RCEM: Emergency care ‘in dire crisis’

Devolved governments call for more cash for NHS pay

The UK Government has been urged to increase the amount of funding available for NHS pay.

Ahead of the Autumn statement, Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan have written to UK Health Secretary Steve Barclay to ask for additional funding to help avert strike action this winter in the NHS.

The letter reads:

“We wanted to write to you in advance of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on 17th November to once again make the case for additional funding for our hardworking NHS staff.

“In recent weeks the Deputy First Minister of Scotland and the Welsh Government Minister for Finance and Local Government have written to His Majesty’s Treasury to make clear the need for additional funding for public services.

“The Royal College of Nursing have announced a sweeping legal mandate for industrial action across the UK. In Scotland, they have joined several other unions representing NHS staff in gaining a legal mandate for industrial action with ballots expected to confirm a mandate in the rest of the UK.

“The risk to the NHS of industrial action this winter is profound, and we all need to do all we can to avert industrial action in any form. The NHS across the UK continues to feel the effects of the pandemic as it recovers and remobilises, and any action is likely to have catastrophic effects in all parts of the UK.    

“We are experiencing a cost of living crisis and the anger of NHS staff is entirely understandable. Sky rocketing inflation combined with high interest rates, a direct result of the havoc caused by the UK Government’s mini-budget, means that we are simply unable to come close to matching the expectations of NHS staff across the country. While the support provided by the UK Government on areas such as support for energy bills is welcome, it has not gone nearly far enough.

“Media reports suggest that the Chancellor is considering reimposing austerity on the people of the UK again, for which there is no mandate, through extensive spending cuts. That would be a disaster for our public services, including the NHS, at a time when they need more investment, not less.

“We would therefore implore you to work with us to make the case to the Chancellor in advance of his Autumn Statement for increased funding for the NHS and the devolved governments as a whole, primarily to pay our hard working NHS staff a fair pay rise in the face of the cost of living crisis this winter, and avoid what could be catastrophic industrial action in the NHS.”

Responding to the latest Emergency Department performance figures published by NHS England for October 2022, Dr Adrian Boyle, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “The crisis in Emergency Care is dire. October saw nearly 44,000 patients face a 12-hour DTA wait – we know 12-hour waits measured from decision-to-admit are just the tip of the iceberg and hides the reality.

“We know far more patients wait for 12-hours measured from their time of arrival. NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will still not commit to publishing this data, despite it being collected by all Trusts. We believe this is a barrier to tackling the root of the crisis.

“We know excessively long waits and dangerous crowding are associated with patient harm and increased risk of mortality. Scientific studies have shown that there is one death for every 67 patients waiting between eight and 12-hours from their time of arrival in the Emergency Department.

“The ONS continue to report worryingly high excess mortality figures and we believe that dangerous crowding, long delays, and the crisis in urgent and emergency care are contributing to a significant proportion of these excess deaths.

“We are increasingly concerned about the winter and the health system’s ability to cope. We are already at 94.3% bed occupancy for all general and acute beds and each month patients face the longest waits on record. The system is failing in its core function – the quick and effective delivery of emergency care.

“We need meaningful action now – sticking plasters like setting up tents or handover units will do nothing to resolve these long-waits and may actually cause more harm to patients. We know we need to be able to admit patients, we know ambulances need to handover patients quickly, we agree that it is vital that ambulances must return to Urgent and Emergency calls in the community – but to achieve this we must tackle the issue of poor flow in our hospitals.

“Many patients in hospital no longer meet the criteria to reside, they are occupying beds to which we could be admitting patients. Around 13,000 people are in hospital unable to be discharged. We urgently need an effective social care workforce to help with the discharge of these patients, so we can admit patients, receive patient handovers promptly, and get ambulances back out to the community.

“It is crucial that those in power understand that this is not a demand issue, attendances are not causing crowding and long waits. Crowding and long waits are a consequence of the inability to move patients through the hospital, a consequence of patients who are unable to be discharged because of severe cuts to social care.

“If you can’t discharge patients, beds are indefinitely occupied and the whole system is blocked. The government must get a grip of the social care crisis to fix flow.”

Commenting on the news that the RCN have voted in favour of strike action, Dr Adrian Boyle said: “In Emergency Medicine there is a retention crisis, particularly amongst our nursing colleagues.

“Emergency Medicine nurses are a critical part of the workforce – EM is a team sport. We know and understand that many EM staff, including nurses, are burned out, exhausted and overwhelmed.

