Tag: campaigns

Charities supporting three times as many people with essential aid

Sector faces increased financial pressure

The Charity Commission has published its annual public and trustee research, revealing a stark long-term rise in people seeking charitable support amid continued high levels of public trust in charities.

The Commission’s annual survey of public attitudes to charities reveals that in the last year 9% of people in England and Wales received food, medical or financial support from charitable organisations, compared to just 3% five years ago.

While demand for such services has risen dramatically, the Commission’s research shows that charities themselves are feeling increased financial pressure.

Over the same five-year period, the proportion of people who said they’d donated to, or raised funds for charity in the past year, fell from 62% to 48% as households have felt the pinch.

Nearly half of charity trustees said their charity had been forced to make changes as a result of cost-of-living pressures in the past year (46%). This included stopping some services (11%) and using more of their reserves than expected (17%).

Against the backdrop of these challenges, public trust in charities remains high, with almost 60% of people reporting high trust in charities – placing them second only to doctors among trusted institutions.

The research indicated that public confidence in charitable spending has improved, with over 6 in 10 people believing donations are reaching the intended cause. This confidence has risen by 7 percentage points in 12 months.

In other findings, the research suggested that charities’ campaigning activities are unlikely to diminish public support in their work – and for nearly half, may increase it. Fewer than 1 in 20 said they would be less likely to support a charity that campaigned, suggesting continued public support for charities that advocate for their beneficiaries.

In the Commission’s annual survey of trustees, also released today, there are signs of slight improvement in banking services, after the regulator and its partners highlighted persistent issues for many charities.

The research found that 38% of trustees reported problems with their charity’s bank, which is down from 42% in 2024, but remains an issue for many.

Charity Commission Chief Executive, David Holdsworth, said: “These findings highlight the central role of the charitable sector at a time of significant pressures in wider society.

“Charities are providing a vital lifeline to ever more people, while simultaneously navigating their own financial challenges as donors feel the pinch.

“It’s encouraging to see improved public confidence in charitable spending, though there is no room for complacency. Charities must continue to keep their charitable purposes central to everything they do because this remains a key driver in maintaining public trust.

“The data paints both a challenging picture and a hopeful one – showing a sector that continues to be a bedrock of support and community for people across the country as well as overseas, despite navigating unprecedented demand in an increasingly unstable global landscape.”

The full findings can be found on gov.uk.

Royston Wardieburn’s creative writers celebrate Windows To Our Past

Royston Wardieburn Community Centre’s social history group launched their new publication, ‘Windows To Our Past’, at the Centre on Thursday.  

Windows to our Past: A  Collection of Stories from North Edinburgh remembers times long gone and also pays tribute to the local people – activists, volunteers, class mates and good friends – lost in recent years.

The group worked with creative writing tutor Jim Aitken to produce Windows To Our Past and members read a selection of their stories to an appreciative audience.

There were lots of laughs – the event opened with a comical This Is Our Lives sketch performed by the group – but there was time for reflection, too.

Some We Remember, a slide show created for the event, brought back a wealth of poignant memories of fondly-remembered activists no longer with us – men and women who each in their own way dedicated much of their lives to making the North Edinburgh community a better place to live.

The perennial challenge of fighting for adequate resources goes on, of course, and the latest round of funding cuts has seen North Edinburgh’s community centres and local projects fearing for their futures once again. In a discussion following the launch, however, it was clear that the appetite to campaign to challenge cuts to local resources remains as strong as ever.

The fight goes on – and, as a previous publication produced by activists urged: NEVER GIVE UP!

THE QUIET REVOLUTION

by SANDRA MARSHALL (2009)

And what about the quiet revolution

A circle of people

Growing with every breath

Spinning ever wider

Living in peace and harmony

A family

A community

Sharing good and bad

No more war, loneliness, anger or greed

A family of humanity

Starting from a whsiper

Growing steadily brighter and brighter

Louder and louder

Until

No darkness remains.

