Letters: Support Mary’s Meals on Mother’s Day

Dear Editor

This Mother’s Day, I am thinking about everything women do to give their children the best start in life.

Like the women in countries such as Malawi, Liberia and India, who rise early each day to cook and serve food to hungry children in their communities with the charity Mary’s Meals.

Their dedication epitomises powerful motherly love, and it is thanks to them that Mary’s Meals is able to feed 1.6 million hungry children around the world every school day. The food they lovingly serve attracts little ones into the classroom, giving them the energy to gain an education that can, one day, be their ladder out of poverty.

I am in awe of these incredible women. And that’s why I am asking your readers to send a Mary’s Meals gift card to the special women in their lives this Mother’s Day. For just £15.90, it will feed a hungry child every day for an entire school year.

Please visit marysmeals.org.uk/mothersday to purchase your gift card in honour of the mums who make Mary’s Meals. I have already told my boys this is a gift I would be delighted to receive!

Love,

Sophie Thompson (Actor)

Letters: Splash Now for meningitis charity

Dear Editor

Meningitis Now and the Swimming Teachers Association would like to invite parents and their children to take part in a new water-based challenge to help us fight deadly meningitis.

Splash Now can be held in your local pool during swimming lessons, in a paddling pool in your back garden, in the sea – anywhere, as long as it involves water.

All we ask is that participants use the opportunity to raise some money for Meningitis Now and raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of the disease.

We think this could be a really fun way to encourage babies, toddlers and older children to get involved in swimming or just to enjoy cooling down on a hot summers day as well as to help us to support families that have been impacted by meningitis.

To find out more and to register for the event please visit our fundraising pages on the Meningitis Now website.

Yours sincerely

Kat Hollywell

Community Fundraising Assistant, Meningitis Now

Rock legend Suzi Quatro calls for charity shop donations

Suzi Quatro is supporting The Children’s Trust in the launch of a charity shop music and memorabilia amnesty this month, part of an initiative to raise money for children undergoing specialist rehabilitation following a brain injury.  Continue reading Rock legend Suzi Quatro calls for charity shop donations

Hurricane Irma: Great Britain responds

The UK government has increased the relief fund for British overseas territories devastated by Hurricane Irma from £12m to £32m. The news came as a state of emergency has been declared in the British Virgin Islands, the latest area to be devastated by the most powerful hurricane ever to hit the Atlantic. The British Red Cross has also launched an appeal. Continue reading Hurricane Irma: Great Britain responds

Scottish SPCA appeals for volunteers: Help animals in need

The Scottish SPCA is appealing to animal lovers in Edinburgh to help animals in their care by donating prizes for their Scottish Animal Week open day raffle!

Scotland’s animal welfare charity is hosting open days at their centres throughout Scotland on 10 September to encourage the public to come along to meet the animals who are in their care.

Centre Manager Diane Aitchison is appealing for kind hearted locals to donate.

Diane said, “We’re looking forward to the open day and we’re hoping it’ll encourage people to rehome an animal! We’ll be running different events on the day and would really appreciate any donations for the raffle. The money raised on the day will help the abused, abandoned and injured animals who are in the care of the centre.

“As an animal welfare charity we receive no government or lottery funding so we rely entirely on the support of the public.”

Donations can be handed into the centre in Balerno which is located on Mansfield Road.

For more information on Scottish SPCA fundraising events please email fundraising@scottishspca.org or call fundraising on 03000 999 999 (option 4).

St Columba’s launches summer appeal

St Columba’s Hospice in Edinburgh has today launched its new fundraising appeal – A Summer to Remember. The appeal will raise money for the Hospice, to enable it to reach out further in to the community and support more people across Edinburgh and the Lothians. Continue reading St Columba’s launches summer appeal

Give a helping hand this Halloween

pah-collections

The Scottish SPCA is appealing to kind hearted people in Edinburgh to fundraise on Halloween weekend at their local Pets at Home store. Volunteers are urgently being sought to support the Scottish SPCA by raising funds at Pets at Home stores from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 October.

Scottish SPCA Senior Community Fundraiser Sharon Meiklejohn said, “We’re calling out to all of animal lovers with a bit of spare time during the Halloween weekend to get in touch.

“With support from our Halloween helpers, we’ll be able to rescue animals in danger and distress, find animals new homes, investigate cruelty, help take people responsible for abuse and neglect to court and prevent cruelty through our free education programme for Scottish schools.

“We’ll also provide all volunteers with their very own fundraising pack with everything they need to take part. Volunteers may even wish to get into the Halloween fundraising spirit by dressing up as their favourite animal and they can even bring a canine companion along.

“As a charity that receives no government or lottery funding, we rely entirely on donations to continue our work rescuing and rehoming thousands of animals in Scotland each year.”

John Murasev, a regular volunteer for the Society, said, “I enjoy raising money at my local Pets at Home store to help abused and injured animals in Scotland. It’s a great way to chat to people in my local area and you’ll be surprised at how generous people are!”

For more information on Scottish SPCA fundraising events please email fundraising@scottishspca.org

 

It’s no yolk – Spartans aim to top 300!

eggs

Spartans Community Football Academy have launched their annual Easter Egg Collection – and the Ainslie Park-based team are once again aiming to ensure that no local child goes without an Easter Egg this year.

The Academy donated over 400 chocolate Easter Eggs to local food banks last Spring – an eggstraordinary total! – and they have set a target of reaching at least 300 again this year.

Can they make it? You can do your bit to help by laying  donating an egg at the Academy at Ainslie Park by next Thursday (24 March)!