Tom Kitchin and Martin Wishart have been joined by Gordon Strachan, Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian Football Clubs to support Pilton Community Health Project crowdfunding campaign to reach their £50,000 target.
Scotland legend, Spartans patron and Craigroyston former pupil Gordon Strachan said: “I am delighted to support Pilton Community Health Project with their efforts to raise funds to allow them to stay open and continue to provide essential services to the fantastic people of North Edinburgh.”
Edinburgh’s top football clubs have offered incentives for Pilton Community Health Project’s first charity auction which went live at 9pm last night on Ebay UK. Hibernian FC have donated a Mascot Package and a Pre-Match “Behind the Scenes” Stadium Tour. Hearts of Midlothian FC have donated a football and a strip signed by the first team.
Top chefs Martin Wishart and Tom Kitchin have helped the PCHP crowdfunding campaign raise just over £29,000 since 14 February through the online platform www.savepchp.com and helping support and promote offline donations and fundraising activities.
This latest support to the campaign will boost the fundraising efforts to keep the closure-threatened Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP) open. By raising £50,000 the campaign will allow PCHP to continue to deliver a reduced level of its life changing services, for 12 months, until longer-term funding is secured again.
PCHP, which is Scotland’s oldest community health project, was told in late December last year that its funding was being withdrawn by the new Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board for health and social care funding in the city.
In the 35 years it has been in existence, PCHP has transformed thousands of lives. The project provides a range of services to fight the often overwhelming results of health inequality in Edinburgh including mental health counselling, tackling food insecurity, cooking groups and community meals, tackling social isolation and loneliness, community crèche for local affordable childcare, and support for victims of domestic abuse.
The crowdfunding campaign continues on www.savepchp.com allowing anyone to pledge a donation – large or small – to ensure the project can continue its lifeline services.
Between January and December 2018, PCHP has:
- Provided mental health counselling to around 50 pupils at local high schools
- Worked with 42 people to provide adult counselling assessment appointments and 48 people attend regular counselling
- Supported over 140 women who are victims of domestic abuse or facing other difficulties in their lives
- Supported over 353 people who are new and settled immigrants, from 20 different countries
- Helped over 788 people access hot nutritious food and make social connections through community meals
- Provided 204 people with regular cooking groups, clubs and/or food related training leading to qualifications
- Supported 602 people and their families to access food through our local Sharing Shelves initiative and tackle holiday hunger with family food boxes
- Encouraged and supported over 467 people to lead healthier lives by getting them more physically active
- Trained and supported 30 local volunteer physical activity leaders
- Worked with 933 people and linked them into 249 services and resources through the GP Link Worker Service
23
0
20
