A total of £84 million has been paid to families since it was introduced less than 18 months ago.
The payment of £20 per week, unique to Scotland in the UK, began in February 2021 as a direct measure to tackle child poverty. It provides regular, additional financial support to parents and carers to help with the costs of caring for a child.
As of 30 June 2022, it is estimated that 104,000 children were actively in receipt of Scottish Child Payment and 1.4 million payments have now been made.
By the end of this year the payment will increase to £25 per week and extend to include all eligible children under the age of 16 when it is expected that over 400,000 children will potentially be eligible.
Responding to the latest official statistics on Scottish Child Payment published today Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “We are taking a number of urgent actions to address the current cost crisis.
“This includes efforts to maximise financial support to those most in need so that they get all the money they are entitled to. The ongoing work to extend eligibility for and increase the value of the Scottish Child Payment is a vital part of these efforts.
“We created our game changing Scottish Child Payment to provide direct financial support to tackle child poverty. Every penny of support is absolutely vital at the moment, which is why we are using our devolved powers and resources to make a difference for as many households as we can.
“We doubled the payment to £20 in April and will increase it to £25 when we extend it to under 16s by the end of the year – a 150% rise in this important benefit which is one of five family benefits we are now delivering.
“The Scottish Government want to support families during these difficult times.”
Scottish Child Payment is part of a wider package of five family payments including: Best Start Grant Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment, Best Start Grant School Age Payment and Best Start Foods
STARBANK PARK VOTED ONE OF SCOTLAND’s LOCAL FAVOURITES
Earlier this summer you nominated 364 local parks and green spaces for UK’s Favourite Parks. You then voted in your tens of thousands, demonstrating the immense love that we all have for our local parks, and Fields in Trust is delighted to announce that the UK’s Favourite Park 2022 is Penrhos Coastal Park in Holyhead, Wales.
Over 30,000 votes were cast for parks across the UK which represented the wide diversity of green spaces we all use and enjoy, from large country parks to major city parks to small neighbourhood pockets of green. Penrhos Coastal Park emerged as the overall UK winner having attracted the most votes from the public.
Across the Home Nations, Blackpool’s art deco Stanley Park has been named England’s Favourite Park 2022, attaining prestigious ‘National Treasure’ status having now been named as the public’s favourite park in England three times.
In Scotland the national title went to Seaton Park in Aberdeen, whilst Craigavon City Park in County Armagh took the title in Northern Ireland, the second time it has scooped its national accolade.
Fields in Trust are also delighted to announce the parks to have achieved ‘Local Favourite’ status, having placed in the top 20% of the public vote, demonstrating the love that their local communities have for them.
The full list of local favourite recipients can be found here and each will receive a special certificate to denote its success.
Edinburgh’s STARBANK PARK features proudly on the list of Scotland’s Local Favourite parks. Also commended are Aden Country Park in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire; Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline; Wilton Lodge Park in Hawick and Grangemouth’s Zetland Park.
This is the first time that the overall winner of UK’s Favourite Parks has emerged from Wales, with Cyfarthfa Park in Merthyr Tydfil, Roath Park in Cardiff and Pontypool Park in Torfaen having taken the national title in recent years but not the overall honours.
Attracting close to 100,000 visitors each year, Penrhos Coastal Park is near Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales.
The 200-acre park has everything from beaches to woodland walks and is extremely popular with both locals and tourists alike. With a rich history dating back to 1553, the green space is also home to several features of historical interest, including original Tudor-era buildings.
Commenting on the announcement of Penrhos Coastal Park as the UK’s Favourite Park 2022, Fields in Trust Chief Executive, Helen Griffiths, shared: “We’re incredibly excited to announce that Penrhos Coastal Park in Holyhead has been voted as the UK’s Favourite Park 2022 by those who use and love it.
“It is clear that this park is a very special place to a lot of people, and we are thrilled to officially crown it the UK’s favourite. We’ve had a fantastic response to the competition from all across the UK and I’d like to thank everyone who nominated and voted for parks over the past few weeks.
“The UK is home to such a diverse range of green spaces, and we hope that this award has encouraged people to truly appreciate their local parks. Our work to legally protect green spaces for good means we’re well aware of the threats they face and how important it is value and celebrate them.”
The campaign has illustrated how appreciation of our local parks has grown since the pandemic. As concerns mount over the climate crisis, green spaces have been proven to improve air quality and significantly limit the impact of heatwaves, by lowering urban temperatures.
With the annual Green Space Index revealing that 2.8 million people are not living within a ten-minute walk of a local park and that only 6% of green space provision in Britain is legally protected, the campaign has also highlighted the financial and developmental threats to green spaces.