Oxfam: Second Hand September

Is sustainability your bag? Sign up to Second Hand September and show the world that any outfit looks fabulous when it’s helping to protect the planet!

By shopping only second hand for 30 days with Oxfam, you can give everything from t-shirts to trousers a brand new lease of life. 

Plus, you’ll reduce demand for new clothes, help reduce damage to our planet, and raise money to help communities hit by poverty and the climate crisis.

Sign up to get:

  • Handy tips and tricks on how to revamp your wardrobe sustainably
  • 20% discount code for the Oxfam online shop
  • The chance of winning front row tickets to the Oxfam London Fashion Week show

Share your eco-friendly outfits on socials using #SecondHandSeptember and tag @OxfamGB

Campaigners’ plea on eve of elections: KEEP our Eye Pavilion!

A grassroots campaigning group determined to ensure a new facility to replace the ageing Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion is built in Edinburgh has pressed politicians to reaffirm their support.

The Keep Edinburgh Eye Pavilion (KEEP) has this week written to all the main Scottish political parties to ask that candidates for the local authority elections this Thursday within Lothian uphold pledges previously made.

In their letter, KEEP says: ‘Across the Lothians, people with sight loss are becoming increasingly concerned about the ongoing delays to the promised replacement Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion (PAEP) in Edinburgh. Recent press reports now indicate that further delays and increasing costs, mean that the new hospital will not be operational until June 2027‘.

KEEP points out that the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion provides specialist ophthalmological care for thousands of people across the south-east of Scotland. In 2015, the building was deemed not fit for purpose in a NHS Lothian report that made the case for a new facility.

But in late 2020, the Scottish Government withdrew capital funding from the health board earmarked to re-build it. However, following a campaign by KEEP it was announced in spring 2021 that the re-build would go ahead. 

‘However,’ the letter from KEEP goes on, ‘there are growing concerns that the continued delays are not simply a construction matter. The existing PAEP building has been deemed not fit for purpose and is facing further reduced capacity through disrepair, resulting in waiting times and pressures on services becoming more acute.

‘It is not acceptable that blind and partially sighted people are increasingly being asked to travel across the country to the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank to receive treatment. Patients frequently face lengthy delays if unable to travel there independently‘.

During last year’s Scottish Parliament elections, KEEP secured commitments from all the main parties concerning the proposed new eye clinic facility.

Edinburgh city councillors also agreed a cross-party composite motion which said: “In terms of accessibility and equality of services it is vital that people have access that is affordable and is easy. As those of us who have had any trouble with our eyesight know, there is no time to spare. You need to get to that hospital quickly and efficiently. We have a centre of excellence that is world-renowned and we, as a capital city for people living in the south east of Scotland, depend on this facility. We need to stand up for Edinburgh.”

In their letter to each party’s health spokesperson, KEEP is asking councillors elected across the Lothian Health Board area to uphold pledges already made ‘and further work to ensure that the delays are reduced, that a clear timetable is given for when this project will start and be completed, and a guarantee to meet with members of the KEEP campaign to regularly discuss once they are elected‘.

Silent disco dancers help clean up Portobello Beach

A band of 18 enthusiastic dancing volunteers joined environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful at Portobello Beach on Sunday (12 September) to rid the beach of litter and kick off the charity’s ‘Source to Sea’ week. The litter-picking crew donned their headphones, tuned-in and removed rubbish from the seaside.

They removed lots of small plastics, including cigarette butts, as well as broken glass and bits of clothing left in the sand – a common issue on popular beaches. As well as removing litter from the beach, the purpose of the litter picking party was to raise awareness of how litter left on land can make its way into the sea to pollute our oceans.

The event was organised as part of the charity’s My Beach Your Beach and Treasure your River campaigns, in partnership with Keep Porty Tidy, who go out daily to blitz litter from the beach and prom. 

Treasure Your River, created by environmental charity HUBBUB and delivered by Keep Scotland Beautiful, has been targeting litter from source to sea along the River Forth this summer.

