charity support – Page 17 – The NEN

Local charities benefit from share of £520,900 national boost from Barratt Developments

The housebuilder donated £188,000 to good causes across the Lothians and Fife in 2023, including those which help vulnerable children and mental and physical health support services

Barratt Developments – which includes Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes and Oregon Timber Frame Ltd – is celebrating a year of giving after its charitable efforts topped more than £520,000 in donations across Scotland.

Each year, the five-star housebuilder supports a wide range of organisations promoting health, employability and care among many other causes.

This is done through various charity initiatives, including the Barratt Developments Scotland Community Fund, which donates £1,500 to a deserving local cause in each of its Scottish divisions every month.

Over the last 12 months, Barratt Developments has provided financial support to a diverse mix of charities throughout the Lothians and Fife – coming at a vital time when many families, individuals and organisations have been affected by rising costs.

In total, £188,000 has been donated to good causes in the Lothians and Fife.

Support was given to multiple charities, with a £157,940 donation given to St Columba’s Hospice Care, which provides specialist palliative care to people living with life-limiting illnesses.

Granton-based charity Empty Kitchens Full Hearts, which rescues surplus food to make meals for those in need, also received a funding boost of £10,000.

Other organisations which received funding from the housebuilder in 2023 included Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project, a Fife-based charity that provides support to survivors of childhood sexual abuse; Simpson Babies Special Care which helps to provide essential care for premature and sick newborn babies; Edinburgh Women’s Aid, which provides support and refuge to women and children affected by domestic abuse; and mental health charity Health in Mind.

Alison Condie, Barratt Developments’ Managing Director for East Scotland, said: “As the country’s leading housebuilder, we are committed to creating a positive legacy and making a genuine contribution towards the communities in which we build our homes.

“Our teams have raised a fantastic amount which has been donated to a variety of causes this year – touching the lives of countless individuals and families in need.

“The funds raised will be used to support a wide range of initiatives, including providing food and shelter to the homeless, offering opportunities to underprivileged and vulnerable young people, and providing vital healthcare and wellbeing support for those who are struggling.

“There is so much important work being undertaken by organisations up and down the country, and we look to continue supporting a diverse mix of causes in 2024. We would like to thank everyone who suggested charities and supported our fundraising activities this year.”

The full list of 2023’s beneficiaries includes:

· CFINE

· Aberlour Childrens Trust

· AberNecessities

· BECS Because Everyone Counts

· Rainbow Rogues

· Mikeysline

· Carse of Gowrie Men’s Shed

· Station House Media Unit

· The Seed Box

· Look Good Feel Better

· Tayside Dynamos

· 865 Portlethen Air Cadets

· North Sound Cash For Kids

· WhizzKids London Marathon

· Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation

· Dundee Bairns

· Friends of ANCHOR

· St Columba’s Hospice

· Smart Works Scotland

· Stepping Stones

· SiMBA

· Guide Dogs for the Blind

· Move On

· Health in Mind

· Simpson Babies Special Care

· Sleep Scotland

· Cyrenians

· Edinburgh Women’s Aid

· Lasswade Community Rugby Trust

· The Lighthouse Club East Scotland

· Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project

· Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts

· Launch Foods

· Smart Works Glasgow

· Hope for Autism

· HomeStart Glasgow North & North Lanarkshire

· St Andrews Hospice

· Cumbernauld & Kilsyth Care

· Tiny Changes

· Tullochan

· Kindness Homeless Street Team

· SupERKids

· Hawick Acorn Project Initiative

· Borders Additional Needs Group

· Teviot Wheels

· Harris Trust

· Hawick Scout Group

· St Teresa’s Hospice

· Scottish Air Ambulance

· Cancer Research UK

· The Margaret Kerr Unit

· The Borders Green Team

· Queens House Kelso Ltd

· Selkirk Food Bank

LifeCare Edinburgh brings the local community together for festive Christmas lunches

LifeCare Edinburgh brought members of the local community together to enjoy some early festive cheer this year at their annual charity Christmas lunches. Over 150 two course lunches were served across three days in the charity’s Community Café, CafeLife, by volunteers from aerospace engineering company Leonardo, who chose LifeCare as their charity partner last year.

