Tag: charity

Sell out performance in support of the Edinburgh Crisis Centre

Leading mental health charity, Penumbra, hosted a sell out performance of ‘The Bench’, a play written and produced by Watch This Space Productions last week. Jay Lafferty of Watch This Space put on the special free showing of the performance in support of the work of the Edinburgh Crisis Centre which is managed by Penumbra.
 
Penumbra is a leading mental health charity providing a range of support services to around 1800 people each week. Penumbra works with partners across 17 local authority areas to provide innovative mental health support in a community setting.
The Edinburgh Crisis Centre is managed by Penumbra as a partnership with NHS Lothian, City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Carers’ Council, and supports around 2000 people each year.
People can contact the Centre for support by email, text or freephone: mailto:crisis@edinburghcrisiscentre.org.uk – 07974 429075 – 0808 801 0414.
 
Watch This Space Productions’ performance of The Bench took place on Thursday in the Traverse Theatre.
 
Edinburgh Crisis Centre Manager, Barrie Hunter, commented: “Our team here at the Edinburgh Crisis Centre provides short term emotional and mental health support to around 2000 people in the city who are in distress or who are at risk of suicide and self-harm, and we provide a safe and non-judgemental environment where people can talk in confidence.
“There’s constant demand for support from the Crisis Centre, and it’s not unusual that we get several calls in the space of a few hours from people who are extremely distressed and need support immediately.
 
“It’s vital that people know they can ring up, text or email and get face to face support – potentially on the same day – and stay overnight if they need to. This is especially important because a mental health crisis is an extremely difficult thing to experience and key to recovery is early support.
 
“That’s why we’re so delighted that the hugely talented team at Watch This Space Productions have really got behind the work of the Edinburgh Crisis Centre in raising awareness of what we do through The Bench. The performance was a sell out and no wonder because of the talented team behind it.”
 
Jay Lafferty of Watch This Space Productions added: “We are delighted to be able to support Penumbra’s work. Since its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018 ‘The Bench’ has been on a nationwide tour.
“In early 2019 the play was published by Josef Wineberger and is currently being translated into German and French. We are excited to be back in Edinburgh for this one off performance and feel that the topics addressed in the play fit well with the work undertaken by the Crisis Centre.”

Could you help someone when they are most in need?

The Royal Air Forces Association, which supports the wellbeing of RAF veterans, serving personnel and their dependants, needs more befrienders and caseworkers to meet growing demand for its services. 

While volunteers are sought across Scotland, the greatest need is in the Central Belt, including the Edinburgh and Glasgow areas, where many RAF veterans and their spouses have settled in their retirement.

The charity’s Director of Welfare and Policy, Rory O’Connor, said beneficiaries’ needs ranged from requiring help to fill out forms for hardship grants to seeking a friend to talk with on a regular basis.

Rory said: “Sometimes we help people with more complex situations, so all our volunteers are fully trained to be able to offer, or signpost to, the appropriate help.” 

One of the charity’s volunteers, George Prentice, of Eyemouth, was able to use his RAF Association caseworker training to make a real difference to a couple who found themselves in a seemingly impossible situation.

George went to the aid of ex-pats Tina and John Wren as they were trying to come to terms with news that John needed an urgent triple heart bypass. 

RAFA

George (above (centre) with Tina and John) said: “That news would be scary enough for anyone, but it was made worse by the fact that John’s diagnosis came while the couple were on a short visit to their native Scotland – a long way from their home in Malta!” 

John, an Army retiree, had collapsed with a heart attack while watching a football match at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, and was resuscitated at the scene.

Having only been prepared to stay in Scotland for a few weeks, John and Tina, a former RAF Aircraftwoman, suddenly found themselves in need of local accommodation and financial support.

Tina’s service with the RAF meant that she and John were eligible for Association support, so the charity passed on the couple’s call for help to George.

Retired RAF Corporal George visited them in the hospital where John was being treated, and quickly got to grips with the situation.

He swiftly enlisted support from the charity’s Malta and Edinburgh branches to help the couple relocate their lives back to their native Scotland. He also applied on their behalf for funding from other military charities.

