Day: March 2, 2013

Active Kids is back at Sainsbury’s

active kids 006Primary 7 pupils from Davidsons Mains Primary School were delighted to show some of the equipment that the school bought with vouchers from the Sainsbury’s Active Kids 2012 scheme.

Active Kids is a voucher collection scheme that enables nurseries, schools, Scout and Guide groups and sports clubs to collect vouchers and redeem them for sports, cooking and gardening equipment and active experiences.

Vouchers can be earned for every £10 spent in main stores, in petrol stations and when you buy groceries online and for every £5 in convenience stores (exclusions apply). Vouchers will be issued  until 22 May.

David Bainbridge, Sainsbury’s Blackhall Store Manager said: “It’s important to help keep children enthused about all different kinds of activities – from play to sport – and we’re confident that Active Kids 2013 will help achieve this goal.”

The NEN needs an enthusiastic fundraiser!

The North Edinburgh News is looking for someone to help us put the paper on a secure financial footing. We would like to hear from anyone who is interested in a short-term contract to identify and contact potential advertisers and sponsors in the north Edinburgh area, who would be willing to advertise in the paper and thereby provide us with an income stream.
Previous experience is not essential, but would be useful. The main requirement is for someone who is enthusiastic, conscientious, well-organised, committed to supporting the voluntary sector and able to work on a freelance basis without close direction.
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For further information, contact Martin Hinds – mhinds@blueyonder.co.uk or phone 07590 406 019

Leith MP focuses on food bank fears

Mark Lazarowicz, MP for North and Leith, visited a ‘pop-up’ food bank outside the Houses of Parliament this week, and earlier today he at the Kirkgate collecting signatures for a petition to highlight the issue of growing poverty and the increased reliance on food parcels across the UK.

Mr Lazarowicz said: “Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK are now forced to get support from food banks. Leith is the latest area where a food bank is being set up. I have enormous respect for the dedication of staff and volunteers who are helping through food banks to meet the growing need for food aid but that need is a clear sign of Government failure.

“The depressed state of the economy combined with cuts in welfare support have led many people, both in and out of work, to turn to food banks as a last resort. The growth of food banks is stark evidence of the failure of Government economic and employment policy. Food banks show just how much people in our community care for the most vulnerable but they shouldn’t have to be a substitute for Government action. That’s why I am supporting this petition, which calls for the government to ensure there is an accurate count of the number of people using food banks in Scotland and for Government action to ensure that no families in the UK go hungry.”

Before Christmas, the North and Leith MP took part in food collection drives at local supermarkets and he recently attended a meeting at South Leith Parish Church Halls to look at setting up a food bank in Leith.

Britain’s largest network of food banks, the Trussell Trust (which is involved in the proposal to set up a food bank in Leith), estimates that they will need to support in excess of 260,000 people over the next year.

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