communities – Page 2 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Eden Project: Less than half of UK adults are pulling together in their communities

New research out today reports that less than half of all UK adults (46%) believe that people are pulling together to improve their neighbourhoods.

Only a similar number of us are exchanging favours (45%) with neighbours, despite the current cost of living crisis putting strain on household budgets including rises in rent or mortgages, fuel and food costs.

Eden Project Communities, who are one of the partners behind the Month of Community in June to encourage people to make local connections and support good causes, conducted the research to explore attitudes towards neighbourliness.

It is part of a year-round programme of work focusing on building social capital on a mass scale delivered by Eden Project Communities and made possible by The National Lottery.

Lindsey Brummitt, Eden Project Communities Programme Director said: “This research tells us that people participating in their communities is out of step with the benefits people feel when they have strong local connections.

“The data hints that activities like good old fashioned neighbourliness practiced during the pandemic may be starting to re-emerge, but there is a big opportunity for many people who are not nurturing local support networks which could help them cope better during in the cost of living crisis.”

The nationally representative independent research conducted in the second two weeks in May 2023 also found that 65% agree where they live is friendly, and our sense of belonging to our immediate neighbourhood has actually increased by five percentage points since 2019 to 67% in 2023. An even higher number (74%) also say that they trust their neighbours and feel safe (71%) in their neighbourhoods.

Furthermore, of those who had a Big Lunch to bring people together where they live in 2023, 81% said that their event had a positive impact on their community, and 75% said they are now more likely to give their time to help neighbours or good causes.

After reaching out to their neighbours, people in all parts of the UK have felt the benefits of forging stronger connections with others where they live.

In Edinburgh, local people joined many others across the country to take part in the Month of Community. On 4 June, over 300 people turned out for the Friends of Campbell Park Big Lunch in honour of Volunteers Week.

With ambitious plans for their community, the group run regular events to connect people and encourage them to bring their creativity to their local green space, and have recently launched a scheme where local people can adopt fruit trees in their orchard, free of charge.

Their Big Lunch was a huge success and featured activities to bring people of all ages together, from football fun games and an Asian themed barbeque table to a jazz band, yoga yurt, tree planting and baking competition.

Shona Harrower, who organised the event, said: “Last year we hosted our first Big Lunch and we were blown away by the response from the local community.

“This year we have four times the number of volunteers than we had last year – we wouldn’t be able to do what we do if it wasn’t for the army of people helping us out so it feels only right to be celebrating Volunteers Week.”

Reaching out, making local connections and new neighbourhood friendships is something that Eden Project Communities, and other organisations behind the Month of Community support. Approximately 27.6 million adults in the UK say they feel lonely often, always or some of the time, up by five percentage points to 40% in 2023 compared to 35% in 2019.

Earlier in June, Month of Community ambassador Comedian John Bishop paid a visit to space2grow in Farnham, Surrey – a project that held a Big Lunch to celebrate their neighbourhood connections and invited John to unveil a new Say Hello friendly bench during Loneliness Awareness Week and The Great Big Green Week. The bench now creates a place where people can stop in a green space to chat and make new friends.

Reflecting on his visit to space2grow and the Month of Community John Bishop said: “I’m really proud that Say Hello is part of the Month of Community, when I hope people up and down the country will maybe have a Big Lunch or just take the time to get chatting to people in their community.

“Let’s all put some welly into making connections, supporting each other and the causes we care about during the Month of Community. Appreciating the power of community and the warmth of human connections impresses upon me just how important this really is!”

The Month of Community is an annual partnership of good causes in June, when people are encouraged to come together to celebrate everyone and everything that make our communities great.

With events and initiatives running throughout June for causes such as Volunteers Week, Carers Week, The Great Big Green Week, Refugee Week and Small Charity Week, it’s a chance to connect with neighbours, say cheers to volunteers, raise awareness of loneliness or simply say thank you. As part of the Month of Community, The Big Lunch is a chance for people to bring their community together, fundraise or celebrate a good cause they care about.

