A toolkit for people working with families with infants at risk of food insecurity is promoting cash first responses to allow them to safely, responsively and appropriately feed their babies and helping towards reducing the need for food banks.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and Public Health Minister Jenni Minto visited Cranhill Development Trust’s Baby and Toddler group in Glasgow yesterday to see the help on offer to families with infants who may be facing financial pressure.
They met with local families attending the group to hear about the impact of cross-Government support for families in the cost of living crisis.
Social Justice Secretary @S_A_Somerville and Public Health Minister @jenni_minto visited @CranhillDT Baby and Toddler Group to hear how cash-first responses are helping ensure no baby in Scotland is left without the food they need to grow and thrive.
Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “All children have the right to the best possible health and an adequate standard of living, which includes appropriate nutrition to meet their developmental needs. These resources are aimed at ensuring that no baby in Scotland is left without the food they need to grow and thrive.
“We continue to allocate around £3 billion each year to a range of actions which help to tackle poverty and mitigate the impacts of the cost of living crisis on households.
“We will do all we can to reduce child poverty while mitigating UK Government austerity – but we could go much further if policies made at Westminster were not actively working against us.”
Aldi donates surplus food from all its stores to local charities and foodbanks when stores close early on Christmas Eve. Aldi’s staff L-R Emily Sutton, Carla Louise Gospel and Tamara Mawson-Phipps 24/12/2022
Aldi donated 25,691 meals to those in need in Edinburgh and The Lothians over the festive period.
The supermarket paired up its stores with local charities, community groups and food banks in the area to collect unsold fresh and chilled food when stores closed their doors early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Charities that benefitted from the donations in Edinburgh and The Lothians include The Pennypit Trust, Tummies Not Trash and Winchburgh Food Store.
The food donations are part of Aldi’s successful partnership with Neighbourly, a community giving platform that links businesses to charitable organisations.
Aldi’s UK stores donate surplus food to good causes each and every day, with over 40 million meals donated to good causes since its partnership with Neighbourly began back in 2019.
Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket also worked in partnership with Company Shop Group this Christmas to provide around 2,000 meals at its Community Kitchens across the UK in the run up to Christmas.
Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said:“We are so proud to work with such amazing charity partners throughout the UK and the impact they have cannot be underestimated, especially during the winter months when their services are needed more than ever.
“We are pleased that through our partnership with both Neighbourly and Company Shop we have been able to give back to the communities we serve by providing more donations than ever this Christmas.”
Steve Butterworth, Chief Executive Officer at Neighbourly, added:“We’re pleased to have supported Aldi once again during what is often one of the busiest periods for our charities.
“Large donations like Aldi’s allow us to provide vital support to communities across the country who would otherwise miss out.”
NEW analysis by Scottish Labour has revealed that the parcels delivered by foodbanks in the City of Edinburgh has soared by 89% since 2018, with a shocking 94% rise in the number of parcels issued for children in the City of Edinburgh.
For West Lothian, there has been an increase in parcels of 81% since 2018, and a rise of 77% for parcels issued for children.
In the six months from 1 April to 30 September 2023 alone, there was a shocking 16,038 parcels distributed in the City of Edinburgh Council and 4,250 in West Lothian.
Foysol Choudhury, a Labour list MSP for Lothian, has raised concerns about the level of foodbank use and says that more urgency is needed to tackle food poverty in Edinburgh, Lothian and the rest of Scotland.
Mr Choudhury, alongside Scottish Labour, has raised concerns that the Scottish Government recently delayed the implementation of the Good Food Nations Act by half a year.
Scottish Labour also says the Scottish Government has repeatedly failed to set out a timeline for enshrining a legal Right to Food in Scots law – something Scottish Labour MSP Rhoda Grant is pursuing in a Member’s Bill.
Mr Choudhury said: “The levels of food poverty in Scotland are scandalous and the Scottish Government must act urgently.
“We should not have people in Scotland going hungry, cutting back, choosing between heating and eating or relying on foodbanks.
“I have met with so many brilliant organisations who work tirelessly to support those in food poverty-organisations like Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts and The Larder. However, they shouldn’t have to fill the gap where legislation and political leadership should be.
“We need real leadership from both of our governments – but the Tories and the SNP are both missing in action.
“The Lothian region deserves better than these two failing and out-of-touch governments – we need action at every level to tackle this shameful food poverty crisis and enshrine in law a legal Right to Food.”
Aldi is calling on local charities, community groups and foodbanks in Edinburgh to sign up now to receive surplus food donations over the festive period.
In partnership with community giving platform Neighbourly, the supermarket’s UK stores partner with good causes across the country to donate surplus food year-round.
With all Aldi stores set to close on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, the holiday season provides an opportunity for even more charities to benefit from the successful partnership.
Local charities will be paired with Aldi stores in Edinburgh this Christmas and can collect fresh and chilled food products nearing the end of their shelf-life – with the supermarket pledging to donate over a million meals over the Christmas period.
This month, Aldi hit its 40 million meals milestone since partnering with Neighbourly back in 2019.
Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said:“We know that many communities up and down the country continue to feel the impact of the rise in living costs. That’s why we are committed to ensuring that the communities we provide for always get the support they need.
“We’re proud to hit our 40 million meal milestone with Neighbourly. This is a huge achievement and motivates us to go further and supply even more meals to local charities.”
Steve Butterworth, Chief Executive Officer at Neighbourly, added:“Christmas can be a challenging time for some families, and we expect many more will depend on the services of local charities this year.
“We’re sure there are lots more groups out there that could use the extra help that businesses like Aldi provide, so we encourage them to sign up.”
Any groups that are interested in collecting unsold food at Christmas that are not currently working with Neighbourly can get in touch with them at:
Customers also have the opportunity to donate any food or household products to local causes all year round through community donation points in all Aldi stores.
The next generation of football players are set to benefit from a £3 Million programme aimed at improving clubhouse facilities as Spartans Community Foundation, home of Spartans FC at Ainslie Park, becomes the latest to receive support from Howdens and The Scottish FA.
Spartans FC was named as one of 450 lucky clubs to receive a state-of-the-art kitchen as part of the Howdens Game Changer Programme which was launched earlier this year with an aim to support grassroots football with improved clubhouse facilities, to bring local communities closer together.
Home to the Spartans Men’s, Women’s, under 20’s, National performance teams and 29 youth teams, the Foundation was chosen due to its commitment to make a difference in the local area. Under the umbrella of the Spartans family, the site also hosts the largest para-football section in Scotland, Spartans Connections.
In addition to their football development delivery, Spartans Community Foundation, the charitable arm of Spartans FC, provides free meals to everyone within their education and youth programmes.
Whilst bringing communities closer together, the pioneering programme will also play a vital role in enabling the club’s charitable arm to provide the much-needed facilities to people in North Edinburgh, so the club continues to thrive.
Daniel Gerrard, Commercial and Partnerships Manager at Spartans Community Foundation said: “Pilton in Edinburgh is home to some of the most disadvantaged areas in the UK and food poverty is still a big issue here.
“For some children, their school meal is often the main meal of the day. With our new kitchen from Howdens, we will be able to continue supporting those children when they’re not at school with our weekend FooTea, Breakfast clubs and fun-fuelled holiday clubs.
“Spartans Community Foundation not only supports football and para football teams, but the wider community too. Our motto is ‘here for good’ and we exist to make a positive impact in North Edinburgh.
“Our programme’s focus is on education, youth work, physical and mental well-being with a host of activities taking place throughout the week. The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has caused increasing demand for our services and is one of the reasons we always provide a nutritious meal at every one of our clubs.
“The new kitchen from Howdens will be a real boost, it will allow us to keep up with demand and to continue providing meals for all who need them.”
Miller Gillespie, Depot Manager, Howdens Edinburgh, added: “An important part of what we do at Howdens is aiming to make a positive impact on local communities, which is why we are delighted to be able to support Spartans Community Foundation.
“There is a lot of attention on grassroots football and what happens on the pitch, but we believe that the off-pitch facilities are just as important. Clubhouses are often the hub of the community, which is why we’re incredibly excited to see the new installation once it’s complete and how it will benefit the club.”
The installation work is due to start later this year so everyone can benefit from the brand-new kitchen this season.
The Howdens Game Changer programme was launched earlier this year by football legend Julie Fleeting, MBE, who lent her support by driving home the importance of grassroots football and clubhouse facilities on her own career.
With depots all over the country, Howdens carries one of the largest in-stock ranges in the UK across kitchens, flooring, joinery, and hardware, so that products are readily available, and projects of any size can be completed without delay.
To find out more about Howdens products visit www.howdens.com
TEmpty Kitchens Full Hearts to receive a share of £30k fund to help people facing food inequality
Barratt Developments Scotland, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, has donated £30,000 to help provide support for children and adults impacted by food inequality.
Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts, based in West Granton has provided more than 1.6 million free meals since its launch in 2020. The charity turns surplus food into nourishing meals for people that need them, reaching the most marginalised people across the city.
Emily Gifford, Fundraising Manager at Empty Kitchens Full hearts said:“This generous support from Barratt Developments Scotland will go directly towards cooking, packing, and delivering meals to people in need across Edinburgh, as well as signposting towards other relevant support services.
“At the moment, we’re working with around 700 people each week who are facing diverse challenges including poverty, short and long-term physical and mental health conditions, social isolation, unemployment, and debt. We are looking forward to working with the Foundation over the coming year to provide support to people throughout the city.”
“Charities like Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts, Launch Foods and Dundee Bairns are providing vital support to families and individuals facing food poverty during a period where food prices among costs of other everyday items are increasingly rising.
“From tackling food poverty and supporting those with cancer, we’re pleased to be able to provide some support to help these charities continue their life-changing work.”
For more information on Barratt Developments Scotland, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, visit https://www.barratthomes.co.uk/
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.”
PY Lunches are back
