Tag: Cookers for Christmas appeal

Everyone deserves a happy Christmas, you can help make it happen

A call to action from Fresh Start

Fresh Start, an Edinburgh-based charity dedicated to supporting individuals and families who are moving on from, or at risk of homelessness, are calling on the community to support those in need this Christmas, with several ways to get involved.

With 9,600+ households experiencing homelessness in Edinburgh this year, the power and generosity of community is more impactful than ever before.

This festive season, the best way to support Fresh Start’s services is to donate to its annual Cookers for Christmas Appeal, which raises funds for their White Goods service, providing essential appliances like cookers, washing machines and fridge/freezers for those in need.

Hoping to beat last year’s £31,000 total, Fresh Start asks individuals, businesses, and organisations across Edinburgh and beyond to support the Appeal and ensure everyone has a Happy Christmas this year. 

Alongside their White Goods service, Fresh Start provides other essential services, including Starter Packs with household items, local food support through their Community Pantry, and cooking classes to promote healthy living on a budget. They help people rebuild their lives with dignity and a sense of community, offering practical assistance, support, and pathways to long-term stability.

Every donation, big or small, makes a huge difference for people like Sarah*, who was able to “start living like a real human being again” after receiving a cooker for her flat.

For families like the Hashimi’s*, receiving White Goods allowed them to “store and cook healthy homemade meals for our family again. It really has been such a big relief, helping us move on from the last few years, which have been a nightmare.”

Donations can be made via Fresh Start’s JustGiving page, or by cash, cheque or bank transfer, and will ensure families can cook hot meals over Christmas and throughout 2027. Get in touch with Fresh Start at admin@freshstartweb.org.uk or on 0131 476 7741 for more information on how to donate to the appeal.

If you’d like to support Fresh Start’s services more broadly this Christmas, you can also: 

  • Take part in their #GatherForGood campaign by turning your office Christmas Party, ‘Friendmas’, Christmas Carols service, movie night or festive celebrations into a fundraiser for Fresh Start. 
  • Donate to their festive food collection, helping to support hundreds of families and individuals with festive food hampers this Christmas. Donations close on Friday, 4th December, with Fresh Start accepting non-perishable seasonal items – see a full list and more details about how to donate on their website. 
  • Spread the word! Help raise awareness with others in your community by following Fresh Start on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and sharing their posts with your followers!

Everyone deserves a happy Christmas, and you can help make it happen, in a way that works for you – support Fresh Start this festive season and help those moving on from homelessness in Edinburgh to make a home for themselves. 

Cookers For Christmas 2026 – JustGiving Page:

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/cookers-for-christmas-2026
https://www.freshstartweb.org.uk/ • Facebook • LinkedIn • Instagram

Top chef ensures home cooking’s on the Fresh Start menu

Top Scottish chef Tom Kitchin has added his support to Fresh Start’s Cookers for Christmas appeal. The Michelin-starred chef launched Fresh Start’s appeal to buy recently homeless people a cooker for their new home and promised a £1 donation from every bill paid at his award-winning The Kitchin restaurant for a month. 

The Cookers for Christmas appeal allows Fresh Start to buy cookers to pass on to Edinburgh families and individuals who were previously homeless but who have recently been found a home. It gives the new householders the opportunity to make a fresh start by offering them one of the most important tools to help them.

Tom Kitchin made a trip to the Fresh Start warehouse in Ferry Road Drive to lend a hand and said: “This campaign is one close to my heart. Scotland boasts some of the best local produce available and eating well can be incredibly affordable. Giving people the tools to allow them to support themselves and their families is vital. A kitchen should be at the heart of a home and what better way to help families who have been homeless than giving them the means to cook in a secure and safe environment.”

Fresh Start Managing Director Keith Robertson said: “The people who receive the appliances have just been allocated a property and are often starting out with nothing – they don’t have the means to buy such an expensive item. Clearly, the most economical way to eat well is to cook at home, so by providing a cooker we are supporting new householders to take an important first step by helping them financially and physically.”

To find out more or donate to Fresh Start’s Cookers for Christmas appeal, visit the Fresh Start appeal page

Fresh Start’s Cookers for Christmas appeal is also going ‘social’ this year through the charity’s social media sites so if you’re on Facebook or Twitter, please share or retweet the appeal. For Twitter, the hashtag is #cookerforchristmas