This Friday (13 March) is Comic Relief Day. Colleagues at Blackhall will be painting their faces funny for money and at 2pm will be taking part in a 15min Zumba experience. Why not come along to Sainsburys Blackhall and support our event?
Gail, Sainsburys Blackhall
Macmillan Cancer Support is urging people to look out their trainers and sign up to support them at the Kilomathon on 29 March.
Participants can take on 13.1k or 6.5k making it the perfect race distance for those progressing from a 5k or 10k and the 2.62k junior race is a great opportunity for junior runners to participate in a fully chip timed race.
The route is picturesque and traffic free along Edinburgh’s scenic cycle routes and finishes with a bang (hopefully not too much of a bang? – Ed) at Murrayfield Stadium.
Fundraising Manager for Edinburgh, Jayne Forbes, said: “Running is a fantastic way to support Macmillan and the Kilomathon has a race distance to suit everyone. Knowing that every mile you cover is raising money for people affected by cancer will give you real motivation to keep going with your fitness programme.
“Whether you’re taking part for the first time or are a seasoned runner, we’ll be with you every step of the way. We provide comprehensive training, nutrition and kit advice, as well as very simple ideas to raise money.”
All the money raised from the run will be used to fund Macmillan’s vital cancer services, from specialist nurses and doctors, to help and advice for people who have financial problems as a result of their cancer.
For more information on taking on a run for Macmillan please contact fundraising@macmillan.org.uk or 0300 1000 200.
See all our running events at www.macmillan.org.uk/running
Local children’s charity The Yard is one of three childrens’ projects that will be supported by Tesco Bank over the coming year.
Tesco Bank ‘colleagues’ from each of the three Bank’s three regions choose a local children’s charity to support, and this year the lucky recipients will be:
The Yard (Edinburgh)
The Yard is a playground for children with physical disabilities or learning difficulties. It gives children space to explore, join in and make friends – things that they can be excluded from in other environments.
The large outdoor playground is a perfect place to build dens, climb trees and charge around on one of their specially adapted bikes and trikes. Indoors there is also room to paint, bake, draw, smile, chat and be with others or be alone in the calming sensory room.
The Yard’s specialist Playworkers look to encourage children and young people to explore and be themselves, promote risk and challenge to help children overcome barriers to inclusion, and nurture natural curiosity.
HOPE For Autism (North Lanarkshire)
HOPE for Autism is a charity set up by parents who didn’t feel their children’s needs were being met. They have a great understanding of what is required to support the whole family, as they have been through it themselves.
HOPE for Autism currently offers services to families affected by an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including evening groups for children and young people, parents’ group meetings and services for carers, such as one-to-one and group support, free training and social nights.
Grace House (Sunderland)
Grace House is a purpose-built children and young person facility in Sunderland which will offer short break and respite care services for children and young people with complex disabilities, health needs and life limiting conditions.
They are presently planning to increase the number of their en-suite bedrooms to eight before their planned opening in May 2015 which will allow them to have up to eight children visiting at any one time. Eight bedrooms will allow them to help between 250-300 children every year.
Congratulations to you all!
Did you see North Edinburgh News’ recent story about the city council’s campaign to make Edinburgh a Dementia Friendly city? Well, representatives from Alzheimer Scotland will be at
Edinburgh College Granton Campus
on Wednesday 11 March between 10am and 4pm
to tell you how you can get involved.
We will be there talking to the students about the work of Alzheimer Scotland and various fundraising and volunteering opportunities within the organisation and will be encouraging people to sign up to become Dementia Friends.
We want to get people talking about dementia and would welcome you to come along on the day to talk to us. We look forward to seeing you and thanking you for helping us make sure that nobody faces dementia alone.
Abbi Parkhouse, Regional Fundraiser
Lothian Buses’ year working with The Yard has comes to an end – but the company has raised a record breaking amount for its Charity of the year, The Yard.
The charity’s bus has become well known and much loved throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians and the company’s employees taking the charity to their hearts by raising an fantastic amount of money for them.
