acts of kindness – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

World Princess Week: Moments that Matter

Singer Anne Marie and Olympian Katarina Johnson-Thompson support Disney Princess pledge to deliver 45,000 ‘Moments that Matter’ to children in hospitals and hospices around the world –
Nine in ten British parents believe small acts of kindness have the power to change the world –
Two thirds of children say treating others with kindness is the most important way to behave –

Famous faces including singer Anne Marie and Olympian Katarina Johnson-Thompson are coming together to launch World Princess Week next week to inspire small acts of kindness around the world.

The stars are supporting a Disney Princess pledge to deliver 45,000 ‘Moments that Matter’ for isolated and seriously ill children in hospital and hospices in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Pop star and The Voice coach Anne-Marie is hosting an intimate acoustic performance of her chart hits ‘2002’ and ‘Beautiful’ as part of Disney’s ‘Ultimate Princess Celebration’, which champions the qualities of courage and kindness.

The performance is being screened to children in hospital, via Disney’s charity partner MediCinema, which build and run cinemas in NHS hospitals. The content will also be available to view on Disney Junior’s UK YouTube channel.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson will be doing a virtual reading of Moana’s story from Tales of Courage and Kindness, an online story collection featuring 14 brand new Disney Princess stories that launched in April this year and is available for children to download for free during World Princess Week at Disneyprincessstories.co.uk.

Katarina’s reading will be available for fans to enjoy later this year.

As part of ‘World Princess Week’ (23-29 August), Disney has created brand new video tutorials featuring simple ideas on how families and children can have a big impact on others, which will be available on Disney’s social channels.

Disney fans will be able to follow along with ‘kindness activity’ tutorials, including how to make Cinderella-inspired kindness cards for friends, or how to bake Tiana’s beignets for loved ones. Families are encouraged to share their own acts of kindness by using the hashtag #UltimatePrincessCelebration.

Disney will also share brand new Princess stories, experiences and fun ways to spread kindness following research that reveals nine in ten UK adults believe small acts of kindness have the power to change the world for the better.

45,000 Princess-themed adventure packs will be delivered to seriously ill children in hospitals and places of care across the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa, as part of Disney’s wider commitment to bring comfort and provide inspiration, with support from long standing charity partners.

These specially designed packs, created with charity partner MediCinema, aim to reduce isolation, stress and anxiety amongst children and families in places of care, providing ‘Moments that Matter’. The packs will contain new stories focusing on Disney Princess characters Rapunzel, Moana and Ariel, as well as arts and crafts activities that help to increase confidence and encourage acts of kindness.

New research conducted by Disney as part of the Ultimate Princess Celebration revealed that 70 per cent of children say it’s important to always show kindness and almost half (46 per cent) would stand up for people who are being bullied or are being treated in an unfair way.

The survey highlights some of the top ways children like to show kindness, including:

Kind acts to make their family or friends happy e.g. baking a cake (49 per cent)
Asking parents to read a book with them (49 per cent)
Comforting family members and friends when they are upset (47 per cent)
Asking parents to spend time with them e.g. watching a movie or making dinner together (47 per cent)
Making time to play and catch up with friends (46 per cent)
Sharing stories with friends and family (44 per cent)
Helping friends with problems they are facing (37 per cent)
Listening when parents or friends are telling them a story that they know is important to them (36 per cent)
Offering to do chores around the house for parents (33 per cent)
Speaking to friends and family regularly (30 per cent)

The study suggests that the majority of British parents – 91 per cent – agree that everyone can play a role in making the world a kinder place, with the research also revealing some of the kind acts kids have shown over the past year:

Been caring towards friends (56 per cent)
Wanting to spend more time with parents / family members (53 per cent)
Drawn and made signs for the health service to say ‘thank you’ (50 per cent)
Video calling friends to check in (47 per cent)
Offering to help around the house (45 per cent)
Been caring towards the planet (42 per cent)
Sharing stories or reading books together (40 per cent)
Being kinder to their brother or sister (39 per cent)
Donating some of their toys to other kids (37 per cent)
Been looking after their pet / been kind to animals (37 per cent)

Tasia Filippatos, Senior VP, Consumer Products EMEA at Disney said, “Courage and kindness are universally important qualities that are just as relevant for adults as they are for young children. We hope that families will help celebrate ‘World Princess Week’ by sharing their own small acts of kindness to help make the world a kinder place.”

