Tag: charity

Barratt Homes helps Edinburgh communities with charity donations

LifeCare and Tiphereth have each received a £1,000 donation as part of Barratt Homes East Scotland’s regular Community Fund giveaway.

Elderly care charity, LifeCare, will be using the cash boost from the five-star housebuilder to upskill its frontline workers to better deal with the changes to their working environment caused by COVID-19. For Tiphereth, the donation will help towards the refurbishment of one of its facilities, allowing them to welcome more people back to the organisation’s day service.

LifeCare specialises in dementia care, home care and incare for older people, allowing them to live with dignity. By helping older people keep connected to their communities, and to the things they love and enjoy, Life Care aims to guard the elderly against social isolation and the trap of defining people by dementia, poor mobility or advanced years.

Tiphereth is a unique community in Edinburgh where people with learning difficulties, staff and volunteers work and grow together. Through undertaking work for local community groups as well as their own cookery, art and gardening projects members increase their self-confidence while developing lifelong skills.

Alison Condie, managing director at Barratt East Scotland, said: “LifeCare and Tiphereth carry out incredible work supporting the vulnerable and people with learning difficulties.

“We’re pleased to be able to help them and hope that our donation will allow them continue to provide these crucial and important services through what are difficult times for us all.”

Speaking of the donation Vicki Bradley, Fundraising Manager at LifeCare added: “We are delighted that Barratt Homes has chosen to donate £1,000 to LifeCare.

“The people who use LifeCare services are amongst the most vulnerable in society and many are still shielding, so it is extremely important that our workers are knowledgeable in how to keep their clients and themselves safe. COVID-19 has not only changed the way we work but has added extra costs to all that we do, so we are very grateful to Barratt Homes for their generosity to help us continue to support those who rely on our services.”

Gordon Hudson, Fundraiser Manager at the Tiphereth said: “We would like to extend a huge thank you to Barratt Homes from everyone at Tiphereth. While our residential homes have been able to operate throughout lockdown, getting our day service back to 75% capacity has used up 100% of our staff.

“The donation will go towards bringing an extra building up to normal office standard, allowing us to utilise our locations differently and establish safer smaller groups.  This, in turn, will help us welcome more people back, offering respite to parents.”

Now in its second year, the Barratt Homes Community Fund has pledged to donate £1,000 each month to a charity or organisation in the East of Scotland. Charities are nominated by and voted for by employees of Barratt Homes and the focus for the fund continues to be on organisations that improve the quality of life for those living in the area.

The Barratt Homes Community Fund will be continuing into 2021.

Interested charities can enquire about donation opportunities at charity.eastscotland@barratthomes.co.uk

For more information on Barratt Homes, visit the website.

Countdown’s on to Giving Tuesday

The countdown is on to #GivingTuesday 2020 – the global day of generosity is happening on 1 December

For this extraordinary year, #GivingTuesday is encouraging people to #GiveBack2020 – be it through a charity donation, a continued commitment to a cause close to their hearts, volunteering time or simply helping a friend, neighbour or family member.

#GivingTuesday and #GiveBack2020 offers all of us a chance to head towards the end of this most challenging of years by taking a positive step and knowing that we’ve once again come together to make a difference.

The global pandemic’s repercussions are being felt by charities around the world. Research by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), the organisation leading #GivingTuesday in the UK, found that charities face a significant increase in demand for their services while more than half (53%) have suffered a drop in donations. 

It is estimated that charities face a £10bn funding gap and CAF’s latest research found that without help, a quarter of charities in the UK said they would not survive a year.

The call to #GiveBack2020 is supported by JustGiving, Virgin Money Giving, PayPal and many more.  It encourages people to do what they can to support good causes.

It could be donating the cost of your normal commute, giving spare change while you are Christmas shopping, rounding up your purchases and donating those extra pennies or even turning what would have been money spent on a work Christmas night out into a much-needed donation instead.

Gráinne Mathews, #GivingTuesday UK Lead at CAF said: “In this unprecedented year, we have all seen the amazing things that charities have done in the hardest and darkest of times. 

“They have been there for us, our families, and our communities and have come up with new ways to help the people most in need.  At CAF, we have been inspired to see so many charities striving to do more with less after fundraisers were cancelled and charity shops closed.

“This #GivingTuesday, the charities that have been there for us need us to be there for them. It is time to #GiveBack2020.”

