Tag: charity

Babies and children in Edinburgh approved for adoption will benefit from newly launched service

Babies and children from Edinburgh who are approved for permanent homes through adoption will benefit from a new service launched by leading children and young person’s charity, Kibble.  

Unlike many others, the new adoption service will work nationwide and collaboratively with local authorities and other registered adoption agencies, to recruit and match adopters with children waiting to find their forever homes in a bid to modernise and streamline the process for both children and adopters.   

The service will join Kibble’s well-established range of trauma-informed care and support which includes fostering, residential care, education and specialist therapeutic support.   

Another unique move from the care provider, Kibble will also be offering adopters and adopted children lifelong access to its services and support which includes therapists, psychologists and behavioural experts among many other industry-leading services available through the charity’s network of expertise.  

Paula Harkins, who is leading the Kibble Adoption service, said: “This launch is an incredibly important step in expanding Kibble’s commitment to children and young people across Scotland. 

“Our vision is to set a high standard of practice within the sector, ensuring that every step of the adoption process is thoughtfully tailored to the needs of the child and the family.  

“Modernising adoption is long overdue, and we must ensure we are respectful of the unique dual identity that an adopted child has, as well as the need for ongoing therapeutic services throughout their lives – a right that all children and families who are affected by adoption now have under the 2007 Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act.” 

In addition to supporting the placement of all children considered suitable for adoption, Kibble will provide a focused service for many of the babies and children currently on the adoption register recognised in the sector as ‘harder to place’.  

This often includes large sibling groups, children with additional needs and older children. Sadly, these groups often spend longer than necessary waiting for their forever home due to a lack of suitable adopters being recruited that can meet the needs of the children. 

Kibble’s newly established adoption service is uniquely positioned to respond to these challenges by working across Scotland to recruit adopters, while also offering lifetime support for all children, adopters and families.  

Jim Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer at Kibble, emphasised how the newly formed adoption service is a natural progression of the already-established extensive range of services available to young people through Kibble that contributes to its mission of providing early-intervention and support of young people across Scotland.  

He said: “The launch of our Adoption Service complements our existing residential, fostering and community-based programmes, providing a full spectrum of care options for young people in Scotland.  

“This expansion reinforces Kibble’s long-standing commitment to early intervention and support, ensuring we can meet each young person’s unique needs and offer them the best possible chance at a bright, stable future. 

“This is an important step in our mission to build a foundation that will support young people and families across Scotland for years to come.” 

For those considering adoption, Kibble’s new service offers full support from initial enquiries to post-adoption care, enabling families to provide loving homes for Scotland’s children in need of a family to belong.

With extensive experience in trauma-informed care and early intervention, Kibble is uniquely positioned to support adoptive families and children, creating positive, lifelong outcomes.  

For further information about Kibble’s new adoption service and for those looking to start their own adoption journey, visit: Kibble Adoption — Transforming lives, families and our communities.  

Letter: Support Lymphoma Action this festive season

Dear Editor

Every 26 minutes a friend or loved one is diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. This Christmas we are asking people to make a difference by supporting our work to make sure no one has to face lymphoma alone.

We are the only charity in the UK dedicated to lymphoma and your support will help us make sure that people affected by the condition can access the information and support they need to help them through their lymphoma diagnosis, treatment and beyond.

There are many ways that you can show your support this festive season – from ordering charity gifts in Lymphoma Action’s Christmas shop, to holding a festive fashion day, making a donation or buying a beautiful Forever Flower as a special gift or way to remember a loved one.

We rely on the generosity of people like you to help us be there for people affected by lymphoma. Any gift you give will make a big difference to people affected by the UK’s fifth most common cancer – not only this Christmas, but all year round.

Please visit www.lymphoma-action.org.uk/christmas for further details on how you can support the work of Lymphoma Action this festive season.

Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary ‘in awe’ of Scottish charity as they back school feeding work

‘As parents ourselves, Dermot and I are in awe of the work that Mary’s Meals does around the world!’

British presenting duo, Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary are calling on people across Scotland to give children the gift of hope this Christmas by donating to Mary’s Meals’ appeal, Double The Love. 

