Tag: charity

War Child UK launches prize draw to support children in conflict

Win a royal tea with Emma Corrin & Josh O’Connor from ‘The Crown’ alongside items and experiences donated by Vanessa Kirby, Taylor Swift & many more

War Child UK have launched a series of exclusive prize draws with a range of unique celebrity items & experiences up for grabs to support their Torn From Home appeal, aimed at helping children affected by war in Afghanistan.

For just a £5 donation to War Child, the public will be able to enter a prize draw to win one of the many incredible items and experiences including:

  • The chance for you and a friend to have high tea with Emma Corrin and Josh O’Connor who play Prince Charles and Princess Diana in The Crown
  • Once in a lifetime chance for you and up to 3 friends to have lunch with Vanessa Kirby, as well as a private screening of her highly anticipated upcoming film, Pieces of a Woman
  • A signed t-shirt and vinyl copy of chart-topper Mabel’s incredible debut album ‘High Expectations’
  • A vinyl copy of War Child’s landmark record Help! Recently re-issued on special edition vinyl in celebration of the album’s 25th Anniversary – signed by the legendary, Paul Weller
  • A Tom Misch signed vinyl bundle featuring the ever popular ‘What Kinda Music’, ‘Geography’ and ‘Beat Tape 2’
  • A poster signed by critically acclaimed singer songwriter Celeste, from her very first headline show at Mirth, Marvel & Maud
  • A signed 12×12” test press by British rock band Enter Shikari of their album The Last Spark: Live At Ancienne Belgique, Brussels – one of only 20 copies made for the public
  • A signed ‘The Vaccines Make Me Feel Good’ T-shirt originally worn on stage by Justin Young
  • A signed double LP of Taylor Swift’s more recent album, Folklore.

Prize draws runs until 17th December 2020 at warchildwintershop.com, where for every three entries you will get a fourth free.

In addition to the prize draws, the War Child Winter Shop is also offering a range of bespoke creations from their friends across the arts and creative industries, meaning that the public can also get their hands on the likes of a specially designed jumper by designer Bella Freud, an Anthony Burrill shopper bag, and limited prints by renowned artists Rose Stallard, Adam Bridgland, Joe Cruz, Fee Greening and Supermundane.

Every prize draw entry, charity gift and donation made via the War Child Winter Shop website, is eligible for UK Aid match funding, meaning that for every £1 raised before 18 February 2021, the UK government will double this and help raise vital funds for the charity’s work in reuniting Children in Afghanistan with their families.

In Afghanistan, thousands of children, some as young as eight, are forced to leave home in search of work after decades of war have destroyed their family’s livelihoods.

War Child is on hand at the border working to provide emotional and psychosocial support from children before safely getting them home. The funds from this appeal will help reunite families and provide solutions to those problems that drove families and their children to embark on this perilous journey in the first place.

Vanessa Kirby, War Child UK ambassador said “I am really excited about being able to offer this prize to support this truly worthy appeal for this amazing charity.

“Until the 18th February, all your entries and all your donations will be matched by the UK government, helping keep families in Afghanistan together, and giving children real hope for a safer and more secure future”

Rob Williams, CEO of War Child UK said: “We are truly grateful to all of our incredible supporters for their generosity – we have some remarkable prizes available and feel very fortunate to be able to share those with the public.

“We are also very fortunate to have the support of the UK government through Aid Match, which will help funds raised from our Torn From Home appeal have an even greater impact on our work in Afghanistan, and to the lives of the children and families we are supporting there”

For more information, to enter a prize draw, or purchase gifts visit warchildwintershop.com/

Prize draw T&C’s available online

Remember loved ones this Christmas with Meningitis Now’s charity ribbon appeal

CHARITY MENINGITIS NOW has launched its annual Ribbon Appeal to remember loved ones at Christmas and donate to fight back against the devastating disease.

Families impacted by meningitis but not bereaved are also invited to support the appeal.

Supporters honour their loved ones by writing their name on a white ribbon for display by the charity or to wear or hang on their own Christmas tree at home.

All donations go towards Meningitis Now’s ongoing lifesaving and life-changing work, rebuilding futures by providing dedicated support to people living with the impact of the disease, as well as raising awareness so people know what to look for and what action to take if they suspect meningitis and funding research into vaccines and prevention.

