The Morrisons Foundation has given us a grant of £10,000 to spend on outreach within Edinburgh schools.
This will help us expand our initiative of getting rails of brand new uniform into the schools that need it most around the city, giving children and young people instant access to important uniform items.
Our Operations Coordinator, Clare, popped into Morrisons to thank their Community Champion, Gillian.
St Columba’s Hospice Care was delighted to unveil its new children’s playground, which will help to support children whose family members are receiving care.
The Hospice, which provides specialist care and support to people from the age of 16 with terminal conditions across Edinburgh and the Lothians was due to open the play space in June, but had to push this back following delays caused by COVID-19.
As well as allowing children to express themselves and have an outlet for their emotions through play, the playground will allow parents, carers and family members who are patients at the Hospice to watch their children safely enjoy the space which was opened this month.
The installation of the playground space was made possible by donations made by SPIFOX and the Morrisons Foundation, the charitable arm of the supermarket.
Donna Hastings, Family Support Team Worker said: “We hope that any children visiting the Hospice will be able to use the play areas. It will allow them to play and express themselves and have an outlet for their emotions through play.
“Play is simply having fun – a spontaneous activity and normally part of their everyday lives. Having a play space at the Hospice will help promote that continuity of normal family life. We are grateful to the Trustees of SPIFOX and the Morrisons Foundation who agreed to fund the project and enabled it to go ahead.”
David Scott, Morrisons Foundation Trustee, said: “St Columba’s is a charity close to the hearts of many people in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“We are absolutely delighted to see the vision that was presented to us come to life and know that this will have a long lasting legacy. The playground is warm, welcoming and embodies the positive family environment that makes St Columba’s so widely admired.”
The Morrisons Foundation was set up by Morrisons supermarket in 2015 and awards grants for charity projects which help improve people’s lives. Since launching over £32 million has been donated to hundreds of charities across England, Scotland and Wales.
Local charities are encouraged to visit www.morrisonsfoundation.com to find out how to apply for a grant.
Morrisons Foundation has set aside a £500,000 fund over the next three months to help charities offer additional protection, services and support to the homeless as a result of Covid-19.
There are currently 320,00 homeless people in Briton and experts are warning more must be done to support the homeless and to avoid a spike in homelessness resulting from the pandemic’s economic impact.
The emergency funds are being provided as homeless people and charities face a crunch because:
Charities will be able to apply for emergency funding to pay for these costs.
David Potts, Chief Executive of Morrisons, said: “Morrisons is committed to helping the most vulnerable in our society.
“We know that the coronavirus outbreak presents a particular risk to the homeless and we want to do our bit to help. This new fund will help charities doing vital work to care for the homeless at this critical time.”
Nick Connolly, Managing Director of End Youth Homelessness, said: “Our member charities need cash to pay for staff, personal protective equipment, food and other essentials to a level they could not have possibly have envisaged a few months ago. We are so pleased this is being recognised.”
Charities will be able to apply for financial help with:
Rough sleepers are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 as they are more likely to have underlying health conditions and are less able to access basic sanitation.
Charities can apply online for grants of up to £10,000 at www.morrisonsfoundation.com and successful applications will be fast tracked for payment.