By demonstrating our love for local parks, we can champion what they mean to communities and in turn help make the case for their long-term protection. Without legal protection our local parks can so easily be lost. And once lost, a green space is lost forever.
You can play your part in this protection of treasured local parks by making a donation to support Fields in Trust’s work.
We are nearing the day when young people can come and enjoy FetLor once again! Our clubs start back one week today – on September 5th. There has been a couple of small changes in our timetable from last year. See the flyer for all clubs and times.
As always clubs require registration. This needs to be completed by everyone.
To register simply click the link to take you through our digital form:
Young people secure £756,000 for Scotland’s charities
Aberdeen , Scotland, Thursday, 16 June 2022
YPI Annual Event 2022
Picture by Michal Wachucik/Abermedia
More than 35,000 young people have been empowered to be advocates for their communities, securing more than three quarters of a million pounds for charities the length and breadth of the country.
The Wood Foundation’s Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI), which took place in more than 250 secondary schools, saw young people research and represent causes including mental health, poverty, abuse, and support for those with health and disability conditions.
YPI is the biggest independent initiative being delivered in Scottish education. The active citizenship programme engages a full year-group at each school who learn about the needs of their communities and the work of local charities. The students work in teams to do in-depth research and develop a creative and convincing presentation in a bid to secure their school’s YPI grant of £3000.
Presentations at schools’ YPI Final Showcases this year have included a poignant poem about the impact of dementia and losing a loved one; a song about seeking support for mental health; a cartoon animation depicting poverty; and an acting performance focusing on domestic abuse.
Each of the successful teams brought to life their social issue, the difference the charity makes, and the business case for the impact of the £3000 grant locally.
In Edinburgh, each of the following schools secured £3000 for the charities listed by their names:
Scran Academy
Balerno Community High School
Edinburgh Women’s Aid
Boroughmuir High School
Kids in the Street
Castlebrae High School
Vintage Vibes
Craigmount High School
Muirhouse Youth Development Group
Craigroyston Community High School
Give Blood 4 Good
Currie Community High School
About Youth
Fettes College
Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre
Firhill High School
Edinburgh Children’s Hospital
Forrester High School
Thistle Foundation
George Watson’s College
Edinburgh Children’s Hospital
Gracemount High School
Edinburgh Young Carers
Holy Rood RC High School
Saheliya
James Gillespie’s High School
North Edinburgh Dementia Care
Leith Academy
Tailor Ed Foundation
Liberton High School
Edinburgh Young Carers
Merchiston Castle School
Shakti Women’s Aid
St Augustine’s RC High School
Therapet (Caninie Concern Scotland Trust)
St George’s School
Granton Baptist Church
The Edinburgh Academy
Held in Our Hearts
The Mary Erskine School
Forget Me Not Garden
The Royal High School
Circle
Trinity Academy
Ali MacLachlan, UK Director at The Wood Foundation, said: “We need to give young people the space, time, and opportunities to have their voices heard now, with the resources to act upon what they believe and realise their potential and responsibilities as active citizens.
“YPI is vitally important for young people in terms of their understanding of the world and their role in it, as well as developing their skills. It is also incredibly supportive of schools’ culture, drivers, and curriculum.
“Charities tell us that engaging a new generation of advocates and volunteers, raising awareness of what they do and promoting conversations, is as important as the opportunity to secure funds. Teachers tell us it is improving vital skills for learning, life, and work and making their young people more aware of their communities.
“Most importantly, young people tell us that YPI is giving them opportunities to better understand their communities and feel empowered to be part of change.
“The Wood Foundation is proud to partner with schools in delivering this vital opportunity for our young people and communities.”
Since it was launched in Scotland in 2008, 270,000 young people have taken part in YPI with £6m reaching local charities.
The Wood Foundation, the venture philanthropic organisation established by Sir Ian Wood and his family, is the operational manager and principal funder of YPI in Scotland. The programme is also supported by a range of like-minded funding partners.
Dr Pat Carragher has been named as a winner in the prestigious national 2022 WellChild Awards, in association with GSK, having been nominated by his colleague Emma Craig.
Pat will be off to collect his award in London on September 8th.
The Awards are run by WellChild, the national charity for seriously ill children, and will be attended by the charity’s Patron, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. The Duke will deliver remarks.
Dr Carragher, who is Medical Director at Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, was picked from hundreds of nominations from across the UK to win the Legacy category in these Awards which celebrate the resilience of children living with serious illnesses or complex conditions and honour the dedication of those individuals who go the extra mile to help these children and their families.