Guests also enjoyed entertainment from local choir, The Cheyne Gang, a community singing group for people living with long term respiratory conditions such as COPD, Asthma and Bronchiectasis, as well as a Tombola and Christmas Quiz.

LifeCare CEO, Sarah Van Putten, said: “Our Christmas Lunches are a fantastic way of bringing people together in support of a good cause.

“All the money we raise from our lunches and other Christmas activities go directly towards our Winter Warmer Appeal which we launched back in November, due to unprecedented demand for our services through the cost-of-living crisis.

“These funds will enable us to continue to provide vital support to local older people and unpaid carers during the difficult winter months. A huge thank you to all those who came along, including our wonderful volunteers and of course our fabulous choir. Your support funds ours, and it really does make a huge difference.”

LifeCare Edinburgh is a local charity with a proud 80-year-history of providing uplifting, positive and practical support for older people.

Their vision is of a society where no older person is alone or isolated, and their professional and high-quality support is delivered to the most vulnerable members of the community – including those living with dementia and unpaid (often older themselves) carers – within the home and out and about.

The LifeCare Christmas lunches have become a key date in the diary for many Stockbridge locals, with the 2023 events the second to take place since the covid-19 pandemic.

Merchiston Castle’s Christmas Fair raises nearly 500kg in food donations

That’s the equivalent of Rudolph the Reindeer!

Scotland’s leading independent all-boys boarding school, Merchiston Castle School, has raised £1,500 and a whopping 492kg of food donations for the Edinburgh Food Project, a local charity that provides emergency good provision and support for people in need.

Following the charity’s ‘most wanted’ list, the schoolboys encouraged their families and friends to donate and drop off at Merchiston’s annual Christmas Fair, and the community responded generously! From tinned soup to cereal, cleaning products to festive treats, families contributed almost half a tonne of much-needed items to go directly to vulnerable people in Edinburgh this winter.

A further £1,500 cash donation was raised through a remarkable charity raffle held on the day, stallholder fees and a sizeable contribution from the Sixth Form’s Christmas market sales, which saw students from the Entrepreneurship BTEC sell Merchiston branded mugs, candles, and ornaments aplenty!

Edinburgh Food Project is seeing an increased demand for foodbanks this year, with over 2,000 food parcels expected to be delivered in December alone – a 70% rise compared with the same month in 2022.

The donation raised by Merchiston Castle School will go some way in helping to meet this demand and support the seven food banks run by the organisation.

Jonathan Anderson, Headteacher of Merchiston Castle School, said: “We are immensely grateful to our kind-spirited community who donated much-needed items to our charity initiative this year. It has been heart-warming to see the local community come together to support families in need and spread some true Christmas cheer.

“The boys have been incredible in supporting the fundraising activity, hosting the raffle where all donations went directly to the Edinburgh Food Project. We are very proud to see them giving back to the community and thinking of others less fortunate at this time of year”.

Hospital hub bolstered by Edinburgh developer

Children’s charity helped during toughest months with new funding

Edinburgh’s Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC) has been boosted at a crucial time following an £8,000 donation from a business close to its heart.

After completing the capital’s gruelling Seven Hills of Edinburgh challenge, an 11-strong team from residential developers Square & Crescent raised thousands of pounds that will go directly to the charity’s Hospital Hub.

The timely funds will support the charity’s active Hospital Hub, which is located within the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and is at its busiest time during winter months.

Entirely reliant on donations, the Hub is the hospital’s wellbeing centre, acting as a non-clinical space for children and their families to spend time away from wards, allowing them to enjoy a range of activities, events and therapies.

The donation further strengthens the link between ECHC and Square & Crescent, with the latter refurbishing large elements of Edinburgh’s former Royal Hospital for Sick Children into its Royal Meadows development and agreeing a formal partnership earlier this year.