Disney fans will also be able to shop brand new Disney Princess product ranges, including toys, dress up apparel, accessories and homeware, available from shopDisney.co.uk and other major retailers.

Bield launches award to celebrate acts of kindness

One of Scotland’s leading housing providers has launched an initiative to celebrate its community for their acts of kindness.

Housing and care provider, Bield, has launched a platform to recognise individuals going above and beyond in the community, naming the award – ‘You are one of a Kind’.

Running until March 2022, customers, owners, service users, staff and members of the local community will have the chance every month to nominate their local heroes or heroines who have gone out of their way to lend a helping hand.

At the end of each month, a board of judges will select a Bield customer along with a Bield staff member or volunteer to receive the One of a Kind Award and a £50 voucher.

This comes as Bield is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and is looking to get as many people as possible involved in the milestone.

Chief Executive of Bield, Dr Lynne Douglas said: “Many things can go unnoticed as people go about their day to day life and this award gives us the perfect opportunity to recognise all the little things that make a big difference to individuals and their communities – especially in the current climate.

“The community at Bield has rallied together throughout the pandemic so we are really excited to launch this initiative and give those people a platform to share their amazing efforts.

“Our first series of nominations have started to come through and the stories so far have been incredible – it is wonderful to see individuals supporting each other.

“The Bield community is truly one of a kind and we felt this award will help showcase and celebrate the amazing people we interact with on a daily basis.”

This award further amplifies the importance the provider has put on kindness, last year it was added to its core values, building on the ethos staff and customers live by.

Customers, staff and volunteers can cast vote here:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Sw49M7C0qUOtpRsCxgri41WlGYsudCRGkIdsKknXwItURUZVOEFCMVpUSDNMNFRaU0VNTEpBMFZTQS4u

Bield is a registered charity which grew from humble beginnings, starting out with one housing development in Bo’ness which has gone on to become a major provider of housing and care services for around 20,000 older people across 22 local authority areas.

To find out more about Bield and its developments, visit www.bield.co.uk or follow on Facebook @bieldhousingandcare and Twitter @BieldScotland.

Scottish Parliament to commend the contribution of Churches after report identifies over 200,000 acts of support during lockdown

The Scottish Parliament will today commend the work of churches throughout the pandemic in a debate on the Stories of Hope report, published in December 2020 by the Evangelical Alliance and Serve Scotland.

The report calculated that churches across Scotland had delivered 212,214 acts of support during the first lockdown and that these acts were delivered by 3,212 volunteers and impacted 55,671 beneficiaries.

The motion, which has been submitted by Jeremy Balfour and will be held at the Scottish Parliament on the first anniversary of the UK COVID-19 lockdown, acknowledges that: “churches in 180 locations across Scotland worked in partnership with key stakeholders, including supermarkets, community councils, NHS boards, food banks, voluntary support groups and charities, to deliver services to support vulnerable groups, including older, homeless and young people; recognises the important role that it considers churches and charities play in communities across Scotland, including in the Lothian region, and praises all those involved in delivering these services during the pandemic.”

The report found churches across Scotland had developed support networks and established projects to support the most vulnerable and isolated in their communities.

Projects were active across the country from the Highlands to the Borders, across the breadth of denominations and in partnership with a number of charities including CAP Scotland, the Bethany Trust, and Glasgow City Mission.

Kieran Turner, Public Policy Officer for the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland said: “Often the work of churches in the community goes under-reported and as a result government and parliament are not aware of the role of the church in wider society.

