Category: North Edinburgh News

Record numbers access increased school holiday support

Access to healthy food and activities for more children

A record number of children have benefitted from holiday activities and nutritious meals while schools are shut. With Edinburgh pupils going back to school today, national charity Cash For Kids expect to provide activities to more than 61,000 children, up from the 37,000 children supported last year.

National charity Cash for Kids received £250,000 to fund a range of community groups offering holiday programmes, linking up with local authority activity across Scotland.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell visited Milton Holiday Hub in Invergordon, which provides one-stop access to childcare, activities, healthy food and family support. It is part of a pilot scheme to widen access to children in rural locations.

Highland Council and third sector partners received £43,000 Scottish Government funding to run the hub five days a week over the summer holidays, providing childcare as well as activities, meals and wider family support.

Ms Campbell said: “School holidays should be a time for fun and excitement for children, but for some families it brings financial pressures, particularly due to UK Government welfare cuts and austerity. We want to ensure that families who need additional support have access to a place where their children can go and receive a healthy meal and take part in fun activities.

“The partnership with local authorities and the third sector is key to tackling food insecurity and child poverty. This is a priority for this government and we are ensuring that those most in need receive the right support.

“We also recognise that there are specific barriers to accessing support in rural communities which we’re overcoming with the Milton Holiday Hub this summer. This helps ensure those communities are able to still receive support while the local school is closed.”

The Scottish Government has focused £2 million from the £3.5 million Fair Food Fund specifically on school holidays, with £692,000 awarded for 2019-20 to support families send their children to a holiday club scheme.

 

Continue reading Record numbers access increased school holiday support

Government Minister for Scotland visits Edinburgh robotics centre

Scotland Office Minister Robin Walker was given a tour of Heriot-Watt University’s world leading robotics facilities as he discussed progress on the creation of a National Robotarium yesterday. Continue reading Government Minister for Scotland visits Edinburgh robotics centre

Fresh Start is ESPC’s new charity partner

ESPC has announced that their charity partner for the upcoming year is Fresh Start, the North Edinburgh based organisation helping people who have been homeless get established in their new home.

They work with volunteers and organisations from across the local community to deliver a range of services that provide the practical and social support that help people resettle successfully. Each year they help thousands of new tenants settle into their homes.

Paul Hilton, CEO of ESPC, said: “We are really excited to be working with Fresh Start over the next year. The service they provide to the local community is fantastic. The whole team will get involved with volunteering and fundraising to help Fresh Start provide support to the thousands of new tenants they help settle into homes every year.”

Fresh Start’s Jen McQuistan said: “We are absolutely delighted to be selected as ESPC’s chosen charity for 2019/20. As a small local charity, the fundraising they’ll be doing throughout the year and the awareness raised will make a big difference to the people Fresh Start support.

“The ESPC team have already started planning some exciting fundraising events and we also hope to get them involved in Starter Pack collections and possibly some volunteering days throughout the year, so it is already set to be a successful partnership.

“All of this support will allow us to raise awareness of the issues surrounding homelessness and help fund direct service costs that help some of the most vulnerable people across Edinburgh.

“Through ESPC’s help we can make a real difference to those affected by homelessness and provide them with the social and practical support they need to move forward with their lives.”

 

 

Here comes Karen!

Karen Penny, a 53-year-old mum from South Wales, is currently walking around the ENTIRE coast of the UK and Ireland. The journey will be about 20,000 miles, and will take her an estimated three years to complete!

Karen is raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK – the UK’s leading dementia research charity – after losing both of her in-laws to different forms of dementia. Her fundraising target is £100,000 and she is already nearly 40% of the way there.

Karen – who may be the first woman to do this journey non-stop (i.e. without going home or breaking her journey) – has been making incredible progress since she set off from South Wales in January.

In the first seven months of her challenge she has already walked the complete circumference of the island of Ireland, and the entire Welsh coastal path, recently passing the 3,000 mile milestone.

Karen – who has appeared on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio Two, BBC Wales and national radio shows in Ireland, as well as receiving national newspaper coverage in England and Ireland – is an enthusiastic and engaging person who has amazing tales to tell about her journey so far.

She has been bowled over by the kindness of people that she has met along the way – with offers of cups of tea, meals, company as she walks and places to stay overnight.

Despite having a tent in her rucksack that she carries with her as she walks, she has found that much of the time kind supporters have offered her accommodation instead – everything from a bird hide to a castle! She has been met and praised by the Mayors of Dublin and Liverpool.

She is currently in the north west of England, and is expected to reach Scotland next week – 18th August, all being well.

She thinks that the Scottish leg of her journey could take her up to a year to complete, as she plans to walk the circumference of “at least” 20 Scottish islands as well as the mainland coast while she is here!

Karen’s fundraising page is https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thepennyrollson and her Facebook page (where she has 2,800+ supporters cheering her on) ishttps://www.facebook.com/groups/1790360527648427/