Lindsey Brummitt continued: “While almost half of the UK is showing signs of being community-minded in this research, we know getting to know neighbours helps to create support networks which makes life better and helps when things are tough – so it’s definitely worth taking a step in that direction if you are not.

“We need to be vigilant about strengthening and investing time in our neighbourhood relationships and during the Month of Community, there are so many opportunities and good causes you could look out for and support to help build your connections.

“We want to help people build their communities, so as well as The Big Lunch and Month of Community each year in June, we’re going to keep working on ideas to boost community spirit all year round – look out for updates at edenprojectcommunities.com!”

To find out more go to www.monthofcommunity.com or www.TheBigLunch.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @edencommunities

Call for Communities in Scotland to apply for Environmental Grants

The Action Earth campaign, run by national charity Volunteering Matters, has launched to help support communities to participate in outdoor environmental volunteering. Projects can apply now to the campaign, which NatureScot funds.

Nature is in crisis, and we face a climate emergency. Last year, we completed 134 successful projects, helping restore and protect environments to deliver a ‘nature-rich’ future for all.

Volunteering Matters Action Earth offers easy-to-access grants of up to £250 for environmental activities across Scotland. This year, we have 132 nature awards for any group of volunteers carrying out practical environmental improvements or wildlife habitat creation in local urban spaces.

Previous projects have included wildflower meadow and pond creation, woodland and wetland renovations, bird and bat box siting, and creating or improving community gardens.

We are also keen to support projects working with people with disabilities, defined health issues, or barriers to involvement. From last year’s 134 projects to benefit from Action Earth grant funding, over 3,325 volunteers were involved in improving biodiversity in their community – 1,100 of them having disabilities and/or defined health issues.

The campaign is also keen to hear from projects whose work benefits disadvantaged communities, especially in urban areas and in places with reduced local amenities. 45% of volunteers in 2022 were from areas in the lowest 20% of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

2023 Marks the 20th anniversary of Volunteering Matters and NatureScot’s partnership to help communities make positive local change.

Francesca Osowska, Chief Executive and Accountable Officer, Scottish Natural Heritage. ©Lorne Gill/SNH. For information on reproduction rights contact the Scottish Natural Heritage Image Library on Tel. 01738 444177 or www.nature.scot

NatureScot Chief Executive Francesca Osowska says: “The Action Earth campaign is a brilliant way for communities to make space for nature and protect local greenspaces, native wildlife and habitats – in turn, helping tackle the nature and climate crises. I encourage groups to apply and look forward to lots of exciting projects this year.”

For those looking for inspiration for their projects, the Volunteering Matters Action Earth website has instructions on how to build bird boxes, bat boxes, frog hibernacula, hedgehog boxes, and bee/insect homes. NatureScot also has many tips to help nature this spring through its Make Space for Nature campaign.

More information is available and applications can be made NOW at the Volunteering Matters Action Earth website:

https://volunteeringmatters.org.

https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/project/action-earth

Project unlocks Scotland’s missing millions

Foundation Scotland’s release of over £2.3 million from dormant trusts is the “tip of the iceberg” windfall for communities

Trusts formed over a century ago to help boys with the surname Stewart, supply pensions to women of good character or provide medical assistance pre-NHS will now be used to fund current day needs thanks to a partnership project that has already unlocked over £2.3 million from lost and forgotten charitable accounts.

Foundation Scotland has revealed they have identified nearly 300 dormant charitable trusts through the project run in collaboration with The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). Charitable trusts typically provide public benefit by making grants or donations to other charities, voluntary groups or individuals as laid out in their original constitution.

Launched in May 2021, Scotland’s Revitalising Trusts Project was set up to identify charitable trusts that appear to be inactive and support them to reactivate. For a trust to be classed as inactive, they either had no income or expenditure or donated less than 30% of their total income over the last five years.

There are different reasons why a trust can lie dormant. It can be difficult to recruit new trustees, find time to run the charity or as times change, it can be impossible to identify beneficiaries befitting the original deeds of the trust.

Foundation Scotland has over 25 years’ experience distributing funds which provide long-term benefit for communities. As part of this national project, they are supporting trustees to release inactive funds so that they can be redistributed to good causes across Scotland.