Meningitis Now supporters normally come together for a moving Christmas concert in Gloucester Cathedral every December, where the ribbons are displayed on a Christmas tree. Instead, this year, the charity will host a virtual Christmas Carol Concert, live on Facebook at 7pm on Tuesday 8 December, which will include a recording of the ribbons hanging on the tree at the centre of its Remembrance Garden at its Head Office in Stroud.

Tom Nutt, Meningitis Now’s chief executive, said: “We know that Christmas can be a difficult time and this year will be especially difficult for many. Although we can’t be together this year we can still remember together.

“Meningitis has no respect for this special time of year. Twenty-two families every day throughout the festive period will feel its impact, with some lives sadly being changed forever.

“Please support our Christmas Ribbon Appeal and help us to keep fighting this terrible disease and be there for families who need our support, at Christmas-time and throughout the year. And please join us for our online concert – you’ll be very welcome, whether you have a meningitis experience or not.”

Meningitis Now is working towards a future where no one in the UK loses their life to meningitis and everyone affected gets the support they need.

To dedicate a ribbon by Tuesday 1 December or donate, visit the Meningitis Now website at:

https://www.meningitisnow.org/support-us/events/fundraising-events/support-us-christmas/ribbon-appeal-2020/ 

For details on the virtual Christmas Carol Concert see:

https://www.meningitisnow.org/support-us/events/fundraising-events/support-us-christmas/gloucester-christmas-carol-concert/

The charity’s helpline is available on 0808 80 10 388 or email:

 helpline@meningitisnow.org

Home Again: Grieving girl reunited with long lost cat

A cat missing for nine months and presumed dead is reunited with a grieving young girl – and her reaction is priceless.

After nine months of searching for her beloved cat, 10-year-old Katya Harmon had reluctantly accepted that she wouldn’t see Timmy again. The pair had been inseparable since they bonded eight years previously and the loss made 2020 an even more difficult year for Katya.

Katya’s father Perry had died of cancer in the summer and the family was so overcome with grief that her mother Svitlana took extended leave from her role as a care home worker to come to terms with the loss and care for Katya.

In January the Surrey family moved from Chertsey to West End, Woking. Timmy was kept indoors for the first few weeks but, on only the second time being let out in his new neighbourhood, he failed to return home. They searched garages and sheds, knocked on doors and posted on social media, but no sightings were reported.

Katya was inconsolable for weeks, living in hope of his safe return. After being missing for nine months, mum Svitlana felt the time had come to accept that Timmy was gone for ever and she would need to help her daughter heal. The process started with Svitlana getting rid of Timmy’s toys and bedding, unaware that their luck was about to change.

Within days, Svitlana received a ground-shaking call while doing the school run. Incredibly, Timmy had been found safe and well and would be coming home, thanks to him being microchipped (https://youtu.be/moZDgX-dfEc).

Pauline Welch, Welfare Officer for Cats Protection’s Woking and District Branch said: “We had a report from a lady who had been feeding a suspected stray cat for a couple of months. I went round and scanned him for a microchip, which he had thankfully. While there I looked up the number on our system and saw that it had been registered to an address in Chertsey.”

Although Svitlana hadn’t updated their address on Timmy’s microchip, her mobile number remained the same and Woking’s Cats Protection team (www.cats.org.uk/woking) was able to call and break the happy news.

Pauline said: “The lady who answered was indeed missing her cat Timmy and was over the moon that he’d been found. Her daughter had been devastated when he went missing and had asked her mum that very morning if she’d ever see him again. It’s a heart wrenching story with a happy ending.

“It certainly brought a few tears to our eyes, that’s for sure!”

Relieved mum Svitlana was bowled over when she took the call. She said: “I had just taken Katya to school when I received a totally unexpected call from Cats Protection. I had given up hope of ever receiving such a call. Timmy was coming home. It was almost unbelievable.

“I knew that Katya would be overjoyed to see Timmy. That was when I hit on the idea of filming that special moment, to capture Katya’s reaction to finding Timmy hiding on her bed.”

No sooner had Pauline made the call than Timmy was delivered back to his home.

