Day: April 25, 2013

Tesco raises £11.85 million for Cancer Research UK

Tesco staff and customers have raised £11.85 million in one year for Cancer Research UK, its charity of the year. The money was raised by staff, customers and suppliers at more than 3,000 stories, offices and distribution centres across the UK, and according to Tesco this is the largest amount ever raised by a business and charity partnership in one year.

Fundraising activities included:
  • treks by Tesco staff members to Everest base camp and the Sahara, which together raised over £191,000
  • a festive-themed ‘Cycle to Lapland’ static bike ride in Tesco stores which raised more than £1 million over one weekend
  • competitions inspired by TV programmes including ‘Tesco Does Strictly’ and ‘Tesco Distribution’s Got Talent’ which raised more than £68,000

In-store fundraising activities by Tesco included a donation of 0.0125p from Tesco Personal Finance PLC every time a cash machine was used at Tesco until 29 February 2013, and promotions that encouraged Clubcard customers to donate their points to the charity.

The store that raised the most money was Tesco Extra in Dundee, which raised £22,000.

The funds raised are being used for 32 early diagnosis and detection research projects helping to ensure more people receive treatment at a time when it is more likely to be successful.

During the partnership Tesco also helped Cancer Research UK raise awareness of the early signs and symptoms of cancer. Eight million health information leaflets were placed at store checkouts.

Richard Taylor, Cancer Research UK Executive Director of Fundraising and Marketing, said: “Tesco staff, customers and suppliers have gone above and beyond to raise a record-breaking amount of money for our lifesaving work over the past year. The dedication they have put into raising vital funds to help improve the early diagnosis and detection of cancer particularly during a time of economic uncertainty has been truly inspiring.”

Since 1988 Tesco has chosen a different charity every year to benefit from staff and customer fundraising. The company’s Charity Trust tops up staff fundrasing by 20% up to a maximum of £500,000.

Last month Tesco announced that Diabetes UK will be it’s next charity of the year.

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Port of Leith shows Claire commitment to customer service!

Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) has appointed a new Customer Services Director. Claire Ironside brings twenty years’ experience of working in and developing housing services within Edinburgh and East Lothian.

Joining from the City of Edinburgh Council, Claire was responsible for the letting and management of Council tenancies within the City Centre and Leith, as well as implementing environmental improvement projects in the area. In her new role, Claire will be managing customer services, community initiatives, housing management and TOiL (training opportunities in the Lothians).Claire Ironside PoLHACommenting on her appointment, Claire (pictured above) said: “Delivering good quality affordable homes; devising initiatives that will improve the quality of people’s life and managing good quality affordable housing are all key factors in making a difference to our customers.

“Over the last couple of years I have been based within the Leith Local Office as part of the City Centre/Leith Neighbourhood structure and during this time I have gained an increasing insight into life in the Leith community. I am looking forward to bringing my experience to PoLHA and benefitting its customers.”

Keith Anderson, Port of Leith Housing Association Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted Claire has joined us. She has a wealth of experience, and combined with her advocacy for Leith, will be a great asset to the Association. We’re committed to providing the very best for our tenants and having Claire on board will enable us to continue to do so.”

Bin the Bedroom Tax: public meeting in Muirhouse tonight

Bin the Bedroom Tax!

All welcome to an open meeting to start a local fight-back group in Muirhouse to resist the bedroom tax and the cuts.

7pm Thursday 25 April

Millennium Centre, 7 Muirhouse Medway

We want to create a strong independent local group to:

· stop any evictions for rent arrears due to the cuts : if needbe by defending homes against the sheriff officers

· battle for the complete abolition of the bedroom tax

· fight for all the rent arrears from the bedroom tax to be written off – and for all who have paid the rent increase to be paid back

· support all local people affected in making an appeal against the cut to their Housing Benefit and/or in applying for a Discretionary Housing Payment

· be a way for local people to organise grass-roots resistance: we do not support any political party

· link-up with other groups in North Edinburgh, round the city, Scotland and Britain to co-ordinate our fight-back

· oppose all the cuts – why should we pay for the greed of the rich and for the crisis of their unfair system?

Don’t give up your tenancy – join us to fight back!

CAN’T PAY – WON’T MOVE!

More info 0776 3204906 (Virgin) muirhouseresidents@hotmail.com

www.muirhouseresidents.co.uk/bedroom-tax

www.northedinburghfightsback.org.uk www.edinburghagainstcuts.org.uk

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A helping hand at North West Foodbank

foodbank_logo_Edinburgh-NW-logo[1]With little sign of the recession ending any time soon families are finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet. Wages, for those who do have a job, are not keeping up with rising prices and for those on benefits – well, it’s never been tougher and with more reforms in the pipeline it’s going to get tougher still.

One sign of this is the growing dependency on foodbanks – for some families it’s become the only way to put food on the table. Figures released by The Trussell Trust show that the current economic climate is seeing many more people struggle to put food on the table, including families who are in work. Over 45,000 children were fed by foodbanks in 2011-12, while the numbers of adults and children fed nationwide increased from 61,468 in 2010-11 to 128,697 in 2011-12.

For many foodbank clients, the rising cost of food and fuel combined with static incomes, high unemployment and changes to benefits have forced them into a crisis where they cannot afford to eat.

The latest addition to the growing number of foodbanks opened recently – in Edinburgh North West. 

How do foodbanks work? Foodbanks operate through food donated at ‘Supermarket Collections’.  Foodbank volunteers engage shoppers at supermarkets and give them a ‘foodbank shopping list’, asking them to buy an extra item with their regular shop, which is then donated to the foodbank. Schools, churches, businesses and individuals also donate non-perishable, in-date food to the foodbank – all food given out by foodbanks is donated.

Once collected, the food is sorted by volunteers who check it’s in date and pack it into boxes ready to be given to people in need. Care professionals – doctors, health visitors, social workers, Citizens Advice Bureau staff, welfare officers, the police and probation officers, amongst others – identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher.

Foodbank clients bring their voucher to a foodbank centre where it can be exchanged for three days supply of emergency food. Volunteers meet clients over a cup of tea or free hot meal and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem.

Like many organisations in this cash-straitened times, foodbanks rely on the generosity of volunteers. How you can help? Your gifts of time, funds or food could help stop local people going hungry – and there are lots of ways you can help. For further information see the Edinburgh North West Foodbank website at:

http://edinburghnw.foodbank.org.uk

The Edinburgh NW Foodbank is now open.

Crisis food packs with a referral from frontline care agencies and charities only.

For enquiries, please telephone 0131 202 9130

Email: info@edinburghnw.foodbank.org.uk

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