charity – Page 77 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Happy birthday CAB!

Local MP praises work of Citizen Advice service

Mark Lazarowicz MP has pledged his support for Citizen’s Advice’s new campaign at a reception held to celebrate the charity’s 75th birthday. The Advice for the Future campaign aims to highlight the importance of free, impartial advice and get 100,000 people pledging their support.

Citizens Advice has launched the campaign as rising household bills, changes to the welfare system and a troubled jobs market mean that for many life is getting increasingly complicated. This means it’s even more important that people can access free, relevant and impartial advice to help make complex decisions.

Citizens Advice Scotland, the Scottish counterpart to Citizens Advice, opened its first bureau in September 1939 and so will also be celebrating its 75th anniversary later this year.

The North and Leith MP said: “I know from my work as a constituency MP just how valuable the service provided by Citizens Advice is to constituents: free, independent, impartial and trusted.

“The major changes to the benefit system introduced by this Government, sharply rising energy bills and the difficulty that many households have in just keeping their heads above water have left many more people turning to Citizens Advice for help.

“It has also used its first hand experience in dealing with the practical problems people face to contribute positively to debate on public policy which is why I and other Opposition MPs fought so hard against the restrictions that the Lobbying Act would have placed on charities.

“Largely run by volunteers though publicly funded, it supports the vulnerable and indeed anyone who needs advice: our society would struggle to cope without it.”

Citizens Advice celebrates its 75th anniversary this year:

• In 2013/14 the charity helped 2 million people to solve 5.5 million problems
• In 2012/13, 22,000 volunteers donated nearly 7 million hours to the service
• This amounts to a contribution of £109 million worth of volunteering hours.

SSPCA plea: don’t leave dogs in hot cars

Dogs die in hot cars warning

The Scottish SPCA is urging pet owners not to leave their dogs in hot cars this summer, warning that last year a man in Scotland was convicted for doing so.

Concerned members of the public have already been contacting the
charity’s animal helpline after seeing distressed dogs left inside warm
vehicles.

The Scottish SPCA is keen to remind the public that they may be risking their dog’s life by leaving it in a hot car for even a short period of time.

Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said, “Most people know what it’s like to get into a car after it’s been sitting in the sun. It’s unbearable and we immediately roll down the windows or turn on the air conditioning.

“Imagine being trapped inside a hot vehicle wearing a fur coat for minutes, possibly hours, and you are some way to understanding how a dog left inside a hot vehicle feels.

“Many people might not realise that even on warm, cloudy days, cars can
effectively turn into ovens and dogs can overheat in minutes. Leaving a window open or providing water is simply not good enough – dogs can’t sweat the way humans do and need to pant to cool down which can lead to severe dehydration and hyperventilation.

“We run our ‘dogs die in hot cars’ campaign every year but we continue
to receive a large numbers of calls from concerned members of the public
each summer and we fear some owners don’t fully appreciate the danger
they are putting their pets in.

“Causing an animal unnecessary suffering is an offence and last year a
54 year old man from Glasgow was convicted after leaving his two dogs
inside a hot vehicle in the height of summer. He was banned from keeping animals for ten years and his two jack russells were not returned to his care as a result.

“Thankfully these dogs made a full recovery after receiving emergency
treatment for heat stress but they could have died had we not
intervened. “We hope this case serves as a warning to other owners who may be tempted to leave their dogs in their vehicle on a warm day.

“Our advice is to leave dogs at home as it is simply not worth the risk.”

Scottish SPCA posters highlighting the dangers of leaving dogs in hot
cars are available to be displayed in local communities. To request copies please phone the charity’s Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999 and
select option 5.

Alternatively, email editor@scottishspca.org, providing the address you
wish your posters to be sent to and the number you wish to receive.

Events students go bananas to raise charity cash!

Edinburgh College students have raised a whopping £5,000 for charity by organising a series of enterprising events, including a tropical-themed party.

As part of their coursework, the group of events students put their heads together and organised an imaginative programme of events to raise thousands of pounds for the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) and children’s charity When You Wish Upon A Star. As well as raising money, the projects gave them practical experience in managing real-life events.