“They are skilled, competent professionals who deliver excellent care for our patients. It is vital that our nursing colleagues feel valued and appreciated.”

The latest Emergency Department performance figures published by NHS England for October 2022 for show:

  • There were 1,399,916 attendances at major Emergency Departments
    • This represents a 7.5% increase compared with September 2022, and a 1.7% increase compared with pre-pandemic levels (October 2019)
    • There were 2,000,493 attendances at all Emergency Care facilities
  • 43,792 patients were delayed for 12-hours or more from decision to admit to admission
    • This is the highest number of 12-hour waits on record
    • It is 520% higher than the same month last year, October 2021, and it is 5932% higher than October 2019
    • There have now been 255,334 12-hour DTA stays recorded so far in 2022 – three times as many as were recorded in the 137 months prior to 2022
  • Four-hour performance at major Emergency Departments was 54.8%, this is the worst four-hour performance on record
    • This is a 7.1 percentage point decrease from October 2021, and a 19.7 percentage point decrease compared with October 2019
  • Type 1 admissions stood at 366,964 (a daily average of 11,838)
  • 26.2% of type 1 attendances were admitted, this is a one percentage point decrease from September 2022
  • 150,922patients spent more than four hours in an Emergency Department from decision to admit to admission (also referred to as ‘trolley waits’)
    • This is the highest figure on record and is a 14.5% increase from September 2022
  • Delays to admission stood at 29.8%, this is the highest on record and a 2.8 percentage point decrease from September 2022

The latest beds data for October 2022 show:

  • Last month there were 97,350 general and acute beds available, an increase of 0.71% from September. The occupancy rate was 94.3%, 0.7 percentage points higher than September, the highest monthly figure on record
  • The occupancy rate for adult general and acute beds was 95.6%, also the highest figure on record.

The latest Hospital Episodic Statistics published by NHS Digital for September 2022 show:

  • Patients leaving the department before being seen stood at 5.2%. This is a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from August 2022, but a decrease of 0.7 percentage points from September 2021. 
  • Unplanned reattendance rate was 8.5%. This is 0.4 percentage points lower than September 2022, but 0.3 percentage points higher than September 2021.  
  • Median time in department for admitted patients was 404 minutes. This is an increase of 29% compared with September 2021 (314 minutes). For all patients, the median wait was 192 minutes. 

Thousands march for Climate Justice

Several thousand people marched through Edinburgh yesterday as part of Global Day of Action for climate justice during the UN Climate Conference COP27 in Egypt.

The March was demanding action on warmer homes, better public transport and a speedy transition away from oil and gas which organisers say will help address the cost of living crisis as well as cut climate pollution.

The route through the capital took protestors past different stops highlighting the banks, polluters and governments who are driving climate breakdown.

The event also drew attention to the importance of upholding human rights in responding to the climate crisis, here in the UK and world-wide, as the issue of brutal repression of civil society in Egypt comes under the spotlight.

The march was one of over 40 events across the UK and Ireland on a Global Day of Action for Climate Justice.

Friends of the Earth Scotland head of campaigns Mary Church commented: “As world leaders gather once again to negotiate the future of humanity, thousands of people are marching to demand solutions to the climate crisis that put people and the planet first.

“The solutions to climate change are within grasp and only require the political will to deliver them urgently. Governments need to stop prioritising the demands of big polluters and start listening to the people instead.

“Putting an end date on oil and gas well within the decade, with a just transition to reliable, affordable renewables will help tackle the cost of living crisis as well as slashing emissions.

“There can be no climate justice without human rights, yet governments around the world including here in the UK are clamping down on civic space.

“We stand in solidarity with those already experiencing the impacts of climate breakdown and with the people of Egypt who are being denied their human rights by a brutal regime.

“We support the call of the Egyptian human rights movement for the release of all those who are being unjustly detained including British citizen and human rights defender Alaa Abd El Fattah who is on hunger strike in prison.”

November 12 March was organised by the Edinburgh Climate Coalition, Climate Justice Coalition, Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Global Justice Now, Extinction Rebellion Scotland, Tipping Point, BankTrack, Jubilee Scotland, Scot.E3.

More Images:

PICTURES: Neil Hanna, Colin Hattersley and Ric Lander

Freemasons partner with Royal British Legion to mark Remembrance Sunday

To mark this November’s Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) has created an exclusive poppy pin badge in partnership with the Royal British Legion (RBL) to support their annual Poppy Appeal fundraising campaign.