Alternatively, Foundation Scotland will support trustees to breathe new life into the charity, for example by changing their charitable purpose to help address new needs in local communities.

Among the funds was The Ronnie Williamson Trust, formed by Mrs Betty Williamson in 2005 in memory of her husband, Ronnie, a Royal Marine Commando, businessman, and long-standing elder and member of Palmerston Place Church in Edinburgh.

The original purposes of the Trust were outlined as supporting voluntary project work of young people from the age of 16 to 21 who were members or adherents of Palmerston Place Church. Unfortunately, this very specific remit proved difficult to fulfil and the Trust had not made an award for over eight years.

The Trust had therefore fallen into years of inactivity because the deed prevented the Trustees from altering the purposes rendering the Trust stuck. The Trustees worked with Foundation Scotland to ‘revitalise’ the trust.

The Trust now has new wider purposes in place – extending the upper age limit to 25 and increasing the catchment of the church membership to now include other Church congregations in the North and West of the City.

Gregor Innes, Trustee said: “The support we’ve received from Foundation Scotland will prove life-changing for local young people who have the desire to make a difference to others locally, nationally or globally.

“It was a frustration that we had funds that could be helping others sitting in the bank – but due to the original limited scope we had not been in a position to attract and help young people with voluntary projects.

“The Ronnie Williamson Trust was created to encourage young people to make a difference to others and I am confident he and his late wife will be happy with the changes that we have now made to make sure we can fulfil the original wishes.

“Foundation Scotland guided us through the process easily, and thanks to their invaluable support we have increased the age limit so we can help those up to the age of 25, and we can support young people from other linked congregations.

“The other massive benefit to us has been their support to help us bring new people onto the board. With three new Trustees already in place we are excitedly looking ahead to relaunching and publicising the Trust in the coming months. We look forward to receiving applications from local young people in the future to help them to make a difference in voluntary work which will have a positive educational, religious, medical, or societal impact.”

Steff Bell, Revitalising Trust Project Advisor at Foundation Scotland said: “In the current climate it’s more important than ever that charitable funds are being put to good use.

“Communities the length and breadth of the country suffered through covid and now they are struggling with the cost of living crisis. It’s good to know that we’ve been able to assist in reactivating these funds and putting them to good use, when they’re needed most.

“We’re delighted that we’ve already unlocked over £2.3 million for good causes across Scotland but we know this is just the tip of the iceberg. We are making great progress; overall, the trustees we have approached have received the offer of support positively, with several indicating that the trustees had been stuck for a number of years, unable to find appropriate support to distribute the funds.

“We will continue to work collaboratively with more trustees, alongside OSCR, to help these trusts maximise their funds and reach for public good. We know trustees want to make a real and positive difference to those who need it most. If you think your charity could benefit from support to spend its funds, please do get in touch with us and we’ll help you work out the best next steps for your charity.”

Steve Kent, Policy Manager at OSCR said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Foundation Scotland on this important Project and to see our joint effort to reach out to inactive trusts starting to bear fruit.

“We want public trust in charities to remain strong and never more so than in the present challenging times. It is vital that every pound of charitable funds is seen to be working hard for good causes but, even with best intentions, it is sometimes a challenge for trustees to make that happen.

“This Project is an excellent example of what can be achieved by offering trustees a little support and encouragement at the right time.”

For more information about the project visit:

https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/revitalise-trust

Cultural communities: Is enough being done to support culture at community level?

What cultural activities are happening in communities across Scotland? This is just one question being asked by the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee as it starts a new inquiry.

The inquiry will see the Committee look at the Scottish Government’s Cultural Strategy, which focuses on what it calls a ‘place-based’ approach. The Committee will look at what this means for communities up and down the country and what barriers are in the way to developing local cultural activities.

Now the Committee want to hear from those who participate, attend or organise cultural activities in their local areas. It wants to find out what more needs to be done to support these activities and what difference they make to people’s lives.