For a limited time, all donations made to Mary’s Meals will be doubled by a group of generous supporters, up to a total of £1.1 million. Funds raised from the appeal will help the charity, which was founded in a shed in the Scottish Highlands, keep their promise of a daily nutritious meal to children living in the world’s poorest countries including Lebanon, Haiti and South Sudan as well as striving to reach the next hungry children, who are waiting for Mary’s Meals.  

Dynamic duo Alison and Dermot are thrilled to be celebrating the launch of the campaign and are urging people to make a lasting impact to the lives of even more children this festive period.

The Double The Love appeal will support Mary’s Meals in its mission to serve daily meals to more than 2.4 million vulnerable children at school. These daily school meals not only satisfy hungry children but fuel their potential by removing a barrier to education, giving them the opportunity for a brighter future. 

Alison, who presents British daytime show, This Morning, says: “As parents ourselves, Dermot and I are in awe of the work that Mary’s Meals does around the world! By supporting the charity, you’re giving the little ones more than a meal, you’re fuelling their dreams and empowering their futures.  

“During Double The Love, your donation will go further than ever before – just £19.15 feeds a child for an entire school year with Mary’s Meals but this festive season, you can feed two children for the same cost. There’s never been a better time to support this life-changing cause.” 

Co-host Dermot adds: “Every child deserves the chance to learn and thrive, and for many, that starts with a simple nutritious meal at school. This Christmas, a small act of generosity can make a big difference to those who need it most.  

“Please support Double The Love and donate to Mary’s Meals, allowing your kindness to go twice as far. Together, we can transform the lives of many more desperately hungry children waiting for Mary’s Meals.”  

Marie Doyle, Interim Executive Director of Mary’s Meals, is delighted that the presenters are backing the charity: “Who better to launch our Double The Love appeal than Britain’s much-loved presenting duo, Alison and Dermot! We are beyond grateful to have their support.  

“Our school meals programme is needed now more than ever, as rising food prices, the impact of climate change, and ongoing conflicts make it even harder for children in the world’s most vulnerable communities to access a basic education.

“We know that 67 million children are out of school because hunger keeps them working or begging for food. Your donation this Christmas will help us ensure that children continue to receive life-changing meals and to grow our work so we can reach those children who are still waiting.” 

Donate today to help Mary’s Meals unlock all the available funds. The gift matching will end once the charity reaches the £1.1 million total.

For more information, please visit marysmeals.org.uk/double.  

Sonia and Babita’s story 

Sonia, a bright-eyed 10-year-old, and her 14-year-old sister, Babita, come from a humble family. Sadly a few years ago, their world was turned upside down when their father tragically passed away from Covid, followed closely by the loss of their grandmother.

Within a short span of time, the family faced a series of hardships.  

Babita recalls: “Before, it was good. Father used to earn money, and I remember him encouraging me to learn and study.” 

Sonia continues: “When he died, there was no rice, no food at home. For days, we did not eat. I felt sad, and the whole family went hungry.” 

Recognising the family’s struggles, nuns at St Theresa School stepped in to offer support. The girls found some relief in the form of Mary’s Meals’ school feeding programme, serving a daily meal to every pupil attending the school. To provide Sonia with a more stable environment, their mother made the decision to send her to live at the convent school, while Babita travels home to help care for her other siblings. 

For Babita, the school meals have become a crucial lifeline, helping to ease the burden food insecurity. At home, she often has only leftovers to eat so the nutritious school meal is vital, especially since she needs the energy to participate in the sports and games she loves.  

While Sonia and Babita’s lives have taken different paths since the death of their father and grandmother – one living at the convent, the other at home – their connection remains strong. The meals they share at school bring them together each day, offering a moment to find comfort in each other’s presence.  

By donating to Mary’s Meals during Double The Love, people can ensure that more young learners, like Sonia and Babita, are given the opportunity to grow up well-nourished and well-educated, equipped with the skills to lift themselves and their communities out of poverty. 

For a limited time only, all donations made to Mary’s Meals will be doubled by a group of generous supporters, up to £1.1 million. 