In addition to donating all the proceeds from this exclusive poppy, the Shop at Freemasons’ Hall is selling Brothers in Alms books for £5, with a portion of the proceeds going to the RBL.

For the third year in a row, there will also be a display projected onto Freemasons’ Hall from 11:00pm on 10 November to 11:59pm on 13 November, featuring falling poppies and the commemorative RBL/Freemasons’ pin badge.

Inside Freemasons’ Hall, the ‘Brothers in Alms – Peace through sacrifice’ exhibition showcases rare photographs spanning the period from the second Boer War through to the end of World War Two, and features those who led as well as those who served on land, sea and in the air.

It portrays the great landscape of the conflicts across all continents and the diversity of the participants.

The exhibition includes images of Freemasons who held a large range of military positions, including Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener who was Secretary of State for War at the start of the Great War and is depicted on the famous ‘Your country needs you’ recruitment poster of 1914.

It also highlights the great charitable work by Freemasons both during and after the wars, in building and supporting hospitals and rehabilitation housing, and providing pensions for ex-servicemen.

When visiting Freemasons’ Hall, which was originally built as the Masonic Peace Memorial in 1933, members of the public will be able to see a bronze poppy that is permanently situated in the Vestibules as a symbol of reflection and contemplation for those men and women who have served and sacrificed.

In 2021, His Royal Highness, The Duke of Kent on behalf of the United Grand Lodge of England signed the Armed Forces Covenant to promote their welfare, support and respect.

An evening in celebration of the HUNGRY BEAT

CELEBRATING SCOTLAND’S UNDERGROUND POP MOVEMENT

WHITE RABBIT Books & UNDERGROUND SOLU’SHN Records present …

HUNGRY BEAT

La Belle Angèle, Edinburgh

Saturday November 19th, 7-10pm.

An evening of words, music and subtle dislocation …

Celebrate the publication of Hungry Beat – The Scottish Independent Pop Underground Movement (1977-1984)

by Douglas MacIntyre and Grant McPhee with Neil Cooper

with

  • The Hungry Beat Group and guests, featuring members of Aztec Camera, The Bluebells, Article 58, Josef K/Orange Juice.
  • Tam Dean Burn (The Dirty Reds) reads from Hungry Beat.
  • Bob Last (Fast Product / Pop:Aural) in conversation.

Tickets £10 from www.undergroundsolushn.com/hungrybeat.html
Doors 7-10pm.

HUNGRY BEAT, Saturday November 19th,

La Belle Angèle, 11 Hastie’s Close, Edinburgh EH1 1HJ.

Tel: 0131-220-1161

Exclusive 7″ Bundle/Signed copies of Hungry Beat available on the night.

Blind and partially sighted children visit Edinburgh Zoo

Twelve children with sight loss and their families had the chance to visit Edinburgh Zoo thanks to the charity RNIB.

Among those attending was 15 year-old Hannah Evans from Linlithgow who has is partially sighted with bilateral congenital cataracts and a learning disability. 

Hannah’s mum Carol said: ” Hannah loved the visit to the zoo as it combined art, food, meeting new people and seeing animals. We all had a great time. I think that was the most she has ever enjoyed the zoo, and it was great to network with other visually impaired children and their families. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming.”

Hannah has also had an art exhibition in Ocean Terminal in September. “She sees colours and focus differently due to her eye conditions as such, has her own unique styles of art and excellent colour expression,” said her mother. 

Katrina Thomson, support officer for the charity, said: “RNIB’s Shape and Share events bring children, young people and their families from across the UK together to share experiences and take part in fun activities, both in person and virtually via Microsoft Teams.

“Last weekend, it was Scotland’s turn to host an event and we had a wonderful time at Edinburgh Zoo, home to over 2,500 amazing and endangered animals. The Zoo offers large-print maps and some enclosures have QR codes which describe the animals in them.”

All Blacks visit local school children to support them doing the Daily Mile

● The All Blacks stopped off in Edinburgh today on their Northern Hemisphere tour to inspire children across Scotland to get moving. 

● This is the All Blacks’ first visit to Scotland since 2017, and tomorrow they will face Scotland in the highly-anticipated Autumn Internationals match. 

● The All Blacks are supporting The Daily Mile to help millions of children improve health & wellbeing by exercising for 15 minutes a day. 

