Day: January 17, 2013

Wow! Lottery funding for local womens’ project

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The Big Lottery Fund Scotland announced its latest package of funding worth over £5.5 million to eleven projects across Scotland today – and Leith-based Women onto Work (WoW) was one of the biggest winners, receiving a grant of £600,000.

Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn, said: “I am delighted to announce this latest round of grants from our Investing in Communities portfolio. JMT Care Services’ In Touch project supports young people as they leave care and Midlothian Sure Start is helping fathers, who have complex issues, develop a relationship with their children. Women onto Work will provide skills and experience for women across Edinburgh to take that first step back into employment and I am delighted that our money will help to expand this service further. All three projects are focusing on the heart of the community, trying to ensure a good start for our children and young people. They are doing extremely valuable work helping people in need and building stronger, more connected communities. These are excellent examples of the type of project we wish to fund and it is good to know that today’s grants will enhance the services they provide.”

Based at Norton Park, Women Onto Work receives a grant of £600k to provide help to women across the capital who need a bit of extra support to help them get back into the workplace. Each woman who enters the “Ready For Work” programme will receive tailored training and be able to access one to one coaching support which will help to signpost them to further education, training, job clubs or volunteering opportunities.

WoW Business Development Manager, Alex Lambert, said: “Women Onto Work has been supporting women who face barriers move towards employment since 1989. We help them to develop new skills so they have the best possible chance of finding sustainable employment. We are absolutely thrilled about this funding which means that we are going to be able to offer this platinum, personalised service to nearly 350 new clients over the next three years. These new clients will be women who live with a mental or emotional health problem and those who are struggling single parents. Women who are currently socially and financially marginalised and simply cannot get the help they need to progress through existing services.

“As well as scaling up our work to meet unmet demand in Edinburgh, the Big Lottery Fund award means we’re now going to be able to offer our service to women in the Lothians and Scottish Borders. We can’t wait to share this news with all of our partners and, most importantly, with the many women who are waiting for this service.”

Today’s funding is part of a package of eleven Big Lottery Fund Scotland, Investing in Community grants totalling £5,618,181. To see today’s other successful projects visit  http://news.biglotteryfund.org.uk/newsroom-uk.

Charity challenge cash for Maggies Centre

Buccleuch Property has raised £17,000 for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres following fundraising efforts at the Buccleuch Property Challenge.

More than 150 property professionals from across the UK took part in the annual outdoor adrenalin challenge, at the Duke of Buccleuch’s Drumlanrig Castle and Queensberry Estate. Participants – who entered in teams of three – endured a six-hour test of mental and physical endurance, split into three stages of running, mountain biking and orienteering.

The Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP) property team raised the highest individual amount for the Challenge and were rewarded with three bottles of Champagne for their efforts.

Maggie’s was chosen as this year’s nominated charity by the Buccleuch Property team. Maggie’s offers free emotional, practical and social support to people with cancer and their families and friends. Maggie’s is there for people at any stage of any type of cancer and no appointments are necessary. Maggie’s Edinburgh was the first Maggie’s Centre, opened in 1996, and is located at Western General Hospital.

Buccleuch Property managing director David Peck said: “We have supported Maggie’s as part of a year-long fundraising campaign. The centres provide unrivalled support to anyone affected by cancer and are helping thousands of people each year. It is hard to imagine what it would be like without charities, such as Maggie’s and we hope our fundraising efforts will go some way to helping them continue to provide this essential support.”

Aoife McDonogh, Corporate Relationship Manager at Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres, said: “We rely on the support of organisations such as Buccleuch Property, in order for us to continue to support those affected by cancer. The Challenge raised an exceptional amount and we are extremely grateful to Buccleuch Property and all the teams who took part for their fundraising efforts.”

Maggies

Try fitness for free

Personal trainers Claire Adams and James Hepburn are running weekly Energize fitness sessions at Craigroyston High School and are now offering local people the opportunity to try a session for free.
Claire explained:
We are holding a FREE taster evening on 30 January from 7-8.30pm.
“We implement a weekly class at Craigroyston High School on Wednesday evenings at 7pm. Participants arrive 20 mins prior to the class commencing and they are weighed, this includes Weight, Body fat and hydration levels. On a weekly basis  they receive nutritional information on a vast array of topics to help aid with diet and nutrition. Furthermore they have a 60 minute exercise class which is tailored to all levels of fitness and abilities.
“We believe we are offering a very valuable business in the local community to help educate on the importance of regular exercise and healthy eating and we offer participants ongoing support.”
A free fitness session – what have you got to lose, but weight?