HNC Events Management student Sonia Gruszczynska was part of the Tropical Escape team that organised the party, transporting guests to a tropical paradise in the city with the help of fruit headpieces, a full reggae and ska band, limbo competitions and Hawaiian hula dancing!

Sonia said: “It was fantastic to use our practical experience as events students to raise money for these worthwhile charities. You learn so much more about the practicalities of organising events when working on large-scale fundraisers such as this.

“The night before our event, the venue we had booked cancelled on us due to technical problems. Despite this massive dilemma, we found another venue within 24 hours and managed to tell our guests in time. The night was a success and, despite the enormous difficulties faced with the venue cancellation, we managed to pull off a great party and raised a lot of money for charity.”

Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer Lee Williams said: “We’re extremely grateful to the students from Edinburgh College’s HND Events Management course, who have decided to donate this money to us.

“As we rely solely on the generosity of the public to help us care for abused, abandoned and neglected animals each year, we’re very appreciative of every donation we receive. This was a fantastic gesture and we’d like to offer our sincere thanks to the students for choosing to donate half of the funds raised to the Scottish SPCA.”

Stephanie Donaghey, the Scotland regional fundraiser for When You Wish Upon A Star, said: “All of the events we attended were really well organised and it was great to be able to communicate our purpose as a charity to such a wide and diverse audience. The significant donation from the college will enable us to grant more special wishes to children in Scotland with life threatening illnesses. We were extremely grateful for the opportunity.”

Edinburgh College events lecturer Caroline Patterson said: “We believe it’s crucial to give our students first-hand experience in organising and managing their own events. The events industry in Scotland is expanding and is incredibly fast paced, so in order to give our students the competitive edge when they graduate we know it’s important to make sure they have this valuable experience under their belts. We’re very proud of them all for raising so much money for charity and we have every faith that they will succeed in the future.”

As well as the tropical-themed party, the HNC Events Management students organised a host of events including a tapas bar crawl, a 90s-themed night, an art exhibition, the Wee Gig Night, a masquerade ball, a prohibition-themed night, a country hoedown, a ceilidh, a scavenger hunt and a late-night screening of the Rocky Horror Show. Over the last five years, the HNC Events Management students have raised more than £16,000 for a variety of different charities.

Sainsburys cheque for Maggies Centre

As voting for our new charity partner begins (see earlier [post), we now hand over the final cheque for our outgoing local charity partner.

Customers and colleagues at Sainsburys Blackhall have raised a fantastic £9,050 for the Maggie’s Centre at the Western General over the last year!

Thank you to all our customers for their support.

Gail, Sainsburys Blackhall.

CY4You: New service for vulnerable young people launched

CY4You, a one-to-one support service to help vulnerable young people, has been officially launched by the specialist relationships and sexual health charity Caledonia Youth.

Stacey Burns and Rachael Mulhern, two young women who have benefitted from Caledonia Youth services, helped launch the initiative and were joined by Kezia Dugdale MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and the Caledonia Youth team for the CY4You launch at the charity’s city centre facility at Castle Terrace.

Representatives from education, social workers, the voluntary sector and funders heard Rachael (18) and Stacey (24) describe their experiences and explain how they were supported by the Caledonia Youth one to one service.

Rachael had suffered from serious confidence issues at a transitional stage leading up to her leaving school and moving into employment, and Stacey had experienced relationship difficulties, stemming from a brain tumour when she was just five. The service helped them cope with these problems.

“We are delighted that Rachael and Stacey shared their own stories to help us launch our innovative CY4You initiative, along with Kezia Dugdale MSP who has been most supportive of our services,” said Caledonia Youth Chief Executive Hawys Kilday.

“CY4You is a fundamental part of our overall strategy to ramp up the provision of preventative services in Scotland. It builds upon years of experience delivering specialist one to one support and counselling services, which have benefited hundreds of vulnerable young people.

“It supports them by providing sessions tailored to suit each individual’s personal circumstances. We focus on a young person’s ability to cope with the transition into adulthood, aiming to improve resilience, reduce risk taking behaviour and enhance personal and family relationships. We also support those at risk of sexual ill health, sexual abuse and exploitation.