All the while Katya was at school and couldn’t imagine the surprise waiting for her on her return.

Thankfully, Svitlana captured that moment when Katya is reunited with her beloved cat on video: https://youtu.be/moZDgX-dfEc

The joyful return of Timmy went some way to improving a devastating year for Katya and her mum.

Svitlana said: “We’ve had it hard this year, like so many people. It has been hard to see any end to it. And then I had a miracle call from Cats Protection. It really brought some light back into our world.

“If it wasn’t for that microchip, we wouldn’t have Timmy home with us now. He won’t leave Katya’s side and she is besotted with him. He came back to us two days before my birthday; that really was the best present I could have hoped for this year.”

Cats Protection’s work is possible thanks to the generous donations of supporters and volunteers, especially during the COVID-19 crisis when fundraising has been hit hard.

To donate to the Woking and District Branch and to support cats like Timmy, visit: www.cats.org.uk/christmas/donate

Timmy’s story mirrors Cats Protection’s Christmas campaign featuring a tear-jerking animation created by multi award-winning Aardman Studios. The beautiful three-minute animation is inspired by the true story of a young boy and his missing cat, Casper, and highlights the value of microchips for pets. 

To watch the Christmas animation, visit www.cats.org.uk/christmas

According to Cats Protection’s CATS report 2020*, over a quarter (26%) of owned cats in the UK are not chipped. The charity is actively campaigning to change this by making it a legal requirement for cats to be microchipped, as it is for dogs.

Barratt Homes helps Edinburgh communities with charity donations

LifeCare and Tiphereth have each received a £1,000 donation as part of Barratt Homes East Scotland’s regular Community Fund giveaway.

Elderly care charity, LifeCare, will be using the cash boost from the five-star housebuilder to upskill its frontline workers to better deal with the changes to their working environment caused by COVID-19. For Tiphereth, the donation will help towards the refurbishment of one of its facilities, allowing them to welcome more people back to the organisation’s day service.

LifeCare specialises in dementia care, home care and incare for older people, allowing them to live with dignity. By helping older people keep connected to their communities, and to the things they love and enjoy, Life Care aims to guard the elderly against social isolation and the trap of defining people by dementia, poor mobility or advanced years.

Tiphereth is a unique community in Edinburgh where people with learning difficulties, staff and volunteers work and grow together. Through undertaking work for local community groups as well as their own cookery, art and gardening projects members increase their self-confidence while developing lifelong skills.

Alison Condie, managing director at Barratt East Scotland, said: “LifeCare and Tiphereth carry out incredible work supporting the vulnerable and people with learning difficulties.

“We’re pleased to be able to help them and hope that our donation will allow them continue to provide these crucial and important services through what are difficult times for us all.”

Speaking of the donation Vicki Bradley, Fundraising Manager at LifeCare added: “We are delighted that Barratt Homes has chosen to donate £1,000 to LifeCare.

“The people who use LifeCare services are amongst the most vulnerable in society and many are still shielding, so it is extremely important that our workers are knowledgeable in how to keep their clients and themselves safe. COVID-19 has not only changed the way we work but has added extra costs to all that we do, so we are very grateful to Barratt Homes for their generosity to help us continue to support those who rely on our services.”

Gordon Hudson, Fundraiser Manager at the Tiphereth said: “We would like to extend a huge thank you to Barratt Homes from everyone at Tiphereth. While our residential homes have been able to operate throughout lockdown, getting our day service back to 75% capacity has used up 100% of our staff.

“The donation will go towards bringing an extra building up to normal office standard, allowing us to utilise our locations differently and establish safer smaller groups.  This, in turn, will help us welcome more people back, offering respite to parents.”

Now in its second year, the Barratt Homes Community Fund has pledged to donate £1,000 each month to a charity or organisation in the East of Scotland. Charities are nominated by and voted for by employees of Barratt Homes and the focus for the fund continues to be on organisations that improve the quality of life for those living in the area.

The Barratt Homes Community Fund will be continuing into 2021.

Interested charities can enquire about donation opportunities at charity.eastscotland@barratthomes.co.uk

For more information on Barratt Homes, visit the website.