Visit marysmeals.org.uk/double to find out more. 

Kilts and Lederhosen help bring Scotland and Zambia together

16 Kiltwalk Heroes, from Scotland to as far as Munich, took on the Mighty Stride on September 15th,  marching 21 miles around Edinburgh to raise an incredible £10,500 for this new Scottish-founded international development charity, that changes lives through football, starting in Kalingalinga, Zambia.

Much of these funds were immediately spent by Africa On The Ball (AOTB) putting on a much needed First Aid course for the community, which ran last Friday.

The money will also enable a third solar powered drinking water station to be built for the 3 local schools and orphanage that AOTB supports, which is vital as Zambia suffers its worst drought to date. The rest will provide more coaches &  ten academic and skills Scholarships for young people at the Lusaka Youth Resource Centre.

AOTB transforms communities across Africa by embracing the power of football to build a foundation for life-long success. They collaboratively inspire, empower and support communities in Zambia and throughout Africa, using the passion for football as a catalyst to improve education, healthcare, inclusivity and enterprise, creating sustainable brighter futures.

The charity began in 2013 after a Stirling University student Andrew Jenkin met an orphaned Zambian, Kelvin Chasauka who went on to play pro football in Norway, realised what football gave to him, and decided to come back to his community in Lusaka and help change lives positively through the power of football.

Together they set up a community football club that is so much more than a pitch with grassroots outreach development projects in education, health, equality and enterprise.

The players become local leaders helping to develop their community by working and learning together as a team to transform their lives.  

So Africa On the Ball was founded in Scotland alongside a community football club in Glasgow (Glasgow On The Ball, with 4 teams playing in Sunday Leagues and open to all, #glasgowontheball) to share their passion for the game as well as help raise funds and awareness for the works of Africa On The Ball.

Eight GOTB players walked the Kiltwalk.

The AOTB club in Kalingalinga has over 15 teams of boys & girls, men & women, over 300 members supporting 4 schools, funded 57 scholarships, built 2 solar panelled water kiosks & staged many tournaments where vital health education messages are delivered alongside a competitive show.

DFN celebrates decade of improving disability employment in Edinburgh

The DFN Charitable Foundation (DFN Foundation) is celebrating 10 years of tackling complex societal problems and delivering transformative outcomes for unheard voices in the UK and further afield. 

The DFN Foundation was set up in 2014 by David Forbes-Nixon OBE with a focus on working across four key pillars: education, employability, healthcare and wildlife conservation.  

Over the past decade, DFN Foundation has achieved incredible results in all these areas including setting up a school for pupils with special educational needs at Undershaw and establishing an employability charity, DFN Project SEARCH, which helps get young people with a learning disability and/or autism into jobs. 

Further work across the pillars has seen the UK charity supporting a Myeloma Research Programme improving survival rates in myeloma patients with high-risk myeloma and ensuring the survival of the British butterfly, through its work with the Big Butterfly Count.  

Founder and Chairman, David Forbes-Nixon said: “I was inspired to set up the DFN Foundation, to honour two of my personal heroes: my son Charlie who has learning and physical disabilities; and my mother who died of multiple myeloma. Over the past decade, our work has strived to create a better world in their legacy and for generations to come.”

The DFN Foundation has achieved a milestone of 10 years’ operating as an industry leading Strategic Commissioning Charity, partnering with the best-in-class charities or setting up its own to deliver the best results for some of the most pressing challenges facing society.  

Founded in 2014, the DFN Foundation has strived to make a difference by bringing together the right talent, operating with a business mindset, and staying laser focused on specific goals. 

The DFN Foundation was initially focused on improving Disability Employment, Special Needs Education and Healthcare, with these issues all affecting Founder and Chairman, David Forbes-Nixon on a personal level.  

David said: “At the start, I wanted the DFN Foundation to focus on the two main causes that I was passionate about: supporting education and employment opportunities for young disabled people; and finding a cure for multiple myeloma.  

“However, as we grew, we broadened our scope and we looked to take on some of the most pressing social challenges that often struggle to attract mainstream support because they are viewed as risky, difficult or simply impossible. 