The Yard provides care, support and fun for children with disabilities and their families and work closely with special need schools in Edinburgh
Over the year Lothian Buses, their employees and customers have raised over £20,000 for the charity from events such as charity football matches, raffles, the Christmas Grotto Bus and the company’s staff awards night, plus customers and employees donated their foreign coins and change to collections tins at our Travelshops. The charity also received a year’s free adverting on the outside and inside of buses with a value of over £196,000.
Jenny McDonald, Fundraising Manager, The Yard said: “It has been a great privilege to be Lothian Buses Charity of The Year and to see the commitment from all the staff and customers who have done an incredible job raising £20,000 towards our work.
“Special thanks to Keith and all the team at Marine Depot who organised the Hibs Legends Vs Lothian Buses Allstars Football Match, creating great memories for our children involved. Seeing the smiling faces of Cissie and Amy on our Yard bus still makes us all smile and it has been invaluable in raising awareness of what we do – thank you!’
The Scottish SPCA is appealing for information after two dogs mauled a deer in Edinburgh.
Scotland’s animal welfare charity was alerted on Tuesday after a member of the public witnessed two dogs attacking the animal in a field near Blackford Glen Road.
Animal Rescue Officer Fiona Thorburn said, “When I arrived the deer was in a terrible state, the bite marks were awful and you could see the muscle had been ripped off her back legs. Sadly, the deer was in severe pain and wouldn’t have recovered so the most humane thing to do was to put her to sleep.
“Passers-by described the dogs as two Jack Russell types who were off their leads. It is extremely worrying that these two dogs were able to carry out this attack. It could be that they were being walked by their owner who lost control of them.
“Unfortunately we have been unable to trace the owner but we are hopeful someone in the area may have information. We always advise dog walkers to take extra care when they are in areas with wildlife. In this instance, an animal has lost its life because these dogs were not under their owner’s control.”
Anyone with information relating to the attack should contact the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.
Scotland’s Health Secretary Shona Robison endorsed a new partnership between MoonWalk organisers breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, Paths for All and Young Scot earlier today.
The three groups have united to encourage Scots not only to get fit but also to raise both money and awareness in the fight against cancer.
Nina Barough CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk said: “I am thrilled that in this the 10th Anniversary year of The MoonWalk Scotland, these two wonderful organisations Paths for All and Young Scot are uniting with us to help encourage people of all ages in Scotland to get fit and at the same time raising money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer.
“To have the continued support of The Health Secretary, Shona Robison, is such a fantastic endorsement of the difference that Walk the Walk is continuing to make in Scotland both in keeping people active and by the grants that we make to improve the lives of those living with cancer.”
Ian Findlay, Chief Officer of Paths for All said: “We’re delighted to partner with Walk the Walk to promote this amazing event which unites people in walking for a brilliant cause. It is great to work with Walk the Walk to raise funds, but also to highlight the importance of being active for our health. Indeed, 30 minutes of daily physical activity, such as walking can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer and is a gentle way for those in recovery to stay active.
“It is brilliant to see the The MoonWalk have shorter walks such as The New Moon, so that more people can take part in this fabulous event. Look out for the Paths for All team enjoying the fun on the night!”
David McNeill, Entitlements and Rewards Director at Young Scot, said: “Hundreds of young people and their families are affected by breast cancer every year and we know it’s a topic that many hold close to their hearts. We are delighted to be involved in the 10th Anniversary event and support and encourage young people to participate in The MoonWalk Scotland by offering Young Scot Reward points. It’s a great way to meet other people, have fun, and enjoy the health benefits of walking – we wish everyone the best of luck!”
This year’s MoonWalk takes place on Saturday 13 June at Inverleith Park, when thousands of women, men and children will walk through the streets of Edinburgh at Midnight, with those aged 13 and over wearing Walk the Walk’s trademark brightly decorated bras.
To date, The MoonWalk Scotland has raised almost £18 million, with most of the money raised staying in Scotland to help improve the lives of people with cancer.