● All Blacks Captain Sam Whitelock said: “It’s fantastic to be in Scotland supporting the charity of our sponsor INEOS and getting the chance to run alongside the kids and teach them some of our best rugby moves! We’ve been so impressed by the work The Daily Mile is doing to get kids more active and bring communities together through daily exercise – it’s something so simple but effective that everyone can benefit from.” 

The All Blacks took time out from their Northern Hemisphere tour today to visit schoolchildren in Edinburgh to help inspire more children across the country to get active through The Daily Mile. 

60 local school children from Leith Walk Primary School had the opportunity to take part in a very special Daily Mile with their guests from New Zealand and receive rugby skills coaching from All Blacks players at an event day hosted at Drummond Community High School. 

This comes as Scottish children stepped their way into the history books in October, making Scotland the world’s first Daily Mile Nation. It means that more than half of Scottish primary schools are now participating in The Daily Mile. 

The initiative encourages children to run, jog, wheel or walk for just 15 minutes a day in the fresh air with friends – promoting mental and physical wellbeing, which is especially important to help reduce the strain on the NHS this winter. Teachers can also take part alongside children, strengthening important school relationships and attainment outcomes. 

It was started by former Head Teacher Elaine Wyllie MBE of St Ninian’s Primary in Stirling in 2012 and has grown every year, with the support of INEOS. Globally, there are now nearly 4 million children taking part in 16,000+ schools in 87 countries around the world. It is endorsed by some of the most successful athletes including marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, British track and field athlete Eilidh Doyle and the All Blacks. 

Founder of The Daily Mile Elaine Wyllie MBE, said: “We are forever grateful for the incredible support we receive from athletes around the world and we can’t thank the All Blacks enough for taking time out of their busy schedules to come down and share their passion for daily exercise with the local schoolchildren.

“Their influence really does go a long way to inspire kids to get active outdoors and join in with their schoolmates. Just 15 minutes of daily physical activity improves a child’s mood, concentration and memory – enhancing their ability to learn.”

All Blacks Captain Sam Whitelock, said: “It’s fantastic to be in Scotland supporting the charity of our sponsor INEOS and getting the chance to run alongside the kids and teach them some of our best rugby moves!

“We’ve been so impressed by the work The Daily Mile is doing to get kids more active and bring communities together through daily exercise – it’s something so simple but effective that everyone can benefit from.” 

Headteacher at Leith Walk Primary Mr. Gorrie, added: “This has been a terrific opportunity for the children at Leith Walk Primary School to take part in the Daily Mile alongside the All Blacks, and to receive some rugby coaching from the most famous of all international teams.

“The children have had a terrific time today. They were so excited to meet the All Blacks. “Seeing the amazing skill and fitness of the All Black players first hand, will certainly have increased the children’s motivation to be active and participate in sport.

“On behalf of everybody who attended I would like to say a huge thank you to the All Blacks and wish them all the very best for the rest of their Northern Hemisphere tour. I hope they visit us again soon!”

National Emergencies Trust to pilot disaster fundraising programme with local community networks

The National Emergency Fundraisers programme will build on Scotland’s remarkable Covid response

UK disaster response charity, the National Emergencies Trust, has announced plans to pilot a National Emergency Fundraisers programme in Scotland that will empower local community networks to support nationwide fundraising efforts at speed during domestic disasters.

The programme will invite networked organisations across the UK who have members who can support those who have a presence at village and street level, like Business in the Community, to receive tools, support and early warning alerts to help them raise funds fast in their communities when national emergencies arise. 

The programme will build on learnings from the National Emergencies Trust’s Coronavirus Appeal, which was able to raise nearly £100 million for those in great need within just weeks, thanks to fast-acting fundraisers. Nearly £10 million of this was distributed within Scotland, including £7 million to 1,400 grassroots charities and groups through Foundation Scotland.

At an event in Edinburgh co-hosted by the National Emergencies Trust, its patron, NatWest Group and partner, Foundation Scotland, the Trust, outlined how the National Emergency Fundraisers programme aims to build on Scotland’s ‘remarkable’ pandemic response. 

Lord Dannatt said: “The generosity and community spirit shown in Scotland during the Covid-19 pandemic was nothing short of remarkable. It happened organically but has created powerful blueprints for how national and local organisations can come together to support those affected by disasters.

“By providing community networks with fundraising tools and support ahead of the next national emergency, we hope to help them to step up at speed during future emergencies, playing a valuable role in the UK’s disaster resilience.”

Responding to the pilot announcement, Stewart Prodger, Chair of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, said: “When crises arise, local community groups can be incredibly agile to act but it’s not always clear how they can best help those in urgent need.

“The National Emergency Fundraisers programme offers a chance to channel local energies and skills into fast, coordinated fundraising that could make a meaningful difference to people’s lives. With around 30,000 Neighbourhood Alert direct users, and over 1500 registered local groups, Neighbourhood Watch Scotland looks forward to hearing more about the pilot.”

Michael Duncan, Head of Giving Strategy & Programmes, Sustainable Banking at NatWest Group, which hosted the event at its flagship building in St Andrew Square, said: “It should be a source of great comfort that the National Emergencies Trust will be there during future domestic disasters to raise funds fast for those in urgent need.

“This new programme is a way to make that response even stronger, while enabling community groups to support the national giving effort at speed.”

Giles Ruck, Chief Executive of Foundation Scotland, who gave a keynote address at the event, said: “We learned from the pandemic that in times of national crisis, it is vitally important to get funds quickly to where they are most needed in communities.

“Based on this learning, funds raised by National Emergency Fundraisers will mean we can act fast to help those most affected by national emergencies, whether that’s offering financial support to survivors or awarding grants to local groups who can offer practical and emotional support.”

The event featured performances from charities that had received Coronavirus Appeal grants from Foundation Scotland.

These included a beautiful choir performance from the Forget Me Notes Project, who use music to build community and combat isolation in a variety of settings and entertainment by Dundee-based Shaper/Caper, a multi-award-winning dance organisation and charity who aim to shape the world through creative adventure. 

Also present were Edinburgh-based intercultural charity, Building Bridges, who connect cultures and support emerging communities in Scotland and Blood Bikes Scotland, a charity run 100 per cent by volunteers providing a free transport service to the Scottish NHS.

 

The event in Edinburgh also marked the third anniversary of the National Emergencies Trust.

Launched in 2019 on the recommendation of the Charity Commission following learnings from the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire tragedy and terror attacks in Manchester and London that year, the Trust was created to help to coordinate public fundraising and ensure equitable fund distribution during domestic disasters. 

The National Emergency Fundraisers National Emergency Fundraiser programme is a key part of the charity’s emergency preparedness work.

It will be piloted in Scotland over the coming months with networked organisations invited to input into the programme before its UK-wide roll-out next year.

To find out more visit: www.nationalemergenciestrust.org.uk 

pictures: Lewis James Houghton

Fort Kinnaird launches Christmas Jumper Exchange

Fort Kinnaird has partnered with one of its independent retailers, the Leith Collective, to launch a free Christmas jumper exchange to support the local community this festive season.

Visitors are being invited to hand in clean, pre-loved festive knitwear of all sizes to the retailer, located next to Boots, from this week up until Christmas. The jumpers will be available for anyone to take home for free.

The initiative follows Leith Collective’s successful winter coat exchange that has seen hundreds of people donating and picking up coats across its Edinburgh stores.

Fort Kinnaird has also committed to give £1 for every donated jumper to its Edinburgh-based charity partner, Thistle Foundation.

The charity provides local and national support to people living with long-term health conditions or challenging life situations. Through one-to-one wellbeing coaching, group-based wellbeing courses and peer-led activities, Thistle Foundation supports people to lead good lives and achieve what matters most to them.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “We know many people will have festive jumpers sitting unused in their homes.

By donating them to our appeal they will not only free up some much-needed cupboard space, but they’ll also be directly supporting people in their community at what is likely to be a very difficult time, and helping the environment by not throwing the clothing away.   

“We’re proud to have Thistle as our charity partner and thank the Leith Collective for helping us support them further this Christmas. The team does incredible work, providing vital support to those who need it most in our local community.”

William Oviatt, Head of Fundraising at Thistle Foundation adds: “We are delighted to be Fort Kinnaird’s charity partner.

“At Thistle Foundation we believe in a world of inclusion, free of isolation and loneliness, where a health crisis shouldn’t mean a life crisis. This support will help us to ensure that people who are living with long-term health conditions such as Parkinson’s, arthritis, the effects of COVID-19 and the pandemic, or mental health conditions, have the support they need to live well.”

Fort Kinnaird announced its partnership with Thistle in February and has since been raising money for the Edinburgh charity through the centre’s Giving Box. 

Fort Kinnaird is open 9am – 9pm on weekdays and 9am – 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information about planning a trip to Fort Kinnaird, please visit www.fortkinnaird.com. 

Discover the Square Route of Edinburgh through One Square’s new cocktail menu

New cocktail menu pays tribute to nine iconic squares in Edinburgh

One Square, The Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa’s award-winning bar, has unveiled an innovative new cocktail menu designed to pay tribute to the Hotel’s local neighbourhoods. Each cocktail has been curated to pay homage to nine iconic squares around Edinburgh.

From Charlotte Square to George Square, and many in between, the new menu draws inspiration from each square’s influence on Edinburgh’s modern-day and historic culture. One Square’s expert mixologists have spent months researching both flavour and infamy to curate this desirable line-up of cocktails.

This ambitious new menu launch marks the 10th anniversary of One Square Bar which has long-delighted guests with its gin speciality and unique gin-tasting masterclasses. Situated within the Sheraton Grand Hotel, One Square hosts over 120 varieties of gin and counting, including a range of Scottish, British and International Gins as well as their very own One Square Gin, distilled in partnership with local Edinburgh spirits company Summerhall Distillery.

The menu includes ‘Festival Square’, a taste sensation reflecting a modern home to arts and culture in the city. With the cocktail representing the spectacular variety of international talent Festival Square welcomes every year.

Also included in the exciting new menu is the ‘St Andrews Square’; like its location, this cocktail is one of the most desirable and fashionable drinks on the menu. Served in a vintage-style cut champagne coupe, this drink embodies the squares standing as a focal point of high-end luxury within the city. The elegant ingredients match, with this champagne-based tipple a must-try for locals and visitors alike.

Nick Durham, Director of Food and Beverage at The Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, explains: “With a bar and terrace that boasts enviable views of the city, it was only right that our new cocktail launch explored what the city has to offer – in somewhat of an alternative story than those told in the past!

“Our guests can be transported around our world-famous city from square-to-square, with each varying cocktail having a personality of its own and a personality that matches the square’s place in Edinburgh’s day-to-day life. We’re excited to see which square proves most popular!”

The new menu is available from today, with the bar located just off Festival Square itself on Lothian Road.

For more information and for bookings, please visit:

https://www.onesquareedinburgh.co.uk/

Movement for Good Award for The Edinburgh Remakery

The Edinburgh Remakery has been granted £10,000 as part of the Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards. 

The latest phase of the Movement for Good Awards will see more than £500,000 in funding be awarded to 31 charities working across the climate change and environment, education and skills, heritage and arts and rural and community sectors.

The Scottish based charity is an award-winning environmental social enterprise committed to creating a culture of sustainable, waste-free living and protecting the planet for future generations.

The £10,000 funding will go towards the charity’s Tech Exchange for Community Hubs project, which will gift up to 200 refurbished electronic devices to 10 Community Hubs, giving their beneficiaries essential access to digital support and services and replacing old devices with newer, higher quality, refurbished ones.

The awards are designed to help charities make a real difference in their communities and beyond. More than 500 charities applied for the funding with the winning projects being selected against four criteria: impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion.

Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive of Benefact Group, said: “At Benefact Group we believe business should be a force for good. More than ever, charitable causes need sustained support and a sense of financial stability.

“Through our Movement for Good larger-grant awards, we are championing a more imaginative way of supporting charities so that they can have some certainty in these challenging times.

“We know our funding can be a lifeline to those who are struggling with cost-of-living increases and a grant of this scale can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do.  

“Benefact Group is the fourth largest corporate donor in the UK and has an ambition to be the biggest. Owned by a charity, all our available profits go to good causes, and the more the Group grows, the more the Group can give. As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do.”

Elaine Brown, CEO of The Edinburgh Remakery Ltd, said: “The Edinburgh Remakery social enterprise is committed to supporting people in our communities whilst creating positive change for our planet.

“We reduce waste by taking in old electronics to be refurbished and reused, we reduce carbon emissions by providing affordable and eco-friendly alternatives to buying new, and we support our communities by providing people in need with gifted tech devices and valuable life skills to improve employability, confidence and wellbeing.

“Thanks to the Movement for Good funding, we are able to further our mission and help even more people whilst reducing waste and helping our planet at the same time.”

Movement for Good is funded by EIO plc, part of the Benefact Group.