Countdown’s on to Giving Tuesday

The countdown is on to #GivingTuesday 2020 – the global day of generosity is happening on 1 December

For this extraordinary year, #GivingTuesday is encouraging people to #GiveBack2020 – be it through a charity donation, a continued commitment to a cause close to their hearts, volunteering time or simply helping a friend, neighbour or family member.

#GivingTuesday and #GiveBack2020 offers all of us a chance to head towards the end of this most challenging of years by taking a positive step and knowing that we’ve once again come together to make a difference.

The global pandemic’s repercussions are being felt by charities around the world. Research by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), the organisation leading #GivingTuesday in the UK, found that charities face a significant increase in demand for their services while more than half (53%) have suffered a drop in donations. 

It is estimated that charities face a £10bn funding gap and CAF’s latest research found that without help, a quarter of charities in the UK said they would not survive a year.

The call to #GiveBack2020 is supported by JustGiving, Virgin Money Giving, PayPal and many more.  It encourages people to do what they can to support good causes.

It could be donating the cost of your normal commute, giving spare change while you are Christmas shopping, rounding up your purchases and donating those extra pennies or even turning what would have been money spent on a work Christmas night out into a much-needed donation instead.

Gráinne Mathews, #GivingTuesday UK Lead at CAF said: “In this unprecedented year, we have all seen the amazing things that charities have done in the hardest and darkest of times. 

“They have been there for us, our families, and our communities and have come up with new ways to help the people most in need.  At CAF, we have been inspired to see so many charities striving to do more with less after fundraisers were cancelled and charity shops closed.

“This #GivingTuesday, the charities that have been there for us need us to be there for them. It is time to #GiveBack2020.”

To find out more about #GivingTuesday, and how you can get involved, visit:

 http://www.givingtuesday.org.uk/

Over 70% are concerned for welfare of children

A new study conducted by Savanta ComRes, has found that seven in ten UK adults (71%) feel concerned for children in the toughest of circumstances all over the world during the COVID19 crisis. However, only one quarter (26%) of UK adults are planning to donate to an overseas charity this Christmas due to the impact of COVID19.

The research, which was commissioned by international relief charity Samaritan’s Purse who run Operation Christmas Child, also highlighted that 75% of those surveyed believed that children needed to feel loved this Christmas more than ever due to the impact of COVID-19.

Director of Operation Christmas Child, Nick Cole says, “The pandemic has once again highlighted the importance of children’s mental and physical health. The concern for children across the world, and the importance that they need to feel seen and loved this year is more tangible than ever. We must all play our part in ensuring children are given the necessary support in the face of all they have experienced this year.”

Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts—filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys—to children in the toughest circumstances across the globe for more than two decades. For many children who receive them, it is the first gift they have ever received. This is a project that everyone can still be a part of, even with COVID-19 restrictions.

Cole continues, “From this survey we see that while concern is high for children across the world during the pandemic, the desire to donate to charities is a low priority.

“Through Operation Christmas Child, individuals can do the simple act of packing a shoebox and help contribute to the mental well-being of children in the most vulnerable communities.”

Find out more about packing a Christmas shoebox here: www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/occ

STV Children’s Appeal 2020 raises over £3.5 million

A grand total of £3,530,025 has been raised by the STV Children’s Appeal throughout 2020, bringing the total amount raised by the Appeal since its formation in 2011 to over £24 million.

A busy year of fundraising culminated in a successful telefundraiser broadcast on STV on Friday. The programme, hosted by Lorraine Kelly, saw stars including Andy Murray and KT Tunstall encouraging Scots to support the Appeal, which raises funds for vulnerable children and young people across Scotland.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also made a memorable appearance in this year’s show, starring in a specially-recorded sketch alongside comedian Janey Godley (download here), in which she delivered Godley’s iconic catchphrase “Frank, get the door!” for the first time.

The Scottish Government has again pledged to match fund £1 million towards the final total raised.

