charity fundraising – Page 5 – The NEN

Opening date for Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger revealed

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 29^th 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/

Amazon Walk for Alzheimer Scotland

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.”

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 Bread Street Kitchen and Street Burger launch festive fundraiser for SBH Scotland

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.

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/

First-ever Elf Toddle Walk at The Centre, Livingston for children’s charity, CHAS

The Centre, Livingston is appealing for little ones to join them in its first-ever Elf Toddle Walk on Sunday, 6^th 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.

Entry is £5 per child with admission fees at https://bit.ly/TheCentreEventbriteLink.

Once registered, a personal walk number and elf hat can be collected from the Customer Service Desk at The Centre, Livingston between the 31^st October and 5^th 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

www.thecentrelivingston.com.

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.”

How you can up your game, raise funds for charity and save lives on World Gaming Day

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

For more information, call 08088 010 444 or email support@leukaemiacare.org.uk

Kiltwalk Kindness: Capital walkers raise £1.42 million!

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.”

Macmillan Coffee Morning at Starbank Park this Saturday

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

@StarbankPark

Edinburgh shows its Kiltwalk Kindness

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’ 
Tunnock’s donate their renowned chocolate bars

Royal Regiment of Scotland band pays tribute to local heroes

After traveling the world with Scotland’s most famous military band, a West Lothian musician is returning to Livingston to pay tribute to local heroes.

Warrant Officer John Govan, who lives in Bathgate, will perform with the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland at their “Celebrating our Heroes” concert to support Poppyscotland.

John, who plays the clarinet, flute, and saxophone, has been an Army musician for 22 years, performing all over Europe, and in the Middle East, Hong Kong, and America. The band has recently played at Edinburgh’s Royal Military Tattoo, following the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations at Holyrood Place.

Now they will be coming to Howden Park Centre on Friday 30^th September, as part of the band’s tour around Scotland. All proceeds will go to help Poppyscotland deliver its life-changing support for members of the Armed Forces community across Scotland.

John said: “This is the first time the Band has played in Livingston, and I’m really looking forward to playing close to home. We’re excited to be supporting a great cause, as well as paying tribute to local heroes, from the Armed Forces to key workers during a pandemic.

“We’ve got a fantastic programme this year, ranging from traditional Scottish tunes to modern classics, while the Band Scots Ceilidh group is sure to get feet tapping! We’ve been especially pleased to work with Scottish folk musician and composer Alan Brydon, who has written a new song, Land of Heroes, for the finale.

“These concerts are always very enjoyable events, and it’s great to get out and meet local audiences.”

Gordon Michie, Poppyscotland’s Head of Fundraising, said: “We’re delighted to welcome back the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and are very grateful for their continuing support. This is a fantastic chance to hear one of Scotland’s best-known bands here in Livingston.

“These concerts are always a great night out, with an uplifting and eclectic programme showcasing the band’s versatility. All funds raised will support our life-changing work with the Armed Forces community, providing practical help and support whenever they need us.”

The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, based at Dreghorn Barracks, Edinburgh, is one of the 22 Regular Army bands, and is made up of musicians who are also serving soldiers.

Tickets cost £15 (£12 concessions) and are available via:

www.poppyscotland.org.uk/get-involved/things-to-do/2022-band-tour.