George, who subsequently received a British Empire Medal for his charity work over many years, helped the couple to find accommodation in Stirling, where Tina was able to care for John during his long recovery.

Tina said: “Our lives were turned upside down that summer almost three years ago, but, thanks to George and the RAF Association, we’re now back on track. 

“John’s heart attack, major surgery and recovery was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to live through, so I don’t know what I’d have done without the help of an RAF Association volunteer.”

The RAF Association has approximately 1,000 welfare volunteers from a range of backgrounds throughout the UK. While many are retired, some are working-aged, and usually give two or more hours a week. A military background is not necessary to become a volunteer.

More information for anyone interested in volunteering to become either a caseworker, like George, or an RAF Association befriender, is available at: https://www.rafa.org.uk/volunteer/ 

Actor Mark Bonnar becomes patron of Heart Research UK

Scottish actor Mark Bonnar, star of Guilt, Line of Duty and Shetland, is to become a patron of national charity Heart Research UK.

Mark first became involved with the charity in 2018, producing a piece of original artwork that was auctioned as part of the charity’s anonymous heART project.

Since then, he has been involved with various campaigns, including Heart Research UK’s Heart of Scotland appeal, a dedicated fundraising campaign to raise money to take on Scotland’s biggest killer –heart disease.

Mark Bonnar said: “The work that Heart Research UK does is incredibly close to my heart. My father had a triple bypass over 20 years ago, and thankfully he is still going strong.

“The advances in research and surgery over the last few decades have been truly remarkable, thanks in no small part to the vital work that charities such as Heart Research UK are doing.

“I’m especially proud to support the Heart of Scotland appeal to inform and educate all age groups and help make a change to people’s lives.

Heart disease is still the number one cause of death in Scotland when, ironically, it’s often the most easily preventable.”

Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive of Heart Research UK, said: We are all over the moon that Mark is becoming a patron for Heart Research UK.

“Since he first became involved with the charity, he has been eager to help in any way he can, and we are delighted to begin what I’m sure will be an incredibly rewarding partnership.

“We know research works, but the seven million people living with cardiovascular disease in the UK need it to work faster. We are dedicated to funding the latest pioneering research in to the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.

“We have some incredibly exciting projects coming up, and we can’t wait to work with Mark on them!”

Heart Research UK was founded in 1967 by Mr David Watson, an eminent cardiovascular surgeon, with the intention of making heart surgery safer. Since then, Heart Research UK has invested over £25m in pioneering research in to the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.

Letters: Mary’s Meals appeal

Dear Editor,

Mary’s Meals has launched an urgent appeal to feed chronically hungry children in Turkana, one of the driest and most impoverished parts of Kenya.

We already serve nutritious meals to more than 23,000 children in nurseries in Turkana, but primary-aged pupils have not received meals since a programme run by another organisation stopped around a year ago. 

Desperate pupils can often be found watching children at neighbouring nurseries being fed, and we have heard heartbreaking reports of children as young as three saving their food to take home for hungry siblings.

Mary’s Meals already feeds more than 1.5 million children in 18 of the world’s poorest countries every school day. We are determined to continue feeding these children while expanding, as funds allow, to reach primary school children in Turkana.

Your readers can support our appeal by visiting marysmeals.org.uk/turkana or phoning 0800 698 1212.

Best wishes,

Daniel Adams

UK Executive Director of Mary’s Meals

Theatre performance to support Edinburgh Crisis Centre

Leading mental health charity, Penumbra, is delighted to announce that Watch This Space Productions are getting behind the work of the Edinburgh Crisis Centre by putting on an exclusive free performance of The Bench at the Traverse Theatre later this month (23 January).

Continue reading Theatre performance to support Edinburgh Crisis Centre

WaterAid reveals the surprising New Year traditions celebrated around the world

As the new year begins, WaterAid has released a fascinating new photo gallery revealing the New Year traditions celebrated by different communities around the world.

From water fights and bathing rituals to giving chickens as a gift and using cow dung to polish the floor, the unique images reveal how people celebrate in ten countries from Cambodia to the UK and Madagascar to Japan, in the hope of bringing good health, happiness and prosperity for the New Year. Continue reading WaterAid reveals the surprising New Year traditions celebrated around the world