Two Edinburgh care homes have helped spread some Christmas cheer with a special charity donation.
The residents and staff of Letham Park and Mathieson House residential care homes on Ferry Road Edinburgh, operated by Renaissance Care, held a festive raffle to raise £350 for local homeless people as their way of giving back to the local community.
The money will be donated to Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness campaign, which uses funds raised to offer support to homeless people, such as accommodation for the night or a hot Christmas meal.
Up for grabs in the raffle was a Christmas hamper filled with specially designed glassware, coffee cups and special festive crafts, which were all handmade by Kevin Dignall, Deputy Manager at Mathieson Care Home.
Kevin said: “I had made things like that before for staff or families at the home and I just wanted to make a nice hamper for Christmas to raffle off as a prize.
“The residents are always keen to stay connected to their local community and it’s a tough enough time for lots of people at this time of year, so everyone felt it was only fitting to try to help some of the most vulnerable people in the community.
“It was all great fun, and we drew the raffle on the same day as our Christmas fayre, so we had music going, singing and Santa made an appearance as well.”
Social Bite Executive Director Founder, Josh Littlejohn MBE, said: “We’re very thankful to the residents at Renaissance Care for their donation to our Festival of Kindness.
“Acts of kindness like this are needed more so now than ever before and make a huge difference to those who need it most.
“The money they’ve raised through the various raffle events will go towards ensuring vulnerable people have delicious food, gifts and company this festive period.”
A volunteer on-call firefighter and former rugby player has vowed to keep Doddie Weir’s fundraising legacy alive to help find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Rob Wainwright is a farmer on the Island on Coll who helps to protect his local community in his role supporting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. He’s also a former Scottish rugby captain, British and Irish Lion, and teammate of rugby legend Doddie Weir.
Three years ago, Rob founded Doddie Aid. To date, the mass participation event has raised around £2m for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, with the Foundation itself ploughing around £8m into MND research in the last five years.
Rob and Doddie remained close after their days on the field finished. Sadly, Doddie passed away last month following a battle with MND.
Rob said: “We are going through a period of sadness, but Doddie would not want us moping about. He would want us getting on with it – fundraising and trying to find a cure – and that’s what we will do.”
Rob said: “It’s a huge legacy and it’s for nothing if it doesn’t continue. It falls upon us that are left to carry the flame for Doddie and carry on his determination to find breakthroughs in the science and treatment of MND. Doddie may be gone but he is still leading us and driving us onwards.”
The last time Rob saw Doddie was when Doddie made a flying visit to the Island of Coll around two months ago.
Rob said: “When you play rugby with someone you are bound together by being part of a team. Doddie was a country man, a bit like myself and we shared the same kind of humour. We just hit it off.
“He came up for a visit and it was great to see him. We had lunch at The Coll Hotel and went on a distillery tour at Ardnamurchan. He needed things like that to look forward to. That was the last time I saw him.”
When Doddie passed away tributes poured in from all around the world and Rob wasn’t surprised by the amount of love felt for Doddie.
Rob said: “He was an extremely warm character, wonderfully friendly, with the perfect blend of humour and compassion. He was just a really good people person, with a really attractive personality that people loved, and he was very giving of his time.
“There was a lot that happened behind the scenes. Doddie was introduced to people who had just been diagnosed with MND. He was able to give them guidance and he in turn got guidance from other people.”
Rob has been putting plans in place for Doddie Aid. The mass participation event starts on January 1, 2023, and anyone can sign up and set their own challenge and fundraising goals.
Doddie Aid also includes a cycling event where hundreds of cyclists will leave from Cardiff’s Millenium Stadium on Thursday February 9, to arrive at Murrayfield in Edinburgh for the Scotland v Wales Six Nations match on Saturday February 11. The 555 mile cycle will be a continuous ride throughout the 48 hours.
And next year’s event is set to be even more emotional.
Rob said: “Everything will be a lot more poignant. It’s emotional anyway – when you get tired and you’ve been at it for a day and half, you’re running out of energy, haven’t eaten properly or slept and then the amazing welcomes at some of the rugby clubs.