Walk the Walk has made grants in Scotland to Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres in Glasgow, Larbert and Airdrie, for Scalp Cooling machines in hospitals throughout Scotland and to the Breast Cancer Institute in Edinburgh (renovation of Ward 6, a new theatre and renovation of the Mammography Unit).
The theme for this year’s event is ‘Mad Hatter’s Midnight Tea Party’ and four walking distances are available: New Moon (6.55 miles), Half Moon (13.1 miles), Full Moon (26.2 miles) and Over The Moon (52.4 miles).
For more information and for entry fees go to www.walkthewalk.org/
Pictured: (L-R) Paths for All’s Frances Bain, Health Minister Shona Robison MSP, Sally Orr from Walk the Walk and Young Scot’s Ashton Vickers .
Macmillan Cancer Support is appealing for brave volunteers to abseil from the Forth Rail Bridge on Sunday 7 June.
The cancer charity is one of the lead charities for the Forth Rail Bridge abseil, which is organised by the Rotary Club of South Queensferry. Participants will have the chance to abseil 165ft SAS style (i.e. freefall) from the Forth Rail Bridge onto the beach below.
Fundraising Manager for Edinburgh, Jayne Forbes, said “The Forth Rail Bridge challenge is a real adrenaline rush for the daring and the ultimate challenge for the rest of us! No previous experience is necessary and it’s suitable for everyone over the age of fourteen. All of the funds raised for Macmillan from the event will support our vital services for people affected by cancer. We help people in many ways, from specialist nurses and doctors, to help and advice for people who have financial worries as a result of their cancer diagnosis. So why not sign up today and help us ensure no one in Edinburgh faces cancer alone?”
The registration fee for the event is £25 and participants pledge to raise a further £125. To sign up, contact Macmillan on 0300 1000 200 or email fundraising@macmillan.org.uk
Edinburgh Young Carers Project receives £2,000 from STV Appeal 2014.
Edinburgh Young Carers Project (EYCP) was established in 1994 and is the main provider of services to assist young carers to cope with the stress and complexities of their family situation. The project aims to increase awareness of young carers and ensure they get support through EYCP, schools or in their local communities.
EYCP supports around 150 young carers annually between the ages of five and 20. The project aims to improve the quality of life of a young carer through helping them maintain a balance between the responsibilities of being a carer and their own needs for time and space for their own personal development through their childhood and adolescence.
The STV Appeal is committed to making a difference in the lives of children and young people living in poverty in Scotland. Across the country, 220,000 children live in poverty and figures from the Campaign to End Child Poverty show that in Edinburgh it’s actually 21.1% of children – more than one in five. Edinburgh Young Carers is one of the projects the STV Appeal is supporting in Edinburgh.
Margaret Murphy, CEO of Edinburgh Young Carers, said: “Young carers often give up a lot through taking on roles and responsibilities caring for a family member and we seek to provide them with understanding, time off and a chance to be the children they are to develop their social skills and to have fun.
“The generous donation from the STV Appeal will be used to support the 1:1 work EYCP provides for young carers who have difficult caring situations, or who are experiencing a particularly difficult period in their lives. We have found that providing this individual support makes a big difference in helping them to cope.”
Since launch in 2011, the STV Appeal has raised over £8.2 million with 297 big and small grants distributed to projects across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, providing much needed support to over 37,000 children. The money raised is distributed to provide practical help like food and warm clothes; create opportunities for training and employability; and enable social and emotional support for those who need it most.
Rob Woodward, STV CEO and trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The money donated to the STV Appeal remains in Scotland and will help bring about a positive change to the lives of vulnerable children and young people on our doorstep. With the help of the extraordinary fundraising efforts taking place in communities across the country we have raised an incredible £2.6m in 2014 allowing us to make grants to 297 projects. We are extremely grateful to everyone who supported this year’s Appeal.”
The STV Appeal 2015 is now well underway with an exciting line-up of fundraising activities planned for the year ahead.