Speaking as the inquiry launched, Committee Convener Clare Adamson MSP said: “Scotland has a rich cultural heritage and the very heart of that lies within our local communities. From community choirs to book clubs, local galas to theatre groups, there is a huge range of activities taking place each and every day.

“But these activities are not always easy to access or indeed organise, so we want to find out what support is needed to make these events happen. And importantly, where this support should come from.

“Culture enriches us all and this is especially true for our communities. Which is why we want to hear directly from those at the very heart of Scotland’s local communities.”

Questions the Committee is asking include:

What are the key factors that support you to attend or participate in cultural activities?
What support has there been in place to develop and grow cultural activities or events in your local area?
What needs to be in place to enable or to support a variety of cultural activities or events being organised and delivered in your local area?

Never Give Up! Talk at City Art Centre

TUESDAY 14th FEBRUARY 1pm at CITY ART CENTRE

Never Give Up: Gallery Talk in Association with the Exhibition ‘Paul Duke: No Ruined Stone’

Join us for a talk with Lynn McCabe from Royston and Wardieburn Community Centre and Willie Black a passionate local activist from North Edinburgh.

North Edinburgh has been a hotbed of community activism for decades. ‘Never Give Up’, was a book produced by North Edinburgh Social History Group in 2011 – a panoramic account of community activism in North Edinburgh, highlighting the previously largely ignored and barely mentioned community areas of Pilton, Drylaw, Royston, Wardieburn, Granton and Muirhouse.

Lynn McCabe reflects on how this publication is still deeply relevant today and Willie Black talks about North Edinburgh today, and shares positive stories from this vibrant and resilient Edinburgh community.

EVENT IS FREE but booking is essential.

https://online1.venpos.net/ConsumerSite/VisitDateTime?LID=548&PID=2c0db03f-057f-4cb3-b76f-138dfa22e01f&LNG=en&VD=2023-02-14T00%3A00%3A00

While we hope to run this event in the City Art Centre, we may have to adapt to the situation at the time and the event may need to move to digital. Book via the link or by phoning the City Art Centre on 0131 529 3993.

£8 million National Lottery funding will help bring people and communities together this winter

The Festive season can be an especially lonely time for many thousands of Scots, but over £8 million National Lottery funding announced today (TUESDAY 13 DECEMBER\) means that charities and community groups across Scotland can continue to bring people together all year round.

The latest round of funding from The National Lottery Community Fund is shared amongst 246 community projects. A full list of projects is attached.

An award of £121,192 means that Restalrig based charity, The Ripple can continue to deliver their ‘Older Person’s Service’ for over 65s which offers a range of activities, trips and support services helping people in the community come together, making them feel less isolated.

Rachel Green, Director of The Ripple, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded a grant by The National Lottery Community Fund. We have a thriving social club for over 65’s on a Friday but this funding means we can now extend our opportunities across the whole week.

“Older people bring so much to our community, and we are looking forward to working with them to plan activities and events that will help them stay physically well, connected to their community and keep them energised and active as life moves on.”

Branch Out Together also welcomes the award of £98,774, which will allow them to continue their ‘Basecamp’ youth club for autistic children. The programme offers children the opportunity to develop skills in social communication and interaction using games and arts and crafts projects.

Michael Penny, Chief Executive of Branch Out Together, said: “It’s great that The National Lottery Community Fund is supporting our Basecamp project which will allow us to help more children and their families.

“Children with autism will get the chance to make friends, have fun and grow confidence around others.”

There’s also Lottery joy for Wester Hailes-based With Kids, who will use their £150,000 grant to expand their child mental health support service across South West Edinburgh, and Niddrie’s Caring in Craigmillar receives over £59,000 to provide dementia-friendly activities. Euan’s Guide is also a big winner, picking up over £144,000 to provide opportunities for disabled people in Edinburgh to write reviews on accessibility.

Among the local organisations receiving small grants are Ama-zing Harmonies (£9900), Friends of Victoria Park (£2150) and Saheliya (£10,000), who will be using their award to deliver a series of talks, workshops and activities to celebrate their 30th anniversary.

Announcing the funding, Kate Still, Scotland Chair, The National Lottery Community Fund said: ““It’s fantastic to see this latest round of funding go to charity and community groups helping people in communities across Scotland come together.