“We are most grateful to our funding partners, the R S Macdonald Charitable Trust, the Volant Charitable Trust and Ponton House Trust, whose support lets us deliver CY4You in the Edinburgh and Lothian region. Moving forward, we will be actively seeking further backing to help us extend as a centre of excellence and widen the reach of this unique service across Scotland.”

Kezia Dugdale MSP said: “Caledonia Youth has a strong track record in being dedicated advocates for young people, and I am delighted to see the launch of this innovative one-to-one service.

“Caledonia Youth excels at providing specific sexual health services for young people, something which I firmly believe should be supported. Young people need dedicated services, with people trained to deal with the needs of a young person, be it medical or emotional.”

The CY4You service, which complements statutory Relationships, Sexual Health & Parenthood Education (RSHPE) by providing much needed and more intensive individual support, begins with the preparation of an individualised plan and bespoke materials following a discussion based needs assessment, when learning outcomes are also agreed.
Young people are given the opportunity to attend up to 10-one hour sessions with an assigned member of the CY4You team. Information is only shared with the young person’s consent unless it is deemed a Child Protection or Vulnerable Adult issue when the relevant individuals are informed.

Young people must be under 25 and, at present, resident in Edinburgh and the Lothians when CY4You sessions begin. One hour sessions are delivered at Caledonia Youth’s Edinburgh facility at 5 Castle Terrace, unless otherwise agreed.

For more information on how to refer to the service contact the CY4You team on 0131 229 1402

email: cy4you@caledoniayouth.org

or online at www.caledoniayouth.org

Communities: find time for a Big Lunch!

People across Edinburgh sat down with neighbours and residents in their communities for the sixth annual Big Lunch yesterday. They joined an estimated 4 million people across the whole of the UK as The Big Lunch seems set to establish itself in the nation’s annual calendar on the first Sunday every June.

The Big Lunch, which is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and led by the Eden Project, encourages people across the UK to have lunch with their neighbours once a year, for a few hours of community, friendship and fun. The simple act of chatting to neighbours can make a real difference in communities and can help tackle isolation, say organisers behind the initiative.

One of the Edinburgh Big Lunches took place on Summerside Place where around fifty neighbours got together over a bite to eat at their first ever Big Lunch street party.

Lou Kiddier, one of the organisers said: “Our street was really excited in the build-up to today, being our first ever Big Lunch. We took over Summerside Place for the day and enjoyed a day filled with fun, food and blether with everyone – it was a great chance to catch up with neighbours that we don’t always have time to in our busy day-to-day lives.

“I would definitely recommend others getting involved next year – whether your Big Lunch is for 5 or 5,000 it is the perfect excuse to get together with the local community. We can’t wait for next year and make it a regular event for our street!”

Other lunches taking place across the city included a street party in Gorgie and the second Big Lunch at the Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre.

Robert Scott, manager at the Centre and one of the organisers of their Big Lunch said: “We started holding Big Lunches last year as a way to get to know our neighbours better and welcome people into the Centre.

“It was another fantastic day for the community and for the Centre this year and it was great to see everyone just coming together and getting to know each other or catching up with old friends. Gathering people together can have so many benefits, from chatting to neighbours people have not met before to helping people come out of their comfort zones and try something new, especially for those who may be living on their own, or who are socially isolated.”

Emily Watts, Communications Manager at The Big Lunch in Scotland, said: “Year after year, I never fail to be impressed by the sheer number of people who get involved and take the time to hold a Big Lunch in their community.

“The Big Lunch is always a great success and the perfect excuse for people to get together. While on the surface, it’s a day of laughter, friendship and fun, if you look deeper than that, these get-togethers are having an enormously positive impact on communities. Big things come from Big Lunches and what they each have in common is they all start in the same way – with small talk.

“After six years, it’s amazing to see so many people taking our simple idea and really making it work wonders for their communities. We’ve heard so many inspiring stories already and know they’ll be plenty more to come. Roll on The Big Lunch 2015…”

Inspired by this Sunday’s Big Lunch celebrations? There’s still chance to take part as you can organise a Big Lunch on a date to suit your community. Free packs including posters, invitations, an inspiration booklet and other resources to help organise your Big Lunch are available from www.thebiglunch.com until the end of June 2014.