To find out more about #GivingTuesday, and how you can get involved, visit:

 http://www.givingtuesday.org.uk/

Over 70% are concerned for welfare of children

A new study conducted by Savanta ComRes, has found that seven in ten UK adults (71%) feel concerned for children in the toughest of circumstances all over the world during the COVID19 crisis. However, only one quarter (26%) of UK adults are planning to donate to an overseas charity this Christmas due to the impact of COVID19.

The research, which was commissioned by international relief charity Samaritan’s Purse who run Operation Christmas Child, also highlighted that 75% of those surveyed believed that children needed to feel loved this Christmas more than ever due to the impact of COVID-19.

Director of Operation Christmas Child, Nick Cole says, “The pandemic has once again highlighted the importance of children’s mental and physical health. The concern for children across the world, and the importance that they need to feel seen and loved this year is more tangible than ever. We must all play our part in ensuring children are given the necessary support in the face of all they have experienced this year.”

Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts—filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys—to children in the toughest circumstances across the globe for more than two decades. For many children who receive them, it is the first gift they have ever received. This is a project that everyone can still be a part of, even with COVID-19 restrictions.

Cole continues, “From this survey we see that while concern is high for children across the world during the pandemic, the desire to donate to charities is a low priority.

“Through Operation Christmas Child, individuals can do the simple act of packing a shoebox and help contribute to the mental well-being of children in the most vulnerable communities.”

Find out more about packing a Christmas shoebox here: www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/occ

STV Children’s Appeal 2020 raises over £3.5 million

A grand total of £3,530,025 has been raised by the STV Children’s Appeal throughout 2020, bringing the total amount raised by the Appeal since its formation in 2011 to over £24 million.

A busy year of fundraising culminated in a successful telefundraiser broadcast on STV on Friday. The programme, hosted by Lorraine Kelly, saw stars including Andy Murray and KT Tunstall encouraging Scots to support the Appeal, which raises funds for vulnerable children and young people across Scotland.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also made a memorable appearance in this year’s show, starring in a specially-recorded sketch alongside comedian Janey Godley (download here), in which she delivered Godley’s iconic catchphrase “Frank, get the door!” for the first time.

The Scottish Government has again pledged to match fund £1 million towards the final total raised.

The STV Children’s Appeal has seen a wide range of “community heroes” from across Scotland helping to raise money this year, including:

·       91-year-old Jan Collins from Troon (picture attached), who raised £8,621 by completing 1,000 holes of golf in his garden

·       Inverness schoolboy Shaun Maclean (picture attached), 8, who ran 200 laps of his garden and raised £966

·       Gerry Long, a postman from Ardrossan, who cheered up local residents during the national lockdown in April by dressing up as a different fictional character each day to deliver mail – raising £450 in the process

Corporate supporters of the Appeal have included supermarket chain Lidl. Its customers and staff helped to raise £73,000 this year – bringing the total amount Lidl has raised for the Appeal to over £500,000.

Baroness Margaret Ford, Chair of the STV Children’s Appeal, said: “Once again, we are absolutely blown away by the incredible generosity of STV viewers – particularly at a time when donating may be harder to do than normal.

“Their support, along with that of our community heroes and corporate fundraisers, will make a real difference to the one in four children living in poverty throughout the country.

“These young people, who have felt the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic more than most, urgently need our help – and we’re committed to distributing the funds as quickly and efficiently as possible. On behalf of everyone at the STV Children’s Appeal, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every person who has supported us throughout this year.”  

Shared Lives Plus wins £50,000 Movement for Good award

Shared Lives Plus, which is launching its Homeshare scheme in Scotland, is one of ten charities to receive £50,000 as part of Ecclesiastical Insurance’s Movement for Good awards.

The awards, set up by specialist insurer Ecclesiastical, have seen a total of £1million given to charities across the UK this summer. 500 charities have already been awarded donations of £1,000 and now 10 charitable organisations will benefit from £50,000 grants.

Shared Lives Plus, which aims to build communities where everyone lives a full life by sharing lives and homes, was one of 10 charities1 selected from over 1,000 entries.

The fund will allow the charity to develop its Homeshare scheme in Scotland, a project that carefully matches someone in need of support to live independently with someone who has a housing need and can provide care. The project fosters mutually beneficial and enriching relationships across communities.