In summer of 2022, Dr Pat Carragher will be retiring as Medical Director at CHAS after nearly 39 years of working as a doctor. He has encountered periods of great change in his years as a medic including in Primary Care when he was a GP in Kinross before becoming Rachel House’s first hospice doctor and formally beginning work in Children’s Palliative Care in March 1996.
Dr Carragher has led the changes to CHAS’s medical service provisions through the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges the pandemic brought, alongside the team, he was determined to find ways to continue to reach the thousands of children with life-shortening conditions that rely on CHAS.
He helped establish new and innovative ways of working using technology to provide help to families across Scotland and proved himself to be a strong and resilient leader through immense change. He has reshaped CHAS’s medical services, helping families during what continues to be an isolating and unpredictable time.
Within three to four weeks from the start of the Coid-19 Pandemic, CHAS completely adapted its service offering to survive and to maintain the very best standards of care for children with palliative care needs, and to support their families.
Dr Carragher also led on virtual work through the “Near me” consultations via the NHS and by the use of Microsoft Teams, to interact with and assess children at home, and to work with their parents.
CHAS’s pioneering virtual children’s hospice was also launched at the beginning of the pandemic and has rapidly developed since proving to be extremely successful.
Dr Carragher has also helped lead the CHAS hospital teams in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh through this period of transformation, providing clinical leadership and support in the planning and delivery of palliative care whilst working closely with the NHS and local authorities.
He was key in launching the first hospital-based Supportive and Palliative Care team in Scotland at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow and has continued to provide specialist advice through the pandemic.
Rami Okasha, the Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, who nominated Dr Carragher for the WellChild Award, said: “Dr Pat’s leadership and strength of character has enabled the team to adapt in ways which they never imagined. He’s shown resilience and an unwavering drive for reaching all of those who require CHAS’s help, and he’s inspired not only the medical team but all teams.”
“Dr Pat was continuously able to inspire and encourage teams to ‘keep going’ during the pandemic and to embrace the new and innovate ways to deliver care. He has provided solid leadership throughout this period of immense change.
“Dr Carragher ends many presentations with the following which he feels is vital for us all to understand: ‘The death of a child has serious and lasting effects on parents and other family members, effectively for the rest of their lives. Any attempt to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life in the final days or weeks, must not only be good for a child but, in the fullness of time, be helpful to those left behind‘.”
WellChild Chief Executive, Matt James said: “There are more children and young people than ever before in the UK living with long-term, serious health needs.
“The WellChild Awards 2022, in association with GSK, will be a unique opportunity to recognise and highlight the immense challenges they have faced and to celebrate the remarkable positivity, resilience and spirit they have demonstrated.
“It will also help us to shine a light on the dedication of those around them, from siblings, professionals and volunteers who have gone above and beyond to help them through such challenging times.”
Remarkable Evelyn from Edinburgh is rewarded for exceptional work for seriously ill children with national WellChild Award
Nurse Evelyn Rodger from Edinburgh has been named as a winner in the prestigious national 2022 WellChild Awards, in association with GSK, having been nominated by colleague and charity CEO, Rami Okasha, and will be off to collect her award in London on September 8th.
The Awards are run by WellChild, the national charity for seriously ill children, and will be attended by the charity’s Patron, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. The Duke will deliver remarks.
Evelyn, who is a Diana Children’s Nurse with Children’s Hospices Across Scotland was picked from hundreds of nominations from across the UK to win the Nurse category in these Awards which celebrate the resilience of children living with serious illnesses or complex conditions and honour the dedication of those individuals who go the extra mile to help these children and their families.
Evelyn has been a Diana Children’s Nurse (DCN) with Children’s Hospices Across Scotland for the past eight years, having joined the charity in 2014.
In her role Evelyn is based in the neonatal Unit in Simpsons in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary but she also covers five neonatal units across Southeast of Scotland and Tayside.
In addition to her nursing Evelyn supports and delivers training for NHS Lothian and CHAS staff, developing an environment of close working not only with the hospital and community teams, but with the CHAS hospice, at home and family support teams. Evelyn’s dedication and her collaborative approach creates a seamless service to families.
Evelyn was instrumental in a pioneering memory making project called ‘Joes Toes’ which has raised over £15,000 since 2018 to allow CHAS and neonatal units to purchase the materials required to make 3D baby hand and foot-casts, respectfully done in baby Joe’s name.
Joe was one of twins who was sadly stillborn as a result of twin to twin transfusion syndrome. Part of Evelyn’s role as Diana Nurse is to provide bereavement support and to help parents find ways to create precious lasting memories with their babies, a role which she feels very passionate about.
