A £3,000 grant provided by Cash for Kids to Edinburgh School Uniform Bank marks a significant contribution towards supporting families in need within the city.
This generous donation will make a considerable difference by easing the financial burden on families when it comes to purchasing school uniforms for their children.
School uniforms are an essential part of educational life, promoting a sense of belonging and equality among students. However, the cost can be a barrier for many families, especially those experiencing financial hardships.
ESUB plays a crucial role in this context, ensuring that all children have access to the necessary attire without the stigma of financial strain. This grant from Cash for Kids not only highlights the importance of community support but also reinforces the idea that education should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their economic background.
A charity supporting children and families in Edinburgh has received a £4,000 donation from the team at Amazon Development Centre Scotland.
The donation was made to The Yard, a charity that has been involved with the Edinburgh community for more than 35 years. The Yard supports disabled children, young people, and their families through creative and inclusive play experiences.
The donation from Amazon will go towards The Yard’s ongoing programmes and services, including their family sessions.
Colin Mackenzie is a Software Development Engineer at Amazon Development Centre Scotland in Edinburgh, and he nominated the charity for the support. Colin said: “The team at Amazon Development Centre Scotland has supported The Yard for several years with donations and tech support.
“It’s been a joy to see how impactful the charity’s support can be to families across Edinburgh. Its work in the local community directly benefits families and with Amazon’s donation, The Yard can continue to support those in need.”
Hannah Dunlop, Senior Fundraising Manager from The Yard, added: “It’s wonderful to receive so much support from Amazon Development Centre Scotland.
On behalf of the staff and volunteers at The Yard, I would like to say thank you to Amazon for its continued support.
“This contribution will provide vital support and opportunities for disabled children and their families to connect, play, and thrive together.”
The donation forms part of Amazon’s Volunteer Cash Donation Programme, where Amazon employees nominate causes where they volunteer their time, to receive a cash donation. In collaboration with hundreds of community organisations around the world, Amazon employees are encouraged to volunteer and support causes they’re passionate about.
Community cash donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates.
In 2022, Amazon co-founded the Multibank initiative with former Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support families experiencing poverty. The first Multibank, ‘The Big Hoose’, opened in Lochgelly, Fife providing surplus essentials like nappies, toilet rolls, toothpaste and school uniforms, donated by businesses like Amazon and others, directly to those in need.
The initiative has gone on to donate more than 2 million goods to over 200,000 families across Scotland and Greater Manchester.
Amazon also helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good, including more than seven million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in partnership with Magic Breakfast.
Amazon partners with Comic Relief to help people tackle poverty and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose. Last year, together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon raised over £4.8 million to fund projects that support people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and tackle issues such as homelessness, mental health problems, and food insecurity across the UK, and around the world.
Amazon has supported more than 500,000 students across the UK with free computer science and STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer.
“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves” – Edmund Hillary
An inspirational group of child abuse survivors, supported by friends and family, are raising awareness and funds for child protection charity the NSPCC by climbing Mount Everest.
Giles Moffatt (51), a survivor of physical abuse as a young boy at boarding school, is one of 12 men and women in ‘Team Uprising’ who have travelled to Nepal to trek 150km at ultra-high altitude on the world’s highest mountain.
Giles spoke about the cruel and abusive behaviour he experienced while he was a pupil at Edinburgh Academy when he gave evidence at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry in Edinburgh last year.
Giles now wants to turn his negative childhood experiences into something positive by raising money for the NSPCC and awareness of the impact of abuse.
In preparation for the inquiry Giles set up a survivors’ group which now has over 70 members, and when he said he would like to climb Everest to raise money for the NSPCC, several members wanted to join him.
The team will trek over nine days to Everest Base Camp together, and then Giles will continue with fellow Edinburgh Academy abuse survivors Neil MacDonald and Neil Russell and their good friends and supporters, Andy Leslie and Mitch Smith, to undertake an ice climb to the 6,119-metre summit of Lobuche.
Giles and Andy will carry on even higher through the heart of the Himalayas with legendary mountaineer and guide, Ang Tshering Lama, who has climbed Everest five times, with the aim of reaching the summit of Everest by the end of May.
On the expedition they will have to contend with altitude sickness, the treacherous Khumbu icefall and on summit day what is referred to as the mountain’s ‘Death Zone’ where there is not enough oxygen to survive, and they will carry specialist equipment to assist them.