Each of the £50,000 awards are designed to support the advancement of education, skills, arts, culture and heritage, as well as citizenship or community development. Applications were assessed against four key areas; impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion.

Mark Hews, Group CEO of Ecclesiastical, said: “Our Movement for Good awards have been met with an overwhelming response. A huge number of charities have submitted projects for the £50,000 grant and it’s clear that charitable organisations are in need of support now more than ever.

“We believe this financial boost will create long-lasting improvements for communities and support charity workers during what is an incredibly testing time for many.

“Ecclesiastical is a unique financial services group. Owned by a charity, our core purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society. Charitable giving is at the heart of our business and we are proud to be able to give all available profits to the good causes which are important to our customers.

“We know that £50,000 can make a huge difference to the life-changing work that charities do and we are looking forward to seeing how these awards will help make people’s lives better.”

Ben Hall, Development Manager at Shared Lives Plus, added: “I didn’t expect to win at all and when we were told, I was delighted! For us, this project would not be taking place in the coming year without the award from Ecclesiastical’s Movement for Good. It really is as simple as that.

“Homeshare will be a new idea in Scotland and it is vital that we raise its profile. Our goal is that we want to bring shared living to more people and create a kinder and stronger society. This grant allows us to create those plans.”

An amazing 253,879 people around the UK supported the Movement for Good awards during its first phase earlier this year, with over 13,695 charitable causes up and down the country receiving votes. The 500 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated.

Phase two saw 1,059 project submissions for the £50,000 awards. Following a review of all the applications, a panel of judges made their final selection of the winning projects2.

For further information on the Movement for Good Awards and for a full list of the winning charities phase visit: www.ecclesiastical.com/movement-for-good

1.     Full list of 10 winning charities:

Breast Cancer UK Limited – Digital Learning to Prevent Breast Cancer

Shared Lives Plus Limited – Developing Homeshare in Scotland

Tastelife UK – Youth Track Development

Power2 – Teens and Toddlers

The Challenger Trust – My Journey: Challenger Trust in Birmingham Schools

The Lily Mae Foundation – Baby Loss Support Service Enhancement

The Linskill and North Tyneside Community Development Trust – Project Langley

Thomas’s Fund – Kettering General Hospital, Pen Green Children’s Centre and Community & Family Connections scheme

Parents Plus Company Limited by Guarantee – Transforming Intellectual Disability Services across the U.K. and Ireland with The Parents Plus Special Needs programme

Tackling Awareness of Mental Health Issues – Resilient Active Youth

Winning charity videos:

Breast Cancer UK Limited

Shared Lives Plus Limited

Tastelife UK

Power2

The Challenger Trust

The Lily Mae Foundation

The Linskill and North Tyneside Community Development Trust

Thomas’s Fund

Parents Plus Company Limited by Guarantee

Tackling Awareness of Mental Health Issues

Amazon Edinburgh makes donations to local charities for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

The team from the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh has donated a total of £1,500 worth of toys and pyjamas to Cancer & Leukemia Advice & Support for Parents (CCLASP) and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity as part of the company’s global Amazon Goes Gold campaign during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. 

Amazon Goes Gold is Amazon’s annual campaign to raise awareness and funds during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In addition to partnering with hospitals and research organisations around the world, Amazon also wraps a selection of its delivery fleet in gold ribbons during the month of September to further increase awareness across its network. The Amazon Goes Gold campaign was launched in 2017. 

Valerie Simpson, from CCLASP, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many of the team at the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh working in their pyjamas in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness month!

“I’d like to thank Rachel and the team for raising awareness through #AmazonGoesGold and for providing us with a donation, which will be greatly appreciated by everyone at CCLASP. We could hardly believe it when the team showed up with all the pyjamas and toys – the children will love them.” 

While we’re all facing a global pandemic, more than 300,000 children will also be diagnosed with pediatric cancer this year, and it’s the number one non-communicable disease causing the death of children around the world. 

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with CCLASP and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital for Amazon Goes Gold,” said Rachel Seaward-Simpson, Site Leader at the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh.

“We want patients and kids everywhere affected by childhood cancer to imagine the future innovators in themselves. It’s an honour to make a difference for such an important cause that affects families around the world.” 

This donation will support CCLASP and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital in their missions to provide practical and emotional support to families affected by childhood cancer.