The STV Children’s Appeal has seen a wide range of “community heroes” from across Scotland helping to raise money this year, including:

·       91-year-old Jan Collins from Troon (picture attached), who raised £8,621 by completing 1,000 holes of golf in his garden

·       Inverness schoolboy Shaun Maclean (picture attached), 8, who ran 200 laps of his garden and raised £966

·       Gerry Long, a postman from Ardrossan, who cheered up local residents during the national lockdown in April by dressing up as a different fictional character each day to deliver mail – raising £450 in the process

Corporate supporters of the Appeal have included supermarket chain Lidl. Its customers and staff helped to raise £73,000 this year – bringing the total amount Lidl has raised for the Appeal to over £500,000.

Baroness Margaret Ford, Chair of the STV Children’s Appeal, said: “Once again, we are absolutely blown away by the incredible generosity of STV viewers – particularly at a time when donating may be harder to do than normal.

“Their support, along with that of our community heroes and corporate fundraisers, will make a real difference to the one in four children living in poverty throughout the country.

“These young people, who have felt the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic more than most, urgently need our help – and we’re committed to distributing the funds as quickly and efficiently as possible. On behalf of everyone at the STV Children’s Appeal, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every person who has supported us throughout this year.”  

Shared Lives Plus wins £50,000 Movement for Good award

Shared Lives Plus, which is launching its Homeshare scheme in Scotland, is one of ten charities to receive £50,000 as part of Ecclesiastical Insurance’s Movement for Good awards.

The awards, set up by specialist insurer Ecclesiastical, have seen a total of £1million given to charities across the UK this summer. 500 charities have already been awarded donations of £1,000 and now 10 charitable organisations will benefit from £50,000 grants.

Shared Lives Plus, which aims to build communities where everyone lives a full life by sharing lives and homes, was one of 10 charities1 selected from over 1,000 entries.

The fund will allow the charity to develop its Homeshare scheme in Scotland, a project that carefully matches someone in need of support to live independently with someone who has a housing need and can provide care. The project fosters mutually beneficial and enriching relationships across communities.

Each of the £50,000 awards are designed to support the advancement of education, skills, arts, culture and heritage, as well as citizenship or community development. Applications were assessed against four key areas; impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion.

Mark Hews, Group CEO of Ecclesiastical, said: “Our Movement for Good awards have been met with an overwhelming response. A huge number of charities have submitted projects for the £50,000 grant and it’s clear that charitable organisations are in need of support now more than ever.

“We believe this financial boost will create long-lasting improvements for communities and support charity workers during what is an incredibly testing time for many.

“Ecclesiastical is a unique financial services group. Owned by a charity, our core purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society. Charitable giving is at the heart of our business and we are proud to be able to give all available profits to the good causes which are important to our customers.

“We know that £50,000 can make a huge difference to the life-changing work that charities do and we are looking forward to seeing how these awards will help make people’s lives better.”

Ben Hall, Development Manager at Shared Lives Plus, added: “I didn’t expect to win at all and when we were told, I was delighted! For us, this project would not be taking place in the coming year without the award from Ecclesiastical’s Movement for Good. It really is as simple as that.

“Homeshare will be a new idea in Scotland and it is vital that we raise its profile. Our goal is that we want to bring shared living to more people and create a kinder and stronger society. This grant allows us to create those plans.”

An amazing 253,879 people around the UK supported the Movement for Good awards during its first phase earlier this year, with over 13,695 charitable causes up and down the country receiving votes. The 500 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated.

Phase two saw 1,059 project submissions for the £50,000 awards. Following a review of all the applications, a panel of judges made their final selection of the winning projects2.

For further information on the Movement for Good Awards and for a full list of the winning charities phase visit: www.ecclesiastical.com/movement-for-good

1.     Full list of 10 winning charities:

Breast Cancer UK Limited – Digital Learning to Prevent Breast Cancer

Shared Lives Plus Limited – Developing Homeshare in Scotland

Tastelife UK – Youth Track Development

Power2 – Teens and Toddlers

The Challenger Trust – My Journey: Challenger Trust in Birmingham Schools

The Lily Mae Foundation – Baby Loss Support Service Enhancement

The Linskill and North Tyneside Community Development Trust – Project Langley

Thomas’s Fund – Kettering General Hospital, Pen Green Children’s Centre and Community & Family Connections scheme

Parents Plus Company Limited by Guarantee – Transforming Intellectual Disability Services across the U.K. and Ireland with The Parents Plus Special Needs programme