The funds they raise will go towards supporting NSPCC services. These include Childline, the charity’s free counselling service for children, the adult Helpline for reporting concerns about a child and the charity’s educational programmes, such as Talk PANTS and Speak Out Stay Safe, which aim to help prevent child abuse and neglect.
Giles Moffatt
Giles, who lives in Rye, East Sussex, said: “Childhood abuse causes mental health problems, addictions, self-harm, low self-worth, anxiety, relationship and work problems throughout life.
“We want to use our own negative childhood experiences to help other children who have been abused, and those who may be at risk, and raise awareness of the wide-ranging and long-lasting impact of childhood abuse.
“This trip is part climbing, part fundraising, part therapy.
“We can’t change our past, but we can do something to prevent other children from experiencing the horrors that we endured. We want a zero-tolerance of any form of abuse of children and hope to inspire others to have the courage to speak up and seek support.”
Another member of Team Uprising, Neil Russell (67), also gave evidence at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry in Edinburgh last year about his experience of physical, sexual and emotional abuse when he was a pupil at Edinburgh Academy.
The main perpetrator of Neil’s abuse was Hamish Dawson, who died in 2009. At the inquiry Dawson was accused of multiple instances of emotional and physical abuse on young boys at the school, some of which Neil experienced and witnessed.
Neil, who lives in Bedfordshire but plans to move to Perthshire this year, said: “Dawson would beat all the boys if something happened, and no one confessed. The incidents of abuse by Dawson have haunted me and tormented my mind throughout my life.
“The habitual and extreme violence have stayed with me. It took me two years of psychotherapy before I was even able to say his name.”
Neil has struggled with the impact of the abuse throughout his adult life. It has caused him difficulties with his mental health, including severe depression and anxiety, emotional and physical breakdowns and he has attempted suicide. He has also struggled to maintain relationships, including previous marriages, because he finds it hard to trust people.
‘Team Uprising’ also includes former pupils Frazer Macdonald, Graeme Sneddon, Adrian Blakemore, Niall Mackinlay, and friends and family Cat Bolten, Rachel Leslie, Andrea Christensen, Jacob Christensen.
They would like to thank Ooni Pizza Ovens, Tiso and Thermos, the Altitude Centre in London, Lindores Abbey Distillery and ‘Taking the Pea’ snacks for their financial support.
Young people looking for support can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or visit Childline.org.uk. Childline is available to all young people until their 19th birthday.
Any adult concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000 or emailing help@NSPCC.org.uk. But should call the police on 999 straight away if they think a child is in immediate danger.
Businesses from across Edinburgh came together recently to play in the second annual Big Match, raising £20,000 for The Yard.
Celebrity chef Tom Kitchin and former Hibs star Darren Dods were among those in action at Ainslie Park as the business community rallied round to support the day.
“It’s been an incredible effort from everyone and the total of £20,000 is amazing,” said organiser Steve Currie, of Murray and Currie Property in the Capital.
“It was such a great day and I was delighted to reach our goal this year with all the money raised going to The Yard, which does such a fantastic job for young disabled people and their families.”
The Yard, which is based in the centre of Edinburgh with other locations in Dundee and Kirkcaldy, offers disabled youngsters and their families the chance to experience creative and adventurous indoor and outdoor play in a well-supported environment.
Chief executive Celine Sinclair, added: “On behalf of our entire team at The Yard, well done to everyone who took part in The Big Match and a huge thank you to Murray and Currie and everyone who donated.
“This donation is hugely appreciated and will go towards helping even more of the families, young people and children that we support.”
Thoughts have already turned to next year’s event, which will once again take place at Ainslie Park with a confirmed date of Friday, 7 March 2025.
The Morrisons Foundation has given us a grant of £10,000 to spend on outreach within Edinburgh schools.
This will help us expand our initiative of getting rails of brand new uniform into the schools that need it most around the city, giving children and young people instant access to important uniform items.
Our Operations Coordinator, Clare, popped into Morrisons to thank their Community Champion, Gillian.
Aldi is celebrating a significant milestone in its partnership with surplus food and household products redistributor, Company Shop Group.
In the past year, Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket has now donated an impressive 77,980 meals from its Regional Distribution Centre in Bathgate to people around Scotland, through Company Shop Group, saving an estimated 33 tonnes of food from going to waste.
Community Shop is an award-winning social enterprise that supports 9,000 members and their families in some of the UK’s most deprived communities, by offering access to discounted products and reinvesting the revenue raised into its Community Kitchens and Hubs.