Tree-mendous Circle send-off for Mae and Bob

Two local workers retired last week after thirty years service with the West Pilton-based charity Circle. The popular pair won’t be forgotten, however – Mae and Bob have had trees named after them at Circle’s head office!

Mae Duncan and Bob Griffiths have supported children and young people in the North Edinburgh area for over 30 years and were joined by colleagues, friends and family at a retirement party organised by Circle in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

Mae, 65, was brought up in West Pilton and now lives in Salvesen, while Bob has lived in the area for 40 years and still lives in Greater Pilton.

Mae attended Pennywell Primary School and then Ainslie Park High School, where she took a course in Commercial Studies. She later studied Child Care at Stevenson College and the Greater Pilton Child Care Centre.

Bob went to Craigentinny Primary School and later to Norton Park Secondary School, which he left at the age of 15 with no qualifications. Like Mae, he studied Child Care at the Greater Pilton Child Care Centre.

The pair ran two projects at Circle. The first was the Inter School Social Education Project (ISSEP), where 5th and 6th year students from Edinburgh secondary schools mentored primary-aged children from North Edinburgh.

The second was the Under Fives, where Mae and Bob worked with children in the Pilton area for 2 – 5 mornings per week and helped parents to understand the importance of boundaries and play in their child’s development.

Reflecting on her time at Circle, Mae said: “I have always thoroughly enjoyed my time with Circle and will always be grateful for the help and support I received whilst doing my child care training.”

Their work at Circle has made a huge impact on the local community, as they have supported many children and parents over the past 30 years. Liz Dahl, Circle’s Chief Executive (pictured above), praised their contribution:

“I would like to take this opportunity to wish Mae and Bob well in their retirement and thank them for the over 60 years of combined service they have given to the organisation. They will be hugely missed by everyone at Circle and especially by the generation of families they have worked with over the years.”

When asked about their favourite memory from their time at Circle, both Bob and Mae said that they have far too many good memories to simply choose one!

Mae and Bob are now looking forward to pursuing their hobbies during their retirement. Mae will read, do crafts and spend more time with her family, while Bob is interested in computers and other gadgets, and will have more time to “potter about with them.” Both may also go on to try new things.

Bob and Mae planted young trees named in their honour at Circle’s HQ in West Pilton Park before they left, and hopefully the wee trees – like their ‘more mature’ namesakes – will be branching out sometime soon!

Best wishes, Mae and Bob – and to little Bob and Mae too!

Sainsbury’s: search is on for local charity

Sainsbury’s Blackhall are calling on customers to cast their votes and help a registered local charity receive a year’s worth of fundraising and awareness support. From Wednesday 28 May, customers will be able to vote for their favourite local charity either in store or by visiting www.sainsburys.co.uk/localcharity.

The retailer’s Local Charity scheme is now in its sixth year and gives customers the chance to vote for their favourite local charity to be considered to receive a year’s worth of support from their nearby Sainsbury’s store.

This year’s voting ends on Sunday 8 June. After voting closes, a shortlist of nominations will be drawn up and the stores’ colleagues will then invite the three charities that they feel best fit the needs of the community into store to talk about how Sainsbury’s can support them. The chosen charity will be selected based on the reasons given and the store will announce their chosen charity in July.

Local charities that have benefitted from the scheme in previous years at Sainsbury’s Blackhall include The Guide Dogs for the Blind which was Blackhall store’s Local Charity partner between July 2011 and May 2012 and still collect for them. Over £20,000 was raised from the partnership, which helped towards sponsoring 4 guide dog puppies. Meanwhile, the store’s Local Charity partner last year was Maggie’s Centre and the partnership helped to raise over £8,000 and raise awareness of the centre.

Sainsbury’s Blackhall Store Manager George Paton said: “We’re looking forward to supporting a local charity which touches many of our customer and colleagues’ hearts. The scheme gives us the chance to make a real difference to important causes in the community and we hope our customers get behind this year’s voting stage and nominate their favourite local charity from 28 May”.

Paws for applause: PDSA awarded £500,000

Inverleith Park was alive with animal-loving celebs yesterday. Why? The local park is very popular with dog-walkers so it was the ideal place to announce some great news for our four-legged friends. Thousands of pets now face a brighter future as PDSA has just been awarded £500,000 from players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

The cash boost will be used by the charity’s vets and nurses to extend vital treatment and education programmes across the UK.

Last year alone, over 470,000 pet owners turned to PDSA for help to care for their pets – a figure that has risen by more than 50% in recent years. Annually, it costs over £60 million to run PDSA’s charitable service – all of which is funded entirely by public support and reinforces the fact that the UK is a nation of animal lovers.

PDSA Director General, Jan McLoughlin, said: “We’re delighted to receive this support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery which will make a massive difference to pets’ lives.

“Through our network of 50 pet hospitals and our education work in schools and in communities we’re able to touch the lives of more pets than any other UK animal charity.

“Every single day our amazing team of vets and nurses work flat out to deliver not just life saving treatment but also vital advice and preventive care that gives all pets the chance of healthy, happy lives.”

The funding, made possible by players of People’s Postcode Lottery will be used by PDSA to help support thousands of pets nationwide through education, prevention and treatment.

The charity was joined at yesterday’s cheque presentation – which thankfully took place before the thunder and lightning! – by a number of animal-loving celebrities including members of Britain’s Olympic silver-medal winning Curling squad, skippered by David Murdoch, and People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador, singer Danyl Johnson, at Inverleith.

David Murdoch, Scottish curler and animal lover, said: “As the proud owner of a dog myself I know only too well the joy pets can bring to our lives. I think PDSA is an amazing charity and this funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery will safeguard the lives of thousands of adored pets.”

Singer Danyl Johnson, who owns a spaniel called Darcie, said he was delighted for PDSA. He said: “I have first-hand experience of PDSA’s lifesaving work having visited one of their hospitals last year. The vets and nurses really are unsung heroes, helping all those sick and injured pets that have nowhere else to turn. I’m thrilled that this money is going to such a worthy cause.”

Hazel Johnstone, Trusts Manager at People’s Postcode Lottery added: “People’s Postcode Lottery is a charity lottery raising funds for, and increasing awareness of, charities and good causes. Pets are a huge part of people’s lives and PDSA’s work is a lifeline to hundreds of thousands of pets and their owners in the city and communities nationwide.

“We are delighted that our players are able to provide this support to PDSA, the UK’s leading veterinary charity, to help its vital work.”

Step out for Fresh Start

Take strides for homelessness in Fresh Start charity fundraiser

Brush off your walking boots and take strides to raise money to help people who have been homeless in Edinburgh settle into their new homes.

Fresh Start, the Ferry Road Drive-based charity supporting people to make a home their own after a period of homelessness, is holding its annual sponsored walk on May 30.

The charity hopes to raise more than last year’s total – £7,200 – when its band of fundraisers walk eight miles through some of the most picturesque parts of Edinburgh.

And there is still time to dust off your walking boots and sign up to take part in the fundraiser.

The walk will start from the Jubilee Gardens in Stockbridge at 10am and finish at the charity’s base at Harrison Place where lunch will be served for the hungry walkers. On the way, participants will take in the sights of the Water of Leith, Union Canal and Harrison Park.

Keith Robertson, Fresh Start’s Managing Director, said: “Each year we manage to smash our previous years fundraising target and we hope that 2014’s sponsored walk will be no different. You don’t need to be an expert walker and you can take your time on what will hopefully be a lovely sunny day.”

He added: “All the money raised will help us to continue our vital work in supporting families and individuals who have been homeless to make their new house into a home.”

Fresh Start supports people in their new homes after a period of homelessness. The charity provides goods through its Starter Packs, which include basics to survive (bedding, curtains, crockery, etc). and practical support through its ‘Hit Squad’ service, where volunteers help people to decorate their new houses, tackling vulnerability and isolation.

Most recently, Fresh Start opened the doors to its ‘Food Station’ which is tackling health inequalities by giving access to refurbished cookers, running cooking classes, and distributing food packs and budgeting advice.

To register for the walk, call Fresh Start on 0131 476 7741 or email reception@freshstartweb.co.uk