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Customised Doc Martens raise over £1000 in raffle for local charity Fresh Start
The Dr. Martens Edinburgh team demonstrated its ongoing support for the local art and charity scene when they attended the fifth annual Scottish Tattoo Convention recently.
The global footwear brand set-up shop alongside some of the world’s most renowned artists and entertainers at the Corn Exchange, in aid of the homelessness charity Fresh Start.
An impressive line-up of tattooists from the convention set to work in customising Dr. Martens’ product with an inked-based twist.
Making use of mixed-mediums, products were embellished with hand-drawn or painted designs as well as leather tattooing or etching, raising over £1,000 as part of a charity raffle – the proceeds from which will support people who have been homeless to resettle successfully.
Dr. Martens Edinburgh store manager, Jenni Birrell said: “After a huge success last year, we are so pleased that this year has been equally as triumphant. The team are big fans of tattoo culture – myself included – so being a part of the convention is a perfect fit.
“We selected Fresh Start as our chosen charity for the second year running because of the close work they do in helping the city’s community and it’s important to us to do our bit on a local level.”
Keith Robertson, Managing Director of Fresh Start, said: “We are delighted that Dr. Martens has chosen to support Fresh Start once again at such a well-attended international event. Each year we provide goods and support to over 2,000 of the most vulnerable households in Edinburgh and this is only possible due to the support we receive from the wider community.
“Dr. Martens’ support will enable us to help people who are moving into an empty tenancy with the goods they need to make their house a home.”
FRESH START, the Pilton-based charity that helps people who have been homeless get established in their new home, has been announced as Lothian Buses’ Charity of the Year for 2015.
Throughout 2015, Lothian Buses and Fresh Start will work together on a number of projects including a special bus wrap advertising the work the charity do, visits for the charity’s families to the bus depots, fundraising through staff events and the opportunity for the company’s 2000+ staff to volunteer with the charity.
Tony Depledge, Chair of Lothian Buses said: “Supporting a local charity every year is really important to us. This year we decided to choose a charity that was significantly different to previous years and Fresh Start is exactly that.
“Homelessness can affect anyone and its great that we can highlight the important work that they do.
“We look forward to working with the Fresh Start team over the course of 2015, helping to raise the profile of the charity in our local community whilst having fun raising funds for this fantastic cause.”
Since 2012, Lothian Buses has appointed a Charity of the Year in order to help the organisation benefit from focused fundraising and awareness activities. The Yard, another project based in North Edinburgh, was Lothian Buses’ chosen charity last year and previous recipients include It’s Good 2 Give and Lothian Austistic Society.
Keith Robertson, Fresh Start’s Managing Director said: “This is a great opportunity for us. For a local charity like ours working in the Edinburgh & Lothian area, it will raise awareness of what we do and what homelessness means. Being homeless can have a devastating effect on families and individuals. They lose not only their belongings, but their confidence and self-esteem. We help them to settle in their new home and back into the community. This partnership with Lothian Buses will enable us to reach more people than ever before.”
For more information visit:
http://www.freshstartweb.org.uk
North Edinburgh based community project Fresh Start has received £2,000 from the STV Appeal 2014.
Based on Ferry Road Drive, Fresh Start is an Edinburgh charity that helps people who have been homeless by providing starter packs of essential household items. For many people who have been homeless and have lost everything, the packs provide a real lifeline in the early days of a new tenancy. Last year the charity created 10,973 packs to help over 2000 new households, helping to make a huge difference to the quality of people’s lives in their new home. The grant from the STV Appeal will be used to help Fresh Start increase the number of packs it produces and delivers in 2015.
Keith Robertson, managing director at Fresh Start, said: “These packs help to relieve the financial burden and initial stress that many new tenants face, especially when providing for households with children.”
Sir Tom Hunter, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “Yet again the people of Scotland have cast their vote – end child poverty. Through the STV Appeal we are attempting to deliver sustainable solutions to do just that. It is simply unacceptable in modern Scotland to still have young people debilitated by poverty, through this project and many more the people of Scotland are doing their level best to combat poverty.”
This year’s STV Appeal is now well underway with an exciting line-up of fundraising activities planned for 2015.
More than 115 organisations to benefit from Enterprise Ready Fund
Grants totalling £6 million have been awarded to over 115 enterprising third sector organisations, Finance Secretary John Swinney confirmed yesterday. Mr Swinney said that an enterprising third sector is ‘vital’ to Scotland’s future.
Fresh Start, Edinburgh Cyrenians Trust, MY Adventure and The Spartans Community Football Academy (pictured above) are among the Edinburgh organisations to benefit from Enterprise Ready funding (see below for full list of awardees).
The Enterprise Ready Fund fund provides continued support to enterprising third sector organisations across Scotland, building on the Scottish Government’s commitment to promote a sustainable, capable and enterprising third sector.
Mr Swinney said: “We had a great response to the Enterprise Ready Fund and I would like to congratulate all organisations that have been successful in securing grants.
“Each and every one of the recipients are working in their own unique way to become more self-sufficient but more importantly for me, they are creating change at a local level. We can look forward to a future where these organisations play a full role in public service reform.
“We strongly believe that an enterprising third sector is vital to our economy, to civic society and in the creation of a fairer and more inclusive Scotland. That is why we have invested heavily to help the sector develop further.
“Organisations like Move On which operates across Scotland to deliver a range of support and advice services to those affected by or at risk of homelessness are excellent examples of how the sector is helping to create a fairer and more inclusive Scotland. This investment will help them deliver important services and opportunities to people across the country.”
Foundation Scotland’s Chief Executive Giles Ruck said: “We were encouraged by the high volume of applications received and are delighted that the fund is supporting such a variety of enterprising third sector organisations. We look forward with great anticipation to seeing the difference these awards will make in communities throughout Scotland.”
Foundation Scotland (FS) is Scotland’s busiest grant maker, making more awards to charity than any other independent funder. Each year FS clients make over 2,000 payments to charities and community organisations, about a third of which are to organisations recommended by FS.
FS supports a wide range of charities, voluntary community groups and sports clubs, giving clients a great range of causes to donate to and enabling FS to reach a wide range of community activity across Scotland.
A broad spectrum of local projects have received support through Foundation Scotland – from small grants to Pilton Community Gardeners, North West Carers Centre and Davidsons Mains & District Children’s Pipe Band through t0 a £30,000 grant to Pilton Community Health Project to contribute to the cost of a Women Supporting Women development worker. In all, 34 Edinburgh-based charities, community organisations and sports clubs received funding through Foundation Scotland.
For full details of grants awarded (1 July 2013 – 30 June 2014) see below
North Edinburgh’s MY Adventure and Fresh Start are among eight Edinburgh-based third sector projects to receive a share of £2.1m enterprise funding, it was announced today.
Enterprising third sector organisations will benefit from a further £2.1 million in grants to help them deliver services to vulnerable people in communities across Scotland. The cash, spread between 28 organisations, will be awarded through the Enterprise Ready Fund.
Finance Secretary John Swinney and Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess visited Dalry Primary School, to see first hand the work of My Adventure (Edinburgh) Ltd, one of the projects to receive a finance boost through the fund.
Mr Swinney said: “I would like to congratulate all the 28 organisations that have been successful in securing their share of the £2.1 million made available through the latest Enterprise Ready Fund round of awards.
“Each and every one of the recipients are working in their own unique way to become more self-sufficient but more importantly for me, they are creating change at a local level.
“These organisations are excellent examples of how the sector is helping to create a fairer and more inclusive Scotland. This investment will help them deliver important services and opportunities to people across the country.
“My Adventure (Edinburgh) Ltd is a great example of an organisation providing training and employment opportunities to young people who are struggling to find work.
“We are working hard to address these employment challenges for young people through our Opportunities for All, which guarantees everyone aged between 16 and 19 is offered a place in training or education. We have also created thousands of additional Modern Apprenticeship places bringing our total target to 30,000 every year by 2020.”
The Enterprise Ready Fund gives priority to applications that mitigate the effects of welfare reform in Scotland.
Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess said: “For My Adventure (Edinburgh) Ltd this award will give them the opportunity to expand their service and increase their engagement.
“While we are already doing so much to mitigate the effects of welfare reform in Scotland, with independence, a welfare system aligned to our education system can address child poverty and educational under-achievement.
“We want to develop a society that not only provides fair support and decent opportunities for all but also protects the vulnerable in our society. The only way to guarantee that is to have possession of the powers to deliver it.”
The fund is being delivered by a consortium of third sector organisations led by Foundation Scotland in partnership with Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEiS), Developing Strathclyde Ltd (DSL) and Social Value Lab.
Foundation Scotland’s Chief Executive Giles Ruck said: “We have been impressed with the wide range and quality of applications we have received so far, which showcase the innovative ways organisations plan to use their awards to make a real difference to the people and communities they serve.
“I would like to encourage new or developing third sector organisations who are considering applying to the Enterprise Ready Fund to do so before the final closing date of 16th of June.”
Case study: My Adventure (Edinburgh) Ltd
My Adventure (Edinburgh) Ltd provides sustainable short and long term personal development, training and employment opportunities for young people disadvantaged in the labour market. This may be through a combination of factors such as poor literacy skills, a history of anti-social behaviour, limited or no qualifications, or physical or mental health issues.
The organisation works with individuals to train and recruit them to deliver My Adventure’s range of commercial activities, for example climbing, cycling, coasteering, camping and equipment hire.
My Adventure (Edinburgh) Ltd has two full-time staff, three part-time staff, five sessional workers and two volunteers. The organisation will use the Enterprise Ready Fund award of £48,716 to expand its services within the corporate market. It will enable the organisation to purchase a minibus, and recruit a new member of staff who will focus on securing new corporate contracts.
It is expected that the investment will increase engagement and participation by up to 100 young people. The experience, confidence and skills gained by them will improve their chances of gaining long term employment, and improve the sustainability of the organisation, making it less reliant on grant funding in the future.
Jonny Kinross from My Adventure (Edinburgh) Ltd said: “This ERF grant will help ensure the sustainability and growth of My Adventure. By investing in a specific Corporate Sales and Marketing Manager we will be able to forge links with new customers, deliver fantastic opportunities to our clients and most importantly, drive our social impact forward – creating more training and job opportunities for young people.
“This investment will change the lives of 12 young people, who were furthest from the labour market when they joined our team and enable them to deliver activities locally to in excess of 100 children and young people as well as become confident enough to deliver to the corporate sector.
“By investing in social enterprise the Scottish Government is not just ensuring we meet these outcomes this year but will ensure we benefit the people of Muirhouse for years to come.”
The full list of Enterprise Ready Fund awards (Orgamisation, amount and local authority area) announced today:
Almond Valley Heritage Trust £103,772 West Lothian
Atholl Baptist Centre Ltd £117,343 Perth & Kinross
Canongate Youth Project £53,122 City of Edinburgh
Carrick Centre £32,439 South Ayrshire
Community Enterprise £138,632 West Lothian
Community Food Initiatives North East £144,691 Aberdeen City
COPE Ltd £112,312 Shetland Islands
Crossroads (Fife Central) Care Attendant Scheme £64,714 Fife
Footprints Connect £47,900 Aberdeen City
Forth Sector £250,000 City of Edinburgh
Forth Valley Social Enterprises £48,966 Forth Valley
Freespace £79,782 City of Edinburgh
Fresh Start (Scotland) £65,965 City of Edinburgh
Glasgow Watersports £47,374 Glasgow
LINKnet Mentoring £37,250 City of Edinburgh
Livingston Credit Union £33,940 West Lothian
Locavore £50,000 Glasgow
Maryhill Mobile Creche £73,931 Glasgow
My Adventure (Edinburgh) Ltd £48,716 City of Edinburgh
New Caledonian Woodlands £76,110 City of Edinburgh
Promoters Art Network £50,000 Highland
Senscot Legal £54,250 City of Edinburgh
Skidaddle £50,000 Stirling
Social Enterprise in East Lothian £99,376 East Lothian
Spruce Carpets £88,550 Glasgow
Theatre Nemo £47,061 Glasgow
Twechar Community Action £32,469 East Dunbartonshire
Whiteinch Centre Ltd £88,280 Glasgow
Further information and full details of the Enterprise Ready Fund can be found at: http://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/grants-and-funding-for-organisations/what-grants-are-available/enterprise-ready-fund.aspx
Take strides for homelessness in Fresh Start charity fundraiser
Brush off your walking boots and take strides to raise money to help people who have been homeless in Edinburgh settle into their new homes.
Fresh Start, the Ferry Road Drive-based charity supporting people to make a home their own after a period of homelessness, is holding its annual sponsored walk on May 30.
The charity hopes to raise more than last year’s total – £7,200 – when its band of fundraisers walk eight miles through some of the most picturesque parts of Edinburgh.
And there is still time to dust off your walking boots and sign up to take part in the fundraiser.
The walk will start from the Jubilee Gardens in Stockbridge at 10am and finish at the charity’s base at Harrison Place where lunch will be served for the hungry walkers. On the way, participants will take in the sights of the Water of Leith, Union Canal and Harrison Park.
Keith Robertson, Fresh Start’s Managing Director, said: “Each year we manage to smash our previous years fundraising target and we hope that 2014’s sponsored walk will be no different. You don’t need to be an expert walker and you can take your time on what will hopefully be a lovely sunny day.”
He added: “All the money raised will help us to continue our vital work in supporting families and individuals who have been homeless to make their new house into a home.”
Fresh Start supports people in their new homes after a period of homelessness. The charity provides goods through its Starter Packs, which include basics to survive (bedding, curtains, crockery, etc). and practical support through its ‘Hit Squad’ service, where volunteers help people to decorate their new houses, tackling vulnerability and isolation.
Most recently, Fresh Start opened the doors to its ‘Food Station’ which is tackling health inequalities by giving access to refurbished cookers, running cooking classes, and distributing food packs and budgeting advice.
To register for the walk, call Fresh Start on 0131 476 7741 or email reception@freshstartweb.co.uk
A local resettlement charity is looking for enthusiastic people to join its band of volunteers. Ferry Road Drive-based Fresh Start, which helps people previously homeless make a home for themselves, urgently needs people to join its Hit Squad and Gardening teams.
Keith Robertson, Managing Director at Fresh Start (pictured above with volunteer Caroline) said: “You don’t need to be an expert gardener or decorator – we are just looking for people with some basic skills who can work as part of a team and support vulnerable people to get back on their feet.”
Hit Squads work alongside new tenants to help them decorate their new house. Volunteers help prepare the rooms for decorating including cleaning, sanding, lining walls and painting the whole room. Last year 120 clients received support to decorate their new home through the Hit Squad service.
But while Hit Squads work alongside new tenants to help them decorate their new house, it is more than just a decorating service. Not only does it improve a client’s living space but also teaches new skills to help them establish and maintain a home and it also benefits people through positive social contact, helping to combat vulnerability and isolation
The charity is also looking for people to volunteer in its allotment where food grown such as vegetables, herbs and potatoes will be used in cookery classes at Fresh Start’s Food Station.
The Food Station service aims to tackle health inequalities amongst people who have been homeless by giving access to refurbished cookers, cooking classes, food packs and budgeting advice.
Keith Robertson added: “Both these projects are fundamental to Fresh Start’s work helping to combat vulnerability and isolation often experienced during periods of homelessness. Hit Squads support people to learn new skills that will enable them to maintain their home, while our cookery classes and gardening projects help people to learn basic cooking skills as well as enjoy being outdoors in the garden.”
To find out more about volunteering:
visit http://bit.ly/freshstartvolunteer
call Fresh Start on 0131 476 7741
or email enquiries@freshstartweb.org.uk
Local homeless resettlement charity, Fresh Start has received £2,000 from the STV Appeal 2013.
Ferry Road Drive-based Fresh Start works in partnership with churches, local communities and volunteers in Edinburgh to create, develop and provide services that support the resettlement of people who have been homeless. The charity helps them get a fresh start by providing essential household goods, practical and social support and training opportunities.
The STV Appeal funding will be used to help expand the charity’s flagship Starter Pack service, which provides the basics for new households. Last year, Fresh Start made up and distributed nearly 8,800 Starter Packs, helping families and individuals turn their empty houses into a home. This year the charity hopes to distribute 10,000, including the newly launched Food Packs.
The STV Appeal was set up in 2011 by STV and The Hunter Foundation and in 2013 the Wood Family Trust pledged its support to the Appeal. Now in its third year, the STV Appeal has raised a total of £5.8million which has been invested in 163 big and small community projects across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, helping over 18,000 children. Every penny raised stays in Scotland and goes directly towards helping the children who need it most.
One in five children across Scotland live in poverty – and for some communities that figure is even worse. In parts of the country every second family is living in poverty meaning that in every community there will be a family struggling to feed its kids, a family struggling to clothe them in the winter, a family struggling just to make ends meet. The STV Appeal works in communities all over Scotland helping those young people and giving them the same opportunity that other children take for granted. Working at a local level, the STV Appeal has helped projects in every local authority.
Keith Robertson, Managing Director of Fresh Start, said: “Moving into a new home, especially after being homeless, can bring many financial burdens. Our Starter Packs aim to reduce this burden and give people the essentials they need to settle in to their new homes. They provide the basics for new households to survive, for example bedding to keep warm at night, curtains to close the world out, crockery to eat your dinner on.”
Rob Woodward, STV CEO and trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The third year of the STV Appeal has been our most successful yet. With the help of our generous supporters and fantastic fundraising efforts taking place right across Scotland we have now raised over £5.8m. The money donated to the STV Appeal stays right here in Scotland and will help make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable children and young people on our doorstep.”
Sir Tom Hunter, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The STV Appeal is for Scotland by Scotland’s people who truly have stepped up to support our work in trying to beat the horror that is child poverty here in Scotland. This is a long haul but at the end of the day we can and we will eradicate the impacts poverty has on Scotland’s young people. Every single penny we raise goes directly to tackling the issue of child poverty across all of Scotland something I’m really proud of.”
Sir Ian Wood, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “This is the Wood Family Trust’s first year of involvement with the STV Appeal to help tackle the issue of child poverty in Scotland. We are delighted to be part of the fundraising endeavours of so many, which have enabled the distribution of such significant financial support to local projects in our own communities. We are optimistic that with the generous total raised by supporters of the STV Appeal, combined with the on-going hard work and dedication seen in communities across Scotland, the lives of children and young people affected by poverty in Scotland can, and will, be changed for the better.”
STV Appeal trustee Lorraine Kelly presenting The Big Live