In just one year, the partnership has supported over 2,800 people through its Community Hub development programmes, which provide individuals and communities with the tools they need to live well and the skills to get them back into work.
It has also enabled more than 2,100 people to attend cooking lessons at the Community Kitchen’s Cook Clubs, where they can learn how to prepare nutritious family meals on a budget.
Aldi’s support for Community Shop’s Christmas lunches last year also saw 1,800 members come together for its biggest-ever Christmas celebration, with ingredients for the festive three-course meals provided by the supermarket.
Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said:“It’s incredible to look back at the results we’ve achieved from just one year with Company Shop Group – from saving tonnes of food from going to waste to supporting thousands of families in need.
“We are committed to making good quality food accessible to everyone. After all, it’s a right, not a privilege.
“We’re very excited to see what lies ahead for the partnership as we get closer to our new goal of reducing food waste in our own operations by 90% before 2030*.”
Gary Stott, Executive Chairman of Community Shop, added:“We are very proud of our partnership with Aldi and its commitment to helping prevent waste and support communities.
“The scheme has helped us deliver a significant social impact, whilst also allowing us to carry out vital work to save the planet from unnecessary waste.”
THREE Glasgow-based charities have received donations totalling £1,500 from the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline.
Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, CHAS and Scot Baby Box Appeal have received £500 each following nominations for support from the team at Amazon in Dunfermline.
Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity supports those who care for and nurture young lives at their most vulnerable. The charity also invests in equipment, research and the continued improvement of facilities and services for children and families in hospital.
Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) offers a full family support service for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions. Through their hospices, home care services and hospital presence, CHAS provides palliative care, family respite and support. The charity’s hub in Glasgow offers a range of fundraising events such as the Glasgow Lunch and Glasgow Kiltwalk.
Scot Baby Box Appeal, based in Glasgow and Lanarkshire, sends support in the form of pre-loved baby boxes, humanitarian aid and other essential items to those in need in Ukraine.
Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “I am glad to make donations to these great charities across Glasgow.
“We are passionate supporters of their work in the community and are so pleased to be able to help in any small way.”
Lara MacDonald, Senior Corporate Partnerships Executive from CHAS, said: “We are very grateful to the Amazon team in Dunfermline for their support.
“Their donation is so appreciated here at CHAS. Thank you so much Jamie and the team for your continued support.”
Megan Wright, an employee from Amazon in Dunfermline, added: “All three of these charities provide invaluable services across Scotland and I’m so grateful that we can support them through donations like this.”
Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates.
Amazon co-founded the Multibank initiative with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support families in poverty.
The first Multibank, ‘The Big Hoose’, opened in Fife providing surplus essentials like nappies, toilet rolls, toothpaste and school uniforms, donated by Amazon and others, directly to those in need.
The initiative has gone on to donate more than 2 million goods to over 200,000 families across Scotland and Greater Manchester.
Amazon also helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good, including more than seven million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in partnership with Magic Breakfast.
Amazon partners with Comic Relief to help people tackle poverty and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose.
Last year, together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon raised over £2.7 million to fund projects that support people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and tackle issues such as homelessness, mental health problems, and food insecurity across the UK, and around the world.
In response to the ongoing challenges faced by communities across the country, NFU Mutual has announced £3.25m of funding for local and national charities during 2024.
The leading UK rural insurer is pledging this support to help tackle the ongoing effects of the pandemic and assist with the impact of the rising cost of living.
NFU Mutual will be donating £1.92m to local front-line charities through its Agency Giving Fund. First launched in 2020 in response to the pandemic, the insurer is keeping this annual fund going into 2024 to further help local charities and communities across the UK.
Once again, NFU Mutual Agency and branch offices, covering more than 280 locations nationwide, will be invited to nominate front-line charities to receive a share of the fund. This will ensure that donations reach all corners of the UK and are directed where they are needed most.
To support national and regional charities, NFU Mutual is pledging £1m to the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust.
The Trust is an independent charity the insurer set up in 1998 to support other charities and organisations working in the interests of agriculture, rural communities and the countryside. Since it was founded, the Trust has distributed donations totalling more than £8.6m and made a positive difference to education, research, social welfare and poverty relief.
Alongside this, NFU Mutual has also committed £30,000 to its Community Champions scheme, to support causes close to the heart of its people, by donating to staff fundraising events and initiatives.
The £3.25m funding is completed with a £300,000 donation to the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies), an independent registered charity founded and funded by NFU Mutual.