Joe’s mother Marie said: “Evelyn is a compassionate, kind, gentle woman who is incredibly knowledgeable in bereavement care and we feel privileged that she was there to support us in making cherished memories with Joe and with saying goodbye with no regrets.
“As part of the memory making process, we asked if she would be able to help us take 3D casts of Joe’s feet. Evelyn was more than willing to help us in any way she could. Joe’s cast is now one of our most cherished possessions and to be able to physically touch, hold, see, something that was exactly his is so very precious.
“Our little Joe has given us, and now other families, so much without even being here. He never drew breath but he has changed us forever.”
CHAS CEO Rami Okasha, who nominated Evelyn for the WellChild Award, said: “Evelyn is retiring from CHAS in September this year so to receive a WellChild Award in her retiral year is an incredible honour.
“Evelyn has supported hundreds of families, making sure they have time to spend together and are able to make the choices about end-of-life care for their child and understand the really difficult things that are going on around them.
“More than that Evelyn is an inspiration to her colleagues who work so well with the team across CHAS and across the NHS to support newborn children and parents when the time they have together is going to be incredibly short.
“Evelyn goes above and beyond to build deep connections with families and says in touch with them even long after her care ends. I have heard myself from parents the difference that Evelyn has made to them. It is humbling to hear and I want Evelyn to know there are people across Scotland whose lives she has changed forever and they are incredibly grateful to the skill and dedication and kindness she has shown every single day at her work.”
WellChild Chief Executive, Matt James said: “There are more children and young people than ever before in the UK living with long-term, serious health needs.
“The WellChild Awards 2022, in association with GSK, will be a unique opportunity to recognise and highlight the immense challenges they have faced and to celebrate the remarkable positivity, resilience and spirit they have demonstrated.
“It will also help us to shine a light on the dedication of those around them, from siblings, professionals and volunteers who have gone above and beyond to help them through such challenging times.”
National charity, Family Fund,has welcomed the Government’s one-off £150 cost-of-living payment for 6 million disabled adults and children from September, but warns more support will be needed given today’s uplift of the Energy Price Cap.
Cheryl Ward, Family Fund Chief Executive, said: “We know that current severe inflationary pressures are affecting millions of people across the land, but for families caring for disabled and seriously ill children, who have even greater costs, the outlook is very grave. The choices between putting food on the table, paying for energy or clothing and sensory equipment are stark”.
Family Fund, the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families with disabled or seriously ill children and young people, acknowledges that the much-needed Government cash will go some way to ease the burden of bills, as the cost of living soars, but that more support will be needed in the coming months.
The charity provides essential items for families on the lowest incomes, including kitchen appliances, clothing, bedding, play equipment and much-needed family breaks.
Parents and carers raising a disabled or seriously child can face costs some three times higher than for other families. A grant from the charity can make all the difference for parents; helping to relieve their everyday stresses by providing essentials needed to care for their children.
“We very much welcome this latest £150 payment from Government”, said Cheryl Ward, “but we know from the increasing calls we are now getting from our families, facing spiralling costs on every front, that more support will be needed. We are therefore, along with other charities, asking ministers to consider urgently how future support can be given.”
In recent research, three quarters of families supported by Family Fund say their financial situation has worsened significantly since the pandemic.
Even before today’s Energy Price Cap uplift, two thirds of families with disabled children are struggling to pay energy bills and nearly one quarter say they are already falling behind with bills.
The cost of living crisis is, therefore, hitting many who are already in an extremely financially vulnerable position.
Aldi supported charities in Edinburgh during the school summer holidays by donating more than 8,800 meals to people in need.
The supermarket paired its stores up with local charities, foodbanks and community groups via community giving platform Neighbourly to donate surplus food to good causes.
Since the partnership with Neighbourly began in 2019, Aldi’s UK stores have already donated more than 25 million meals to over 3,600 local causes.
Liz Fox, Corporate Responsibility Director at Aldi UK,said: “Our food donations scheme with Neighbourly operates year-round, but we know that school holidays are a particularly hard time for families, especially as many continue to experience greater hardship due to the cost-of-living crisis.
“This is why we committed to supporting even more amazing causes in Edinburgh over the school holidays, helping them to provide meals to those who needed them most.”
Steve Butterworth, from Neighbourly, added:“School holidays are often a time when demand on charities and foodbanks drastically increases, particularly during summer when children are at home for six weeks or more.
“This push in donations from Aldi was therefore essential in helping these organisations support families during this time.”
