charities – Page 14 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Care in crisis: charities issue wake-up call

All across Scotland a huge but invisible army is caring for increasing numbers of older, ill or disabled loved ones, new research has revealed. The report highlights a crisis of carers struggling without support and huge gaps in national understanding of growing social issue.

Research published to mark Carers Week 2014 (9 – 15 June) reveals worrying public ignorance of the rising call on families to provide unpaid care.

The reality is that 6.5 million people in the UK – 657,000 in Scotland – are already caring for a family member or close friend who is frail or facing long-term illness or disability.

The Carers Week/You Gov poll shows that adults of all ages drastically underestimate the issue, with only a tiny fraction (11%) of Scottish adults correctly stating the true scale of unpaid, family care.

And while numbers across the UK are predicted to rise to 9 million by 2037, most adults don’t think caring will happen to them. Only around a third of adults in Scotland who are currently not carers (35%) believe it likely they will become carers in the future, the survey found.

Speaking on behalf of the nine charities behind Carers Week 2014, Simon Hodgson, Director of Carers Scotland said: “The reality is that all of us, at some point in our lives, will either be carers or need the help of carers. This survey is a wake-up call, clearly and alarmingly showing that as a society we need a much wider understanding of the realities of caring.”

The survey also asked what would be of greatest concern if a loved one did come to need care

Scotland’s Top 3 Caring Worries are revealed as:

1 Money worries – Being unable to cope financially
2 Emotional strain – Finding it too stressful/upsetting
3 I wouldn’t know how – Not having the experience or skills to be a carer

The views of current carers gathered through the same poll, reveal carers across the country are struggling behind closed doors without adequate help. Worryingly, over half (53%) of carers polled across the UK said they were not receiving enough support. Their experiences included:

“My brother cares full time for both my parents. My father’s 91 and unable to walk without assistance. My mother’s 86, has severe dementia and needs help 24/7. I help at weekends and one evening a week. My brother’s spoken to the doctor about care for my mother and was told the dementia nurse has a full case load. He’s contacted a charity who have agreed to help for two hours per week.”

“My daughter has spina bifida and is a full time wheelchair user….. At 60, it can be hard for me to push a manual wheelchair plus carry shopping up a hill. …”

“I have been looking after my disabled wife for 13 years. … I work part time and my physical health is not great and sometimes I feel like I am cracking up.”

Simon Hodgson added:“We need to understand what carers are doing day in and day out, the impact caring can have – and the difference we as individuals and organisations can make. That is why during Carers Week we are calling on the public and professionals across the UK to reach out to carers in their local communities.”

www.carersweek.org

Scotland’s charities unite in call to tackle poverty

‘We have a humanitarian crisis on our hands’

Scottish charities have joined together in an appeal for people across Scotland to join the fight against poverty with the launch today of the Scotland’s Outlook campaign.

Macmillan, Shelter Scotland, Oxfam, Alzheimer Scotland, Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS), Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), the Poverty Alliance and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) are behind the campaign which sheds light on the scale and impact of poverty, and warns of a bleak outlook for people living in poverty in Scotland.

The scale of the problem is alarming – and growing – but bare figures and statistics tell only part of the story: the struggle of life blighted by poverty is best told by those who experience and live it, day in, day out. Hazel, a lone parent living in Fife, said: “I did not want to be a single mum on benefits, like you seen on the news. Those mums were portrayed as lazy scroungers and I definitely was not like that. I really wanted to work but every way I turned I was hit with barriers and this made accessing employment so difficult. Childcare was so expensive and not readily available in my area. Buses were irregular and expensive.

“I think there needs to be more support for lone parents accessing employment but from an early stage. Childcare needs to be made a priority in all areas, and it should be more affordable and easily accessible. Employers should think about parents when writing contracts or vacancy ads, shifts could be more flexible to support parents and transport could be less expensive.”

Martin Sime, Chief Executive, SCVO, said: “With nearly a million people in Scotland living in poverty, we have a humanitarian crisis on our hands and we need everyone’s help to tackle it. Thousands of people are turning to food banks, struggling to heat their homes, and to clothe themselves and their children. It’s not right. We want people to wake up to the poverty storm that’s engulfing Scotland and get active in the fight against it.”