‘Simple but far-reaching’: RNIB launches Holyrood manifesto

National sight loss charity RNIB Scotland is calling on all political parties to build on the greater social cohesiveness that the coronavirus crisis has engendered.

Launching its manifesto for next year’s Scottish Parliament elections, the charity’s director James Adams said: “The next Scottish Parliament will convene in a changed world. A world forced to re-evaluate things previously taken for granted, in which everyone has been made more aware of how dependent we are on each other.

“‘A Vision for the 2020s’ sets out simple but far-reaching steps that can create a more inclusive Scotland for blind and partially sighted people. Let’s seize this opportunity.”

The manifesto is calling on the next Scottish Government to launch a new campaign to emphasise the importance of regular eye examinations in preventing sight loss. Over 178,000 people in Scotland currently live with significant sight loss but this could potentially double if steps aren’t taken to contain it.

The manifesto also wants Ministers to report annually on the attainment figures for blind and partially sighted school pupils and train more specialist teachers as a matter of urgency. It highlights that only one in four blind and partially sighted adults are currently in paid employment.

‘Shared spaces’ schemes – where pedestrians and vehicles occupy the same level area – should be scrapped, the manifesto says, and a nationwide ban on pavement parking and advertising boards implemented.

People with sight loss claiming the new disability benefits devolved to Scotland should not have to undergo periodic reassessed if there is no realistic prospect of their condition improving. Any benefits awarded should cover the, often significant, additional costs of living with a visual impairment.

The manifesto is also calling for all public information to be available in accessible formats such as braille, large-print and audio, and for alternative voting methods to ensure people can cast their ballot independently and in secret.

Mr Adams said: “We want a health service that prevents avoidable sight loss and helps people come to terms with it when it isn’t.

“Education that helps every child reach their full potential, and employers who better understand what people with sight loss are capable of.

“Information that’s always available in alternative formats and public transport that’s always accessible.

“And we want our streets and thoroughfares to allow pedestrians to walk safely and without obstacles.

“Today’s coronavirus crisis has exacerbated many of the problems blind and partially sighted people face. But it’s brought to the fore, too, some of the best instincts of our society. That generosity of spirit can be the spur for a new deal for people with sight loss and other disabilities.

“Let’s make that one lasting legacy of the parliamentary term ahead.”

* www.rnib.org.uk/scotland

Letter from Samantha Quek, Olympic gold medallist and TV personality

Dear Editor,

Four years ago while was in Rio winning gold with the women’s hockey team, my lovely 95-year-old Nanna, Dolly, had a stroke. I saw first-hand how important support is in helping stroke survivors to rebuild their lives.

I know that many people had a stroke during lockdown and many survivors returned home from hospital without any support or contact. The Stroke Association has been providing telephone counselling and emotional support for most of them but they need our help to reach even more people.

So I’ll be heading into the kitchen to bake some tasty treats for the charity’s Give a Hand and Bake week starting on 26 October. We may not be able to get together with family and friends, but you could arrange a Zoom party where everyone can share their goodies or give some baking as a gift, in return for a donation to the charity.

To get involved, visit www.stroke.org.uk/baking. They have some lovely healthy recipes using LoSalt, the charity’s partner in its #HealthierUK drive to raise awareness of how lifestyles can affect the risk of stroke.

Or if you haven’t time to bake it, why not fake it and buy something instead? I won’t tell!

I’m delighted to say that thanks to her determination and the support she received, my Nanna is still going strong at 99 and I’m sure she’ll enjoy the cupcakes I’m baking for her!

Best wishes and stay safe everyone

Samantha Quek

Law firm joins will writing charity campaign for another year

A law firm from Edinburgh is aiming to raise vital funds for nine of the UK’s best loved charities, after signing up for Will Aid, the annual charity will writing campaign.

Fergusson Law has signed up to the scheme, which runs throughout November, for the fourth year in a row. Last year it raised a total of £1,210.

The firm has raised £5,390 for the nine charities involved since it joined the scheme.

Janice Nisbet from the firm said: “We are very excited to be involved in the Will Aid campaign again this year. 

“It gives us an excellent opportunity to reach people in our community who do not have a will and help them to protect their loved ones for the future.

“It also means we can raise funds for nine incredible charities which make a huge difference to people in need both here in the UK and around the world.”