The event was also supported by Oscar’s Gelato on the Porty prom, with complimentary gelato and other refreshments offered to volunteers.

Now in its fourth year, the My Beach Your Beach campaign aims to support bathing water quality at a selection of beaches, including Portobello, Fisherrow Sands and Kinghorn Harbour beach on the east coast.

The campaign does this by promoting beach stewardship among locals and visitors and encouraging good habits that can affect bathing water quality, both at the beach and indoors.

This summer’s pre-season litter survey, carried out by Keep Porty Tidy for the My Beach Your Beach campaign, found over 110 items of litter along a sample 100m stretch of beach and prom. 

The majority of this litter was drinks and food related rubbish, highlighting the need for people to bin their ‘on the go’ food packaging or take it home.

Greta Elliott, from Keep Porty Tidy, said: “The silent disco litter pick was a lot of fun and a great way to get people involved in keeping our beautiful beach clean and litter free. 

“Hopefully it will help encourage others to do the right thing and make sure their rubbish ends up in the bin rather than polluting the beach.”

Georgina Massouraki, Campaigns Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Beach litter is a huge environmental issue, not only blighting our communities but also washing out to sea, where it breaks down into microplastics, harming wildlife and marine ecosystems. This silent disco litter pick was a fun way to draw attention to this issue and hopefully reach a wider range of people.

“Our My Beach Your Beach campaign is designed to help improve the quality of bathing waters by asking people to bin their litter, bag and bin their dog poo and not to feed the gulls.

“We have been delighted to work with Keep Porty Tidy on the campaign in Portobello and hope that beach users will take notice and be more thoughtful about the impact they can have on the sand and sea.”

Cllr Lesley Macinnes, Environment Convener at The City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’re proud of Edinburgh’s beautiful beaches and so we’re very grateful to the litter pickers who worked so hard at the weekend to help us to keep Porty beach clean. I love that they had fun in the process of keeping fit and entertaining visitors as they danced along the beach.

“Our cleansing teams provided them with the equipment they needed to safely remove discarded litter and we’ve made sure the waste collected has been taken away. Our teams have been extremely busy throughout the pandemic working to keep Porty and the rest of Edinburgh clean and tidy and it’s great to see the Porty community taking pride in their area and helping them out.  

“I’d ask everyone visiting any of our beaches to respect our local communities and environment by using the bins provided or by taking your litter home with you.”

Read more about My Beach Your Beach: 

https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/community-and-place/my-beach-your-beach/

Read more about Treasure Your River: 

https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/treasure-your-river/

Two young people involved in NSPCC campaigns shortlisted as finalists in Young Scot Awards

Fatima Ishaq, 16, from Dundee, and Rachel Talbot, 14, from Angus, are two of the young people selected as finalists for this year’s Young Scot Awards for their involvement in campaigns including ‘Young Women Know’, addressing peer sexual abuse, and ‘Think b4 You Type’ an anti-bullying toolkit for schools.

Since its launch in 2006, the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards have been Scotland’s only national awards evening for the young people of Scotland. They have celebrated the inspirational contributions and achievements of thousands of young Scots who have made a real difference to communities across Scotland.

Fatima, who attends Morgan Academy, is a member of the Young Women’s Advisory Group, who are developing the Young Women Know: Dundee campaign. It launched last year, and is a joint project between NSPCC Scotland, YWCA Scotland – the Young Women’s Movement, and Dundee City Council.

The group are creating tailored resources to address peer sexual abuse and help ensure that every young woman and girl in Dundee knows what a healthy relationship looks like and where to go if they need advice or support.

Fatima, finalist in the Young Scot Awards volunteering category, said: “When I found out I was a finalist in the awards I was a bit shocked, but in a good way. I knew I had been nominated, but I wasn’t expecting to make it to the final.

“The Young Women Know campaign is so important because it will teach young people about healthy relationships, what they look like and how to spot red flags. It’s important for girls to know they can speak up and access support if they are in a toxic relationship. We’re still working on the materials and toolkit, but hopefully they will be ready to go out early this summer.

