Edinburgh charity Kindred has been awarded £2,000 from the STV Children’s Appeal to support its work with families at Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
Kindred provides guidance, advocacy and emotional support to families of children with complex disabilities and serious health conditions.The organisation helps parents cope with the shock of a life-changing diagnosis and assists with navigating information and bureaucracy, ensuring that families are enabled to care for their child to the best of their ability.
The grant from STV Children’s Appeal will help Kindred’s work at Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children, where it helps around 150 families a year, including support to siblings whose lives are impacted by the illness of their brother or sister.
Sophie Pilgrim, director of Kindred, said: “The secret to Kindred’s success is that it is run by parents for parents. We understand how people feel and we can support them through the most difficult and dark times, because we’ve been there ourselves. Grants such as that from STV Children’s Appeal allow us to provide a lifeline to families facing huge challenges and distress.”
Since launching in 2011, the STV Children’s Appeal has raised £16.3 million, with 964 big and small grants awarded to projects across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, providing much needed support to over 67,000 children. The money raised is distributed to provide practical help like food and warm clothes, create opportunities for training and employability, and enable social and emotional support for those who need it most.
Baroness Margaret Ford, chair of the board of trustees for STV Children’s Appeal, said: “The STV Children’s Appeal was established to help improve the quality of life of vulnerable children and young people across Scotland.
“We are extremely grateful to everyone who has fundraised and donated to this important cause – a special thanks for your ongoing support. All proceeds remain in Scotland which means we can support vital projects such as Kindred in our efforts to improve the lives of children across the country.”
Sir Tom Hunter, trustee of the STV Children’s Appeal, said: “Driving positive change is down to individuals, communities and charities who can make the world of difference to those young people most in need.
“Sincerely I thank everyone who has raised money for the STV Children’s Appeal and can again confirm to every last one of you that every pound is being invested in charities like Kindred to the benefit of Scotland’s young people. You raise a pound, we give a pound; you make a difference, we support that difference.”
Sir Ian Wood, trustee of the STV Children’s Appeal, said: “With over 200,000 children and young people in Scotland now affected by child poverty, it remains deeply troubling that so many lives across our country are impacted and life choices affected.
“Without the continued support of the public the significant work carried out by the STV Children’s Appeal in providing support, help and opportunities for those who most need could not happen. We all must play our part, no matter how large or small, in reducing these shocking statistics and enabling families to take back some control of their situation.”
If you would like to help raise funds for Scotland’s children – as a group or an individual – please get in touch with Mari Slavin at mari.slavin@stv.tv.
Picture: Malcolm Cochrane
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