“We are grateful to Jeremy and to all the MSPs who are supporting the debate for the opportunity to show how the church spreads hope and the impact that has been made at a national level during the pandemic.”

The report also highlighted the importance of churches partnering with local businesses and other agencies as more than two-thirds of the projects identified were delivered in partnership to provide support to those in need.

Supermarkets, community councils, businesses, NHS boards, housing associations, voluntary support groups, and food banks have all worked with churches on the ground in these projects. In addition, 11 local authorities were identified, sometimes by multiple projects, as providing emergency funding for weekly support costs.

Keiran Turner continued: “Having the Scottish Parliament debate the report and commend these churches will raise awareness and challenge perceptions of what the church is and what the church does in Scotland.

“The church is a force for good in Scotland and operates at a scale of national significance meaning it must be a core part of the government’s rebuilding plans post pandemic.”

The parliamentary debate has been welcomed across the political spectrum and is being supported by Michelle Ballantyne, Miles Briggs, Donald Cameron, Peter Chapman, Alex Cole-Hamilton, Maurice Corry, Murdo Fraser, Kenneth Gibson, Rhoda Grant, Jamie Greene, James Kelly, Liam Kerr, Bill Kidd, Gordon Lindhurst, John Mason, Stuart McMillan, Pauline McNeill, Margaret Mitchell, Anas Sarwar, Elaine Smith, Stewart Stevenson, David Stewart, Alexander Stewart, Annie Wells and Brian Whittle.

To find out more and download the full report go to:

https://www.eauk.org/resources/what-we-offer/reports/stories-of-hope

Morrisons to carry out 30,000 acts of kindness in local communities in the run up to Christmas

– Two thirds of people feel reconnected with their community via a small act of kindness –

– Morrisons Community Champions to carry out over 30,000 acts of kindness in local communities in the run up to Christmas –

– Activity kicks off with giving away nearly 100,000 mince pies to local care homes –

– Community kindness is expected to touch the lives of tens of thousands of people nationwide –

Morrisons is carrying out over 30,000 acts of kindness this Christmas including delivering free mince pies to local care homes, donating Rudolph carrots to local nurseries, giving away flowers in local communities, and surprising Covid-19 heroes by gifting festive hampers.

The activity is expected to touch the lives of tens of thousands of people living throughout the UK in the 12 days leading up to Christmas.

The Morrisons Acts of Community Kindness activity aims to help customers and communities feel festive this year after nearly halfof adults reported that their well-being was being affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Research by Morrisons revealed 46 per cent of people said they are feeling more isolated and alone than they normally would. Two thirds (67 per cent) said a simple act of kindness could help them feel reconnected with their community and three quarters (77 per cent) said it would positively change their entire outlook for the day.

In the run up to Christmas, a Community Champion from every Morrisons store will venture out into their local community every day to conduct acts of kindness. It kicks off with nearly 100,000 mince pies being delivered to thousands of residents in hundreds of care homes across the country, from 8 December.

In addition to this:

10,000 key worker treats will be given to local healthcare workers, police and firefighters;
Nearly 9,000 gifts will be donated to disadvantaged families;
Over 4,000 ‘be kind to yourself’ packs will be handed out to customers;
Nearly 4,000 bouquets of flowers and mistletoe will be given away in local communities; and,
2,500 hampers will be gifted to local heroes who have played a big part in supporting their local area through the pandemic.

The activity continues Morrisons commitment of ensuring no-one gets left behind during the coronavirus pandemic.

This has included Morrisons launching a Doorstep Delivery service earlier this year where colleagues deliver shopping direct to the doorstep of vulnerable and elderly customers in the community, and a £10 million donation to restock the nation’s local food banks.

Rebecca Singleton, Community Director at Morrisons said: “Small acts of kindness go a very long way. They can make our world feel like a kinder, happier and more caring place.

“Our Community Champions are going out into their local communities and spreading some good cheer. It’s the right thing to do in this difficult year when our stores and communities have been pulling together to look after each other.”