As it celebrates its tenth anniversary, the 2024 support will help the Foundation to carry on delivering their education programme, award-winning campaigns, research and engagement throughout the UK, so they can continue raising awareness of, and addressing the attitudes and behaviours around, risk-taking and poor mental health in the industry.
Nick Turner, Group Chief Executive of NFU Mutual, said:“We’re proud to be maintaining significant levels of charitable giving in 2024. We recognise these are challenging times, and our initiatives will support national and local charities right across the UK who are delivering vital services to those in need.”
Millions of pounds recovered from firms by Ofgem have been used to help communities across the country in 2023.
Ofgem steps in when energy companies breach their licence conditions or are found to be failing customers.
In 2023, the regulator recovered a total of £77.2 million in fines, customer refunds, compensation and alternative action payments – up by £50.5 million compared to 2022’s total of £27.3 million. This includes £5 million worth of fines.
As well as fines and alternative action payments, Ofgem also made energy firms pay £13 million to customers in 2023 – over a million pounds a month – for poor service.
The vast majority of money recovered from energy companies this year – set to reach over £57 million – was paid into Ofgem’s Energy Redress Fund, which benefits charities and community projects that help vulnerable customers with energy-related support.
Cathryn Scott, Director for Enforcement and Emerging Issues at Ofgem, said:“Protecting customers and ensuring that they are treated fairly is at the heart of Ofgem’s mission.
“That’s why we make suppliers pay when they break the rules or fall short of the high standards we set – and when they do, it’s only right that customers should be the ones who benefit.
“Every year, the Energy Redress Fund makes a positive difference to the lives of customers across Great Britain, particularly people who are struggling and vulnerable, so to see the fund pass the £100 million mark is a significant milestone.
“This could not have happened without the thorough investigative work of our compliance and enforcement teams to identify licence breaches or poor behaviour by energy companies, or the Energy Saving Trust who ensure the money is targeted to reach those in need.”
Since it was set up in 2018, the fund, managed by the Energy Saving Trust, has received more than £137 million and handed out £102 million in grants to 538 projects across England, Wales and Scotland. A further £35 million in funding will be available to be distributed to new and existing projects, and a new round of grant applications is due to open in the new year.
The nature of support provided varies widely but includes:
£20 million in fuel vouchers issued to charities to identify and provide help to vulnerable customers at risk of disconnection from their energy supply
providing energy advice to more than 500,000 households and installing energy saving methods for more than 150,000 homes to help reduce bills
working to ensure that future home heating controls and new energy technologies work for everyone including people living with disabilities
This is in keeping with Ofgem’s mission to protect consumers from unfair costs and to drive up standards throughout the energy industry. The significant rise in fines reflects Ofgem’s proactive work to identify issues via a range of methods.
Among the 538 projects supported by the energy redress fund is the Warm Hubs centre in the coastal village of Seahouses, Northumberland.
Redress funding has helped to drive the development of this vital community resource, established by the Community Action Northumberland charity, and a lifeline service last winter at the height of the energy crisis.
Created as a response to tackling fuel poverty, Warm Hubs offer a safe, warm and friendly environment where people can get information, advice, access to services as well as refreshments and the company of other people.
Energy saving advice and guidance on home insulation is also provided by onsite Community Energy Agents to help people take positive action in their own homes to cut bills.
These Warm Hubs became an integral part of communities across Northumberland during Storm Arwen in November 2021, when widespread damage to the network left 4,000 homes without power for more than a week.
With emergency generators set up at the Warm Hubs, people had a place where they could come for a hot meal and a warm shower.
Christine Nicholls of Community Action Northumberland (CAN) said:“Without the support of Redress and Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA) funding we would not have been able to support the huge number of rural households through the recent energy crisis.
“We are very proud of our Warm Hub scheme.”
Laura McGadie, Head of Energy at Energy Saving Trust, said: “We are pleased to have managed the distribution of more than £100 million in much-needed funds from the Redress scheme to frontline charities and social enterprises since 2018.
“The projects funded by the scheme are helping customers in the most vulnerable situations through the cost of living crisis, but they also look to the future.
“Charities and social enterprises have a crucial role to play in ensuring no one is left behind as we transition to net zero and that we all have a voice and a role in the changes that are coming to our energy system.”
Thank you
A heartfelt thank you to the Robertson Trust for their generous funding award of £27K over the next three years!
This funding is crucial as it supports our core costs, providing essential stability in a competitive funding environment.
We deeply appreciate the Robertson Trust’s belief in our mission and their invaluable support towards making a difference in our community. 