“This year there’s even more determination, to make it even bigger and channel that love for Doddie now that he has gone.
“I’ve set myself a target of having 50,000 people signed up to Doddie Aid and to raise £2m for MND research.”
As well as organising Doddie Aid, Rob helps to keep his local Coll community safe as a volunteer on call firefighter – a role he’s held for nearly 20 years.
His colleagues from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have rallied to submit a cycling team for Doddie Aid. Rob’s fellow volunteer on call firefighters from the island’s fire station will be joining a 13-strong team from the SFRS East and West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute area.
Rob will be cycling as part of a British and Irish Rugby Lions Team.
He said: “I’m wishing luck to the SFRS team. I know they’ve been in training. Winter cycling in February might sound like a stupid thing to do but it’s overcoming these challenges working as a team – it will be a very uplifting experience.”
Area Commander Joe McKay is SFRS Local Senior Officer for East and West Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Bute. He said: “We’ve seen first-hand the huge amount of effort it takes to organise Doddie Aid and we’re delighted to support Rob’s determination and importantly to support Doddie’s mission to raise money to help find a cure for MND.”
Jill Douglas, CEO, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said: “We’re incredibly appreciative of all that the SFRS do, and to have them joining the Doddie Cup 555 ride is great!
“The ride is a gruelling challenge, but made easier knowing that each push of a pedal and mile covered takes us closer towards finding a cure to motor neuron disease.”
And that’s Rob’s goal – to keep fundraising to try to help others.
He said: “This is a call to arms. Please get involved, download the app, sign up, encourage people to join and spread the word.
“We have come a long way, but the journey needs to be pushed on. Doddie was defined not by what he did in his glory days on the rugby field, but by how he coped with his ultimate challenge, how he attacked it and the momentum he created to find solutions for MND.
“There’s lots of people out there with MND. Many of them don’t have the platform that Doddie had but he had that platform, and he used it. He had an amazing energy and determination to find a solution to this disease and to help others. He’ll keep pushing us on even though he isn’t here.
“We’ll keep funding research and hopefully there will be a breakthrough that will really make a difference for sufferers of MND. It’s what Doddie would have wanted.”
A service celebrating the life of rugby legend Doddie Weir is due to be held in the Scottish Borders today.
The former Scotland international died last month at the age of 52, six years after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND).
The event takes place at Melrose Parish Church at 13:00 with anyone attending encouraged to wear tartan – a request made by Doddie Weir himself.
The much-anticipated launch of Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger restaurant in Edinburgh is due to take place on 1 December but the capital’s eager foodies can grab a sneak-peak and bite to eat when the doors open early on the 28th of November for a charity fundraising day.
The launch day will allow guests to enjoy Scotland’s first Street Burger restaurant with all proceeds going to the restaurant’s charity partner, Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus (SBH) Scotland. SBH Scotland Honorary Patron, Gordon Ramsay OBE, has also pledged to match all the proceeds from the day to ensure the charity get an extra special festive funds boost.
In a bid to further bolster the charity partnership, from the 29th until the end of December, a £1 voluntary donation will be added to diners’ bills at Street Burger as well as the St Andrew Square restaurant, Bread Street Kitchen and Bar.
The funds raised will help SBH Scotland provide vital support to over 4,000 children, young people and adults across Scotland who are affected by the lifelong, complex conditions of spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus.
A spokesperson from Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants said: “We have been working on the launch of Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger for a long time and we are very much looking forward to opening the doors to our first burger restaurant in Scotland.
“This special launch day gives us the opportunity to showcase our food whilst giving back to SBH Scotland and supporting all the incredible work the charity does to help families in Scotland.”
Gordon Ramsay became SBH Scotland’s first ever Honorary Patron back in 2003 when he met the organisation’s Chairperson, Dr Margo Whiteford CBE, at the Great North Run. For nearly 20 years, he has continued to support SBH Scotland through charitable donations and appearances.