“The connections we have to our family, friends and the wider community makes us feel we are not so alone and that we are part of something bigger. The strength and comfort that we draw from this will be important for us all as we face some challenging times ahead.

“National Lottery players can be proud that they are supporting this vital work, not only during the Festive Season but all year round. “

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes funding on behalf of National Lottery players who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. 

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk

Barratt Developments Scotland donates £10k to SocialBite

Five Scottish charities to receive a share of £50k fund to help people facing homelessness, financial crisis or social exclusion

Local housebuilder Barratt Developments Scotland, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, has donated £10,000 to help homeless people in Edinburgh.

Social Bite is one of five charities to benefit from a share of Barratt’s £50k fund to help people facing homelessness, financial crisis or social exclusion.

The UK charity is an innovative social enterprise, which is committed to ending homelessness through food, employment and housing. In Edinburgh it has coffee shops on Rose Street and Shandwick Place, along with the Social Bite Village – a supported community providing accommodation and assistance for up to 20 people affected by homelessness.

Josh Littlejohn MBE, co-founder of Social Bite, says Barratt’s donation will go towards supporting those who are affected by homelessness, experiencing high financial risk, or in crisis and in need of support.

Josh Littlejohn said: “On behalf of Social Bite and the people we support, I’d like to thank Barratt Developments Scotland. We know that ending homelessness requires everyone to play their part, and we are incredibly grateful for this generous donation.

“This support will enable us to continue to develop innovative programmes of food provision, supported employment and housing; to bring about systemic change, and empower people who have been homeless to transform their own lives.”

Churches Action for the Homeless (CATH) in Perth, The Highland Homeless Trust in Inverness, Aberdeen Cyrenians in Aberdeen and Community Veterans Support in Glasgow are among the other charities to benefit from a share of Barratt Development’s bumper £50,000 fund.

Alison Condie, managing director of Barratt Developments East Scotland, said: “As a homebuilder, we work in communities across the country to increase the availability of quality homes.

“Addressing homelessness is a cause that’s very close to our hearts but, sadly, the pandemic has exacerbated many of the social and financial issues and put many more people at risk.

“We are pleased to be able to provide some financial support to these organisations at a time when they need it most, and hope that our donations will help those who are vulnerable or facing hardship across the country.”

For more information on Barratt Developments Scotland, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, visit https://www.barratthomes.co.uk/

Publish ownership heralds new era for community rail in Scotland

Community-led groups looking to play major role promoting green travel by rail, as Scotland’s train services move into public ownership

Members of a grassroots ‘community rail’ movement are looking forward to playing a growing role helping Scottish communities to thrive, and working towards a greener transport future, as ScotRail services transfer into the public sector on 1^st April.

As Scotland’s railways move into this new era, the country’s network of community rail partnerships and groups are set to play a key role in its future, engaging communities with local railways and stations, promoting social inclusion, and enabling and encouraging more people to get around sustainably by train.

This year, following on from COP26, they are especially working to get across the huge carbon savings of travelling by train instead of driving or flying, and engaging communities and rail partners to make it easier to use the train combined with walking, cycling, buses, and community transport.

To coincide with the changes in the rail industry, Scotland’s community rail partnerships are working with their umbrella body Community Rail Network to showcase the vital, sometimes life-changing work taking place in community rail, from the Borders to the Highlands, and get across the importance of train travel to tackling the climate emergency – including through a new inspiring promotional video.

CRN-Community-Rail-in-Scotland-24.3.21 Download

This follows on from Community Rail Network’s ‘Community Rail in Scotland’ report, published in 2021, which highlight the efforts of 1,200 volunteers who give over 55,000 hours annually, valued at £4.7 million per year, to promote sustainable and healthy travel, wellbeing, economic development, and tourism in their local area.

Making up Scotland’s eight community rail partnerships and 260 station groups, they carry out projects to bring improvements to rail services and stations, such as improved accessibility and community facilities, while helping communities to have a voice in rail and transport development, working with train operators, local authorities, and other partners.

