About us
From an idea sparked by local voices to a thriving youth hub in the heart of Forres.
Since 2023, The Gaff has been growing into a space where young people can connect, learn, and shape their own opportunities — and we’re just getting started.
2023
moray council funding
Funding of £40k was made available by Moray Council through a Participatory Budget specifically for a Youth Space in Forres.
Quickly we decided to make an application based on the research and feedback that had already been done by Moray Council and other local agencies.
Transition Town Forres had already held an open evening to glean early ideas from young people should a youth space be made available.
Using all this information, we made the application and were asked to present to young people at Forres Academy who held the deciding vote on who got the funding.
They chose us! Within a matter of two weeks, we had given them the opportunity to name the youth space and they came up with… The Gaff!
Since then, we have been working with Moray Council to make this project a reality.
aims
vision
2024
busy session
The Gaff kicked off the new year with our Saturday sessions at Forres Town Hall. From January to April, we enjoyed some incredibly busy sessions and were delighted to welcome many new members.
a new location
By Easter, we moved into our current home at St. Leonard’s Church Hall, which offered the space and storage needed to support our growing resources and rising attendance.
increased funding
In July 2024, we were thrilled to secure funding from the Moray Local Action Fund (2024–2025). This grant allowed us to hire a temporary staff member from January to April 2025 to help deliver our sessions. In December, we welcomed our fantastic new Development Officer, Helen Murdoch, to the team.
festive season
We rounded off the year on a high with a lively festive session, where our young people enjoyed themed mocktails and seasonal craft activities.
2025
expanding the team
Since January 2025, Helen has been responsible for organising our Saturday sessions, while also recruiting and coordinating volunteers. Helen has also been able to build and strengthen community partnerships, through making use of local venue spaces and by inviting local groups to deliver workshops and sessions to young people. Additionally, Helen’s visits to local primary schools and to Forres Academy were instrumental in shaping what would become a new extra session for young people.
above and beyond
As of March 2025, The Gaff has delivered two sessions per week. Our newer midweek session, every Wednesday evening during term time, has allowed young people to access The Gaff beyond our usual Saturday sessions. On Wednesdays, we are based upstairs in Forres Community Centre in the Upper Floor Youth Space. The aim for this new session was to continue to provide a safe and welcoming space for young people, while also providing access to more specific opportunities relating to health and wellbeing, and employability.
connecting with local groups
Since starting in March, we have had visits from local groups such as Aberlour YouthPoint Moray, Forres Community First Responders and Moray Flying Circus. We have also linked with Moray Council’s Employability team to deliver fun workshops, including creating Vision Boards and playing with VR Headsets.
summer activities
For the first time, since The Gaff began, we have been able to offer a selection of summer activities. In partnership with local groups and businesses, our young people have been able to try new things with the support of The Gaff. For example, we have run summer sessions with Moray Flying Circus, Active Schools Moray and Moray Youth work, Wild Things! Environmental Education in Action, BodyWorks Fitness Studio, and Chill Skateboard Coaching. Our young people have also been well fed thanks to Anna Henderson at Forres Coffee House, Speedy Pepper takeaway, and Forres Tesco Community Champion, Anne Gordon, who has provided us with fresh fruit and bottled water for our activity days outside.
looking into the future
September through to December will see a variety of seasonal and themed sessions and activities, such as autumnal crafts, a Halloween film night (in partnership with Film Forres), and a Gaff Christmas session to help end the year on a high.
2026
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Velit duis commodo elit cillum id cillum. Ex ea aliquip voluptate ad. Cillum proident aute adipisicing qui do in ullamco anim. Reprehenderit laborum incididunt sint dolor qui deserunt qui ad veniam adipisicing quis nisi.
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2026
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