Kate Dixon, Corporate & Partnerships Lead at ECHC, said: “Square & Crescent’s donation comes at a really important time for ECHC. Our Hospital Hub sees the most use during the festive months, providing comforting respite for children and families during difficult hospital stays, so this extra funding is a great boost.

“Not only do we want to continue to improve the Hub’s facilities but it’s about expanding its offering past just a safe space, offering valuable activities and events so children and young people can make the best of a tricky time.

“We’re very grateful, not just for the latest funding from Square & Crescent, but for its ongoing support and collaboration with our charity.”

The team at Square & Crescent raised £8,000 by tackling the Seven Hills of Edinburgh challenge, which consists of reaching the peak and walking between seven of the famous hills in the capital – Arthurs Seat, Castle Rock, Calton Hill, Corstorphine Hill, Braid Hills, Blackford Hill and Craiglockhart Hill.

ECHC is currently fundraising for its annual Christmas appeal, which aims to bring festive fun and happiness to children and families facing potentially life-changing hospital visits this December.

This includes a programme of daily activities throughout the month to make sure no one spending the season in hospital misses out on the magic. So far, children have been entertained by Santa abseiling into the building, a silent disco around the wards and a live pipe band.

ECHC’s former headquarters is one of the buildings being converted as part of the major Royal Meadows development, which will see the former hospital site transformed into a mix of luxury townhouses and apartments.

The charity was founded in the 1980s where it was based at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children site near Edinburgh’s Meadows, before the hospital’s relocation to Little France in 2021.

Euan Marshall, Co-Founder and joint Managing Director of Square & Crescent said: “ECHC is doing incredible work so we were delighted to take on a challenge like the Seven Hills to raise vital funds.

“As we sensitively redevelop the former Royal Hospital for Sick Children into our Royal Meadows development, we feel a real connection with the charity. It brings us a lot of pride to give back in any small way we can and to be able to support the vital work they are doing for young people in Edinburgh and the Lothians.”

Square & Crescent’s Royal Meadows development is targeted for completion in 2025 and is set to launch a sales suite in early 2024. It spans across four-acres and is situated one mile from Princes Street and a short walk from Lothian Road, benefitting from a city centre location.

Square & Crescent is a widely-regarded residential developer with a primary focus on the acquisition, development and refurbishment of beautiful homes.

For more information on Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, visit https://echcharity.org/

For more information on Royal Meadows, or to register interest, please email sales@squareandcrescent.com or call Lesley Coyle on 07586 129184.

For more information on Square & Crescent, visit https://squareandcrescent.com/

Amazon employee nominated for national award

A Blairhall man who works at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline has been nominated for a national award thanks to his outstanding efforts supporting the local community.

Oliver Forizs, who works at Amazon in Dunfermline as a sustainability ambassador, was nominated for a national Amazon Stars award by his colleagues at the fulfilment centre.

Amazon Stars, now in its fourth year, is a UK-wide Amazon campaign that recognises and rewards Amazon employees who go above and beyond for their local community by using their skills, time and passion to help others.

Oliver Forizs, who joined Amazon in 2020, is a passionate supporter of the Dunfermline community, taking part in many fundraising and volunteering campaigns in his spare time over the last three years. It’s this passion for making a positive impact in his community that has seen Oliver nominated in this year’s Amazon Stars awards.

Oliver’s support of his community means he is in with a chance of winning one of two Dream Boxes, the top prize awarded as part of the Amazon Stars campaign. A Dream Box, worth £1,500, is a personalised prize to honour Amazon’s top two community heroes in the UK.

Dream Boxes won by previous Amazon Stars include community donations, music equipment, holiday vouchers and family tickets for Disneyland Paris. Oliver will find out if he has won a Dream Box in December.

Oliver was nominated for the award by his colleagues for his passion for environmental and sustainability change.

Oliver Forizs is a sustainability ambassador at Amazon in Dunfermline and lives in Blairhall with his seven-year-old daughter.

