Tag: foodbanks

Poverty Alliance: Politicians can avoid division and build better future for all

WITH welfare and benefits in danger of becoming a political football in the Holyrood election campaign (see today’s FMQs for starters – Ed.), Scotland’s Poverty Alliance has spoken out:

Poverty Alliance Policy & Campaigns Manager Gary Christie said: “When it comes to ending the injustice of poverty and investing in a better future, the Poverty Alliance works constructively with leaders from all political parties.

“One of the things we ask of all is that they avoid creating false division between people. Very few politicians would criticise someone for using our NHS or claiming Pension Credit. So, it’s morally wrong to point at others who use our shared social security system.

“Nearly 40% of the people on Universal Credit are in work. Nearly 1 in 3 people referred to Trussell Trust foodbanks are in working households.

“We all pay into our shared public services, and we all benefit. People who don’t pay income tax contribute every time they buy something that has VAT on it. And many people on the lowest incomes in Scotland have higher tax rates than the wealthiest in society. We are all in it together.

“Instead of risking stigmatising and hurting our friends, neighbours and fellow citizens, it would be good for politicians to look at their own responsibilities first. They have the power to move towards a Minimum Income Guarantee based on fair work, strong services, and a just social security system for all of us. These must be pursued together, not traded off against one another to score political points.

“The Scottish Child Payment is a vital building block of that future. It helps give a decent start in life to more than 300,000 of Scotland’s children.

“Rather than talking about unjustly cutting some children off from that vital help, politicians can boost the value of the payment as one important stepping stone towards the Minimum Income Guarantee.”

Aldi encourages Edinburgh shoppers to support local foodbanks ahead of colder months

As the colder months approach, Aldi is reminding shoppers in Edinburgh of the most essential items to donate to foodbanks via its in-store donation points.

A list of priority items has been created based on the demands of foodbanks, charities and community groups across the UK and includes everything from tinned food to cereals and cleaning products.

According to community giving platform Neighbourly, who works with Aldi stores to redistribute customer food donations to good causes, the demand for foodbanks can increase by nearly 30%  over the colder months.

Luke Emery, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “We know autumn and winter are busy periods for foodbanks and organisations like Neighbourly who support those in need across the UK.  

“We’re so grateful to all customers that have used our in-store donation points so far this year, and we hope this list of items will make it easy for shoppers to pick those that are most needed over the colder months.”

Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: “With many foodbanks and local charities facing increased demand in the months ahead, any extra support we can get will be vital.

“By highlighting the most needed items, we hope to make it easier for Aldi shoppers to support their local communities.”

The most in-demand items are:

  • Tinned food
  • Toiletries
  • Tea / coffee
  • Breakfast cereals
  • Juices and soft drinks
  • UHT milk
  • Laundry and cleaning products
  • Rice and pasta
  • Cooking sauces / oils / condiments
  • Pet food

Cash First toolkit published

Save the date! Friday 22nd March 2024, Norton Park Conference Centre🍓

We are pleased to announce that our new Cash First Toolkit – designed to support Community Food staff and volunteers with knowledge, skills and confidence around Cash First – has been published!

Read more here: https://bit.ly/4bIQk62📰

Join us on 22nd March to hear how Community Food staff have used the toolkit and what more we can do to support people through a cash first approach.

More details coming soon 👀

#event

#cashfirst

#edinburghfoodcharity

Edinburgh Food Project: Holiday opening hours

Our foodbanks will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 January.

Otherwise, the foodbanks will be open as usual, except for Craigmillar, which closes on Thursday 21 December, and reopens on Thursday 4 January.

Find out more: https://edinburghfoodproject.org/locations

Aldi announces emergency foodbank fund to support charities in Edinburgh and the Lothians this Christmas

Aldi is supporting local charities, foodbanks, and community groups in Edinburgh and the Lothians through its Emergency Winter Foodbank Fund this Christmas.  

The supermarket’s Emergency Winter Foodbank Fund will see it donate £250,000 to help organisations as they prepare to face heightened demand on their services.  

The fund builds on Aldi’s successful partnership with community engagement platform Neighbourly which enables all of Aldi’s 980 UK stores to donate surplus food seven days a week, all year round.  

Aldi will also be introducing new signage in stores this Christmas to help highlight to customers the most in-demand items at foodbanks, as selected by the organisations themselves.  

From early December, shoppers looking to donate to foodbanks should look out for the logo on shelves by certain items, such as baked beans, teabags and toiletries, which can then be dropped at the food donation points located by Aldi’s checkouts.  

Liz Fox, Corporate Responsibility Director at Aldi UK, said: “We know that Christmas is already a particularly challenging time for many, but this year is understandably going to be even tougher for a lot of households.  

“That’s why we’re more committed than ever to doing what we can to give back. We want to make food accessible for all and hope both our additional funding and donation drive will help to make a real difference in Edinburgh and the Lothians.”  

Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: “The cost-of-living is impacting communities up and down the country and the charities we support are expecting to see demand increase even further over the coming months.  

“Without the support of the public and businesses like Aldi we’d be unable to help those in need. Within our network there are many charities and community groups that will be able to put this funding to good use, to support families that are struggling.” 

Aldi’s latest commitment follows a recent survey of Neighbourly charities which revealed that 72% will need more food items to help with increased demand this Christmas.  

The items that were revealed to be most in-demand, and will be promoted in store to help drive donations this Christmas, included cereal, rice and pasta, tinned food and toiletries.  

Charities and community groups interested in working with Aldi should contact Neighbourly at aldi@neighbourly.com.  

Edinburgh charities boosted by Amazon team donations

Edinburgh charities Streetwork and Edinburgh Food Project have welcomed donations totalling £10,000 from Amazon Development Centre Scotland.

Streetwork, a service provided by Simon Community Scotland, has been offering care and guidance to those who are experiencing homeless or at risk of homelessness in Edinburgh for 25 years.

The charity provides expert advice and compassionate support, working to connect people to the services they need. The mission of the charity is to enable a life off the streets, showing dignity and respect to everyone.

The charity works with City of Edinburgh Council, so staff have direct links to accommodation that is available immediately. The charity also offers a 24-hour freephone line that provides information for anyone who needs it. 

Edinburgh Food Project operates eight foodbanks across the northwest, central and east of Edinburgh. The charity also offers a range of support to people including housing and benefits advice, a money advice service and a mental health and wellbeing project. 

Edinburgh Food Project’s mission is to provide emergency support to people in crisis whilst also addressing the underlying causes of food poverty. 

Commenting on the donation, Graeme Smith, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “We are pleased to support Streetwork and Edinburgh Food Project with these donations.

“We understand how difficult the last year has been for people at risk of hunger and homelessness and these charities have gone above and beyond to support the Edinburgh community.”

Lorraine McGrath, Chief Executive, with Simon Community Scotland added: “We want to say a big thank you to the Amazon team for this donation. It means a lot to us to have this support at this time.

“COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the community and the demand for our services have rocketed. This donation will give our staff and volunteers a boost so we can continue to help those experiencing the most extreme impacts of homelessness including rough sleeping in Edinburgh.”

Angus Robertson, MSP for Edinburgh Central, said: “I welcome Amazon’s donation to Streetwork and Edinburgh Food Project, two important charities making a positive impact in the city.”

Amazon Development Centre Scotland has been based in Edinburgh since 2004 and is responsible for devising and growing innovations that bring new levels of choice and convenience to hundreds of millions of customers around the world. 

It houses teams of leading engineers, scientists, designers and product managers who work on everything from interactive user interface design to large-scale distributed systems and machine learning. 

Community donations are one of a number of ways in which Amazon is supporting communities across the UK during COVID-19. 

Throughout the pandemic Amazon has provided disadvantaged students with free online STEM resources and supported virtual classrooms with no-cost resources from AWS and Amazon Future Engineer.

The company has also teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver more than four million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas around the UK.

For more information on how Amazon is supporting the UK during COVID-19, click here.

Edinburgh Food Project: Foodbanks to re-open next week

Our Foodbanks are re-opening w/c 28th June 2021

We have created a reminder of all our addresses and opening times for guidance.

We look forward to welcoming out clients back to the centre after almost 15 months of delivery!

If you require a food bank referral please contact Granton Information Centre on 0131 551 2459/0131 552 0458 or info@gic.org.uk