The Will Aid scheme takes place across the country during November and supports ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (N. Ireland).

Thanks to the generosity of solicitors like Fergusson Law, the campaign has raised more than £21 million for these charities since it launched 31 years ago.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, charities are in need of donations now more than ever.

Campaign director Peter de Vena Franks said: “One in three people die in the UK without making a will, often leaving confusion and chaos behind along with the sadness of losing a loved one.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly made people reflect on the fragility of life and reinforced the importance of having a professionally-written will in place.

“Will Aid encourages people to prepare this vital piece of paperwork at the same time as making a difference by raising money for charity.

“We are thrilled that Fergusson Law has joined this year’s campaign. They have contributed a great deal to our fundraising efforts in the past and I know they will continue to work with us in future.”

Law firms across the country are being asked to sign up and pledge a portion of their time to write basic wills, putting duty before profit and instead asking clients to make a voluntary donation.

The suggested voluntary donation for a basic Will Aid will is £100 for a single will and £180 for a pair of mirror wills. Donations support the vital work of the nine partner charities.

Any additional work to the will can be charged separately and is paid to the law firm.

Will Aid solicitors will be following the most up-to-date government health advice to ensure that face-to-face meetings remain safe. Many firms will be able to write wills at a distance via a phone or online consultations. Some firms will only be offering their services remotely. Participating firms can be contacted directly for more information.

For more information about how to sign up or how to make an appointment to write a will visit www.willaid.org.uk/solicitors.

Edinburgh boy defying doctors celebrated with artwork at New Sick Kids

 
An Edinburgh teenager who defied medical experts has had his passion for dancing transformed into artwork for Edinburgh’s new Sick Kids hospital. 

Evan Glass, 13, battled through his first two hours of life and mum Danni was told he may never eat, talk or walk. Since birth, he has been fascinating medical experts with his resilience – but it is his dance performances which most often leave people speechless. 

Evan began dancing five years ago through attending classes run by Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity’s (ECHC) Arts Programme. Run in partnership with Dance Base, the classes support children receiving treatment at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children with their physiotherapy. Through dance, Evan has completely transformed the way he moves. 

Danni Glass, Evan’s mum, said: “I was given the news that every mum fears after giving birth – I was told that my baby wouldn’t make it. Doctors still can’t believe he is here but he is proving everybody wrong!  

“Since beginning ECHC’s Step Out dance classes, Evan has come on leaps and bounds. His movements used to be quite stiff and robotic but now he moves much more fluidly. His balance has also really improved but where we have seen the biggest changes are in his confidence – it has really helped to bring him out of himself.”

When Evan was offered the opportunity by ECHC to have his dancing made into a piece of artwork for the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP), he jumped at the chance. 

To create the piece, Evan and Dance Base Instructor Christina Liddell wore sensors on their wrists and ankles which tracked their movements as they danced together. These movements were digitalised and coloured, then transformed into the beautiful piece of artwork that is now displayed for all to see on entering the new children’s hospital.  

Danni said: “Evan is my little miracle. I am so, so proud of everything that he has achieved. He just forgets everything when he dances and loses all of his anxieties – it’s just wonderful to watch. 

“He was so excited to take part in the making of the artwork with Christina and thinks the finished piece is the greatest thing ever. I never realised it would be as big as it is – it’s absolutely amazing! When he first saw it, he was so chuffed and wanted to take photos from every angle. It’s just incredible to think that his artwork is now on display for people to see in the hospital forever.” 

Fiona O’Sullivan, Arts Programme Manager at ECHC, said: “We are all so proud of just how far Evan has come with the help of our partnership with Dance Base. Since starting out, he has danced with Christina at a number of our events and he always steals the show! 
 
“Our Arts Programme doesn’t just provide distraction for children in hospital – it achieves real results that help to improve patients’ health and wellbeing.  
 
“Evan is testament to this and we are thrilled that his artwork is now on display at the RHCYP so visitors can see just how remarkable he is.”

ECHC’s Arts Programme will play a key role at the RHCYP when it opens next year. The charity has funded over £3.1million worth of enhancements at the new hospital to give children and young people a positive hospital experience.

Evan’s artwork is just one of the many beautiful and often interactive art and design pieces that can be seen throughout the new building.

To help support more children, young people and families in hospital and healthcare like Evan and Danni, donations can be made at www.echcharity.org/donate