Tackling Awareness of Mental Health Issues – Resilient Active Youth

Winning charity videos:

Breast Cancer UK Limited

Shared Lives Plus Limited

Tastelife UK

Power2

The Challenger Trust

The Lily Mae Foundation

The Linskill and North Tyneside Community Development Trust

Thomas’s Fund

Parents Plus Company Limited by Guarantee

Tackling Awareness of Mental Health Issues

Amazon Edinburgh makes donations to local charities for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

The team from the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh has donated a total of £1,500 worth of toys and pyjamas to Cancer & Leukemia Advice & Support for Parents (CCLASP) and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity as part of the company’s global Amazon Goes Gold campaign during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. 

Amazon Goes Gold is Amazon’s annual campaign to raise awareness and funds during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In addition to partnering with hospitals and research organisations around the world, Amazon also wraps a selection of its delivery fleet in gold ribbons during the month of September to further increase awareness across its network. The Amazon Goes Gold campaign was launched in 2017. 

Valerie Simpson, from CCLASP, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many of the team at the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh working in their pyjamas in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness month!

“I’d like to thank Rachel and the team for raising awareness through #AmazonGoesGold and for providing us with a donation, which will be greatly appreciated by everyone at CCLASP. We could hardly believe it when the team showed up with all the pyjamas and toys – the children will love them.” 

While we’re all facing a global pandemic, more than 300,000 children will also be diagnosed with pediatric cancer this year, and it’s the number one non-communicable disease causing the death of children around the world. 

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with CCLASP and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital for Amazon Goes Gold,” said Rachel Seaward-Simpson, Site Leader at the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh.

“We want patients and kids everywhere affected by childhood cancer to imagine the future innovators in themselves. It’s an honour to make a difference for such an important cause that affects families around the world.” 

This donation will support CCLASP and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital in their missions to provide practical and emotional support to families affected by childhood cancer.

‘Simple but far-reaching’: RNIB launches Holyrood manifesto

National sight loss charity RNIB Scotland is calling on all political parties to build on the greater social cohesiveness that the coronavirus crisis has engendered.

Launching its manifesto for next year’s Scottish Parliament elections, the charity’s director James Adams said: “The next Scottish Parliament will convene in a changed world. A world forced to re-evaluate things previously taken for granted, in which everyone has been made more aware of how dependent we are on each other.

“‘A Vision for the 2020s’ sets out simple but far-reaching steps that can create a more inclusive Scotland for blind and partially sighted people. Let’s seize this opportunity.”

The manifesto is calling on the next Scottish Government to launch a new campaign to emphasise the importance of regular eye examinations in preventing sight loss. Over 178,000 people in Scotland currently live with significant sight loss but this could potentially double if steps aren’t taken to contain it.

The manifesto also wants Ministers to report annually on the attainment figures for blind and partially sighted school pupils and train more specialist teachers as a matter of urgency. It highlights that only one in four blind and partially sighted adults are currently in paid employment.

‘Shared spaces’ schemes – where pedestrians and vehicles occupy the same level area – should be scrapped, the manifesto says, and a nationwide ban on pavement parking and advertising boards implemented.

People with sight loss claiming the new disability benefits devolved to Scotland should not have to undergo periodic reassessed if there is no realistic prospect of their condition improving. Any benefits awarded should cover the, often significant, additional costs of living with a visual impairment.

The manifesto is also calling for all public information to be available in accessible formats such as braille, large-print and audio, and for alternative voting methods to ensure people can cast their ballot independently and in secret.

Mr Adams said: “We want a health service that prevents avoidable sight loss and helps people come to terms with it when it isn’t.

“Education that helps every child reach their full potential, and employers who better understand what people with sight loss are capable of.

“Information that’s always available in alternative formats and public transport that’s always accessible.

“And we want our streets and thoroughfares to allow pedestrians to walk safely and without obstacles.

“Today’s coronavirus crisis has exacerbated many of the problems blind and partially sighted people face. But it’s brought to the fore, too, some of the best instincts of our society. That generosity of spirit can be the spur for a new deal for people with sight loss and other disabilities.

“Let’s make that one lasting legacy of the parliamentary term ahead.”

* www.rnib.org.uk/scotland