We’ll be holding a food collection at Sunday’s home match against Celtic. Supporters are invited to donate food items from the listed provided below, which will be used at our Community Hubs to support those in need across our community.
The collection point will be opposite the club store at the Famous Five Stand from 10:30 before kick-off. We’ll also be accepting cash and card donations 
Community projects and services working to tackle poverty and inequality in some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities across Scotland will share in more than £30 million over the next three years, First Minister John Swinney has announced.
The new Scotland Together Fund will support grassroots organisations to address pressing issues facing communities affected by poverty, disadvantage, and racism from 2027/28.
By improving living standards for the people they support, the projects backed by funding will help communities to become stronger, more cohesive, and more resilient.
The First Minister said: “Scotland is stronger for its diversity, and we want to ensure that common ground and shared values between diverse communities are promoted and strengthened.
“We know that poverty and disadvantage can fuel the conditions that lead to tensions within communities, and that is something we all need to do our part to tackle.
“This Scotland Together Fund over is being designed to provide multi-year support a wide range of grassroots projects in communities across Scotland to help to improve people’s quality of life and ensure they have access to support with a range of issues.
“By making people’s lives better, it will help tackle tensions between communities and create a more inclusive and resilient society, building bridges between different groups.”
The past five years of a near-continuous cost of living crisis have caused the real incomes of typical working-age households to fall rather than grow, leaving them £2,900 (7.9 per cent) worse off this year compared to a world of normal inflation, according to new analysis published today (Thursday) by the Resolution Foundation.
The report Counting the cost, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, assesses the toll of three crises (the post-pandemic supply shock, the invasion of Ukraine, and conflict in the Middle East) that have already delivered 13 years’ worth of ‘normal’ inflation in five, with inflation peaking at 11.1 per cent and prices nearly 30 per cent higher in August 2026 than July 2021.
The report details how energy has been at the epicentre of this price shock. By the autumn of 2022, household energy bills had more than doubled since the start of the crisis. Higher energy costs then bled into other prices: food inflation peaked at nearly 20 per cent in March 2023, and services inflation reached 7.4 per cent in July 2023, its highest level in more than three decades.
Household energy bills and food together account for a quarter of the change in the price level over this period.
The pain felt from these price rises has not been shared equally. Inflation was steepest for essentials, which make up a larger share of poorer households’ spending. As a result, the rise in non-housing costs since before the pandemic has been around one-sixth bigger for the poorest tenth of households than for the richest tenth.
Overall, the report finds the real incomes of a typical working-age household this year (2026-27) are £2,900 a year lower than they would have been compared to a world in which inflation had stayed at 2 per cent over the past five years.
The hit has been similar in scale for households across the distribution. Despite tens of billions in government support, the scars from the cost of living crisis are no smaller for low-income families, and much harder to bear.
The analysis also confirms that between 2020-21 and 2026-27, real median income after housing costs for non-pensioners looks set to fall by 1.3 per cent (£450). Incomes at the 25th percentile are set to fall by 1.2 per cent (£270), while better off households at the 75th percentile will see marginal income growth of 0.3 per cent (£130).
Families have responded to higher prices by heating their homes less – with an extra 1.7 million households saying they were unable to keep warm enough in 2022-23 compared to 2021-22 , 950,000 of whom were in the poorest 40 per cent of the population.
The poorest tenth of neighbourhoods cut energy use by 15 per cent more than the richest in response to price rises in 2023. There were also larger cuts in usage in colder areas, meaning the biggest adjustments happened in the places where those most vulnerable to a gas price shock are more likely to live.
Arrears are also mounting as families fall behind on priority bills, such as energy, water, Council Tax and rent. By March this year, almost one-in-five (18 per cent) households in the poorest half of the country were behind on a priority bill, up from one-in-ten (10 per cent) in September 2020.
The total owed to energy suppliers has more than tripled in real terms since 2018, to £5 billion, while Council Tax arrears in England have more than doubled since 2012-13 (up 117 per cent to £7.5 billion in 2026-26).
As the Government considers fresh cost of living support in the upcoming Budget, the authors warn that recent help was expensive and poorly targeted. The Energy Price Guarantee alone cost over £20 billion and was paid regardless of need. The country cannot afford to repeat that approach.
Instead, any new support should be targeted at the poorer families who have fared worst over the past five years – heating their homes less, taking on more debt, and falling behind on their bills more often – with energy bills the clear priority.
James Smith, Chief Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Having experienced 13 years’ worth of inflation over the past five, families across the country are struggling with the cost of living. Unfortunately, help is needed just when the public finances leave less room than ever to provide it.
“While the hit to incomes from rising prices has been felt right across the board, the hardship has not been equally shared. It is poorer families who have cut back hardest on heating and are falling behind fastest on essential bills, and conflict in the Middle East is set to keep energy prices high.
“The Government can’t borrow its way out of this, and repeating the expensive blanket support of 2022 isn’t an option. Any new help must be squarely targeted at the poorer families facing the greatest hardship – starting with their energy bills.”
Alex Beer, Assistant Director of Strategy at the Nuffield Foundation said: “Five years of unusually high inflation have had a substantial impact on household finances, with lower-income families facing the greatest pressure.
“By showing how rising energy and food prices have reduced living standards and made it harder for people to pay essential bills, the report provides timely and valuable evidence on the consequences of an extended costs of living crisis.
“At a time when policymakers face difficult choices and public finances remain constrained, understanding who has been most affected and why is essential to designing effective policy responses.
“This work forms part of a wider programme of research funded by the Nuffield Foundation examining the consequences of the recent conflict involving the US, Iran, Israel and the wider region.”
CHALLENGE POVERTY WEEK 2026
We are publishing this report at a critical crossroads in Scotland’s journey to a possible future, one free from poverty.
In this year’s election campaign and programme for government, we have consistently heard the First Minister describe eradicating poverty as his defining mission (Scottish Government, 2026a). This commitment is welcome, but there is an increasing disconnect between the Scottish Government’s rhetoric and the reality of life for families in poverty across Scotland.
New data for 2022–25 shows that:
Despite some progress, the legal target to reduce relative child poverty to 10% by 2030/31 is set to be missed by a wide margin. Interim targets have been missed, and the Scottish Government’s current plans will not deliver the scale of change needed to shift the dial.
We want a better start for all children in Scotland, and there is clear evidence of overwhelming public support for more, and more effective, action on child poverty.
The Scottish Government’s plan to review Scotland’s landmark statutory child poverty targets risks delaying action and lowering ambitions. New targets need to be genuinely stretching, grounded in income as a central measure of poverty, and have teeth to hold the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament to account for meeting them.
In parallel, the Scottish Government needs a new, much bolder and properly funded plan to reduce poverty in Scotland. Only 1 in 4 people (26%) somewhat or strongly agreed that the Scottish Government is doing enough to tackle child poverty in Scotland (Birt, 2026a).
This year, as well as assessing the national picture, we have focused on the vital role of local government in reducing poverty, backed by new public attitudes data and engagement with people with lived experience.
In findings that must shape live discussions about the future of local governance and public service reform in Scotland, we have heard that:
To fix this, the Scottish Government and local government will need to work more effectively – in their own right and in collaboration.
Every council needs to ask itself, just as the Scottish Government should do, whether they have genuinely prioritised child poverty reduction and if their services are best where they are needed the most.
Fundamentally, these should be the core questions of public service reform; otherwise it simply becomes a numbers game of reductions in the number of councils and/or budgets. It is also clear that public service reform needs to go hand in hand with a fundamental rethink of local government funding to rewire our services and tax system to radically reduce poverty.
It is also vital that national and local government’s bandwidth across this parliament is not consumed by bureaucratic strife; families in poverty need to see rapid progress in the immediate term.
We want the Scottish Government, as part of its renewed drive to reform local government in Scotland, to:
We want all councils to:
Joseph Rowntree Foundation: Poverty in Scotland 2026 report
Executive Summary
COSLA Resources Spokesperson Cllr Kelly Parry has responded to ‘Poverty in Scotland 2026′ by @jrf_uk : “This report is a stark reminder that far too many children and families in Scotland are still being denied the security and opportunities they deserve.”
SCOTS living in the country’s most deprived areas are 28 per cent more likely to develop cancer than their counterparts in the least deprived postcodes, according to new analysis published today by Cancer Research UK.
Today’s figures reveal there are around 4,100 cancer cases associated with deprivation in Scotland each year – that’s around 1 in 8 of all cases.
Socioeconomic deprivation exists across Scotland, with substantial variation even within towns and cities. If all areas of Scotland experienced the same cancer rates as the most affluent areas, researchers estimated that around 80 cancer cases per week could be avoided. The charity is calling on the Scottish Government to urgently close the cancer inequality gap.*
The complex mix of factors driving the deprivation gap includes:
The charity is urging the Scottish Government to do more to close the cancer deprivation gap through bold action on prevention, including policies to tackle smoking and obesity.
To deliver long-term improvements in cancer diagnosis and care in every postcode, targeted campaigns would help break down barriers to seeking help, and providing support for people to participate in cancer screening programmes would be crucial in reducing the inequalities revealed in today’s analysis.
Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said: “These figures are not only unacceptable but avoidable. Everyone in Scotland deserves to live in an environment that gives them the best chance of a long and healthy life, free from cancer, yet stark health inequalities persist.
“To help end the cancer postcode lottery, the Scottish Government must step up prevention efforts and ensure everyone can access high-quality cancer care wherever they live.”
Beyond the physical and mental toll of a cancer diagnosis, people also face financial pressures, including loss of income and increased travel costs for treatment. With higher cancer rates occurring in the most deprived areas, these costs are more likely to impact people already struggling financially.
Today’s report also revealed that the largest inequalities are in rates of smoking-related cancers, with lung cancer contributing around 2,500 cases linked to deprivation in the Scotland each year.
Despite progress in tackling the harms of tobacco, the latest Health Survey for Scotland shows smoking prevalence is much higher among adults living in the most deprived areas in Scotland (23 per cent) than among those living in the least deprived areas (seven per cent).
The charity is calling for the Tobacco and Vapes Act to be implemented swiftly in Scotland alongside increased funding to ensure everyone can access local, free stop smoking support as well as accelerating progress to implement a national targeted lung cancer screening programme.
Cancer Research UK’s public affairs manager for Scotland, Dr Sorcha Hume, said: “It is unacceptable that cancer rates remain significantly higher in Scotland’s most deprived areas.
“While the causes are complex, early diagnosis is key to closing the survival gap. We must improve symptom awareness, remove barriers to seeking help, and support informed screening uptake in these communities. Long-term, funded national awareness campaigns targeted at those most affected are also essential.
“One of the report’s most stark findings is that lung cancer contributes more than 6 in 10 deprivation-associated cancer cases in Scotland. Smoking remains the leading cause, and lung cancer is often diagnosed too late for effective treatment.
“To address this, we must see the timely implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, properly funded stop smoking services, and the introduction of a national lung cancer screening programme in Scotland.”
Aldi stores across Edinburgh donated 24,039 meals to charities, foodbanks and community organisations across the UK throughout the recent school summer holidays.
The donations took the number of meals redistributed by Aldi in 2026 from more than 8.8 million before the school holidays to 10.9 million – an increase of 24%.
Aldi has worked with Neighbourly since 2019 to redistribute surplus food from its stores to charities and community organisations across the UK.
Luke Emery, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “There’s no reason for good food to go to waste when it can be put to use by organisations supporting their local communities.
“Our stores redistribute surplus food throughout the year, giving local charities a regular source of food they can use to support the people who rely on them.”
Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: “For many of the organisations we work with, summer doesn’t mean demand eases off. The school holidays can bring an additional pressure, as families face higher food costs and children who usually receive free school meals may not have the same access to support during the holidays.
“Regular surplus food donations give charities something practical they can use straight away, helping them keep shelves stocked and respond to what people in their communities need.”
Shoppers in Edinburgh can also donate food and everyday essentials to local charities, foodbanks and community groups through community donation points in Aldi stores nationwide.
Aldi also works with Company Shop to redistribute surplus food from its Regional Distribution Centres.
WEDNESDAY 18th NOVEMBER at HAMPDEN PARK, GLASGOW
Scotland’s political landscape is changing fast. The question for everyone working to end poverty is what we do about it.
At this year’s National Conference, we will bring campaigners, community organisations, policymakers and people with lived experience of poverty into one room to work on that question together.
*Book your place before 18 September to receive an Early Bird rate!
TAKE UP WOULD SAVE NHS AND SOCIAL CARE SERVICES ALMOST £1 BILLION
New research from national charity Independent Age shows that full take-up of three key financial entitlements could lift 280,000 older people out of poverty across the UK, reducing pensioner poverty by 15%. This includes Pension Credit, pensioner Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction. The analysis was carried out by the research agency Public First.
The report, entitled ‘The only way is up: The impact of improved entitlement take-up on pensioner poverty and healthcare spending’ also shows that increasing take-up of these entitlements to 100% could help improve older people’s health, leading to a reduction in health and social care public spending by up to a colossal £950 million a year in England.
Independent Age is calling on the UK Government to publish an all-entitlements take-up strategy for the UK. This should include a strong commitment and targets to increase take-up.
The number of older people in poverty in the UK is rising, with around 1.7 million in relative poverty in 2024/25, which is an increase of 200,000 compared to the year before. Another one million live close to the poverty line.
Despite this, the charity says that too many eligible older people are missing out on money set aside for them. Over one in three (38%) of those eligible for Pension Credit are not receiving it, and around 230,000 older households are missing out on Housing Benefit.
Official take-up figures of Council Tax Reduction are not produced, however the report analysis indicates that over a million pensioner households could be missing out on this vital support.
The organisation is also calling for the Pensions Commission to agree on what an adequate income in later life looks like, and the UK Government to commit to ensuring everyone receives this.
Concerningly, full take up would also provide an additional 770,000 older people with more vital income, but they would still remain in poverty, indicating that financial entitlements and the State Pension alone is not always adequate to live on.
Joanna Elson CBE, Chief Executive of Independent Age said: “Our social security system was designed as a safety net for all of us but the evidence is clear, it is failing older people in poverty. Money that has been set aside is not reaching the older people who need it and at a time with increasing costs, the impact of this is devastating.
“Through our helpline, we hear often from older people who are having to skip meals or only wash once a week to make ends meet. This is unacceptable.
“Older people on a low income have been left to struggle for too long. That’s why we urgently need a strategy to ensure everyone receives the support they are entitled to and an agreement on what an adequate income looks like in later life for all of us as we age.
“With the upcoming changes in leadership, this is a golden opportunity for the UK Government to reverse the worsening picture of poverty in later life.”
Independent Age’s report found that three groups especially benefitted from increased take-up of these entitlements. These were: older people living alone, older renters and those on the old State Pension. This is due to a combination of likely higher initial costs such as housing or energy, and a lower income.
Valerie’s Story
Valerie, 68, from the Isle of Wight
“Once the rent was paid, along with Council Tax – more than £150 a month even with the single person discount – there wasn’t enough left. I had to cut back on everything. I lived on £1 meals from Iceland because they were cheap and filling, even though I knew they weren’t very nutritious.
“I relied on a local community pantry where £5 bought roughly £15 of food.
“I couldn’t afford to put the heating on. My house is all electric and it was simply too expensive. I spent winters wrapped in blankets, drinking cups of instant soup to keep warm, and sometimes slept downstairs so I didn’t have to walk through cold rooms at night.”
Valerie called Independent Age and, while she wasn’t eligible for Pension Credit, an adviser supported her to start receiving Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, which she hadn’t previously been aware of. After starting to receive these entitlements, Valerie described the impact this had on her life.
“Life is so much better now. I still budget carefully, but I’m not living on my credit card anymore. I can buy fresh vegetables, cook proper meals and freeze portions so food lasts longer.
“I can travel to the mainland to see family, and I enjoy the things that matter to me, such as going to the local theatre and being part of the choir. I called the Independent Age Helpline at a time in my life when I didn’t know where to turn.
“The support I received has made a dramatic difference to my daily life. I nearly didn’t make that call – but I’m so glad I did. Before that call, I was surviving day to day. Now, I feel like I’m living again.”
Big Hearts is leading a national partnership with four other well-established football charities in Scotland to tackle child poverty, through a £850,000 Whole Family partnership funding.
This partnership will establish five Centre Circle Whole Family Hubs across Edinburgh, Falkirk, Aberdeen, Inverclyde and East Ayrshire to support families experiencing financial hardship.
Centre Circle is an innovative model designed to help families access inclusive and preventative support at their local football ground: a place they already know and trust.
The partnership aims to support 500 families in its first year, through relationship-based, whole-family support that helps struggling households improve financial stability, wellbeing and resilience.
Big Hearts Community Trust, the charity of Heart of Midlothian FC, will lead on the Centre Circle partnership with four strategic delivery partners: Falkirk Football Community Foundation, Aberdeen FC Community Trust, Morton in the Community and The Killie Community.
Football sits at the heart of communities across Scotland, creating a welcoming and relaxed environment where people can connect and access support without judgement. Centre Circle will open a new chapter by combining local knowledge with a shared delivery framework and common outcomes across five regions.
Centre Circle is funded by the Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund. As part of its latest Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, the Scottish Government announced that our leading partner Big Hearts was one of 10 organisations selected through the £20 million Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund.
Craig Wilson, CEO of Big Hearts said: “Centre Circle is a new approach to deliver whole family support across local communities in Scotland through the driving force of the beautiful game.
“The £850,000 funding announced by the Scottish Government, with only 10 organisations supported for 2026/27, is a testament to the incredible work that has been delivered so far by Big Hearts and our key partners: Falkirk Football Community Foundation, Aberdeen FC Community Trust, Morton in the Community and The Killie Community.
“Football charities play a vital role in engaging with isolated and hard to reach families. Together, we believe Centre Circle can create transformative change with more resilient, connected and supported families.”
TEN charities will receive a share of a £20 million fund in 2026-27 to deliver wide ranging support to improve wellbeing, boost incomes, and help parents towards employment as part of the Scottish Government’s drive to eradicate child poverty.
The charities involved estimate that up to 35,000 families could benefit from the Scottish Government’s package of whole family support, spanning almost all of Scotland.
The beneficiaries include:
In Dundee, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville met with families of neurodivergent children to hear about the difference that effective support at point of need can make. Mindroom will use this funding to expand into new areas of Scotland.
Ms Somerville said: “We have made great strides in our ambitious mission to eradicate child poverty. Within the powers we have, we have boosted incomes while delivering a transformational cost of living support package.
“But we know that more needs to be done, which is why we are driving whole family support. This is about making sure that people can access the help they need easily, as simply as possible, and as quickly as possible.
“To remove barriers, we need to empower local charities and local people and bring them together with other services so that there are clear and easy ways to access the right support, in the right place and at the right time.
“I am proud that this ambitious programme, which we will deliver in partnership with charities across Scotland, does just that.”
CEO of Mindroom Alan Thornburrow said: “We see the benefits that whole family support brings to parents and children on a daily basis, so we are pleased to receive support from the Scottish Government to expand our services, including into Dundee.
“Neurodivergent children and their parents have historically found it challenging to access the right support, in the right place – but we are determined to be there for them, tailoring services to meet their individual circumstances, and giving children the best start in life in the process.
“This funding will help us do so on a larger scale, enabling us to reach more people in varied communities. We look forward to pressing ahead with this work.”
Children and families – Cost of Living Support Scotland
Information on benefits – Social Security Scotland
The funding comes from the Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund, announced as part of the latest Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, Bringing Hope,Building Futures, and, subject to confirmation during the annual Scottish budget process, it is expected to continue on an annual basis while the programme is in operation.
The 10 organisations that secured funding following a competitive application process are:
