Tag: charity

Bank interest in North Edinburgh News

rbs2

The NEN has received a cheque for £500 from The Royal Bank of Scotland. The banks’s charity committee agreed to support an application by  NEN board member Eddie Thorn.

Kevin Havelock, Regional Director for Corporate and Institutional Banking at Royal Bank of Scotland, explained: “Following the difficulties that RBS experienced in recent years we are looking to reconnect with the communities that we all live and work in.”

He went on: “We are very fortunate at RBS to have many staff who have been with us for twenty, twenty-five even thirty years and many of them are active in their communities. We established a system of grants to support local charities and community initiatives nominated by our staff.

“The Edinburgh Community Partnership Board has representation from every division of the bank – there are eleven people in all on the committee, each with an equal vote. We were delighted both with the volume and the great variety of nominations that came in, and we agreed our first round of grants in October. We are supporting a very broad spectrum of good causes, from supplying sports equipment to groups to helping local health charities.”

Royal Bank of Scotland will donate £100,000 in a rolling programme in the East of Scotland, and one of the first forty grateful recipients is North Edinburgh News.

North Edinburgh News treasurer Eddie Thorn said: “The Royal Bank of Scotland is to be commended for their wide contribution to local communities. It is particularly pleasing that they recognised all that the NEN strives to achieve, and we are very grateful for the bank’s generous support – it’s much appreciated.”

Kevin added: “We will be offering practical and sometimes even physical support, too – we want the charity to get more from the bank than just a cheque. Working with and providing support to the charity is a natural progression.”

NEN’s Eddie Thorn and RBS’ Kevin Havelock are pictured outside the NEN’s base at Edinburgh College Granton Campus.

 

Oceans of support for Canine Partners

An Information Day held at Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre on Saturday 10 November has raised £171.33 for Canine Partners, a charity that provides specially trained assistance dogs to people with physical disabilities.

Visitors to the shopping centre visited a Canine Partners stand where they could pick up information and take part in a raffle. Staffing the stand were Canine Partners staff, puppies in training and people with disabilities who have a canine partner.

One of those present was Sally Hyder from Edinburgh, Olympic torch bearer and author of best-selling book Finding Harmony, which describes her life before and after she received her canine partner Harmony.

Sally was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1990 but has continually strived to be an active mother to her three children, despite being in continual pain.  She said: “Thanks to Harmony I get out every day and have made new friends amongst the dog-walking community. I do my own washing and shopping.  Harmony has now learnt to put things in the washing machine rather than purely taking them out.   I have the energy to do things.  I drop things I don’t have to ask a stranger or my family to pick up after me. She even goes for help if I happen to fall out of my wheelchair.”

Dale Gormley, Canine Partners community fundraiser for Scotland, said: “Thank you to Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre for letting us have a stand and to all those who visited us.  We are striving to spread the word as much as possible about how our dogs can change the lives of people with disabilities in Scotland.  We rely heavily on volunteers and fundraisers, so if you think you can help us out do please get in touch.”

If you feel you can help Canine Partners in Scotland through fundraising, volunteering, taking on your own challenge, saving your used stamps and much more please call 0845 4811915 or visit www.caninepartners.org.uk.

Invite to bfriends at Prentice Centre!

Paul Burke writes:
“As the Project Development Worker  for CHILDREN 1ST bfriends service in North  and West Edinburgh, I would like to invite you along to an Open day on Friday 12 October from 12 – 2pm at our base in The Prentice Centre at 1 Granton Mains Avenue.
In April 2012, CHILDREN  1ST re-opened its bfriends base in North Edinburgh and we feel this will  be a nice opportunity to meet with local agencies and let everyone know  more about our service, volunteers and the young people we work  with. Please try to pop along any time between 12-2pm – as we are meeting over lunch time, we will provide a  small buffet so you won’t miss out on lunch!”
If you plan to attend you can contact Paul at paul.burke@children1st.org.uk or telephone 552 8265. 

Port of Leith to support Macmillan coffee mornings

 

Two Leith sheltered housing complexes are taking part in Macmillan Cancer Support’s ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ initiative this week.  The Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) developments at St Nicholas Court on Ferry Road and Hermitage Court on Academy Park will host events for their residents as well as anyone who wants to drop by.

Hermitage Court will hold a light lunch with sandwiches and cakes and raffle tomorrow (Wednesday September 26) from 12pm to 2pm, and  St Nicholas Court is hosting a ‘soup and sweet party’ on Friday (Sept 28) from 12pm to 2pm with a raffle and home baking.

Maureen Tait, Senior Sheltered Housing Coordinator for PoLHA who manages St Nicholas Court, said:  “As Autumn has well and truly hit us, we hope this is a good opportunity for people to pop along to our developments and get a warming cup of tea or soup and to enjoy a chat while raising some money for this important cause.”

Hermitage Court will be taking donations and St Nicholas Court will charge £3 for people to join in the fun. Last year, the developments raised £500 for Macmillan and are hopeful for another successful fundraising drive.

Raise a cup of Fairtrade for Macmillan this month

Equal Exchange women farmers
Macmillan in Edinburgh are delighted to be supported by Equal Exchange, Scotland’s oldest and largest Fairtrade Coffee Co-op. The companies Edinburgh based café partners , including a number of Edinburgh’s Community Cafes,  will take part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning event to raise funds on 28 September, helping to reach the national £11 million target.

Heather Baird said: “Macmillan Cancer Support is a fantastic charity and Equal Exchange are delighted to help raise funds from Fairtrade Coffee Mornings across Scotland this September. Cancer affects women worldwide and has touched many of the lives of the farmers we work with. “

All the women who we source our Coffee Grown By Women from are paid a fair price and extra women’s premium for their coffee. This year one of the farmer co-operative Soppexcca in Nicaragua spent their premium on cervical screening for its women members. Norma Gaeda Paiva was one of the woman farmers who set up this project and on her recent trip to the UK said “We want to give value and visibility to the important work that women farmers do and that has been traditionally ignored” Selling her coffee direct to Equal Exchange ensures cancer care like this exists in her community.

Macmillan’s Fundraising Manager, Jayne Forbes, added: “We are very grateful to Equal Exchange for pledging such significant support to us through participation in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. Every penny raised will help fund more services for people affected by cancer in Edinburgh. Their involvement means there will be enough practical, medical, financial and emotional support to help to change the lives of everyone affected by cancer for the better.

“The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is a really fun event that is really easy to take part in, especially as you can tailor it to suit yourself. Look out for the green coffee grown by women farmer’s stickers in cafes and shops across Scotland to show your support. If you were unable to hold it on September 28 just pick another day, if you’re not keen on coffee and would rather have cocktails or even herbal tea then that’s fine as well. All that matters is that you take part. So put a smile on your mug and help Macmillan reach more people affected by cancer in your area.”

To register to host a coffee morning visit: www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee or call 0845 070 1315 or to join Equal Exchange’s pledge to support more women farmers in Fairtrade visit www.equalexchange.co.uk

 

 

The search is on for Scotland’s First Aid champions

Do you know an inspiring First Aid champion who deserves the recognition of a Scottish First Aid Award? They could be a First Aid volunteer, a child, or an adult who has displayed remarkable courage. Or perhaps you know a quick thinking neighbour or colleague who has saved someone’s life with their First Aid skills? We want to hear about them!

St Andrew’s First Aid is calling for nominations for the inaugural Scottish First Aid Awards.  Nominations are open until Friday 28 September 2012 and a panel of judges will announce the shortlist in October 2012.  Successful entries will be invited to a prestigious black tie awards event to be held on Thursday 29 November 2012, at the City Chambers, Glasgow.

“The Scottish First Aid Awards have been created to champion First Aid in Scotland and recognise those individuals and businesses that are leading the way in its provision,” said Stuart Callison, CEO at St Andrew’s First Aid. “We would like to encourage everyone to get involved. The awards are open to all, regardless of whether you have received First Aid training with St Andrew’s First Aid or another provider and we are welcoming nominations from individuals, businesses, public sector organisations, shops, schools and many more.”

Entry to any of the awards categories is free and nominations can be made online at www.firstaid.org.uk/awards.

CATEGORY 1: The Workplace First Aid Award Do you know someone in your workplace that deserves recognition for their First Aid Skills?  This category has been created to recognise such individuals or organisations that are championing First Aid training to their staff, the public and their customers.

  • Public/Not for Profit Sector Award
  • Private Sector Award

CATEGORY 2: First Aid Volunteer Awards Volunteers are the lifeblood of a non-profit organisation.  The Volunteer Awards category has been created to celebrate courageous volunteers who have demonstrated an excellent use of their First Aid skills in Scotland.

  • Young First Aid Volunteer of the Year (up to 15 years of age)
  • Youth First Aid Volunteer of the Year (16-24 years)
  • First Aid Volunteer of the Year (25 years and over)

CATEGORY 3: The Herald Community First Aid Award This category has been created to recognise courageous individuals, valiant First Aid advocates and those who have excelled in using their First Aid skills in the Community.  We are seeking nominations from anyone, anywhere in recognition of a particularly inspirational First Aid achievement.

  • Young First Aid Champion (up to and including 15 years of age)
  • Community First Aid Champion (16 years and over)

For further information please contact Helen Forrest or Stephanie Stewart on 0141 332 4031

Helen.forrest@firstaid.org.uk or Stephanie.stewart@firstaid.org.uk

St Andrew’s First Aid

STV Appeal raises almost £2 million to tackle child poverty in Scotland

The STV Appeal 2012 has raised an incredible £1,913,080 for children living in poverty in Scotland – and the donations are still flooding in.  That’s £956,540 from fundraising and donations, which was then doubled by the Scottish government, with Alex Salmond confirming the match funding live on STV last night.

The STV Appeal 2012: The Big Live Show, hosted by Lorraine Kelly, showcased the fantastic efforts from fundraisers across the country, including some of the nation’s most famous folk.  From Sean Batty and Jock the Dog’s cycle ride and agility competition, to Fred McAulay walking the West Highland Way, there have been some brilliant challenges in the name of the Appeal this year.

People across the country have taken part in tea parties, bake sales, sponsored walks and a host of weird and wonderful events. Everyone should be extremely proud as the total raised will help change the lives of many children, desperately in need of care.

Paul Brannigan, star of The Angels’ Share, joined Lorraine on the sofa to explain how his life was transformed thanks to youth charity Sidekicks and the time and effort put in by dedicated staff.

From moving video films of young people living in challenging circumstances, to fantastic performance from Amy MacDonald and Michelle McManus and Manran, it truly was a special night and the generosity of viewers will go on to change the lives of many children in Scotland, for the better.

Film screening to support WaterAid charity

A recently-established Edinburgh group is to hold a special one-off screening of ‘Even the Rain’ (Tambien la Iluvia) to raise money for the international development charity WaterAid – and the film’s award-winning screenwriter Paul Laverty will host a question and answer session following the screening.

The screening will take place on Thursday 27 September at 7.30pm at SYHA Edinburgh Central, on Haddington Place, Leith Walk, and is the group’s first fundraising event for WaterAid, the charity which enables some of the world’s poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

Even the Rain is a 2010 Spanish drama about Mexican director Sebastián (Gael García Bernal) and executive producer Costa (Luis Tosar) who travel to Bolivia to shoot a film depicting Christopher Columbus’s conquest. Sebastián and Costa unexpectedly land themselves in a moral crisis when they and their crew arrive at Cochabamba, Bolivia, during the intensifying 2000 Cochabamba protests, which their key native actor Daniel (Juan Carlos Aduviri) persistently leads. The film was directed by Icíar Bollaín, based on a screenplay by Paul Laverty.

The film’s central  theme of the fundamental right to access safe and clean water, is also one of the principal aims of WaterAid.  Angela Lafferty, a member of WaterAid’s Edinburgh local group and one of the event organisers, said: “For me, this event is not only about raising money but about reminding us all that we need water to live. We all use so much of it in our daily lives but many of us never think about where it comes from, who controls and manages it and how much it costs. One in eight of the world’s population are not as lucky as we are in Scotland, but we can change that!”

In the developing world, diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor sanitation and unclean water kill 4000 children every day – more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.  Just £15 can enable one person to access a lasting supply safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Funds raised at this special screening will enable WaterAid to transform the lives of some of the world’s poorest people throughout Africa, Asia and the Pacific Region. Tickets are £10 (including a glass of wine) and should be booked online at: www.eventelephant.com/eventherain

Watch the birdies! SELEX golfers raise £5000 for Woodlands

SELEX Galileo Edinburgh Charity Golf Committee Raises over £5000

Last week the SELEX Galileo Edinburgh Charity Golf Committee was proud to present Woodlands School with a cheque for £5000. School pupils Findlay Gillespie and Ann Marie Mooney and Head Teacher Aisling Boyle thanked the committee for the funds which will be used to build an all-weather play area for the children.

Also present was the winner of the Golf Championship, Kenneth Wilson of Walker Precision Engineering and committee members Richard Gillies, Robert Creegan, John McHugh, David Kelly and Marie Cooper.

SELEX Galileo