Before joining Amazon two years ago, Oliver worked in the music industry as a tour manager and as a security supervisor at an international airport. A friend told him about a job opening at Amazon, and a week after applying he was hired.

As a single father, Oliver praises Amazon’s flexible working patterns. He said: “One of the best things about working at Amazon is the flexible hours – something of great benefit to me as a single father. Amazon also offers so many different opportunities that make your daily work very colourful.”

Oliver was nominated for an Amazon Stars award due to his passion for environmental and sustainability change. He recently held an event in conjunction with his favourite environmentalist charity, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

He explained: “As a sustainability ambassador, I try to find ways to extend our work to the community around us. Having organised several events, I proposed establishing a partnership with WWF, an organisation I deeply admire for its incredible environmental efforts.

“My managers were enthusiastic about the idea and encouraged me to reach out to the charity, which shared our enthusiasm. Together, we successfully forged a partnership and brought the collaboration to life.

“The event took place at the end of September, with a Wear it Wild dress up theme and half hour movie with the WWF’s own footage about the marine environment around the UK. There was also fundraising in the canteen, with raffle tickets available for a £25 voucher prize. It was all for WWF’s great cause to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. The event raised almost £1,000 and engaged more than 150 Amazon employees.”

“The day was a tremendous success, and our team couldn’t be more thrilled. We not only hit our target but exceeded it, raising more funds than we initially hoped. The event was filled with enthusiasm, inspiring speakers, and wonderful people who are as passionate about the cause as we are. The support from our colleagues at Amazon was great and everyone was really interested and engaged.”

Oliver explained why sustainability is so important to him. He said: “The easiest explanation I can give for why I care so much about the environment comes straight from the definition of sustainability.

“We must arrange our daily life to keep in mind future generations. My present is my daughter’s future, and I want to extend this idea to a bigger scale. My daughter Elizabeth inspires me to make the world a better place, and I am passionate about showing people around me that sustainability is not just about us, it is about future generations.”

Alongside his passion for the environment, Oliver also enjoys painting, golfing and travel.

Amazon General Manager, Jamie Strain, added: “At Amazon, we’re passionate about positively impacting the communities we serve, and Oliver embodies that ethos.

“Amazon Stars is one of the ways that we shine a light on the achievements of our team, giving us an opportunity to celebrate the positive contribution that our employees make to local communities around the UK. Oliver goes above and beyond to support our community and everyone at Amazon in Dunfermline is proud that he has been nominated for this fantastic award.”

Last year, the winners of the Amazon Stars awards included a community music mentor from Dartford, a pilot from Birmingham who provides aviation experiences for people from disadvantaged backgrounds and an animal rescue volunteer from Wakefield. Find out more here.

Amazon provides community donations and employee volunteering opportunities for its employees to support community organisations.

These are two of the ways Amazon supports the communities in and around its operating locations across the UK. Amazon provides students, teachers and parents with free computer science and STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and has teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver more than seven million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas of the country.

Earlier this year, Amazon partnered with Comic Relief to become the official home of the Red Nose. Amazon employees across the UK hosted fundraising activities and together with their customers and partners, raised £2.7 million to support those going through the toughest time of their lives.

Learn more about the ways Amazon supports its communities.

Bank Boardroom set for Homeless Christmas Dinner

Royal Bank of Scotland is joining forces with Social Bite to host a Christmas dinner for people who’ve experienced homelessness. The bank will be opening the boardroom at St Andrew’s Square in Edinburgh and welcoming those Social Bite and the bank have supported this year.

It is part of the bank’s long-term support for the work Social Bite is doing to end homelessness. Since 2016, Royal Bank has supported Social Bite through donations, gifts-in-kind, and strategic help totalling over £1million.

Royal Bank employees have raised more than £100,000 through sponsored sleepouts, abseils and Christmas appeals.

Taking place on 19 December 2023, those attending include residents and staff from Social Bite’s Village in Edinburgh, run in partnership with Cyrenians to provide a supported community which helps people affected by homelessness to lead an independent life. Social Bite plans to open two new Villages in South Lanarkshire and Dundee over the next two years.

