Hustings event to be held at Corstorphine Community Centre on 20.02.23
Submit your questions via our online form.
Come along and find out what the future plans and priorities are
Council by-election hustings at Corstorphine Community Centre
Pop-Up Advice Coffee Morning at Leith Theatre
Leith Theatre are hosting an advice coffee morning with ourselves and a number of our partner organisations on Wed 22 Feb. Why not drop in, warm up, have a cuppa and get some advice and support on a wide range of issues?
Charity trading arm joins big names in awards line-up
A charity’s trading arm is earning a national reputation for delivering practical support to the growing numbers of people in need of emergency assistance across the UK.
Local authorities, charities and housing associations are increasingly turning to Family Fund Business Services to provide them with cost-effective and easy access to thousands of essential products including white goods, furniture, energy vouchers, cash and food vouchers. These are then dispatched to people, including veterans and refugees, struggling financially to meet their most basic needs.
This rising reputation for trusted expertise and a focus on customer service as they deliver this support, has led to Family Fund Business Services being shortlisted for a top national award.
It is the only social enterprise to make the grade in the UK Customer Satisfaction Awards as a trusted quality provider- alongside corporate household names such as IBM, Next and Suzuki GB.
The awards event on 7 March is one of the most prestigious for customer service excellence across all industries in the UK.
Family Fund Business Services was established to generate additional funding for its parent charity Family Fund, the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families with disabled and seriously ill children, on low income.
Family Fund supports families with grants for essential items such as kitchen appliances, clothing, bedding, sensory toys, computers and tablets, much-needed family breaks and more.
Last year, the charity provided over 170,919 grants and services worth over £37 million to families across the UK.
Now in its tenth year, Family Fund Business Services, which gifts 100% of its profits to Family Fund, has generated over £9 million in total from its expertise in procuring essential goods on behalf of over 40 organisations.
Phil Henderson, Director of Family Fund Business Services, said: “Our clients include local authorities and major national charities supporting people in the greatest need.
“The fact they choose us again and again to procure and supply urgently-required essential goods such as beds and cookers, demonstrates their trust in us and the quality of our service.
“Once they work with us they stay with us – and recommend us to others. We are therefore extremely pleased to be in the shortlist for this top customer service award as a trusted provider.
“We really care about how we look after our customers and the people who receive the goods and services we provide, and we measure this every year through a customer survey.
“It’s great that these measures are confirmed by this external nomination for an award, and a real honour for an organisation of our size to be alongside the household names that are also on the shortlist.”
The value of grants fulfilled by Family Fund Business Services for clients in the last financial year (2021-22) was over £75M, more than triple the value delivered in 2019-20.
Home-Start Hampshire:
“We would thoroughly recommend working with FFBS as we have found the relationship to be invaluable in running our project, helping us distribute support to families across Hampshire.”
North Yorkshire County Council Local Assistance Fund:
“… above and beyond every time ….so proud of what we have able to do together for … those in North Yorkshire that need this support the most. Wonderfully efficient and hardworking dedicated team to the cause.”
Phil Henderson added: “Our unique business model means that we deliver social value twice over – our profits extend Family Fund’s vital grant-giving and at the same time our expertise with securing value-for-money contracts with suppliers, helps to extend the funding of other organisations. They can, then, help even more people facing hardship.
“What emerges from this is a unique model that drives real social change through collaborative working.”
Painting for Pleasure at granton:hub
Painting for Pleasure’ weekend workshops at granton:hub, Madelvic House.
Saturday 11th February. Starts 10am – 4.30pm. (other weekend dates available) Painting tutor: Gareth Hutchison.
Full Price: £25 (£20 for granton:hub members and for state benefits/pension holders).
Why not destress, get expressive, be creative and enjoy a whole day relaxing at granton:hub, Madelvic House?
The Painting for Pleasure weekend workshop offers a wonderful and enjoyable creative experience with full 1-to-1 professional guidance & support at an affordable price. Welcome to all adults, whatever your age, creative experience or artistic ability. Enjoy the creative process and the time to practice painting for a whole day in the relaxing social atmosphere of Madelvic House.