“In order to achieve this, I assembled a high-quality board of trustees for the DFN Foundation and we agreed to focus on education, employment, healthcare and wildlife conservation alongside establishing four main goals for the first 10 years. “ 

Highlights for the DFN Foundation over the past decade include establishing a world class special needs school at Undershaw, and positively influencing best practice around disability employment through a separate employability charity, DFN Project SEARCH. 

DFN Project SEARCH was founded in 2018 by David Forbes-Nixon to ensure that young people with special educational needs and learning disabilities receive high quality work-related learning and improved access to long-term paid employment.  

70% of DFN Project SEARCH graduates achieve jobs, and 60% achieve full-time permanent roles, compared to the national average of 4.8% of people with a learning disability who are known to local authorities. Moreover, DFN Project SEARCH has got 2,200 young adults with a learning disability and/or autism into jobs so far. 

DFN Foundation’s work in healthcare has looked to improve survival rates of myeloma and advance cures through strategic funding of high-quality research which will benefit patients to live longer lives.  

As part of this funding, clinical trials of Optimum MUK9 saw 75% of the sample group in the trials still in remission 36 months after starting treatment: this makes it the most successful privately funded UK myeloma clinical trials ever. 

The DFN Foundation’s effort to improve wildlife conservation have seen it look to ensure the survival of the British butterfly, through increasing awareness and sponsoring the Big Butterfly Count, a UK-wide citizen science survey. 

David said: “On our tenth anniversary year, I think it is important that we take stock and look back on all the incredible achievements that we have had as a Foundation but also look forward to the next stage in our growth.  

“As part of this, we want to continue to support Undershaw so it becomes a world class special needs school rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted across all categories and commit additional financial support to DFN Project SEARCH to help get 20,000 young disabled people into jobs by 2034.  

“We also want to support securing a route to market for OPTIMUM (MUKnine) clinical trials so that as many myeloma patients as possible can benefit from this pioneering set of drug therapies and share results globally through publications and presentations by Dr Kaiser.  

“The DFN Foundation will continue our work in partnership with The Pangolin Project to ensure survival of the Giant Ground Pangolin in the Nyekweri Ecosystem in Kenya.   

“Finally, we want to make sure that the DFN Foundation has a lasting impact and as part of our policy work we will launch the DFN Scholars programme and continue to work with Disability Employment Charter and the Centre of Social Justice and lobby policymakers in Parliament with a goal of reducing the disability employment gap.” 

Letter: Don’t leave Scotland behind on animal welfare

Dear Editor

TODAY (10th June) an important new cat welfare law will come into effect – but only for pet cats in England. This new legislation will mean all pet cats in England must be microchipped, ensuring they have the best possible chance to be reunited with their owners if they go missing or are injured.

Cats Protection is campaigning to make sure cats in Scotland are not left behind on this important feline welfare issue. Figures from our Cats and Their Stats report 2023 shows over a quarter of cats in Scotland – around 240,000 – are currently not microchipped.

This means that if they become lost they may never be returned home, and their owners may never know what has happened to them. It also puts a strain on Scottish animal charities, who may end up rehoming stray cats because they’re unable to trace their owner.

Animal welfare is a devolved issue, and we’re urging the Scottish Government to take action to introduce compulsory microchipping of pet cats. In addition to the new law for cats in England, microchipping has been compulsory for dogs in Scotland since 2016.

As a nation of animal lovers, we must ensure that animal welfare standards in Scotland keep up with the rest of the UK.

To find out how to support our campaign, please visit cats.org.uk/campaigning

Yours sincerely

Alice Palombo

Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland

Edinburgh Woman Laura takes on Edinburgh Half Marathon to show her determination to husband

Laura Buchanan, 41, from Edinburgh, will be taking part in the Edinburgh Half Marathon later this month (Sunday 26 May,) raising funds for the Stroke Association.

Laura’s husband Craig (42,) had a severe stroke 18 months ago. He was left unable to walk and with limited speech, and the family were told to prepare for the worst.

After three weeks at The Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Craig was transferred to The Astley Ainslie hospital where he underwent intensive therapy for 9 weeks. 

With the help of NHS physiotherapy, occupational health and speech and language, 5 days a week, Craig was quickly able to begin to make small improvements. Through sheer grit and determination, Craig continued to recover.

After three months, he walked out of hospital with the help of a tripod – an incredible achievement, and one they’d never imagine he would make. Craig has gone from strength to strength and has now gone back to work, working 12 hours a week.

He has a very supportive family and an amazing group of friends; their support was massively important in his rehabilitation. 

Laura said: “I’m absolutely not a runner. I am doing this for my husband, and the Stroke Association. Craig never complains, he just gets on with it.  Before the stroke, I didn’t think it would have been possible to love Craig any more than I did, turns out I was wrong. I am in awe of everything he does and so proud to be his wife. When training is hard my mantra is, if he can learn to walk, I can learn to run. 

“I knew nothing about strokes, until this happened. Having a stroke is a terrible thing, turning peoples’ lives upside down. I want others to know a stroke could happen to them. Even if you are young, a stroke doesn’t discriminate. By raising awareness, I hope more people will look out for the signs and symptoms of a stroke, no matter what age.”

Claire Pell, Product Officer at the Stroke Association said: “A stroke can happen to anyone at any time, and changes life in an instant.

“About a quarter of strokes happen to people of working age. Fortunately, it is treatable and recoverable, but it is often a long and slow recovery, and the impact can be lifelong. With the help of our fundraisers like Laura, we can help many more stroke survivors rebuild their lives again. 

“What Laura is doing is admirable. Attempting a half marathon is no mean feat.  The hard work that Laura is putting into this now, and on the day, will be a huge effort of respect to Craig. Thank you, Laura, for raising all the funds you have so far. 

“Your fundraising efforts will help raise awareness, fund research, and support people who have had a stroke and their families.”

RNLI celebrates 200 years and over 146,000 lives saved

TODAY (Monday 4 March 2024) the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) will celebrate 200 years of saving lives at sea – thanks to volunteers giving their time to save others, all funded by public donations.

Lifeboat at sea

On the day the charity turns 200, the RNLI is revealing its volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved an incredible 146,277 lives during its two centuries of lifesaving.

Since the charity was founded in 1824, its volunteer crews have launched the lifeboats 380,328 times, saving 144,277 lives, while its lifeguards – who became part of the RNLI’s lifesaving service in 2001 – have responded to 303,030 incidents on some of the UK’s busiest beaches, saving 2,000 lives*. In total, 146,277 lives have been saved by the RNLI – this equates to an average of two lives saved every day for 200 years.

Founded in a London tavern on 4 March 1824 following an appeal from Sir William Hillary, who lived on the Isle of Man and witnessed many shipwrecks, the RNLI has continued saving lives at sea throughout the tests of its history, including tragic disasters, funding challenges and two World Wars.

Two centuries have seen vast developments in the lifeboats and kit used by the charity’s lifesavers – from the early oar-powered vessels to today’s technology-packed boats, which are now built in-house by the charity; and from the rudimentary cork lifejackets of the 1850s to the full protective kit each crew member is now issued with.

The RNLI’s lifesaving reach and remit has also developed over the course of 200 years. Today, it operates 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, including four on the River Thames, and has seasonal lifeguards on over 240 lifeguarded beaches around the UK. It designs and builds its own lifeboats and runs domestic and international water safety programmes.

While much has changed in 200 years, two things have remained the same – the charity’s dependence on volunteers, who give their time and commitment to save others, and the voluntary contributions from the public which have funded the service for the past two centuries.

RNLI Chief Executive, Mark Dowie, says: ‘It has been an honour and a privilege to be at the helm of the RNLI for the past five years, and to see the charity reach its bicentenary.

“For a charity to have survived 200 years based on the time and commitment of volunteers, and the sheer generosity of the public donating to fund it, is truly remarkable. It is through the courage and dedication of its incredible people that the RNLI has survived the tests of time, including tragic losses, funding challenges, two World Wars and, more recently, a global pandemic.

‘Today, we mark the bicentenary of the RNLI. We remember the achievements and commitment of all those who have been part of the RNLI family over the past two centuries; we celebrate the world-class lifesaving service we provide today, based on our 200 years of learning, expertise and innovation, and we hope to inspire future generations of lifesavers and supporters who will take the RNLI into its next century and beyond.

‘I am immensely grateful to everyone who is involved with the charity – our volunteers, supporters and staff. This is our watch and it is our role to keep our charity safe and secure so it can continue to save lives into the future, as we strive in our vision to save every one.’

RNLI Heritage Archive and Research Manager, Hayley Whiting, says: ‘The RNLI’s founder, Sir William Hillary, witnessed the treacherous nature of the sea first-hand when living on the Isle of Man and he wanted to take action.

“His first appeal to the nation in 1823 did not have the desired result but, thankfully, he persevered and gained the support of several philanthropic members of society, who put their names to the charity at a meeting in the City of London Tavern on 4 March 1824.

‘Twelve resolutions were passed at that meeting, the core of which still stand as part of the RNLI’s Charter 200 years later. This shows how the RNLI’s values and purpose have remained unwavering for 200 years, despite the social and economic changes and challenges of the past two centuries.

‘Hillary’s vision was ambitious and forward-thinking, and no doubt he would be extremely proud to see the charity he founded still going strong today, and to see how much it has achieved.’

The charity has a history of innovation, and adapting to challenging circumstances, such as:

· Lifejackets: In 1861, Whitby lifeboat crew launched six times to rescue stricken vessels in a storm, but on their sixth launch a freak wave capsized the lifeboat and all but one of the crew were lost. The sole survivor was Henry Freeman, who survived because he was wearing a new design of cork lifejacket. After this event, the cork lifejacket became more widely adopted by lifeboat crews.

· Fundraising: In 1886, 27 lifeboat crew members from Southport and St Annes lost their lives while trying to rescue the crew of the Mexico. A public appeal was launched, driven by local man Charles Macara. An 1891 appeal raised £10,000 in two weeks. On 1 October, Charles and his wife Marion organised the first Lifeboat Saturday. Bands, floats and lifeboats paraded through the streets of Manchester, followed by volunteers collecting money. More than £5,000 was taken on the day, which was the first recorded example of a charity street collection.

· Lifeboats: In 1914, over 140 people were saved when the hospital steamship Rohilla was wrecked. The ship had been en route to Dunkirk to help wounded soldiers but was broken up when it ran aground on rocks near Whitby. Five lifeboats battled terrible seas to reach the ship. A motor lifeboat (the first of its kind) from Tynemouth, took the last 50 people on board. In total, 144 people were saved by the crews, who worked for over 50 hours in atrocious conditions. The motor lifeboat proved its capabilities and became more widely accepted by lifeboat crews after this event.

· Wartime: When the First World War broke out, many lifeboat volunteers were called away to fight. The average age of lifeboat crews at home increased to over 50. During 1914-18, RNLI lifeboats launched 1,808 times, saving 5,332 lives. In 1939, young lifeboat volunteers were called away again to war. By the end of the Second World War, RNLI crews had saved 6,376 lives around the coasts of Britain and Ireland.

In 1940, 19 RNLI lifeboats were used to evacuate troops from Dunkirk. Two had RNLI crews onboard, while the others were crewed by the Royal Navy. The lifeboats and their stand-in crews saved thousands of lives while being shelled and bombed for days.

Throughout its bicentenary year, the charity is running events and activities to remember its important history and celebrate the modern lifesaving service it is today, while hoping to inspire generations of future lifesavers and supporters.

A Service of Thanksgiving to mark 200 years of the RNLI will take place at Westminster Abbey this morning (4 March 2024) at 11.30am.

It will be attended by representatives from RNLI lifesaving communities around the UK and Ireland.

For further information about the RNLI’s 200th anniversary, visit RNLI.org/200.

* Statistics from RNLI Operational Data from 4 March 1824 to 31 December 2023 inclusive. A life saved shows how many of the people helped by the RNLI would have lost their life had the RNLI not been there.