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, says: “People across Scotland are being battered by welfare reforms, stagnant wages, rising utility bills, higher living costs and job insecurity. For many, the safety and security of home is under threat like never before. It’s a perfect storm on our doorstep.

“We see and hear the misery poverty causes every day. Not only does it have a devastating impact on home life, it has long-term detrimental effects on people’s health, wellbeing and life chances – especially children.

“Set against the background of 155,100 households on council waiting lists and nearly 40,000 homelessness applications last year, it is clear that much more needs to be done to combat the root causes of poverty if we are to improve the prospects for everyone living in Scotland.”

Jamie Livingstone, Acting Head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “Cuts to social safety-nets have gone too far, leading to destitution, hardship and hunger on a large scale.

“Too many Scots don’t even have enough to eat – such glaring inequality simply cannot continue. And poverty isn’t just affecting those out of work, for too many people employment is not a route out of poverty either. We need a society where everyone, whether they are in or out of work, has a decent income that allows them to live with dignity. We should expect nothing less in rich Scotland.”

Peter Hastie, Macmillan’s Campaign, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, said: “Cancer makes a double-pronged attack on people’s finances, often removing their ability to work at the same time as leading to increasing costs such as higher heating bills.It’s vital all cancer patients having money problems find out if they are entitled to benefits or any other financial help by getting in touch with Macmillan.”

Jim Pearson, Deputy Director for Policy at Alzheimer Scotland, said: “The negative perceptions of people living in poverty are compounded by the stigma which too often surrounds dementia. Such perceptions fail to recognise people with dementia, and their carers, as individuals who continue to make a positive contribution to society, preventing them from taking part in society as equal and active citizens. Poverty is more widespread than many people realise, and raising awareness of that is the first step to challenging its damaging effects.”

Jon Heggie, Director of Fundraising and Communications, Children’s Hospice Association Scotland, said: “Having a child with a life-shortening condition can place a huge financial burden on a family. All of CHAS services are free which is vital to families who live with the ongoing financial implications of their child’s condition. In particular families often have to fund expensive equipment, home adaptations, high fuel bills and regular trips to hospital.

“Even with financial support, many families often need to find significant sums of money themselves in order to ensure they are providing their child with the best possible care.”

John Dickie, Head of CPAG in Scotland, said: “Independent forecasts predict an explosion in child poverty levels in the coming years as so much of the benefit and tax credit support that millions of families in and out of work rely on is ripped away. But by raising awareness and working together we can, and must, bring about the changes to our economy, social security system and public services that are needed to protect all our citizens from this poverty storm.”

For more information about Scotland’s Outlook visit www.scotlandsoutlook.org

WOW! Helping women into work for 25 years

An Edinburgh charity that helps women prepare for work celebrates its 25^th anniversary this year. Women Onto Work (WOW) provides individual packages for women who are keen to get back to work, but don’t know where to start.

Its first project was in Wester Hailes in 1989 when it ran a training course for 10 women. Since then it has provided support for thousands of women across the city, from a wide range of backgrounds such as low skills and qualifications, returning to work after being a mum, or having confidence issues.

And there are places available now for women who are not in work and are thinking about finding a job.

Susan Watt, WOW’s chairperson, says: “We would love to hear from any women in Edinburgh who would like to know more about our service. Please get in touch.”

“WOW is open to every woman who feels she’s struggling to make her way in the job market and we can offer help with childcare and travelling expenses where required.

“We are the only gender based employability organisation in Scotland, but we are about so much more than just finding women jobs, we offer personal and professional support so that women can achieve their full potential.”

WOW’s services include one to one coaching with a wide range of activities and courses from personal development to an enterprise course aimed at women thinking about working for themselves. Its funders include the Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council and the Big Lottery.

For more information check out WOW at www.womenontowork.org

Fancy that – free fun FACE fundraising fair

F.A.C.E. are holding their Christmas Fair at the Western General Hospital (Edinburgh Cancer Centre) on Saturday 7 December from 11am – 3pm. There are a variety of stalls, entertainment, refreshments and fun for all the family – and entrance is FREE!

F. A. C. E. is a fund founded in 1990 and is part of the Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation. F. A. C. E. originally stood for Fighting against Cancer in Edinburgh but now provides help for cancer clinics throughout the South East of Scotland.