They also build local confidence and awareness around train travel, breaking down barriers and creating a sense of public ownership towards the railways.

Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network, said: “As Scotland’s railways enter a new era, and with the need to encourage greener ways to get around more pressing than ever, Scotland’s community rail movement is redoubling its efforts.

“We see the shift of ScotRail trains into public ownership as a great opportunity to further connect local communities with their railways and get more people travelling by train.

“Community rail has an inspiring track record of doing just that: promoting travel confidence and increasing access to opportunity, while bringing people together, giving communities a voice, and putting railways and stations at the heart of community life.

“Over the coming years, we’ll be working closely with Scotland’s community rail partnerships, volunteers, and railway partners with a strong focus on supporting and enabling greener journeys by train. We’re looking forward to community rail playing a vital role in the great shift we need, towards more sustainable, inclusive, community-friendly transport.”

Transport is the largest contributor to climate emissions in Scotland, and in response to the climate emergency, Transport Scotland has committed to reducing emissions by 75% by 2030, and to a legally binding target of net-zero by 2045.

Rail accounted for just 1% of UK domestic transport emissions in 2019, despite representing 10% of the total distance travelled, and for a 30-mile journey, travelling by train instead of by car can reduce emissions by up to 86%.

Scotland’s community rail partnerships (CRPs) consist of: the Borders Railway Community Partnership; South West Scotland CRP; East Lothian CRP; Strathallan CRP; the Highland Main Line CRP; and the West Highland CRP. There is also Rail 74 CRP, which covers stations in South Lanarkshire, and the Edinburgh-based 6VT Youth CRP, the only youth-led CRP in Britain.

The partnerships are supported by Community Rail Network and the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places programme, funded by Transport Scotland and administered by Paths for All. This support helps to develop projects and deliver work promoting sustainable journeys with rail at their heart, aligning with Scotland’s vision of a sustainable, inclusive, safe, and accessible transport system.

Graham McQueen, Smarter Choices, Smarter Places manager, said: “Changing the way we make everyday journeys is good for our health, it’s good for our communities, and it helps protect our environment.

“We need to drive less and walk, cycle, and use public transport more. We are delighted to support Community Rail Network in Scotland as community support and engagement is key to the integration of train stations into communities, making them more pleasant and accessible, and ultimately encouraging more people to use sustainable transport options for longer journeys.

“The Paths for All Smarter Choices Smarter Places programme supports hundreds of creative projects throughout Scotland, all looking to encourage behaviour change towards a happier, healthier, and greener way of life.

“The way we travel is central to this and that’s why we’re delighted to support this promotional video that shows how rail travel can play a key role in changing the way we travel and how travelling by train can be more inclusive and sustainable.”

The video can be accessed here and further information on community rail in Scotland can be found at communityrail.org.uk/Scotland

Scotmid launches search for new charity partner

Charities are being invited by Scotmid to become its new Charity Partner for 2022/23.

The community retailer is looking for an organisation that shares its values and passion for supporting local communities and would like to build a creative and fun partnership to encourage participation and fundraising from staff, members and customers alike.

With a presence in Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland, the partnership must be able to span a wide geography.

Over the last 20 years, Scotmid has raised millions of pounds for their Charity Partners, including the Scottish SPCA, Samaritans, ChildLine and Alzheimer Scotland.

John Brodie, Chief Executive of Scotmid, said: “Our Charity Partnerships are incredibly important to us. Partners benefit from both an exceptional level of fundraising and extended support in their cause from our colleagues and communities.

“We are excited to hear about projects that can benefit our communities from new potential charity partners.”

Scotmid’s current Charity Partner is Children’s Hospice Association Scotland, better known as CHAS. Funds raised through the partnership have supported the vital development and expansion of CHAS’s outreach service, CHAS at Home, helping the charity on its ambitious mission of reaching every child and family that needs their help in communities across Scotland.

Three other children’s hospices across Scotmid’s trading areas have also benefited from funds raised: Jigsaw, Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice and St Oswald’s Hospice.