Netflix star Phil Rosenthal visits Social Bite coffee shop

Phil Rosenthal from hit Netflix show, Somebody Feed Phil, can be seen stopping by Social Bite’s Edinburgh coffee shop on Rose Street in the latest series which launched last night.

The coffee shop, which offers customers the chance to ‘pay it forward’ to help support people who are homeless or vulnerable, features on the show.

Members of the Social Bite team and Phil discuss the charity’s mission to help end homelessness as they enjoy some great coffee and baked goods available from the shop.

Mel Swan, Commercial and Operations Director of Social Bite, said: “Having a big star and foodie icon visit our Edinburgh coffee shop really helps share our mission with the world. We want to bring people together to end homelessness, and that can start with good food and a conversation.

“Phil really enjoyed our cakes and cookies, and hearing about what we do. We can also claim to have given him his first taste of our national drink, Irn-Bru – that’s one for the books!” 

You can support Social Bite by donating at: https://www.social-bite.co.uk/get-involved/donate/ 

or you can use Phil’s link at:  https://www.philrosenthalworld.com/charity 

Image: (Back row from left to right) Aimee Latham, Louise Hutson, Babs Haig, Amanda Traill. (Front row from left to right) Colin Childs, Monica, Phil Rosenthal, Mel Swan

Jean Johansson spreads ho-ho-hope with Mary’s Meals this Christmas

TV star teams up with international school meals charity to encourage families to bring hope to hungry children over the festive season

A Place in the Sun star Jean Johansson is encouraging parents across Scotland to leave out a Mary’s Meals gift card for Santa to deliver to a hungry child this Christmas, to help feed children in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Together with the international school meals charity, the Port Glasgow-raised presenter is inspiring parents to include a Mary’s Meals gift card when they traditionally leave treats and letters out for Father Christmas on 24 December, the idea being that Santa will then pass this on to a child in need.

Mary’s Meals, which was founded in a shed in Dalmally in the Highlands by founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, feeds more than 2.4 million children every school day in 18 countries including Haiti, Malawi and Syria. The promise of a nutritious meal encourages children into the classroom, so that instead of working or looking for food, they can gain an education and hope for a brighter future.

Mum of one, Jean, who recently landed a hosting role on This Morning, says: “Alongside milk and cookies, my son and I will be leaving out a Mary’s Meals gift card for Santa to pass on to a hungry child this year. These Christmas gift cards cost just £19.15 and will feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year.

“Christmas is a time for giving, and there is no better gift than the gift of hope for a hungry child. Mary’s Meals brings joy to children all year round, and these beautiful cards will allow you to give that joy in the form of a life-changing daily school meal.

“It’s also a great opportunity to introduce children to the idea of giving back at Christmas and showing them how they can help others at this special time of year.”

By purchasing a gift card from the Scotland-based charity, your support can have a huge impact on the life of a child, like Sushila, this Christmas.

Sushila lives in a rural part of Jharkhand, India. Her father died of a snake bite and her mother was unable to support Sushila without his income so she went to live with her grandparents.

Sushila has to walk 8km each way to school every day, but she is determined to keep studying. Sushila says: “There are many times when I don’t eat at home, so when I eat at school it gives me lots of energy and I feel great.

“I like to study and want to change my life, so the food is a big bonus.”

Dan McNally, Head of Grassroots Engagement, at Mary’s Meals says: “We’re so grateful to Jean for spreading ho-ho-hope this Christmas and helping us to reach the next hungry child waiting for Mary’s Meals.

“Our beautiful Christmas cards and gifts will not only put a smile on the faces of your friends, family and Santa Claus himself, but crucially, will change the lives of hungry children living in some of the world’s poorest countries.”

Gift cards, Christmas card packs and other festive gifts including mugs, dog bandanas and 2024 calendars are available to buy now from marysmeals.org.uk/shop.

Until 22 January 2024, donations made to Mary’s Meals will be doubled by a group of generous supporters, up to £1 million.

The charity is encouraging people to Double The Love this Christmas during this period so they can help Mary’s Meals to provide a nutritious daily meal in school for hungry children living in some of the world’s poorest countries.

To donate, visit marysmeals.org.uk.