Dr Margo Whiteford CBE, Chairperson of SBH Scotland, said: “Gordon Ramsay has been a great friend of SBH Scotland for nearly two decades and we remain thankful to him and his restaurant teams for such continued generosity.
“Funds raised at this time of year are crucial for the dedicated support we can provide now and for the next 12 months. As well as our personal home and hospital support, health check clinics, counselling service and groups we’ve also just extended our financial support service for families affected by the cost of living crisis. We heavily rely on fundraising to reach our annual targets and we are grateful for every pound donated.
“This festive season, we hope all diners visiting Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger will be happy to know that every meal they have will help us continue supporting thousands of families at a time when they need it the most.”
For more information on SBH Scotland and Gordon’s festive fundraiser is so important, please visit: https://www.sbhscotland.org.uk/
A group of employees from the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline recently participated in Scotland’s Memory Walk with the aim of raising money and awareness for Alzheimer Scotland.
Scotland’s Memory Walk is an annual event run by Alzheimer Scotland that encourages its supporters to unite across Scotland to walk in memory and in honour of loved ones with dementia.
The team started the fundraising walk at Edinburgh Airport, with the goal of finishing a 12-mile journey at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline in four hours.
The team arrived at the fulfilment centre after 5 hours, raising a final total of £2,200 for Alzheimer Scotland through the walk.
Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s national dementia charity. They aim to ensure nobody faces dementia alone by providing support and information for people living with dementia, their carers and their families in Scotland.
The donation from Amazon will be used to deliver social and therapeutic activities across Alzheimer Scotland’s 24 Dementia Resource Centres and within the community, ensure families are supported by Dementia Advisors, fund vital dementia research and keep their 24hr Freephone Dementia Helpline (0808 808 3000) operating.
UNP – Amazon EDI4 – 44015 Memory Walk
From left, John Aitken, Aoife Considine with Juno, Murray Tweddle, Bonginkosi Ndlovu and Stuart Penny.
Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “We are so proud of the team from Amazon in Dunfermline who took part in Scotland’s Memory Walk.
“Their efforts do not go unnoticed, and they should be very pleased with the amount they raised for such an important charity.”
John Aitken, an employee at Amazon in Dunfermline who took part in the fundraising walk, added: “I am very proud to have completed the walk, especially with such a great team by my side throughout the journey.
“Alzheimer Scotland is very close to my heart so it’s great that I could lend a helping hand to support the charity.”
UNP – Amazon EDI4 – 44015 Memory Walk
From left, John Aitken, Aoife Considine with Juno, Murray Tweddle, Bonginkosi Ndlovu and Stuart Penny.
Sarah Cheung, Stakeholder Engagement Leader for Alzheimer Scotland, added: “On behalf of myself and the team at Alzheimer Scotland, I would like to say thank you to Amazon in Dunfermline for its kind donation.
“I would also like to extend a huge thank you and well done to the inspiring team of staff who took part in our Memory Walk – you should all be proud of your achievements.”
The donation to Alzheimer Scotland was made as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities around its operating locations across the UK.
Gordon Ramsay’s Edinburgh venues are set to launch the GReat Donate, a festive fundraiser to raise money for specialist charity, Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus (SBH) Scotland.
A £1 voluntary donation will be added to diner’s bills at the St Andrew Square restaurant and the soon to open St James Quarter restaurant throughout the months of November and December 2022.
The funds raised will help SBH Scotland provide vital support to over 4,000 children, young people and adults across Scotland who are affected by the lifelong, complex conditions of spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus.
Gordon Ramsay became SBH Scotland’s first ever Honorary Patron back in 2003 when he met the organisation’s Chairperson, Dr Margo Whiteford CBE, at the Great North Run. For nearly 20 years, he has continued to support SBH Scotland through charitable donations and appearances.
A spokesperson from Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants said: “SBH Scotland are a fantastic charity which makes a real difference to the lives of so many families across Scotland who are affected by spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus.
