. We are aware of the important role our magazines have to play in circulating information as well as celebrating local communities and we want to continue to do this during these challenging times. 

shmu runs Foundation Apprenticeships in Creative and Digital Media and IT & Software Development for Aberdeenshire Council.

These programmes are becoming very popular and are an extremely useful way for senior school pupils to gain additional qualifications and work experience at the same time.

"I took the above photo on 24 March 2020 - the day we closed our fantastic new building. In some ways it’s felt that it’s gone in a flash, however at times it’s also felt like a long slog.

Looking back at my calendar on that day, I have one task - ‘Locking Up’. It was surreal – I was there for the whole day, with different people popping in and out to pick up PCs, chairs etc. and then, around 7pm, there I was standing in the main breakout space, looking at that fantastic space, the heart of our building, dark and empty – I remember feeling a little like the captain on the bridge of the Titanic (but with an exit strategy).

A consortium bid led by shmu on behalf of Culture Aberdeen has secured £300,000 of funding from Creative Scotland’s Culture Collective programme, which aims to provide an opportunity for organisations to explore and test new models of cultural engagement and participation and to learn from each other.

Shmu’s HQ in Woodside, Aberdeen, hosted Aberdeenshire Council’s media announcement that over 300 pupils from the area’s secondary schools have gained Foundation Apprenticeships. The event was held on Tuesday 4th August.

As an SQA-accredited centre, shmu played an integral role by helping deliver Foundation Apprenticeships to 40 young people from four schools. 

shmu has been honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK - the equivalent to an MBE.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service recognises outstanding work done by volunteer groups in their local communities and was established in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.