F. A. C. E. is based in the Western General Hospital and is run by volunteers; there are no paid employees or offices as F. A. C. E. tries to minimise costs to allow as much of the funds raised to help create a positive environment for patients undergoing treatment for cancer. To make the time in hospital more comfortable – not just for patients, but their family and friends.

The group was scheduled to hold a gala fundraising dinner at the Balmoral Hotel earlier this month, but the big event had to be cancelled – so your support for the Christmas Fair on 7 December is even more important!

Celebrate the history of Circle

Best wishes to all at Circle Scotland, the national children and families charity based in West Pilton Park, who are holding their annual lecture tonight in the Botanic Gardens Lecture Theatre.

Tonight’s speaker is Dr Mark Smith, Head of Social Work at the University of Edinburgh, and the theme of the lecture is ‘Celebrating the history of Circle’.

Circle was born as an independent charity in 2006, but the organisation has a long and illustrious history – Circle was created from Family Service Units, which were established in areas of deprivation just after World War Two.

Circle’s is a story worth telling and tonight’s event promises to be fascinating. Hope it goes well.

Fresh Start gets down to business

Resettlement charity Fresh Start has welcomed it’s first ever Business Manager as the charity goes through a period of growth. Joyce Clark takes up the newly created role with the Pilton-based charity, which works to help people make a home for themselves.

Ms Clark comes from a business and marketing background, with her most recent role in the third sector at Sacro, the national community justice voluntary organisation.

The new Business Manager role was created to help the charity grow as demand for its services continues to rise. Fresh Start’s board of directors decided at the start of the recession to promote a programme of expansion which has helped them to meet some of that demand – but the charity is still unable to help all those who need it.

Fresh Start provides a range of services: a Starter Pack service to help people with the basics needed to set up a new home; a Hit Squad service to help people decorate their new home and provide social support; and a training and employability service for people who have been homeless through its social enterprise in PAT Testing.

Keith Robertson, Fresh Start’s Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to welcome Joyce to Fresh Start in this newly created role as we expand and grow. Fresh Start has already come far from its roots, based in one of the member’s garages, helping just a handful of people in Pilton. But we are growing faster than ever before and we’re delighted Joyce is starting to help steer the ship in the right direction.”

Business Manager Joyce Clark said: “Fresh Start is a place where real tangible results can be seen in helping people to turn their lives around, thanks to the right kinds of support. I’m delighted to work with such a committed organisation and team – and look forward to helping the charity continue to support people to have a fresh start in life and develop ways of meeting the growing demand.”

Good causes to benefit from carrier bag levy

The Scottish government will introduce a 5p levy on plastic bags from October 2014. Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said the charge should reduce bag use in Scotland and raise £5m a year for good causes.

Mr Lochhead said: “Discarded carrier bags highlight our throwaway society. We use more carrier bags per head in Scotland than any other part of the UK and this is unsustainable. They are a highly visible aspect of litter and we are taking decisive action to decrease their number. By reducing the amount being carelessly discarded we can cut litter and its impact on our environment and economy. A small charge should also encourage us all to stop and think about what we discard and what can be re-used. This charge is not a tax but will see retailers donating the proceeds to charity – this could be up to £5m per year after retailers have covered their costs.”

Iain Gulland, the director of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “We can all reduce the impact of carrier bags by making sure that when we must take one, we re-use it over and over again as many times as possible and then recycle it at the end of its life.”

Retailers have expressed concerns over the introduction of the charge, however.

A CBI Scotland spokesman said: “Modest economic growth coupled with a continuing shift to internet shopping is making conditions challenging for the high street, which is already feeling the ill-effects of the Scottish government’s £95m retail rates surcharge and its £36m rates levy on empty shops and other premises. The plans for costly additional red tape in the form of an environmental levy on carrier bags, after significant success recently in reducing the use of plastic bags by voluntary means, will only make a difficult situation even tougher for retail businesses.”

The Scottish Retail Consortium says that carrier bag use has already fallen by 40% and there is a need to concentrate on bigger issues. SRC Director Fiona Moriarty said: “The Scottish government has decided that it wants further and faster reductions and the only way it can achieve this is through legislation.