This Christmas, the bank is also supporting Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness which will provide meals, gifts and essentials for people who are homeless at Christmas and throughout the winter, alongside homes and jobs.

Josh Littlejohn MBE, Co-Founder of Social Bite, said: “We are so grateful for Royal Bank’s support.

“They have played a key part in a number of transformational projects helping people break the cycle of homelessness, and it is really special that they have created this Christmas experience for the residents of the Village.”

Judith Cruickshank, Chair of the Royal Bank of Scotland Board, said: “Building on our long-term support for Social Bite we are helping to make Christmas a little more enjoyable for some of the most vulnerable.”

Karen Henderson Legacy Fund for Make 2nds Count: £66,900 raised over just two years of support

Make 2nds Count, a pioneering charity focusing on secondary breast cancer is thrilled to announce that The Karen Henderson Legacy Fund has surpassed a monumental fundraising milestone on their behalf, accumulating an impressive total of £66,900 over the course of two years.

The fund was established by Make 2nds Count and Karen’s family in honour of Karen Henderson, who tragically passed away from Secondary Breast Cancer. This incredible fundraising endeavour not only commemorates Karen’s legacy but also serves as a beacon of hope for Secondary Breast Cancer patients across the UK.

Alistair Henderson, Karen’s husband expressed his gratitude, saying, “It is fantastic to think that through The Karen Henderson Legacy Fund, Karen continues to inspire so many people to help make life just that little bit better and happier for Secondary Breast Cancer patients across the UK.

“Karen was a great fundraiser for Make 2nds Count, and we are sure she would be delighted that her great fundraising work continues on in this way. Particularly when we see the lovely feedback from the recipients of our funded initiatives.”

The funds were raised through various activities organised by the Karen Henderson Legacy Fund itself or by friends and supporters, including multiple groups taking on the Edinburgh Kiltwalk, fashion shows at Restoration Yard in Dalkeith Country Park featuring luxury raffles, a successful ladies’ night event at the Sun Inn in Dalkeith, marathon and half marathons ran, charity sales, concerts and notably, the 500 miles challenge, all of which contributed significantly to this achievement.

This money has played a pivotal role in funding vital support services provided by Make 2nds Count, such as the Tea and a Chat program in Edinburgh, Birdsong yoga, and providing meaningful gifts for retreats aimed at supporting patients.

Alistair Henderson continued: “To reach and exceed the £60,000 figure in funds raised in just over 2 years is a fantastic achievement and very much adds to Karen’s lasting legacy.

“Karen’s Legacy Fund greatly appreciates the efforts of everyone who has contributed to making this happen, and we very much hope that we can continue the good work of Karen’s Legacy Fund as we move into 2024. Thank You.”

Make 2nds Count extends its heartfelt gratitude to The Karen Henderson Legacy Fund and all contributors for their unwavering support in making a profound difference in the lives of those affected by Secondary Breast Cancer.

For more information about Make 2nds Count and The Karen Henderson Legacy Fund, please visit https://make2ndscount.co.uk/get-involved/khlf/

Amazon supports new charity Second Chance Store launch

Ten employees from Amazon in Dunfermline played a key role in the launch of a new Amazon retail shop for Barnardo’s this week, when they packed and shipped more than 3,500 product donations for the Second Chance Store in central London.

The product selection – consisting of returned and refurbished Amazon items put back on sale at a reduced cost – features in-demand Christmas gifts with up to 50% savings on recommended retail prices.

While thousands of items including nearly-new gaming consoles, personal tech, toys and games have been donated to the high street store located at London’s Brunswick Centre, the range reflects the millions of returned, refurbished and open-box items available to buy at a discount all year-round from amazon.co.uk/amazonsecondchance.

The website also provides customers with information about product repair, recycling in their local community and trade-in for electronics.

“Working on the launch of the Second Chance Store for Barnardo’s has been a great opportunity for us to come together as a team, have some fun and support a charity that does great work in our community in Dunfermline, and across the UK,” said Ben Robertson from Amazon’s Dunfermline fulfilment centre.

