Tag: Community Champions

Tickets released for 2022 Forth Awards

Tickets for the 2022 Forth Awards have been released for sale, giving Radio Forth listeners the chance to join in the annual celebration of community champions across Edinburgh and the east.

A renowned and hugely popular event in the city’s social calendar, Radio Forth will hold its 16th annual awards ceremony at the Usher Hall on Thursday, 14 November and has today announced the release of the highly sought-after VIP balcony tickets for public sale.

Saint James Quarter is this year’s main sponsor, following the move of Forth 1 into the shopping centre where it will broadcast from 7 days a week.

The return of the awards, following a three year absence due to the pandemic, aims to celebrate those people across Lothian and the East who have went above and beyond for their community.

Radio Forth Awards recognise those who go above and beyond in their community, whether it be in education, volunteering or entertainment. There are ten categories which include Best Teacher, Best Artist, the Community Venture Award and the much-loved Local Hero Award.

This years categories celebrate the best of Scotland with Best Teacher, Community Venture Award, Local Hero as well as Best Artist, Contribution to Music Award and Forth Fringe Award, all up for grabs this year.

Richie Jeffrey, Events and Marketing Manager at Radio Forth said: “The Radio Forth Awards are something that we have been passionate about since they first launched back in 2003. They offer an opportunity for communities to come together and celebrate the outstanding efforts of some truly remarkable people from our small corner of the world.

“The awards have quickly become a favourite on the event calendar and we are delighted to be able to offer our listeners the chance to attend the event. With some of the best names in music and entertainment appearing at the ceremony in previous years, I’d recommend listeners get their tickets fast!

“The Usher Hall is one of Edinburgh’s great venues, and the fact we have already sold out of the grand circle seats shows just how much the city has been deseperate for the event to return.”

The Forth Awards also celebrate some of the biggest names in music and entertainment, with Scotland’s very own Lewis Capaldi being amongst those who have been recognised at the awards in previous years.

As usual, this year’s live acts is a closely guarded secret until the day itself and the countdown is on to find out who will follow in the footsteps of previous performers including Stereophonics, Paolo Nutini and Olly Murs.

Get your tickets here: www.forth1.com/forthawards

Morrisons give colleagues over 25,000 hours to help communities

Morrisons Community Champions will be spending over 25,000 hours supporting local communities in run up to Christmas

Morrisons is committing over 25,000 Community Champion hours to spreading kindness this Christmas within local communities up and down the UK.

Across 12 days, our team of over 500 Community Champions – who support charities and community groups in their local community – will carry out thousands of acts of kindness. This will include donating gifts to key workers, giving away flowers and mistletoe, making donations to local food banks and surprising customers with gestures of kindness.

Other acts of kindness will be:

  • Gifting hampers to local heroes who have played a big part in supporting their local community
  • Donating gifts to families in need of support
  • Handing out ‘Be kind to yourself’ pamper packs to customers
  • Delivering gifts for local food bank volunteers
  • Surprising customers in our café and paying for their meal
  • Taking carrots to nurseries for children to leave out for Rudolph
  • Donating decorations to local refuge centres and volunteering to help decorate
  • Spending time helping prepare food at local community kitchens

Since the start of the Covid-19 global pandemic, we have donated more than £12 million of products to local food banks and community groups and raised almost £6 million for charity partners. 

Rebecca Singleton, Community Director at Morrisons, said: “After seeing how much hope and joy was spread last Christmas, we knew we had to bring back our 12 Days of Kindness again this year.

“I am incredibly proud of our Community Champions who go above and beyond every day for those in need. Doing the right thing for our customers and the communities we serve has never been more important, so these 25,000 hours are dedicated to spreading festive cheer – and making good things happen for everyone this Christmas.”

Throughout December, we will also be giving away over a quarter of a million free Christmas cards for children to spread messages of hope.

Our Community Champions will be working in partnership with local groups and primary schools to deliver the cards for children to write messages on and colour in. 

The children can post their cards to grandparents, neighbours and friends who they may not have seen recently due to the pandemic, or give them back to us to distribute to care homes and customers using our Doorstep Delivery service.

This activity is expected to impact tens of thousands of people living throughout the UK and follows our mission to help tackle loneliness within communities this festive period.

For more information, visit: www.morrisons.co.uk.  

PM Boris Johnson recognises Captain Tom Moore as neighbourhood ‘Point of Light.’

Captain Tom Moore, who has famously raised more than £30million for the NHS by walking over 100 laps of his garden, has been named a Point of Light winner by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The Prime Minister wrote to the inspirational veteran yesterday to give him the award and to mark his 100th birthday, one of many accolades Captain Tom, or the newly appointed Colonel Tom, has been given to celebrate his incredible achievement.

He has also been appointed as the first Honorary Colonel of the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, re-presented with his Second World War Defence Medal which he had previously misplaced and two flypasts took place by Army Air Corps helicopters and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. He was also made an honorary captain of the England cricket team.

In his letter to Captain Tom, the Prime Minister said:

‘Every day, I write to someone in our country to thank them for their service to others and to recognise them as a Point of Light in our lives. No-one epitomises a Point of Light more than you.

You have touched our hearts, lifted our spirits and enabled millions to show their support for the wonderful men and women of our unique NHS. Because of their extraordinary courage and dedication our country will get through this difficult time and, in doing so, fulfil your optimism that tomorrow will indeed be a better day.’

Captain Tom is among the first of many neighbourhood heroes to be celebrated by the Points of Light Award scheme.

32-year-old Becky Wass from Falmouth has also been commended by Prime Minister after creating a postcard campaign to safely offer help to vulnerable neighbours during the coronavirus outbreak.

Becky’s postcards allow neighbours to offer support while still socially distancing by buying items for others during essential shopping trips, posting mail during daily exercise sessions, or making a friendly phone call. The design has been downloaded by good Samaritans across the UK and has spread as far as Australia and America with the hashtag #viralkindness.

The Prime Minister praised Becky’s postcards, which also remind people to wash their hands regularly and avoid physical contact, saying:

‘As we honour the duty we have to each other, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives, we can also look out for each other.

‘Becky’s wonderful initiative is doing exactly that, supporting vulnerable neighbours all over the world. Whether it’s shielding them from social contact by dropping off the shopping or fortifying their spirits with a friendly phone call.

‘It reminds us all that being isolated need not mean being alone.’

Reacting to the Prime Minister’s announcement, Becky said: “It’s an honour to have the #viralkindness campaign recognised in this way. It’s been incredible to see the postcard being used throughout the UK and the world by extraordinary volunteers who are helping their communities at this challenging time.”

The Prime Minister’s UK daily Point of Light award was first launched in April 2014 to recognise outstanding individuals making a difference in their communities.

As Britain unites to fight the spread of coronavirus, the award will focus exclusively on community and national efforts.

Housebuilder helps fund Scarlett’s Next Steps

A family is celebrating this week after receiving a £1,000 donation towards vital treatment for their young daughter. Scarlett Moore, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy following a traumatic birth, has been gifted the money from Persimmon Homes East Scotland’s Community Champions scheme towards the cost of Advanced Biomedical Rehabilitation (ABR). Continue reading Housebuilder helps fund Scarlett’s Next Steps

Cash boost for community book festival

An annual book festival aimed at boosting literacy among children from an under-resourced Edinburgh community has been given a £1,000 boost thanks to a regional builder. Persimmon Homes East Scotland was so impressed with the work of the Craigmillar Literacy Trust that it was chosen to receive a match-funding donation through the builder’s successful Community Champions scheme. Continue reading Cash boost for community book festival