“However, it is our view that if we focus solely on plastic bags we are in danger of being distracted from much larger and more important issues around waste. The SRC will be working with the Scottish government to ensure that the legislation is proportionate and as far as possible consistent across the UK to avoid confusion for customers and businesses.”

Say YEA! to Roshni

Roshni is running two exciting new projects for the minority ethnic community in Scotland

The Young Ethnic Awards (YEA!) are the perfect celebration of Scotland’s minority ethnic youth and will recognise their achievements in 6 different categories recognising work from volunteering to exceptional sporting and educational achievements, we want to acknowledge the young ethnic minority people who are doing something special. Individuals have the opportunity to nominate ME young people aged 14 and 25 between now and 31 August, with winners announced at the Young Ethnic Awards (YEA!) on 24 October. For more info go to http://www.roshni.org.uk/yea/

Alongside YEA! we are running the Scottish Ethnic Communities 100k fund, which aims to inspire more of the excellent grassroots work in ME communities. The fund offers up to £10,000 for a community based project, allowing people to take their ideas for their community and bring them to life. The application process is simple; and our multi-lingual Community Outreach team ensure that groups can apply in any language. This will allow us to help those often considered hard to reach, who are generally those most in need of help. The shortlisted community groups will then be invited to attend the award ceremony on the 24th October where we will reveal who has been successful in their application and watch their dream become a reality. For more info go to

http://www.roshni.org.uk/the-scottish-ethnic-communities-100k-fund/

Nasim Azad

Government cash to support families in need

The work being carried out by Pilton-based Circle Scotland was praised by Aileen Campbell, the Minister for Children and Young People, during a visit to the project yesterday. Ms Campbell also announced details of £10 million Strategic Partnership Funding for voluntary sector organisations working with children and families.

Families across Scotland will benefit from better support services with 45 third sector organisations receiving a funding boost from the Scottish Government. This £10 million of Strategic Partnership Funding will strengthen the work of young people’s organisations working across Scotland, in areas such as adoption, vulnerable families, child health, literacy, bereavement counselling and parental support.

Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell (pictured below, right) said: “We are working to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up, including increasing the level of free early learning and childcare through the Children and Young People Bill, which will save families equivalent to around £700 per child. Scottish families already benefit from a wide range of support and the organisations receiving a share of this £10 million will help to improve what is on offer. Thanks to our investment, great organisations like Circle, which I am visiting today, will be able to take their work further into the community, helping families in need across Scotland get access to the right information and resources.”

Funding of £20 million through the Third Sector Early Intervention Fund and £10 million through Strategic Funding Partnerships was announced last month.

The following 45 organisations will receive support through the Strategic Funding Partnerships to enhance or develop work focussed on supporting the needs of young people and their families:

Article 12 in Scotland, Asthma UK Scotland, Birthlink, British Association for Adoption and Fostering Scotland, Capability Scotland, Care and Learning Alliance, Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta), Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland, Dyslexia Scotland, Families Need Fathers Scotland, Family Service Unit Scotland (Circle), Fathers Network Scotland (FNS), Genetic Alliance UK, Girlguiding Scotland, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, Hearts and Minds, John Muir Trust, Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, Lead Scotland, Learning Link Scotland, LGBT Youth Scotland, National Day Nurseries Association, Parent Network Scotland, Partners in Advocacy, Relationships Scotland Core, Relationships Scotland Project, Scotland’s Learning Partnership, Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs, Scottish Community Development Centre, Scottish Environmental & Outdoor Education Centres Association, Scottish Marriage Care, Scottish Trades Union Congress, Scottish Youth Parliament, Sense Scotland, Sleep Scotland, The Boys’ Brigade, The Girls Brigade in Scotland, The Iona Community, The Mentor Foundation UK (Mentor), Working On Wheels , The Princes Trust, The Scout Association, Woodcraft Folk , Workers’ Educational Association and YWCA Scotland.

Silver surfers: steer clear of online scams

Scotland’s growing legions of ‘silver surfers’ are being warned to be vigilant as cyber criminals look to prey on unsuspecting victims with increasingly cunning online scams. With the numbers of older people using the web and discovering social media channels growing daily, fears are being raised they are becoming the prime targets for internet scammers.