“I enjoy volunteering and there’s been lots of opportunities through school. I’m part of a mental health group and we do work in our school around young people’s mental and emotional health.

“I’m a chairperson on our school’s charity fundraising group, Interact, and we raise funds for various projects such as the shoebox appeal where we sent around 40 boxes to young people in countries in Eastern Europe filled with presents, clothing and sanitary products. And at Christmas we raised money towards a defibrillator to be fitted outside our school.

“I think it’s so important that young people’s voices are heard. At the end of the day, we’re the next generation and we should all have a say on our future and the world we want to create.”

Rachel has been involved since the early stages of an anti-bullying campaign, Think b4 You Type, alongside NSPCC Scotland, RespectMe and Angus Council.

The toolkit was initially launched just in Angus, but now the materials have been made available to secondary schools across Scotland.

Rachel, finalist in the enhancing education category, said: “I was really happy when I found out I was a finalist in the Young Scot Awards, and it’s great to think I could be receiving an award for the work I’ve been doing over the last while.”

Rachel also recently became a member of the NSPCC’s Young People’s Board for Change, which was launched last month to give young people the chance to shape and influence the work of the children’s charity.

Rachel added: “I’m really passionate about the anti-bullying campaign, and I’d love to see a drop in cyber bullying around the country. It’s hard enough being bullied in person in school, but there’s also the problem of being bullied online, and it can feel like there’s no escape sometimes

“I feel like young people have a lot to say, and if people listen to us then a lot of things could be changed for the better.”

Carla Malseed, local campaigns manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “Both Fatima and Rachel are amazing young women who are certainly going places and deserve their nominations in the Young Scot Awards.

“Working with them both is a delight, and their commitment to their respective causes really shines through when they passionately speak about what is important to them.

“It is crucial that children and young people are at the heart of what we do here at NSPCC Scotland. The last year has been so hard on all of us, and the younger generation should not be defined by the pandemic. There is so much that can be learned from their experiences and our new Young People’s Board for Change, which Rachel is on, will provide us with great opportunities for us to learn and have young people shape our work.”

The Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards will take place on 22 April.

New poll shows majority of Scottish parents support traffic calming measures as Walk to School Week begins

  • New research from YouGov shows majority of parents want safer crossings and 20mph speed limits; 
  • Living Streets Scotland, part of the UK charity for everyday walking, is encouraging families to ditch their cars for the school run for Walk to School Week

New research from Living Streets released for Walk to School Week (5 – 9 October 2020) reveals the majority of Scottish parents support measures to make walking safer and easier.  

The YouGov survey[1] found support from Scottish parents for car-free zones outside schools (61%), safer crossings (54%) and20mph speed limits (51%). 

In Scotland, 61 per cent of parents want to see a ban on pavement parking compared with 47 per cent of parents GB-wide, while 48 per cent support efforts to reduce rat-running.   

The parents polled believed the biggest benefits of walking to school for their children were being physically fitter (90%), getting fresh air (88%), reducing congestion (68%) and being cost-free (61%). Respondents also commented that physical distancing “is easier when walking” and that walking to school allowed their children to learn road safety and independence skills. 

Despite these benefits, less than half (41%) of primary school children in Scotland currently walk to school[2]. Living Streets is campaigning for action to encourage families to choose to walk, scoot or cycle to school. 

Mary Creagh, Chief Executive, Living Streets, said: “Every child should be able to walk to school safely, and enjoy the fresh air, freedom, friendship and fun that it brings.  It’s clear from our research that parents see the benefits, but concerns around rat runs and air pollution are putting them off. 

“Across the country, there is a silent majority of parents in favour of safer crossings and slower speeds, but too often, their voices are drowned out by a vocal minority who often live outside the area. 

“It’s vital that we scale up for walking, to protect children and families from the physical and social isolation the pandemic has brought, and to tackle the twin epidemics of loneliness and obesity.”

Stuart Hay, Director, Living Streets Scotland, said: “We need to put measures in place to make walking a viable option for families. We know from our work with schools across Scotland that families are put off walking to school by traffic, road danger and air pollution. By removing cars, we remove these barriers. 

“We need to put our children’s health first, especially during the current pandemic, and we must address the problems caused by inactivity, air pollution and road danger.”

Walk to School Week is a five-day walking challenge in which children are encouraged to walk, cycle or scoot every day of the week and share their experiences with classmates through interactive activity packs.

The challenge is a stepping stone to WOW – the year-round walk to school challenge from Living Streets which sees walk to school rates increase by 23 per cent on average, with a 30 per cent reduction in cars around the school gates. 

To find out more, visit livingstreets.org.uk/wtsw or search #WalktoSchoolWeek 

[1] All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 4223 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 16th – 18th September 2020.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

[2] 41 per cent of children walk or cycle to primary school in Scotland, Hands Up Scotland Survey, Sustrans

Iona Street campaigners hopes dashed

A STATEMENT from SAVE IONA STREET

A decision was reached last week on the Iona Street development by the council’s Development Management Sub-Committee and unfortunately it has been approved to go ahead.

This is obviously disappointing news for many of us but it’s worth remembering that together we have made a difference. While many of the broader changes we were calling for have not been recognised, some aspects of the development have been changed as a result of all of our efforts.

A huge thank you for your support over the past year. Our local community feels stronger as a result of the campaign.

Indoor and Soft Play Centres at risk of closure in Edinburgh

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, is supporting the campaign to save indoor and soft play centres in Scotland. Mr Briggs has submitted a motion at the Scottish Parliament which has gained cross party support from Liberal Democrat, Labour and Independent MSPs.        

Indoor and soft play areas employ hundreds of staff across Edinburgh and the Lothians, whose jobs are at risk due to closures.

Indoor play centres were due to open on the 14th September, but was postponed with 4 days’ notice. The new opening date of 5th October is looking increasingly unlikely with the rise in the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Scotland.

Thousands of pounds have been spent by indoor and soft play centres preparing for a reopening that is looking like it will not happen. The autumn and winter months are the busiest times for indoor and soft play centres, with the weather being less good.

Indoor and soft play centre campaigners have held a rally outside the Scottish Parliament yesterday (Wednesday 23rd September) to raise the profile of indoor play centres and highlight the lack of support from the SNP Ministers and the Scottish Government.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Indoor and soft play areas have spent thousands of pounds getting themselves Covid-19 ready, to minimise the spread of transmission, and allow them to open their doors again.

“These businesses have been told at short notice that they are no longer able to reopen and many are at real risk of closure, threatening jobs and peoples livelihoods.

“If the indoor and soft play areas are being singled out to stay closed, then the Scottish Government must provide them with the necessary support to survive through to next year.

“Indoor and soft play areas are valuable in the community, allowing young children to play and interact, as well as being sociable places for parents.”

Jennifer McNaughton, manager at Pandamonium Play Centre, said: “The majority of family run soft play areas in Scotland will not survive after the announcement at the start of October if they do not receive financial support from the Scottish Government.

“Indoor and soft play centres in England, Ireland and Wales are allowed to be opened with strict guidelines and since mid-August in England.

“Why are other sectors such as night clubs and theatres allowed to open when indoor soft play areas are not, which provide cheap and cheerful unstructured play, that prevents obesity and is crucial for children’s mental health?”

Thanks from Save Iona Street campaigners

A huge thank you again to everyone who submitted a comment on the 48-50 Iona Street planning application back in May.

As a result, the developer has made some changes to the proposal. While some of these changes are welcome, many aspects of the development remain unchanged, such as building height, density, student accommodation.

**MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAN COMMENT ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE APPLICATION UNTIL FRIDAY 14 AUGUST**

Any previous comments and objections are still valid on aspects of the development that are unchanged.

As before, Save Iona street will be pulling together some notes to help those who wish to comment on the these amendments.

Visit saveionastreet.wordpress.com or email saveionastreet@outlook.com for more info.