“It’s also a great way to help customers see the range and quality of returned and refurbished items that are available to buy from Amazon online every day of the year.”

“Amazon is committed to giving more products a second chance – both through helping customers shop pre-loved, and through programmes to recycle, trade-in and repair products, contributing to a more circular economy,” added John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon.

“Our Second Chance Store, with all proceeds going to Barnardo’s, is all about offering customers a great way to shop second-hand this festive season, while supporting a brilliant charity we have been working with for many years.”

Across the UK and Europe, customer demand has driven second-hand shopping on Amazon into a billion-pound business.

In the UK alone, Amazon gave a second chance to more than four million products last year, helping British customers save more than £100 million by buying used or refurbished products at a discount.

In the first nine months of 2023, Amazon’s sales of second-hand goods in the UK increased by more than 15% compared to the same period last year.

So far this year, Amazon has facilitated the donation of more than 13 million products to more than 2,000 charities across the UK through its Retail and Fresh operations, and its Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) Donations, a programme which helps independent sellers using the Fulfilment by Amazon service donate their overstock or returned items automatically.

Charities including Barnardo’s, the British Heart Foundation, In Kind Direct, Scope and The Multibank initiative are amongst the donation recipients.

Product donations form one part of Amazon’s circular economy programme. In 2022, Amazon expanded its partnership with WRAP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to support a global circular economy for products.

The company is also supporting the development of a sorting technology to improve plastic packaging recycling through involvement in the Digital Watermarks Initiative HolyGrail 2.0, driven by AIM, European Brands Association and powered by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.

The Amazon Second Chance Store is an expansion of Amazon’s existing relationship with Barnardo’s, with millions of products donated to the charity since 2019.

Amazon and Barnardo’s also launched a ground-breaking programme called the JOBS Project (Journey of Becoming Successful) which has supported 65 young people since 2021, with an ambition to help 500 people in the next five years, many of whom are care experienced, develop the skills needed to secure work and develop their careers.

As a signatory of the Care Leavers Covenant, Amazon is one of leading employers of care leavers in the UK.

Gordon Ramsay’s Festive Fundraiser returns to Edinburgh

Gordon Ramsay Restaurant Edinburgh venues have welcomed the return of their ‘GReat Donate’ festive fundraiser, to raise money for specialist charity Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus (SBH) Scotland.

The fundraiser launched during the 2022 festive season, coinciding with the launch of Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger restaurant in the St James Quarter. They raised an incredible £15,642 as a result which Gordon and Tana Ramsay then generously matched to give the charity an extra special funds boost.

This year, a £1 voluntary donation will be added to diner’s bills at the St Andrew Square restaurant and St James Quarter restaurant until the end of December 2023.

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 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’re delighted to bring back our Festive Fundraiser to our Bread Street Kitchen & Bar and Street Burger restaurants in Edinburgh and we hope our diners will be happy to make a small gesture this Christmas, that’ll have a big impact on families across Scotland.

Lawrence Cowan, Chief Executive of SBH Scotland, said: “As our Honorary Patron, Gordon has been a great friend of our charity for nearly two decades and we couldn’t be more thankful for his and Tana’s continued generosity.

“Over the years, Gordon 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.

“Right now, people need our support more than ever. Christmas can be a difficult time and with the burden of the cost-of-living crisis looming heavily in families lives, our finance, benefits and specialist support services are needed more than ever. Through this campaign people can help make sure that no one affected by spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus feels alone.

“We rely on donations to make sure our lifeline support continues, so being able to work with the brilliant teams at Gordon Ramsay Restaurants again means a lot to us and the families we support.

“We thank all the diners visiting Bread Street Kitchen or Street Burger this festive season. Every £1 donated matters to a family in need. It’s a chance to enjoy great food and support a great cause this Christmas.”

For more information on why SBH Scotland and Gordon’s festive fundraiser is so important, please visit: https://www.sbhscotland.org.uk/we-need-you