Tag: funding

Funding support for Scotland’s social entrepreneurs

THIRTEEN social entrepreneurs from across Scotland have secured a share of £160,000 to start and grow their social enterprises.

Start It and Build It awards are part of the Scottish Government’s Social Entrepreneurs Fund, delivered by Firstport, supporting individuals who are focussed on piloting and expanding new business ideas that tackle social and environmental issues.

Parenthood is a common theme in this latest round of start-up funding. Of the 13 entrepreneurs funded, three are focussed on supporting parents in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

With the impacts of COVID 19 still having a significant impact on individuals’ health and wellbeing, two of these enterprises, Spilt Milk CIC and Neighbourhood Postpartum, are focussed on improving the wellbeing of parents. The third, Wee Chance, is making sustainable baby and toddler clothing more accessible to families.

Based in Edinburgh, Lauren McLaughlin aims to grow her enterprise Spilt Milk Gallery CIC and support even more families in 2022. The social enterprise focuses on using arts and community workshops to improve mums’ mental wellbeing, through companionship and artistic expression.

They specialise in helping mums grow their artist opportunities, through access to workshops and an exhibition space.

Lauren McLaughlin, Founder of Spilt Milk Gallery CIC, said: “I am absolutely delighted to receive the Build It Award at such a pivotal time for our organisation.

“With growing concern over the effects of the pandemic on maternal mental health, I’m grateful that we can continue to provide the platform for mothers’ voices to be heard and their experiences valued.

“I’m very excited about the future of Spilt Milk, and with new permanent premises to operate from, I can see us going from strength to strength over the next few years.”

On the other side of the city, Laura Kerr has secured funding to start up her social enterprise ‘Wee Chance’ in North Edinburgh.

Wee Chance’s mission is to make sustainable baby and toddler clothing more accessible to families. They aim to do this by starting a free clothing donation and pick up service to promote a more circular marketplace and will provide education on the environmental impact of fast fashion alongside.

Laura Kerr, founder of Wee Chance, said: “The funding from Firstport will help us source more sustainable clothing, advertise our services, and build the Wee Chance brand, increasing our positive environmental impact and supporting our longer-term community goals”.

In the southside of Glasgow Jennifer Block is starting up Neighbourhood Postpartum, a drop-in support group for people who have recently given birth. Neighbourhood Postpartum will run welcoming and non-judgemental sessions for people to share their postpartum experiences, connect with others and ask any questions about parenthood they may have.

Run by experienced postpartum doulas – individuals specifically trained to support parents, children, and families – the sessions are designed to provide the local parent community with support and companionship.

Jenny Block, co-founder of Neighbourhood Postpartum, said: “Our hope is to reduce the isolation and confusion often experienced by postpartum people, replacing those feelings with a sense of nourishment and community.

“Our goal is not to tell new parents how to do things, our goal is to create an environment where they gain the confidence to do things their way. Thanks to Firstport, we can secure a bright, warm, and accessible space in a prime location for a year and promote the group to the local community. We are so excited to get started and serve these beautiful new families!”

Josiah Lockhart, Group Chief Executive of Firstport said: “With the pandemic still having an impact on our day to day lives, it is encouraging to see the continual growth and development of social enterprises across the sector.

“This latest round of funding highlights the importance of social entrepreneurs in building stronger communities across Scotland. In particular, the focus of these three enterprises to support parents and families is extremely exciting.”

£21 million for culture and events

Additional funds for organisations and freelancers

A £21 million support package to support cultural and events organisations and freelancers experiencing cancellations due to the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant has been announced.

This is to help manage the significant impact of the new guidelines around social distancing and the limitations on the number of people who can attend events.

The £21 million is from the £100 million package announced by the Scottish Government last week to compensate businesses affected by events cancellations and includes an additional £1 million from existing events sector funds.

The funds will be allocated as follows:

  • £10.2 million for cultural organisations and venues to be administered by Creative Scotland
  • £2.8 million towards the wider events supply chain to be administered by EventScotland.
  • £8 million for the Cancellation Fund for Creative Freelancers to be administered by Creative Scotland.

Creative freelancers can apply for between £500 and £2,000 from the cancellation fund which opens at 2pm on Thursday, 6 January 2022.

Details on who is eligible for the fund and how to apply will be available on Creative Scotland’s website this afternoon.

More information and guidelines on the other funds administered by Creative Scotland and EventScotland will be published in early January.

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Culture and events continue to be among the sectors hardest hit by COVID-19 as the emergence of a new variant is once again causing disruption and uncertainty.

“The steps we’re asking the public to take to minimise the spread of the virus are having a severe financial impact on the sector at a time when they were just beginning to recover from previous waves of the coronavirus.

“In the past few weeks, both myself and Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth have been speaking to freelancers and representatives from culture and events organisations to ensure they get immediate support to meet their needs.

“This £21 million in additional funding is vital to support culture and events organisations and protect the livelihoods of the people who work in the sector.”

Iain Munro, CEO, Creative Scotland said: “This additional emergency funding for Scotland’s culture sector is very welcome.   

“This afternoon, we’ll publish guidance about the first tranche for creative freelancers who’re experiencing immediate financial hardship due to the loss of income because of cancellations and deferrals caused by the pandemic. 

“Applications will open on Thursday 6 January, and will be followed by further details of how and when to apply for the emergency support for organisations. 

“The Covid-19 rollercoaster seems never ending but we will work hard with the sector to pull together again and overcome the challenges that this new wave of the pandemic presents to ensure we are able to gather in cultural spaces to enjoy Scotland’s rich, diverse and world-renowned art and creativity, and to celebrate all that they bring to our lives, in so many different ways.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland Director of Events said: “The additional £2.8m in emergency funding for Scotland’s events sector is welcome news as it deals with the latest challenges presented by the Omicron variant.

“EventScotland will work with the Scottish Government and the Event Industry Advisory Group (EIAG) to determine the best way of distributing the funding to ensure we get support to those in need, and will share further details on this in the new year. We will also work with them to look at future funding programmes to ensure the industry can return and rebuild when the time is right.” 

EVOC: Edinburgh Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is now open

EVOC is delighted to announce that this Fund is now open to expressions of interest. 

Expressions of Interest I Get Involved I Key Documents I Funding Overview

We’ve had a busy November, discussing this funding with as many people as we can.

To try to make it more accessible, instead of long application forms we’re asking you to fill in a few key details setting out what you think your organisation or group can do to meet the needs of communities in Edinburgh. Please also tell us what support you might find helpful.

These expressions of interest will be publicly available for others to see on our website from mid-December, so do check back in a week or two. We hope this open process will stimulate partnerships and ideas.

Expressions of Interest
All expressions of interest need to be submitted using this online form, but we’ve also created a word version of the form to help you draft your application. 

The closing date for expressions of interest is Fri 14 Jan 2022.

For details of the process after this point please see the Partnership Plan.

Other Ways to Get Involved
If you don’t plan to apply to the fund, but would like to be involved in the process – e.g. as part of the decision-making collaborative – we would really welcome this and can discuss funding for your time where appropriate.

Please get in touch: funding@evoc.org.uk

Key Documents & Links

Fund Overview

  • £1.255 million has been allocated to Edinburgh to support Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing, for those aged 16 and above.
  • The fund is to support mental health and wellbeing at a small scale, grassroots, community level. It can be used to increase capacity for existing groups and projects or for new initiatives.
  • Groups do not have to have mental health and wellbeing as their main focus, but there needs to be a clear benefit to the mental wellbeing of people in their community.
  • Initiatives with a focus on addressing mental health inequalities by supporting those who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic will be prioritised, particularly those supporting communities experiencing multiple forms of marginalisation.

£30 million to support more face-to-face GP appointments

The Scottish Government is to provide funding of £30 million to support GP practices to continue providing a high level of care to patients through winter and into next year.

The funding will help with the provision of existing GP services, including:

  • supporting more face-to-face appointments
  • extra GP sessions, practice nurse time and non-core hours covering all appointments
  • more administrative time and practice manager time
  • organised cover for reflection, learning and innovation
  • external GP locum sessions

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The contribution general practice makes to the health and wellbeing of communities, through continuity of care and meaningful relationships with patients, is invaluable.

“We recognise that, as face-to-face appointments have resumed and demand is increasing, surgeries are working overtime to meet patient needs.

“This support package will allow practices to target investment where it is most required to sustain the high levels of care they have always provided through what is likely to be the most challenging period in the history of the NHS.”

Chair of the BMA’s Scottish GP Committee Dr Andrew Buist said: “BMA Scotland has consistently sought a greater level of support for GPs and we are pleased that the Scottish Government has listened and taken this step in the face of the huge challenges of this winter and beyond.

“With demand continuing to outstrip capacity, this will help support practices in the coming months and plug some of the gaps caused by difficulties in recruiting to practice teams.

“It is particularly good GPs have flexibility to focus funding on what will make the most difference to their practice and their patients. As we look ahead to next year and the ongoing threat to the sustainability of practices, this is a welcome addition we have secured in negotiation with the Government.”

The support package will be given in two instalments of £15 million, in December 2021 and April 2022.

£430,000 funding boost for Scotland’s Winter Festivals

Scotland’s Winter Festivals celebrating St Andrew’s Day, Hogmanay and Burns Night are to share in up to £430,000 in Scottish Government funding.

As Scotland’s national day approaches, the funding will help support up to 100 individual events running from 26 November to 30 November as part of the St Andrew’s Day celebrations.

These include the St Andrew’s Fair Saturday programme and a range of community events organised by BEMIS Scotland – the national umbrella body supporting the development of the Ethnic Minorities Voluntary Sector.

EventScotland-supported St Andrew’s Day events include the SEALL Festival of Small Halls across the Isles of Skye, Raasay and Lochalsh.

The theme of the celebrations this year is kindness and consideration for others and the programme features concerts, poetry readings, ceilidhs, torchlight parades and a Diversity Cup football tournament.

The Scottish Government has also extended support to EventScotland’s Hogmanay celebrations in Stirling, Portree, Edinburgh and Stromness and their programme of events to mark Scotland’s most famous poet, Robert Burns, with Burns&Beyond and the Big Burns Supper in January 2022.

Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “Scotland’s Winter Festivals bring a much-needed brightness and joy to the winter darkness and I’m very pleased that the Scottish Government is contributing up to £430,000 to the programme of events.

“The past year has been challenging for everyone so the government is proud to fund a programme of events that bring people together from near and far to showcase our world-class culture and heritage as well as our values of fairness, kindness, inclusivity and empowerment.”

For more information visit: www.onescotland.org/st-andrews-day

National Mission funding for community project

Charity will increase support for drug users in recovery

Bluevale Community Club in Glasgow has been awarded almost £100,000 to enable them to continue with their recovery and wellbeing services, helping their work in the community and with people in recovery from problematic substance use.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will confirm the funding over the next two years during a visit to their recovery club which opened earlier this year.

The First Minister will also visit the community club’s sports facilities which offer a range of activities for young people and adults including boxing, personal training and strength endurance classes which focus on improving the mental and physical health of members.

She will be joined on the visit by Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross.

The First Minister said: “The work being done by Bluevale Community Club in their local area helping people to live healthier lifestyles through their activity classes and recovery drop-ins is fantastic. It is an excellent example of how sustained, meaningful activities and supportive social networks are key to building stronger communities.

“The funding of almost £100,000 will help them focus on expanding these services further and give employment to young people who have given their time free until now.

“The rights of individuals to access effective treatment and support underpins our national drugs strategy. But we know there is more to do to make these rights a reality which is why we launched the National Mission backed by an additional £250m over the next five years to improve and increase access to services for people affected by drug addiction – including an investment of £100m on residential rehabilitation.

“We are determined that every penny of that will make a difference to all those affected by this public health emergency.”

Bluevale Founder and Project Manager Kenny Trainer said: “We welcome the visit by the First Minister and Douglas Ross to see first-hand not only what we are trying to achieve here at Bluevale Community Club but also meet the people who remind us daily why we do it.

“We have run our club on a voluntary basis and welcome the investment from the Scottish Government that will allow us to employ two part time members of staff, allowing us to focus more on developing a whole community response to recovery. Prior to this funding we were unsure if we would last beyond Christmas. We will continue to look at further alternatives to meet the additional shortfall in meeting our charity’s mission and ambition. 

“We now ask that all parties, and both governments, put their political differences aside and agree on how we can tackle Scotland’s problems not just at a national level, but locally – ensuring that any investment reaches the heart of our communities where it will make the biggest impact.

“We have seen too many friends and family members die while seeking access to the help they needed and that’s why we back any rights-based approach when it comes to drug treatment – one based on holding decision makers to account where necessary.”

UK funding to support developing cities and regions transition to net zero by 2050

Backed with £27.5 million of UK government funding, the Urban Climate Action programme will support cities across Africa, Asia and Latin America to tackle climate change.

  • A new multi-million UK Urban Climate Action Programme launched today to help developing cities reduce their emissions and grow sustainably
  • UK as COP26 Presidency calls on cities and regions across the world to commit to net zero emissions by 2050
  • decarbonising the world’s urban buildings, which are responsible for around 40% of global emissions, crucial in combating climate change

The UK government has launched the new Urban Climate Action programme (UCAP) to support the cities and regions in developing countries most impacted by climate change to accelerate their transition to net zero.

Backed with £27.5 million of new UK government funding as part of the UK’s International Climate Finance commitment, the programme will support cities across Africa, Asia and Latin America to take action to tackle climate change and create a sustainable future, by helping them to become carbon neutral by 2050 and prepare low-carbon infrastructure projects.

The programme will help cities like Nairobi, Kuala Lumpur, and Bogotá develop low-emission public transport systems, renewable energy generation, sustainable waste management, new climate-smart buildings codes and climate risk planning.

To date over 1,000 cities and regions across the world – over a fifth of the global urban population – have committed to slashing their emissions to net zero by 2050.

On Thurday, as part of the UN COP26 climate summit’s Cities, Regions and Built Environment Day in Glasgow, the UK called on cities yet to make commitments to step up and set a net zero target that will help protect the places where people live and work, future proofing the world for future generations.

Business and Energy Minister Lord Callanan said: “From our homes and workplaces to our towns and cities, the buildings we live in are a fundamental part of our daily lives, but also a significant source of global emissions.

“That’s why at COP26 today we are calling on cities, regions, governments and businesses to seize the moment and set bold net-zero targets as we work together as a global community to end our contribution to climate change.”

The world’s urban buildings, including homes, workplaces, schools and hospitals, are responsible for around 40% of global carbon emissions. By 2050, 1.6 billion people living in cities will be regularly exposed to extremely high temperatures and over 800 million people living in cities across the world will be vulnerable to sea level rises and coastal flooding. Accelerating the transition to net zero emissions for the world’s cities will therefore be vital to achieving the goal of keeping global warming to close to 1.5 degrees.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Hands said: “By 2050 urban areas will be home to two thirds of the world population, with the speed and scale of urbanisation set to lock in high-carbon infrastructure and inequality if we do not act now.

“The UK’s new programme will provide invaluable support to cities across Africa, Asia and Latin America to help them grow sustainably, and make them resilient to climate risks, securing a greener future for generations to come.”

Joy Belmonte, Mayor of Quezon City, one of the cities that will be supported through UCAP said: “Quezon City’s Enhanced Local Climate Action Plan was successfully developed with the support of the UK government.

“With the assistance of the C40 Cities Finance Facility, the city is also pioneering the deployment of solar PV on public schools and on critical public healthcare facilities, contributing to a green and just recovery.

“We are immensely looking forward to continuing our fruitful partnership with C40 to implement Quezon City’s Climate Action Plan as a matter of urgency, continuing the journey together with the support of the UK government.”

C40 Chair and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said: “This is the single most important decade for climate action, and every commitment we make to boost our ambition needs to be backed with the resources to make it possible.

“This new funding agreement from the UK government will put policy into practice for our boldest climate goals – from cleaning the air and creating new economic opportunities for our residents to improving access to sustainable solutions for cities most impacted by the climate crisis.”

UCAP will follow on from the flagship Climate Leadership in Cities programme, which was funded by the UK and successfully supported megacities in Latin America and Asia to develop ambitious climate action plans consistent with the Paris Agreement – including developing pathways to net zero by 2050 and committing to ambitious interim targets by 2030 to keep 1.5 degrees within reach.

As the first major economy to legislate to end its contribution to climate change by 2050, the UK is already taking action to tackle emissions from the built environment sector.

As heating for homes and workspaces makes up almost a third of all UK carbon emissions, reducing these emissions is key to achieving the goal of net zero by 2050.

Through the recent heat and buildings and net zero strategies, the UK government has set out how the UK will deploy the low-carbon technology needed to decarbonise homes, workplaces and public spaces.

To address emissions from the wider built environment, the UK government is investing £3.9 billion through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the Home Upgrade Grant scheme, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Heat Network Transformation Programme.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Minister Eddie Hughes said: “Net zero provides a real opportunity as we level up across the UK – delivering new green jobs and skills and boosting local economic growth.

“Many local areas are already taking action and we continue to work very closely with them to meet our climate change commitments.

“We are also taking action to cut the CO2 emissions of all new build homes by at least 75% from 2025 under the Future Homes Standard, and by 31% through an improvement in building standards later this year.”

The transition to net zero will drive levelling up across the country while supporting communities towards a greener future – providing opportunities for economic growth and delivering new green jobs for local people.

Many local areas are already taking strong action on climate change, including:

  • the Gateshead District Energy Scheme, a renewable heat network for up to 1,250 new homes, backed by £5.9 million government funding
  • Suffolk County Council has set out plans to build new walking and cycling infrastructure, work with industry in Suffolk to utilise innovative waste heat technology, and deliver a public education campaign on the climate emergency to change behaviour

The government is supporting councils to reduce local carbon emissions and take advantage of the opportunities created, including through the Local Net Zero Programme. Almost £22 million has been invested in the programme to date for local places to build capacity and capability to deliver on net zero. A Local Net Zero Forum will also be established to bring together national and local government policymakers on a regular basis.

Hearts back charity call to UK Goverment for £50 million

Heart of Midlothian FC is showing its support for 21/22 front of shirt partner, MND Scotland, by joining a call to the UK Government to invest £50 million into motor neurone disease (MND) research.

The Club proudly launched its new home kit for the 2021/22 season in July, with charity MND Scotland taking pride of place on the front of the jersey, thanks to an innovative two-year sponsorship deal with Dell Technologies.

Over the past year, the Club and its supporters have undertaken several fundraising activities as a tribute to former captain, Marius Zaliukas, who tragically lost his fight to MND in 2020.

Now, the Heart of Midlothian players are standing with MND Scotland, to urge the UK Government to invest£50 million over five years into targeted MND research.

The United to End MND campaign is being led by a coalition which includes MND Scotland, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, the MND Association, people living with MND, and neurologists from across the UK.

Currently the UK Government’s funding for targeted MND research stands at less than £5 million a year, which the coalition says is not enough. £50 million from the UK Government over five years would fund a virtual institute for MND Research, providing the infrastructure needed for accelerating treatments for MND.

Just last month the coalition delivered a personal letter from people living with MND to 10 Downing Street, which stated ‘MND is a death sentence’ but that ‘research has now reached a point where a cure or life-saving treatments can be found’.

It continued ‘The current piecemeal and protracted approach of funding individual projects will not deliver the life-saving treatments we need…we urgently appeal for action and investment now’.

Andrew McKinlay Heart of Midlothian Chief Executive, said: “We know all too well at Heart of Midlothian the devastating impact MND has, having lost one of our own, Marius Zaliukas.

“If there was a cure, or effective treatments, Marius could still be with us. That’s why we are here today to support this call to the UK Government, for more targeted investment into MND research. 

“The work MND Scotland does to support families living with this frightening disease is hugely important, as is their drive to find a cure for future generations. We are united with them to help end MND.”

Rachel Maitland, MND Scotland’s Chief Executive, said : “The support United to End MND has received from people in the community, politicians, clinicians, researchers and partners has been incredible to date, and we thank Heart of Midlothian for joining with us too.

“Too many lives like Marius’ have already been lost to MND, and people living with the disease today do not have time to wait for a cure. MND isn’t incurable, it’s just under-funded. Together, we will beat MND, but we cannot do it without the UK Government’s support.”

A bid for investment has been submitted to the UK Government’s Spending Review, and the call has already been debated in the UK Parliament after a petition to garner public support gathered more than 100,000 signatures in just three weeks.

Members of the coalition have also met with key politicians to explain the desperate need for the cash, to shore up the investment made by charities and industry.

To find out more about the campaign visit www.mndscotland.org.uk/united or tweet your support @MNDScotland @MNDAssoc and @MNDoddie5 using #United2EndMND.

Movement for Good awards: Scottish charities win £10,000 each

Four Scottish charities scoop share of £300,000

Four charities based in Scotland have shared a £40,000 windfall as part of Ecclesiastical Insurance Group’s annual Movement for Good awards.

Cutting Edge Theatre Ltd, Peebles CAN, Towards Transition Stirling SCIO and Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland are four of 30 charities chosen by a panel of judges that will benefit from the money. 

The fund will allow Cutting Edge Theatre Ltd, which aims to make a difference to those who are marginalised by using creativity, to kick-start its new project, Inspire Young Company – an initiative which will increase the confidence, self-esteem and communication of young people with a learning disability through theatre training and performance. 

Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland will be using the donation to identify victims of human trafficking, to ensure they are recovered safely and enable them to get the specialist support they need.

Each of the £10,000 awards are designed to help charities make a real difference in their communities. Applications were assessed against four key areas; impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion.

Mark Hews, Group CEO of Ecclesiastical, said: “At Ecclesiastical we believe business should be a force for good. Charitable causes need sustained support and a sense of financial stability.

“Through the second phase of our Movement for Good awards we are actively championing innovation, giving charities the backing they need to propel their plans forward and turn creative ideas into practical solutions that benefit society.

“We know that £10,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do and we’re looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better.”

“Ecclesiastical, the fourth largest corporate donor in the UK, is a unique financial services group. We are owned by a charity which means all available profits can be given to the good causes that are so important to our customers. As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of our business.”

Suzanne Lofthus, Artistic Director at Cutting Edge Theatre Ltd, said: “We believe that every person has potential and we work with those who often feel more marginalised to realise this.

“Nothing gives us greater pleasure than seeing someone discover their talents and abilities. Winning this donation will make a huge difference to the lives of 20 young learning disabled artists, giving them a taste of working professionally in the performing arts. It will open up opportunities for them to be artists in their own right, bringing a much needed and desired diversity to our industry.”

Elyse Kirkham, Senior Philanthropy Officer at Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland, said: “At Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland we work tirelessly to ensure the identification, safe recovery and long-term wellbeing of survivors of human trafficking in Scotland.

“We support survivors to rebuild their lives, minimising their risk of re-trafficking, strengthening their independence skills and ability to integrate into the community. We couldn’t do what we do without the support of funders like Ecclesiastical and their Movement for Good awards. Together we can make a difference!”

For the third year running, the awards, set up by specialist insurer Ecclesiastical, will see a total of £1million go to charities across the UK.

An amazing 210,000 people around the UK supported the Movement for Good awards during its first phase earlier this year, with over 13,000 charitable causes up and down the country receiving votes. The 500 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated and were awarded £1,000 each.

Phase two saw over 1,000 project submissions for the £10,000 awards. Following a review of all the applications, a panel of judges made their final selection of the 30 winning projects. The remaining money will be awarded at a later date.

For further information on the Movement for Good awards please visit: www.ecclesiastical.com/movement-for-good 

  1. Full list of 30 winning charities:

NEPACS http://www.nepacs.co.uk/

Sharks Community Trust https://www.salesharks.com/community/

Gloucester Rugby Foundation https://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/foundation

Cutting Edge Theatre Ltd http://cuttingedgetheatre.co.uk/

Woodhorn Charitable Trust https://museumsnorthumberland.org.uk/

The Foundling Museum https://foundlingmuseum.org.uk/

Sittingbourne Heritage Museum https://www.sittingbourne-museum.co.uk/

The Cardiff Institute for the Blind https://sightlife.wales/

Aids Care Education and Training https://www.acet-uk.com/

Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership Limited https://kidsown.ie/

FarmAbility https://farmability.org.uk/

Abby’s Heroes https://www.abbysheroes.org/

Children with Cancer Fund (Polegate) https://www.childrenwithcancerfund.org.uk/

Chums Charity https://chumscharity.org/

Phenalgin’s Friends http://www.penhaligonsfriends.org.uk/

Seal CofE Primary School https://www.sealcommunityschoolfarm.co.uk/

Peebles CAN https://www.peeblescan.org/

Link Visiting Scheme https://www.linkvisiting.org/

Dorset Mind https://dorsetmind.uk/

NE Youth https://neyouth.org.uk/

First Light South West Ltd http://www.firstlight.org.uk/

Humans MCR https://humansmcr.org/

Towards Transition Stirling SCIO https://www.transitionstirling.org.uk/

Common Ground CLG https://www.commonground.ie/

Sheffield Wildlife Trust https://www.wildsheffield.com/

Bethnal Green Nature Reserve Trust https://phytology.org.uk/

Transition Network https://transitionnetwork.org/

The Maggie Oliver Foundation https://www.themaggieoliverfoundation.com/

Hillingdon Women’s Centre https://hillingdonwomenscentre.org/

Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland https://sohtis.org/

From MND patients to the Prime Minister: We need your help NOW


MND letter relays the country in bid for £50 million from UK Government

Doddie Weir OBE and Euan MacDonald MBE have kickstarted a nationwide ‘MND letter relay’ from Scotland to 10 Downing Street. The letter, which has already been signed by hundreds of motor neurone disease (MND) patients from across the country, calls for the UK Government to invest in MND research.

United to End MND – a campaign led by charities MND Scotland, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and MND Association, as well neurologists and people living with MND – calls for £50 million of UK Government funding over five years to target MND research.

To catapult the campaign, patients throughout the UK have now written and signed a personal letter to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which will be presented at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday 21st September, by rugby legends Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast to launch activities on Thursday, Doddie said: “We are continuing to fight to try and make a difference, and to try and find a cure for this horrific issue of MND. The UK has the best researchers in the world and at the moment we’re nearly there to find a stoppage or a cure.

“So this letter, and the money from the Government, will make a massive difference. This will give a lot of hope to people with MND. We need to take it to the next level and with that we need the Government’s help.”

Before his departure to London, Doddie is leading the charge by sending the patient letter on a relay across the nation, to encourage more people living with MND to sign it, starting with fellow MND campaigner, Euan MacDonald in Edinburgh.

Euan, who has MND, is the co-founder of the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research. He was joined there by Dr Suvankar Pal, Consultant Neurologist from the University of Edinburgh and Rachel Maitland, MND Scotland’s Chief Executive, who are showing their support for the letter.

The letter states ‘MND is a death sentence’ but that ‘research has now reached a point where a cure or life-saving treatments can be found’. It continues ‘The current piecemeal and protracted approach of funding individual projects will not deliver the life-saving treatments we need …we urgently appeal for action and investment now’.

Euan said: “I very much believe the goal of finding treatments for MND is achievable. The letter and supporting statements highlight the personal impact this disease has had on families like mine and others up and down the country. 

“We are trying to ensure other people’s children, spouses, parents and siblings don’t have to go through what ours have. I’d like to appeal to the Prime Minister to back MND patients and have confidence in UK Science achieving what may have previously seemed impossible – a cure for MND.”

Currently the UK Government’s funding for targeted MND research stands at less than £5 million a year, which the campaign coalition says is not enough. £50 million from the UK Government over five years would fund a virtual institute for MND Research, providing the infrastructure needed for accelerating treatments for MND.

The funding bid has already been debated in the UK Parliament after a petition to garner public support gathered more than 100,000 signatures in just three weeks. Members of the campaign coalition have met with key politicians to explain the desperate need for the cash, to shore up the investment made by charities and industry.

With the support of MND charities and neurologists, campaigners are now taking the call directly to Downing Street and people living with MND still have the opportunity to add their signature here: patientsunited2endmnd.org.

Dr Suvankar Pal, the Co-Lead Investigator of MND-SMART, the UK’s biggest drug trial for MND, said: “This is an exciting time for MND research with many centres across the UK working on important areas ranging from drug discovery to delivery of treatment trials.

“We fully support this initiative which promotes collaborative working and much needed investment in research with the aim of delivering new treatments for MND in a timely way.”

Rachel Maitland, MND Scotland’s Chief Executive, said: “We are united here today to ensure the voices of those living with MND are heard by the UK Government.

“The average life expectancy for someone with MND is just 18 months from diagnosis. People like Doddie and Euan do not have time to wait, and neither does our search for a cure.

“MND Scotland’s vision is a world without MND. But we are only able to fund the pioneering research taking place at the Euan MacDonald Centre, and other institutes across the UK, because of the generosity of our supporters. MND isn’t incurable, it’s just under-funded. Together, we will beat MND, but we cannot do it without the UK Government’s support.”

To find out more about the campaign visit www.mndscotland.org.uk/united or tweet your support @MNDScotland @MNDAssoc and @MNDoddie5 using #United2EndMND.