Painting for Pleasure is a self-directed learning and art practice workshop. Meaning – you are free to choose from whichever area of visual arts and art materials you wish to explore and learn more about through artistic practice. With as much personal support and help, guidance and positive mentoring as you require to complete your first art project and more.
Granton:hub’s studio resident artist, Gareth Hutchison, will help you every step of the way. You can choose to use Acrylics, watercolours, oil painting to drawing, mixed media and collage. Art Materials are not provided, although Gareth does supply a small amount for you to try when necessary.
Painting for Pleasure weekend workshops – creating the time & place to practice creative painting.
For further details about ‘Painting for Pleasure’ weekend workshops and up-coming dates, please contact Gareth Hutchison at: g.hutchison@hotmail.com
TODAY: A warm welcome awaits at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre
Come along to our warm & welcoming space!
We are here today (Sunday 2pm – 4pm). Come and have a warm drink, meet some new people and have some hot food and be in a warm building.
Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre warm and welcoming space is open:
9am – 3pm Tuesdays & Wednesdays
2pm – 4pm Sundays
Come along…. we are here for you!
Police appeal following fatal road accident in Haymarket
Road Policing officers in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a fatal crash on Haymarket Terrace.
The incident took place around 5.35pm yesterday (Saturday, 4 February, 2023) involving a bus and a pedestrian.
The pedestrian, a 79-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sergeant Barry Sommerville, from the Edinburgh Road Policing Unit, said: “At this time, our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the man who died.
“We are carrying out enquiries to establish the full circumstances of this incident and would appeal to anyone who was in the Haymarket Terrace or Clifton Terrace area around the time of the crash to please come forward.
“If you have any information, or potential dashcam footage, which could assist our enquiries, please call police on 101, quoting incident 2828 of 4 February.”
£1.6 million to support New Scots
Additional funding has been secured to support work to integrate refugees across Scotland. The £1.6 million in funding will focus on the development of a refreshed New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy, ensuring refugees and asylum seekers are supported to make their new communities their home.
Further projects to receive funding include:
- small grants to enable wide-scale public engagement across Scotland for the refreshed New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy. This will enable organisations to host engagement events for existing and recently arrived New Scots and ensure barriers to attendance are minimised, including travel and childcare
- the extension of University of Glasgow’s international research into New Scots integration for Afghan and Ukrainian Nationals, focussing on efforts made by the Scottish Government, local authorities and the third sector to support integration
- Refugee Festival Scotland – a focal point and celebration of all New Scots in Scotland. This will include providing small grants to organisations to enable them to host events as part of the Festival
- £500,000 in targeted funding for two of the highest priority areas: ESOL and Employability. The arrival of people from Afghanistan and Ukraine has reinforced the critical importance of employment in allowing all New Scots to rebuild their lives safely and securely thereby reducing the risk of poverty
External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Scotland has a long history of welcoming people of all nationalities and faiths, including those seeking refuge from war and persecution.
“While continuing to support all refugees and people seeking asylum, in recent years we have seen two large scale resettlement efforts from Afghanistan and Ukraine, with over 20,000 displaced people from Ukraine alone arriving in Scotland since February 2022 and we have had to move quickly to get people the support they need to settle into their new communities.
“The Scottish Government and our New Scots partners are committed to supporting the integration of refugees and people seeking asylum into our communities and providing the safety and security they need as they begin to rebuild their lives.
“Our compassionate approach to support refugees and people seeking asylum living in Scotland is clear and this vital funding will ensure work can continue to refresh the New Scots strategy to take account of the significant changes in recent years and ensure any key learning is reflected.”
COSLA Community and Wellbeing Spokesperson Councillor Maureen Chalmers said: ““COSLA is really pleased to continue to work with partners to build on the previous work of the New Scots Refugee Integration Delivery Project, to ensure there is a robust and responsive strategy to support all communities seeking protection in Scotland. Local authorities play a key role in integration and supporting their communities, including refugees and asylum seekers.
“This funding therefore gives a much needed boost to integration work and in particular the areas of employment and language, as well as supporting the development of the next New Scots Strategy.”
Scottish Refugee Council CEO Sabir Zazi said: “Successful, well integrated communities need support, both for the individuals seeking safety in Scotland and the local areas receiving them.
“We’re particularly pleased to see funding in place to boost English language support and to help people back into employment. These are two areas that are crucial to integration, both for the individuals and families affected and the communities receiving them.”
UNESCO Chair for Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts at the University of Glasgow Alison Phipps said: “At this critical time for those who have sought refuge and asylum in Scotland the successful securing of extended funds for ESOL and Employability projects is greatly needed.
“This builds on the success of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy as a world leading internationally acclaimed partnership, built on human rights that allows us to make confident steps towards the launch, by the New Scots Partnership, of a refreshed New Scots strategy.”
Prepayment meter outrage: Shapps acts to address forced installations
- Business Secretary gives energy suppliers deadline to urgently report back on remedial action for customers who faced wrongful installations
- This follows damning reports earlier this week highlighting what appear to be breaches of rules and regulations to protect vulnerable households
- Energy regulator Ofgem also asked to toughen up their investigations after they failed to find serious failings by British Gas
Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps has today given energy bosses a deadline of Tuesday to report back to him on what remedial action – such as providing compensation – they plan to take should they have wrongfully installed prepayment meters in the homes of vulnerable customers.
It comes in the wake of British Gas admitting fault as a result of the Times investigation which showed even those with small children or medical conditions have not been shown forbearance, with reports of debt collectors breaking into homes to install the equipment.
But these findings by The Times newspaper follow several reviews by Ofgem of the services provided by energy suppliers, which have not identified this unacceptable behaviour – or other significant shortcomings – and have in some cases even given companies a clean bill of health.
Therefore the Business Secretary has today told Ofgem to toughen up on energy suppliers and investigate the customers’ experience of how their supplier is performing.
He called on the regulator to set up a new customer reporting system for households to pass on their own stories of how they are being treated – especially those who are vulnerable – and not just rely on energy firm bosses to share information with their regulator.
Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said: “ I am appalled that vulnerable customers struggling with their energy bills have had their homes invaded and prepayment meters installed when there is a clear duty on suppliers to provide them with support. They need to refocus their efforts on their consumers, the British public, who are at the receiving end of this abhorrent behaviour.
“ I’m also concerned the regulator is too easily having the wool pulled over their eyes by taking at face value what energy companies are telling them. They need to also listen to customers to make sure this treatment of vulnerable consumers doesn’t happen again.”
News reports across the country have highlighted examples of the forced installation of prepayment meters in the homes of those who are struggling to pay their bills.
The regulator has also been asked to toughen up their reviews, going beyond the company headquarters to find out what is really happening in people’s homes by hearing from them directly and engaging more with charities and other groups that represent consumers.
Currently, energy suppliers are required to provide Ofgem with information to demonstrate how they comply with the rules on supporting vulnerable consumers, on customers struggling to pay and on the fitting of prepayment meters.
The Business Secretary wants to see the voices of consumers and those who champion their needs heard when deciding which energy companies are meeting expectations – with a customer reporting hotline being just one example we would want the regulator to consider.
On Thursday night a number of suppliers announced they would suspend forced installations after being pushed by Ofgem to pause the practice while they reassure the regulator they’re complying with the rules.
However, just over a week ago the Business Secretary launched a crackdown on the mistreatment of energy users by suppliers, already asking them to voluntarily commit to stopping this practice. He also demanded they share the number of warrants they’ve applied for in recent months and plans to publish the findings.
Earlier this week the Energy and Climate Minister also met British Gas CEO Chris O’Shea and expressed his horror at recent reports. He made it clear this kind of behaviour is unacceptable, especially from such a key and longstanding British company.
He urged Mr O’Shea to take urgent steps to repair the damage done to British Gas’ reputation and urgently come back to him outlining the role he will personally take to fix these cultural issues.
The British Gas boss was also told by the Minister that vulnerable, mistreated customers need to be identified and redress provided. He will be monitoring matters extremely closely to make sure this happens.
Last month the Business Secretary and Energy and Climate Minister called energy suppliers to voluntarily stop force fitting prepayment meters:
Tony Delahoy: Things Remembered
INDIA … AND THE WAR IS OVER
IT was from Osnabruck that I was posted back to the Woolwich barracks in the UK. I was given four weeks leave and then sent out to India to take part in the war against Japan that was still going on.
The troopship to India was the P & O Edinburgh Castle, and the route was from Southampton past Gibraltar, through the Mediterranean to Port Said, then on through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean to Bombay.
Sleeping arrangements on board was in hammocks hooked to the ceiling and packed like sardines head to toe; beneath the hammocks were the mess tables. The hammocks were rolled up in the morning and stacked away and the area then became the mess deck during the day,
The weather improved daily as we moved further east. It was fascinating to see the coat of North Africa so close, and the many islands of the Mediterranean – also the many flying fish that kept up with the speed of the ship, just in front of the ship’s bow; a really lovely sight.
The further east we travelled the warmer it got, very much so at night time below deck. To aid the airflow there were some scuttle-like ventilators that were pushed into the portholes to scoop fresh air; there were also some small swivel-type air vents in the ceiling. It was quite funny to see hands and arms constantly reaching out to turn the ventilator in their direction!
We finally reached Port Said at the head of the Suez Canal to restock the ship with stores and water. It was here I first saw and tasted water melon; very refreshing in the heat.
The journey through the canal was very interesting. It is quite narrow. The Egyptian side was cultivated and the other bank just desert. To regulate shipping there are wide lagoons to allow ships to pass. I remember one at Port Suez, there were others with beautiful blue sea and lovely scenery. On leaving the Canal and entering the Red Sea the heat became sticky and oppressive, but it cooled off once we entered the Indian Ocean.
As our troopship reached it’s destination of Bombay we heard news that an atomic bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima in Japan by the Americans on the 6th August, and this was followed by another on Nagasaki on the 9th. We didn’t know the full implications of this new warfare but were hopeful that it would end the war.
As we approached Bombay harbour there was a huge amount of shipping that we presumed was part of the preparations for an invasion of Japan, of which we would be a part.
Our ship docked in Bombay Harbour and the troops were disembarked. We marched through the city to the railway station to be transported 150 miles to a large military transit camp at Deolali.
Soon after arriving at Deolali the news came through that Japan had surrendered. Japan also concluded a separate surrender cermony with China in Nanking on 9th September 1945. With this last formal surrender World War II came to an end.
More THINGS REMEMBERED next weekend
‘Continued improvement’ in A & E performance as winter pressures ease
Resilience committee holds further meeting
The Scottish Government’s resilience committee (SGoRR) met again yesterday to discuss the challenges facing health and social care this winter.
Chaired by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the meeting focussed on hospital occupancy, and the measures being taken to reduce levels of delayed discharge and find care placements and packages for those clinically fit to leave hospital.
The most recent A&E statistics have shown a continued improvement in performance, with 70.1% of people being admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours – the best performance since May.
Additional funding has also been made available Health and Social Care Partnerships who have the responsibility of providing care packages for those in their locality, to provide 300 interim care home beds for people who no longer need to be in hospital. So far, 162 people have entered interim care facilities paid for using this additional funding.
The SGoRR meeting was also attended by the Health Secretary, other cabinet ministers, the Chief Medical Officer and senior representatives from NHS boards, COSLA, Integration Joint Boards and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
The First Minister said: “The continued improvement in A&E performance is something to be welcomed, but there is still much work being done on safely freeing up hospital capacity and easing pressures elsewhere in the system. That is why we are continuing to pursue a range of measures to enable people to leave hospital as soon as possible when it is clinically safe for them to do so.
“We remain indebted to the health and social care staff in all parts of Scotland who have continued to do an outstanding job, despite the extra challenges that winter has presented.”