The fraudsters are continually concocting scams to fool unsuspecting web users with many of the cons taking place without the victim being aware, ranging from social networking and financial scams to those relating to online employment or auctions. One smartphone/web-based App set up to highlight the explosion of online scams lists more than 600 different online cons.

The latest warning comes fromthe Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC), as part of a new campaign it is fronting to raise awareness of various issues that can place older people at risk of financial harm.

Gary Ritchie, Assistant Director of SBCC, said: “These con men will stop at nothing to shamelessly deceive and swindle internet users out of personal details and money. While many of us have been using the internet for some time and have grown to recognise these types of scam emails, anyone can be caught out as new scams are constantly being designed to trick unwary web surfers into parting with money or personal information.

“The increase in ‘silver surfers’ using the internet as a way of communicating now means that older people are increasingly exposed to these crimes. Older people in particular are prone to falling for emails that appear legitimate because they look like official emails which appear to be from a well known bank or unsolicited mails where the scammer tells of recent disastrous events which have left them stranded, usually in a foreign country with no money and no passport. Sadly these people are frequently conned out of huge sums of money. Crimes against people who perhaps don’t have the same capabilities or support to protect themselves as others is appalling and has no place in Scotland.”

One of the most prominent online scams is ransomware; a category of malicious software which, when run, disables the functionality of a computer in some way. The ransomware program displays a pop-up message demanding payment to restore functionality.

The malware, in effect, holds the computer ransom, the pop-up advises law enforcement has locked the computer and suggests that this is a result of the user viewing indecent images or terrorist sites.

These pop-ups use the logos of recognisedUK forces, including Action Fraud so victims are easily fooled by this con. Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid this pop-up and given the number of different gangs operating ransomware scams, a conservative estimate is that over £3 million a year is being extorted from victims, however, the real figure is likely to be much higher.

Chief Inspector Ronnie Megaughin at Police Scotland, also chair of the Adults at Risk from Financial Harm Group, said: “There are a number of factors which require to be present for frauds or scams to be successful and the vulnerability of the victim is at the heart of that equation. While anyone can be duped, those who are most vulnerable within our communities are faced with the greatest risk.”

He added the Keeping People Safe campaign being managed by the Adults at Risk from Financial Harm Group aims to put in place a range of prevention measures necessary to safeguard individuals and reduce criminal opportunity.

As victims are often too embarrassed to report these various internet crimes, authoritative statistics are hard to establish. However, a recent study by Age UK found almost half of the over 60’s questioned said that they had been targeted by a scam last year.

Lindsay Scott, spokesperson for Age Scotland said: “Although today’s pensioners may be mentally sharper than ever, they still make a prime target for con artists because they generally have more disposable income and because they’re usually more trusting, having grown up at a time when things were taken at face value. It’s also true that longer life expectancy has resulted in a growing generation of people in later life who perhaps live alone, are maybe a bit forgetful or simply become confused or frightened by smooth-talking scammers. This combination of not remembering correctly and in many cases, particularly involving men, being unwilling to admit there’s a problem, can make older adults especially vulnerable to this sort of crime.”

A booklet containing information and advice on a variety of scams has been created and produced by The Metropolitan Police Service’s Operation Sterling Team and is available to download for free by visiting http://www.sbcc.org.uk/media/84031/little_book_of_big_scams.pdf

Scam Detector is a smart phone and web-based app available to download for free which exposes more than 600 of the world’s most fraudulent scams.http://scam-detector.com/

The SBCC, which aims to work in partnership with various bodies to create a saferScotland, recently held a conference to establish a blueprint forScotland’s private and public sectors and voluntary organisations to collaborate consistently and effectively to protect those who may be subjected to financial abuse by others.

The SBCC is currently forming a strategic multi agency steering group to provide further advice, guidance and protection around those who are seen as vulnerable in this way through information exchange and early intervention including the development of aScotland against Scams initiative. The group will also consider how to tackle e-related scams and postal scams as part of their ongoing work.

This steering group will consist of representatives from the Scottish Government, Social Work Department, Trading Standards, police, banks, energy and utility companies as well as a variety of other interested organisations.

More information about the Scottish Business Crime Centre and how to become a member can be found atwww.sbcc.org.uk.