Edinburgh Women’s Aid, (EWA), which marks 50 years of supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse, unveils ‘A Source of Strength’ exhibition in partnership with Stills: Centre for Photography in Cockburn Street and the University of Edinburgh, which runs until tomorrow (28 October).
The exhibition is part of the Economic Social Research Council, (ESRC), Festival of Social Science, building on research that finds the relationship between children and mothers can help improve the impact that domestic abuse has on children.
It offers visitors the chance to view photographs created by children and mothers about their relationships together and the importance of them, and the role they play in protecting and supporting children to recover from domestic abuse.
Dr Fiona Morrison, Programme Director for Childhood Practice, University of Edinburgh, said: “These beautiful photographs were taken by children and women, which celebrate the strength that children and mothers find in each other when living with and recovering together from domestic abuse.”
Over the past two years the charity has provided support to 440 children and young people in Edinburgh who have experienced domestic abuse with everything from giving them a safe place to stay in a refuge, specialist housing support, legal advice and help securing employment.
Linda Rodgers, CEO at Edinburgh Women’s Aid, said: “This exhibition is a great opportunity to honour and showcase the strength of the relationship between mothers and children experiencing domestic abuse.
“Thanks to everyone who helped bring it together including the families we have been working with, Stills Centre for Photography and the University of Edinburgh.”
The free exhibition at Stills: Centre for Photography is on from11-5pm at Cockburn Street until tomorrow – Saturday, 28th October.
Edinburgh Women’s Aid, which opened its first refuge 50 years ago in 1973, marked its 50th anniversary with the unveiling of a commemorative artwork by the artist Amy Steele at a special event attended by over 60 guests at the City Arts Centre tyesterday.
The aim of the event was to bring people together, including staff, councillors, volunteers and women who have been supported over the years, to mark this important milestone for the charity.
Speakers included Christina McKelvie, Minister for Equalities and Older People, Councillor Mandy Watt, Deputy Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council and the Chair of Edinburgh Women’s Aid, Morag Waller.
A year-long series of events to mark the 50th anniversary was announced on the day, including various seminars to highlight and pay tribute to those who have provided support for women and their families over the past five decades, with everything from giving them a safe place to stay in a refuge, specialist housing support, legal advice and help securing employment, and the future plans for the charity.
The impressive artwork by illustrator Amy Steele, who won the charity’s 50th anniversary competition to design a piece of art which showcased how the charity has evolved over the years and the support available to help keep victims of domestic abuse safe, was also unveiled at the event.
Amy, whose artwork will be used throughout the year, including on the cover of the charity’s printed and digital Impact Report and other marketing materials, including banners, leaflets, the website and social media, also received a prize of £500.
Amy, said: “In creating the artwork to commemorate Edinburgh Women’s Aid’s 50th anniversary I wanted to design something which celebrates the diverse and vibrant community of women and children that EWA strives to protect and advocate for, whilst showing how these groups come together to support each other too.
“The artwork, which is bright and fun, in celebration of all the positive improvements EWA have made towards the safety and equality of women and children in the past 50 years, has also provided a great opportunity for me, as a female artist, to use the platform to contribute to EWA’s mission.”
Linda Rodgers, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Women’s Aid, said: “The 50th anniversary of Edinburgh Women’s Aid is such an important milestone for us and really gives us the chance to pay tribute to all of those who came before us to help make the organisation what it is today.
“As long as domestic abuse scourges society we will continue to provide vital services for women and children in Edinburgh. But we will also continue to tackle the causes of domestic abuse so that one day we can look back on the history of a service that is no longer needed.”
Christina McKelvie, Minister for Equalities and Older People, said: “I’m honoured to join Edinburgh Women’s Aid in marking their 50th anniversary and celebrating their achievements.
“Their unwavering dedication to building a Scotland free from violence has made a huge difference to the lives of women and girls. We all know that there is still a way to go before we live in a world where domestic abuse is history.
“The ground-breaking work of organisations such as Edinburgh Women’s Aid over the last fifty years, which continue to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse and speak out and campaign for change, will help us realise this ambition.”
EWA also launched their #challenge50 fundraising campaign at the event to encourage people to set themselves a challenge, ranging from baking and selling cakes to taking part in a sponsored 50km walk, to help them reach their £50k fundraising target this year.
Edinburgh Women’s Aid, which opened its first refuge in 1973, has unveiled plans for a series of year-long events in 2023 to mark 50 years of providing support for tens of thousands of women and their children who have experienced domestic abuse.
Plans include a competition to design a commemorative artwork to be unveiled at an exhibition in January.
Events planned throughout the year will highlight and pay tribute to those who have provided support for women and their families over the past five decades, with everything from giving them a safe place to stay in a refuge, specialist housing support, legal advice and help securing employment.
The aim of the commemorative artwork is to showcase how the charity has evolved over the years, the ongoing support available to help keep victims of domestic abuse safe and forthcoming plans.
In addition to being launched at the 50th anniversary exhibition, the artwork will also feature on the cover of the charity’s printed and digital Impact Report and various other marketing materials, including pull-up banners, leaflets, website and social media. The winning artist will also receive a prize of £500.
Entries can be created in any medium and should be submitted with the entry form available on EWA’s website, www.edinwomensaid.co.uk, by the 1st of November 2022.
Linda Rodgers, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Women’s Aid, said: “2023 is such an important milestone for us, it gives us pause to remember the amazing women who came before us – who fought against the odds to get our first refuge in 1973, who provided support and sanctuary to countless women over the many years and those survivors who went on to their full potential after escaping abuse.
“We’ll also be taking the time to think about ‘what next’ so that we continue to provide innovative and necessary services to women and children in Edinburgh.”
Women and children’s rights campaigner Lydia Okrojhas worked with Edinburgh Women’s Aid and Scottish Women’s Aid for over 40 years and recently received an honorary doctorate from Stirling University in recognition of her outstanding work.
Lydia said: “EWA, which has been at forefront of shaping support services, policy responses and legislation in the city, which has been informed by the women they have supported, have so much to be proud of as they reach their 50th anniversary.
“Although awareness of domestic abuse has come a long way since 1973, when EWA began to provide refuge and support to ‘battered wives’, the need for the charity to continue supporting women, children and young people remains the same today as it did then, which is why it is important to highlight this milestone.
“It’s been a privilege to work alongside so many committed women over the past four decades and to have played a part in supporting survivors of domestic abuse and also to be involved in so many significant changes in legislation over the years, which will be showcased in some of the events planned throughout 2023.”
A group of employees from the Dunfermline Amazon fulfilment centre and the Bathgate Amazon delivery station and sortation centre recently set out to walk from Bathgate to Dunfermline to raise money for Edinburgh Women’s Aid.
The employees set off on their 22-mile excursion from the Amazon delivery station in Bathgate and finished the walk at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline. The colleagues joined forces with the team from Amazon’s delivery station and sortation centre in Bathgate with the aim of raising £1,000 for Edinburgh Women’s Aid.
Edinburgh Women’s Aid is a non-profit organisation that offers practical and emotional support to women and young people. Its aim is to provide a safe environment for those in need of protection from abuse.
The team completed the walk in 8 hours and donated a total of £1,740 to Edinburgh Women’s Aid.
The donation from Amazon will be used to purchase safety devices, food vouchers, clothes and other necessities for those using the charity’s services.
Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “We are proud of the men and women from Amazon in Dunfermline and Bathgate who took part in the fundraising walk for Edinburgh Women’s Aid.
“It was great to see their enthusiasm for a good cause and we are grateful to have them on our team.”
Clare Cornbleet, Senior Delivery Station Manager at Amazon in Bathgate, added: “The sponsored walk for Edinburgh Women’s Aid was a fantastic achievement.
“We want to thank everyone who took part in raising money for the charity at both the Amazon delivery station in Bathgate and at the fulfilment centre in Dunfermline – they’ve helped raise money for a great organisation.”
Olivia Angus, an employee at Amazon in Dunfermline who took part in the charity walk, said: “From everyone who took part in the walk, we want to say thank you for the support from our team at Amazon in Dunfermline and our colleagues in Bathgate.
“It was great to see the team cheering us on at the finish line. Although the weather was not on our side throughout the walk, we had a great time, and it was worth it to be able to provide a donation for such a worthy cause.”
Linda Rodgers, Edinburgh Women’s Aid’s CEO, said: “The team at Edinburgh Women’s Aid would like to say a big thank you to the teams at Amazon in Dunfermline and Bathgate for taking the time to raise money for our charity.
“Well done to everyone involved; your colleagues should be so proud of your achievements.”
The donation to Edinburgh Women’s Aid was made as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities around its operating locations across the UK.
Edinburgh Women’s Aid’s, (EWA), has launched its first International Women’s Day campaign, running from the 8th – 15th March, to help raise funds for its Work 4 Women, (W4W), programme which provides survivors of domestic abuse with employability skills, with all funds raised doubled by the online match funding platform, The Big Give.
Women who have experienced domestic abuse often have specific challenges to employability. They may have been kept from developing skills by their perpetrator, their confidence may have been impacted by the abuse and their path back to work may be consistently interrupted by homelessness, legal complications or continued abuse.
In partnership with Shakti Women’s Aid, EWA provides employability support through its W4W programme that focusses on the needs of women who have survived domestic abuse to help increase their self-esteem, give them financial independence and rebuild their lives free from abuse.
The programme covers areas including CV writing, mock interviews, job search help, personal development workshops, peer support groups and through links with various businesses, provides opportunities to job shadow and internships.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is Break The Bias. The aim is to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality, which ties in with the W4W programme.
The EWA International Women’s Day campaign is designed to appeal to people to help raise funds which will enable the charity to continue running the employability programme and help more survivors of domestic abuse find work.
The Big Give, which is an online match funding platform, has confirmed it will double all funds raised throughout the campaign. For more information and to donate from the 8th – 15th March check out Empowerment through Employment (thebiggive.org.uk)
Linda Rodgers, CEO at Edinburgh Women’s Aid, said: “Our employability programme, W4W, is one of the essential services we provide for women who have experienced domestic abuse.
“It provides practical and emotional skills that can help increase their ability to attain employment and help alleviate social deprivation and make a lasting difference to their life chances and also their children’s, which is why we are appealing to people to help us raise funds so that we can continue to empower women through employment.
“We are delighted that The Big Give has guaranteed they will double all the funds we raise which will help us even more to double our impact in W4W programme.”
Over 100,000 local people benefit from more than £610,000 awarded to the region to date
Foundation Scotland, Scotland’s community foundation, has noted a significant increase in the number of funding applications submitted in the last six-months compared to the same period last year.
Since the start of the crisis the Scottish funder has received almost the same number of applications in the last 6 months as it received in the whole of last financial year. The number of Scottish charities and community groups receiving funding across all the charity’s funding programmes has grown by a staggering 92%.
The community foundation was quick to respond to the impending crisis. Their Response, Recovery & Resilience Fund launched at the end of March and was the first source of community funding to open as the coronavirus pandemic hit the country.
Working in partnership with the National Emergencies Trust (NET), a new and additional £3.6 Million has been awarded to the sector in Scotland so far. This sizable new source of funding has to date enabled over 900 organisations to deliver key services to over one million people through the crisis the length and breadth of the country.
Locally, this support has reached over 100,000 locals across Edinburgh and the Lothians. 152 projects have shared a total of £616,246 in the region to date. Local organisations such as Open Door Accommodation Project, Brock Garden Centre SCIO, Edinburgh Women’s Aid and Bikes for Refugees have all received essential support.
Edinburgh-based Street Fit Scotland received £5,000 to provide digital devices, online fitness classes and peer support sessions to 30 local people to help reduce isolation, self-harmful behaviours and suicide risk whilst supporting their mental and physical well-being.
Michelle Reilly, Founder, Street Fit Scotland, (above) said: “This life-changing award could not have come at a better time for Street Fit Scotland. Thanks to Foundation Scotland we are now able to deliver free outdoor fitness sessions in the Meadows to support the homeless community and others to re-engage back into society supporting them to get fit active and healthy.
“This is a great opportunity giving people the chance to recover from periods of isolation. All or sessions are socially distanced, and we have created the safest environment we can following all government guidance.”
Foundation Scotland distributes charitable funds on behalf of over 400 individuals, families, companies, public bodies and charitable trusts including this key partnership with NET. The foundation manages over 120 funding programmes and has distributed £100m to the third sector since its launch in 1996.
Helen Wray, Programme Manager at Foundation Scotland said: “We could see the impact that COVID was going to have and we knew we needed to move extremely quickly so that we could continue to deliver reliable financial support to groups delivering essential services across the country.
“Fortunately, our partnership with NET meant we were able to respond immediately and could open and offer new funding opportunities. At the same time, we have kept all of our other important funding streams open as normal.
“We are working relentlessly to get support to where it is needed most through this challenging time. Since April this year, we have assessed the same volume of applications as we did through the entirety of 2019.
We appreciate that funding is becoming harder to secure and demand for essential services is often higher than ever before. So we are delighted that due to an increase in funding from NET, we are able to continue to offer these essential awards to allow groups to apply for support where they need it most. We are however encouraging groups to apply as soon as they can.”
The Foundation Scotland Response, Recovery & Resilience Fund continues to offer grants of between £1,000-£5,000 to constituted community groups and registered charities.
The fund is currently in its ‘recovery’ phase supporting organisations to plan ahead, to continue their operations in the ‘new normal’, re-establish or re-design their activities to comply with new regulations.
Examples of projects include those needing support to restart face to face services, counselling groups helping those experiencing mental health issues, bereavement and domestic abuse support services and organisations needing to increase hygiene policies to safely reopen.
Foundation Scotland is eager to distribute funds quickly to communities in need and is appealing to eligible groups to apply quickly as they respond and recover from the crisis.
It’s vitally important during these unprecedented times that people know where to turn to if they feel someone is vulnerable in their communities.
We should all be following government guidance to stay at home to limit the spread of Coronavirus – however, being at home can increase tensions and affect mental health, meaning some people in our communities are more vulnerable now.
Children and adults can be at risk of harm, and some people will be experiencing financial difficulties or struggling with addiction – but help is available.
If you think a child or adult is at risk of harm, you should report your concerns so that professionals from social work, police, NHS and the voluntary sector can help.
The Council has already put in place measures to support people staying at home like support from our educational psychologists for families who may be struggling with home learning and wellbeing.
Depute Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Now more than ever in these challenging times we should all be reaching out to anyone we think may be suffering and requires support. Many people may be unaware that there’s a wide range of networks in the city for those in need.
“We’ve all heard of many amazing tales of kindness and selfless acts in Edinburgh during this pandemic. It’s so important we raise awareness among our communities of the help that is out there. So, our appeal is … please if you have concerns about someone then contact the appropriate organisation to get them support – you can make a real difference just by making that vital phone call.
“As a Council we work really closely with partner organisations like the NHS, police and voluntary sector to support the most vulnerable in our society.
“A great example is our All of Us campaign with the NSPCC which encourages people to get in touch if they’re finding it hard to look after children, a family needs some extra help or someone they know could do with more support.
“It’s vital people know who to turn to if they have concerns – don’t hesitate to make your voice heard and change people’s lives for the better.”
You can get help if you’re worried about the safety of a child, neighbour, friend or relative. Call any of these numbers or find out more about how to get in touch on our website https://t.co/Z1EyiNiLfw. If you think there’s immediate danger, call Police Scotland on 999. pic.twitter.com/2gpC72tBqa
— The City of Edinburgh Council (@Edinburgh_CC) May 9, 2020
If you’re concerned about your own safety or someone you know like a relative, friend or neighbour then you should contact Social Care Direct on socialcaredirect@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 200 2324.
If you’re concerned for the immediate safety of a child or adult, phone the police on 999.
If an adult or child needs medical attention with or without COVID-19 symptoms, phone NHS on 111 or if it’s an emergency 999.
The Amazon Customer Services Centre in Edinburgh took part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk to raise funds for Edinburgh Women’s Aid.
Thirteen members of the Amazon team walked a combined 198 miles in Edinburgh, raising over £2,220 for the charity. The Hunter Foundation added another 40% to the donation bringing the total amount raised by Amazon for Edinburgh Women’s Aid to £3,248. Continue reading Amazon Edinburgh team walks the walk for Edinburgh Women’s Aid
Green MSP Alison Johnstone has called for the findings of a report into the scandal of women being forced to live in severe and constant pain because of transvaginal mesh implants to be looked at again. The Scottish Greens’ health spokesperson says the recommendations do not give sufficient clarity to ministers, MSPs and the Scottish Mesh Survivors – the group behind the Hear Our Voice campaign.
Lothian MSP Alison Johnstone said: “The Public Petitions Committee has reflected that Professor Alison Britton’s report on the independent review will focus on the process that was followed and will not revisit the findings and recommendations of the report itself. In Dr Wael Agur’s view, a consultant urogynecologist who is playing a leading role in the review, recommending that ‘transvaginal mesh procedures must not be offered routinely’ does not give sufficient clarity. I too believe that the findings of the report must also be revisited.
“Scotland had an opportunity to show global leadership on mesh. I am, like other MSPs, extremely dismayed that the final report did not reflect that. We missed the opportunity to lead then and we let down mesh survivors in the process.
“Work to improve reporting of adverse incidents related to medical devices is more urgent than ever. The case for imposing a real suspension of all transvaginal mesh procedures is stronger than ever and I urge the Cabinet Secretary to open the Final Report of the Scottish review of mesh surgery up to public consultation.”
Ms Johnstone added: “Meeting the mesh survivors when they came to Parliament was eye-opening. No one appreciates more than the women themselves how debilitating, how life-restricting incontinence can be. While we all appreciate that surgery can never be guaranteed 100% safe or side effect free, to have such devastating outcomes in a group of patients is absolutely unacceptable.”