“We understand how hard charity fundraising has been hit over the last two years and while we’ve been inspired by the charity’s tenacity during this time, we felt it important to do what we can to ensure they can continue to provide their life-changing services.
“The option to add a voluntary £1 donation onto your bill is a small gesture diners at Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen and Street Burger restaurants can make, that’ll have a big impact.”
Dr Margo Whiteford CBE, Chairperson of SBH Scotland, said: “As our only Honorary Patron, Gordon has been a great friend of our charity for nearly two decades and we couldn’t be more thankful for his continued generosity.
“Over the years, he has taken time out from his busy schedule to host gala dinners, launch appeals including the campaign to build our Family Support Centre, and personally meet with the families we support.
“We heavily rely on fundraising activity to ensure we can continue to deliver many of our vital services including support groups and 1-2-1 support. The last two years have been difficult for everyone, but particularly so for those already in need and SBH Scotland, like many charities, have experienced a devastating loss of funds.
“That’s why this festive season, we hope any diners visiting Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen or Street Burger will be happy to know that every £1 raised will go a long way to helping us continue to support thousands of families at the time when they need us the most.”
For more information on SBH Scotland and why Gordon’s festive fundraiser is so important, please visit: https://www.sbhscotland.org.uk/
The Centre, Livingston is appealing for little ones to join them in its first-ever Elf Toddle Walk on Sunday, 6th November at 9am to take part in a one-mile walk around the mall and raise funds for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, CHAS, which provides the country’s only hospice services for children and young people with life-shortening conditions.
Little ones and their adults are being encouraged to dress up in their favourite festive attire and join a team of Santa’s elves on a one-mile lap of the shopping centre, which has easy access for buggies.
Go Radio Breakfast Show Presenter Crofty will be there on the day alongside Go Radio Dance’s Zoe Kelly playing all the big Christmas tunes and taking part in the countdown warm-up to help get the little ones off to a great start.
Along the way children will encounter some special Christmas surprises and treats and on completion will be awarded with a commemorative medal for taking part at the ‘Selfie Elfie’ zone.
Once registered, a personal walk number and elf hat can be collected from the Customer Service Desk at The Centre, Livingston between the 31st October and 5th November, with proof of ticket, to enable participants to take part on the day.
Parents can either pick up sponsor forms in advance at the Customer Service Desk, download them from the website, www.thecentrelivingston.com or bring their own. All sponsored donations will go to charity. Full details are on the website
Hayley Smith, Community Fundraiser at CHAS, said: “We are so incredibly grateful to The Centre, Livingston for choosing to support CHAS through their Elf Toddle Walk.
“The funds raised will not only help us to provide care for children but also to help families make wonderful memories together.”
Ashley Bisland, Deputy Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “We’re really excited to be partnering with the charity CHAS to host our first-ever Elf Toddle Walk around the mall to help raise money for such a great cause.
“It’s a brilliant way to show kids that you can have fun getting a little bit of exercise in whilst helping other people at the same time.”
Pick up your controller and help good causes raise money by taking part in the very first World Gaming Day, on Saturday 22 October 2022.
Headline charity, Leukaemia Care and the online fundraising platform GivePenny, along with 20 other charities, are asking supporters to raise vital funds by getting together to play games. Gamers of all ages can sign up for what is anticipated to be the country’s biggest gaming for good fundraising campaign.
Leukaemia Care and their fellow charities are inviting gamers to hold social gaming events around the country to raise money to support their favourite cause.
This gaming for good initiative is the first time several charities have come together to create a national moment for a campaign. Level one partners include the Stroke Association, Epilepsy Society, Action for Children, Fareshare, Water Aid, Street Child, along with many other charities coming on board.
Nicole Scully, Director of Communications and Fundraising for Leukaemia Care, said: “We are delighted that over 20 charities have come together to harness the power of gaming.
“There has never been a better time to get friends together doing something we all love to do, so I can’t wait to see the gaming day parties happening on 22 October.”
World Gaming Day will harness the technology of online fundraising to make donations and has added options for Playlist Fundraising thanks to GivePenny’s integration with Spotify. This enables fundraisers to raise even more money by supporters adding tracks to their gaming day playlist in exchange for a charity donation.
Lee Clark, CEO at GivePenny, said: “Without a doubt, the charity sector is stronger together and World Gaming Day has been built with everyone in mind.
“The popularity of gaming and its potential for charities is huge. By giving charities a tailor-made fundraising package, we are helping even the smallest charity to tap into that potential and engage more supporters in ways that they might never have been able to do before.
“We’ve created World Gaming Day as this generation’s charity coffee morning so people can have fun and raise lots of money for many different good causes in the process.”
Want to find out more about World Gaming Day or want to sign up to host your very own event? Simply go to worldgamingday.org
Edinburgh Kiltwalk fundraising closed at midnight last night [Wednesday 28 September] with a bumper £2,136,590 going out to help 500 different charities.
A total of 5,000 Kiltwalk heroes raised a whopping £1.42 million. This sum was topped up by an astonishing £710,000 from The Hunter Foundation, securing a grand total of £2.137 million for 500 charities across Scotland.
Sir Tom Hunter said: “The Kiltwalk Kindness of people in Edinburgh and the East was there for all to see on September 18th. Wearing a bit of tartan, they walked around the capital from Bingham Medway to BT Murrayfield and I am proud that our 5,000 Kiltwalkers raised this phenomenal amount to help so many Scottish Charities.
“It makes me very proud to know that all this fundraising will make a huge difference in these difficult economic times. It was great to be back together in Edinburgh after three years due to Covid.
“We thank every member of the Kiltwalk community, our headline sponsors Royal Bank of Scotland and Arnold Clark, Gold sponsor Johnston Carmichael and LIDL and all our sponsors, staff and Kiltie volunteers for their unwavering support.”
Don’t miss our Macmillan coffee morning next Saturday 24th September 10-12 noon.
Mini harvest show! Prizes for best jam/chutney/lemon curd, best sunflower, best courgette/marrow, prettiest dahlia, most quirky vegetable, best child grown product
Five thousand Kiltwalkers gathered in Edinburgh today [Sunday 18 September] and fell silent across the capital before setting off to raise over £2 million for 500 hard pressed Scottish charities.
A minute’s silence was held as a mark of respect and thanks for the life of the late Monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Pipers also played in moving scenes at the 21-mile Mighty Stride, the 13-mile Big Stroll, and the four-mile Wee Wander. Those still walking later in the day observed the national one minute’s silence at 8pm.
500 charities across Scotland will benefit from the first physical Kiltwalk to take place in the capital since 2019. Out of respect for those visiting the Queen’s official residence Holyrood Palace, The Mighty Stride moved away from Holyrood Park to a new Start at Bingham Medway.
The walkers’ fundraising is topped-up by 50% by The Hunter Foundation.
Sir Tom Hunter said “I am incredibly proud of the Kiltwalk community for the respect they have shown at the death of Her Majesty the Queen whilst at the same time raising funds for 500 charities who really need it.
“We thank each and every one of our Kiltwalk heroes for their amazing endeavours for the common good.”
Football legend Graeme Souness tackled the Mighty Strike alongside Commonwealth Gold winning boxers Sean Lazzerini and Reese Lynch. The trio walked and raised money for charity, DEBRA, just one of 500 different Scottish charities.
Businesses across Scotland came together to support the Kiltwalk with the Royal Bank of Scotland and Arnold Clark:
The Hunter Foundation underwrites The Kiltwalk
Royal Bank of Scotland and Arnold Clark are headline sponsors of Kiltwalk
Johnston Carmichael is Gold sponsor
Lidl is ‘Official Supermarket Partner’ providing delicious snacks to keep energy levels high
STV Children’s Appeal is the official grant making partner so those who choose to walk for Kiltwalk will see their funds distributed via STV Children’s Appeal
Trespass supply quality uniforms for Kiltwalk’s Kiltie volunteers and staff
Bullet Express is the ‘Official Logistics Partner’