Staff working in Scotmid’s food stores, Semichem stores, Scotmid Funerals and Lakes & Dales stores across Scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England enthusiastically take part in physical challenges, events and traditional in-store fundraising.

Community engagement is also a key element for Scotmid. At the end of last year, children throughout Scotland were invited to design a mascot to represent Scotmid’s charity partnership.

The winning designs, Cuthbert The Fox and Tildy Toadstool, were then brought to life, much to the delight of the talented designers and those who have met the colourful couple!

Angharad Low, Corporate Partnerships Manager at CHAS, said: “It’s been great working with Scotmid to raise awareness and funds for our outreach service, CHAS at Home.

“The passion of Scotmid colleagues, members and customers makes the partnership really special.

“We’re so thankful for the funds that have been raised, which will help families receive quality care in the comfort of their own homes. We would absolutely recommend other charities apply!”

Kirsteen Campbell, CEO Scottish SPCA, said: “Our 2018/19 partnership with the Scotmid Co-operative family was our most successful charity of the year partnership in Scottish SPCA’s history, raising an incredible £325,000.

“Support from Scotmid colleagues enabled us to deliver our ‘Prevention through Education’ programme delivering workshops to 1818 schools and 124 community groups, reaching over 60% of Scotland’s school children! With Scotmid’s support we were able to spread the joy of the human-animal bond further than ever before.

“We’d encourage all charities to apply for this exciting opportunity to be Scotmid’s next Charity Partner.

“You’ll be combining forces with an incredible organisation who really cares about making a massive difference in local communities What are you waiting for? Apply today!”

To apply to be Scotmid’s Charity of the Year 2022/23, please go to:

https://scotmid.coop/community-and-charity/charity-of-the-year-applications/

Applications are open until 5pm on Friday 6 May 2022.

Dobbies launches Helping Your Community Grow initiative

Helping Your Community Grow initiative in Edinburgh

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is helping green spaces and indoor areas across Edinburgh and the Lothians blossom this spring with the return of its much-loved Helping Your Community Grow initiative, with an enhanced sustainability focus for 2022.

Launched in 2010, the initiative encourages people across Edinburgh to take care of their green spaces. For 2022, Dobbies is seeking local groups striving to help their community space flourish in a sustainable way.

Both the Dobbies and little dobbies stores are offering the opportunity to get involved. Whether it’s a community allotment project to get kids eating more fruit and vegetables, a wildflower garden with pollinating flowers for bees and insects or a calming outdoor space for boosting mental health, Dobbies wants to help communities transform their space.

Helping Your Community Grow is calling for local groups from all over the Lothians to get in touch through an application form via Dobbies’ website, showcasing their community space that needs some attention and what they plan to do if they receive Dobbies’ support.

Successful groups will be given advice, products and time to help transform their outdoor spaces using Dobbies’ sustainable products where possible.

This could include peat-free compost, recycled and recyclable pots, UK-sourced plants and safer pest control products. The team at the little dobbies store in Stockbridge are looking to transform an indoor space with air purifying houseplants that will breathe life into a community space.

Graeme Jenkins, CEO of Dobbies said: “Community is at the forefront of what we do at Dobbies and we’re proud to be relaunching our Helping Your Community Grow initiative in our Edinburgh stores this spring.

“We had a brilliant variety of applications last year and it was great to see local community spaces, school vegetable patches and memorial gardens benefit from our support.

“We are particularly keen to hear from projects in Edinburgh who have a sustainable focus to their work and our teams will share their knowledge of sustainable products and practices, to ensure a truly eco-friendly approach.”

In addition to the regional winners, one national winner will receive further support.

Claire Blowers from Noadswood PSA, the national winner from 2021 said: “We really benefitted from entering Helping Your Community Grow in 2021.

“We had invaluable support and advice from the team, along with products that enabled us to transform our space. I would highly recommend community projects submitting entries for this year’s initiative.”

Getting involved couldn’t be easier. Eligible projects must be located within 20 miles of Dobbies’ Edinburgh store or 5 miles of the little dobbies’ Stockbridge store.

Applications are open until 25 March 2022.

For more information on how to take part, visit: