Tag: Salvation Army

Gorgie shopper scoops over £1000 for local foodbank in Aldi Supermarket Sweep

Aldi Scotland’s popular Supermarket Sweep challenge recently returned to Gorgie, and lucky local winner has raised £1,210.98 for a foodbank of their choosing, while picking up £605 in Aldi favourites for herself. 

Aldi’s popular gameshow inspired Supermarket Sweep arrived in Gorgie and lucky shopper Maryanne who was chosen as the winner of an in-store competition, took part in the five-minute trolley dash for charity on Sunday 9th of April.  

As well as taking home a trolley full of goodies, Maryanne successfully found the hidden inflatable in store, meaning Aldi Scotland doubled the total value of her haul and donated the lump sum to her nominated charity, The Salvation Army. 

Aldi Supermarket Sweep winner, Maryanne Fitzpatrick, said: “The Aldi supermarket sweep was an amazing experience, and I am glad the Salvation Army have received an amazing amount of money from it.” 

Elizabeth Young, Community Project Coordinator at The Salvation Army, said: “Over the past few months we have seen the need for our foodbank continuing to grow at an alarming rate.

“So much so, that on top of the very generous donations received from church members, members of the general public, schools, corporate groups and supermarket permanent collection points, we find ourselves having to spend hundreds of pounds nearly every week buying food to top up our food parcels.  

“So, you can imagine how pleased we were to hear that we had been selected to benefit from the supermarket sweep at the Gorgie branch of Aldi close to our foodbank. Then to our great surprise, we were informed that Aldi were going to double the amount of the trolley dash, resulting in a donation to us of £1,210! 

“I would like to thank Aldi for this very generous donation and to your customer who chose our foodbank to benefit from the donation. This will help us to continue giving out food parcels to those who are finding life difficult now and enable us to show a love and kindness to them.” 

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “We are proud that the Aldi Supermarket Sweep is a firm favourite across the country, and we are so pleased to bring it back this year.

“Congratulations to Maryanne who managed to raise an incredible £1,210.98 for The Salvation Army and snap up a whole load of Aldi treats for herself.”

SATCoL’s revolutionary Fibersort technology is working to close the  loop for circular fashion 

SATCoL (the trading arm of The Salvation Army) is delighted to announce the  launch of their new automated, advanced Fibersort clothing and textiles by  fibre type, blend and colour for recycling back into the circular textiles supply  chain. 

Fibersort is a textiles revolution. The automated Materials Recovery Facility  (MRF) reprocesses clothing and other items no longer in a condition that can  be reused. The innovative approach identifies and classifies non-wearable  textile items into grades. It uses an infra-red camera and blows items from a  conveyor belt into bins using air jets. The process separates them into fibres  such as, cotton, polyester and wool.

Simultaneously, Fibersort recognises the  fibre content percentage of each item and sorts specified blends such as  polycotton and wool mixes at a higher level of accuracy than manual sorting. 

Fibersort also sorts fibres by specific or mixed colours categories. 

This fashion forward technology closes the loop for fibre-to-fibre circular  textiles. With the ground-breaking technology and environmental credentials  of the Fibresort project supported by the Government’s Resource Action Fund,  managed by climate action NGO WRAP. 

SATCoL is the largest charity-owned textiles collector in the UK working to  support organisations reduce their carbon footprint. Fibersort, maximises the  potential of charitable textile donations by creating more opportunities for  garments to be repurposed and diverted from landfill in an effort to reduce the  environmental impact of textiles.

The profits received from the resale of the donations is given to The Salvation  Army to support the great work they do throughout the country. 

Kirk Bradley, SATCoL’s Head of Corporate Partnerships, said: “We are thrilled  to be working with this new ground-breaking technology.

“It helps to reduce  waste and more donated garments can be repurposed, resold and raise more  money for vital charity work.” 

Claire Shrewsbury, Director of Insights and Innovation, WRAP, said:  “Donations of unwanted clothing are essential to keep the cycle of clothing  turning and move us towards a more sustainable model of clothing.

“WRAP is  delighted to have been involved in the funding of this brilliant development. By  working with retail partners to providing raw materials from the Fibersort  process for recycling, SATCoL is helping to ‘close the loop’ at a key stage in the  circle economy.” 

To learn more about SATCoL and the work we do visit www.satcol.org

Immediate benefit support for those fleeing the invasion in Ukraine

The Department for Work and Pensions is laying emergency regulations today (Monday 21 March 2022) so those arriving in the UK from Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion can access Universal Credit and jobs support immediately.

Ukrainians will also be eligible for Housing Benefit, Pension Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Child Disability Living Allowance and Carers Allowance, and Attendance Allowance. Contributions-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), and Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) are also available for those Ukrainians who meet the criteria.

Translation services are available to help new arrivals with phone applications, with Work Coaches in DWP Jobcentres on hand to support people making claims online.

DWP staff are also delivering additional face-to-face assistance to those who need it – including tailored support to find work and advice on benefit eligibility – and will continue to do so.

Without the emergency legislation people arriving from Ukraine would be subject to the Habitual Residence Test, meaning they would have to wait up to three months before being able to receive income-related benefits, including Universal Credit.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey said: “My priority is that people fleeing the unimaginable horrors in Ukraine to seek safety here get the support and help they need from day one to move forward in their lives immediately.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Frazer said: “It is vital that families coming from Ukraine can support their children from the moment they arrive, and by adjusting child benefit rules and ramping up our support, the tax system is pivoting to ensure this happens.

Salvation Army Refugee Response co-ordinator Major Nick Coke said: “We welcome the news that Ukrainians coming to the UK will be able to access benefits immediately and for those who are able, help to find suitable work.

“With offices on the ground in Ukraine and the border countries providing emergency food and shelter, The Salvation Army sees first-hand the trauma those displaced by war have experienced.

“It is fitting that they receive targeted help when seeking refuge in the UK.”

New eco badge for Scotland’s Cub Scouts

Cub Scouts in Scotland are being encouraged to go eco as part of a newly revised badge to teach children the importance of getting involved in environmental conservation in their daily lives. Continue reading New eco badge for Scotland’s Cub Scouts

Spartans supporting the community at Christmas

Help us help our local community this Christmas

SCFAThe Spartans Community Football Academy would like to extend support to local charities in the North Edinburgh area this Christmas. This year we are continuing our annual support of the Ashbrook Salvation Army based on Ferry Road.

We would also like to extend our support to food banks in our local area. We will be supporting the food banks based at the Granton Baptist Church and The Prentice Centre.

Christmas Appeal Poster

You can support the Academy appeal by donating:

  • clothing and toiletries
  • Tinned fruit/veg, pasta sauce, tinned fish, breakfast cereals and bars

Donations can be dropped off at the main office at The Spartans Community Football Academy, 94 Pilton Drive, Edinburgh.

We will arrange for all donations made to be delivered to the local charities we are supporting on Monday 22 December.

The Spartans Community Football Academy

Protesters blockade Salvation Army store

 

 

protesting

Anti-poverty protestors blockaded Edinburgh’s main Salvation Army shop for three hours last Saturday (5th April) over the charity’s support of the Westminster government’s ‘work for benefits’ scheme. The demonstrators – the group included members of local campaigning group North Edinburgh Fights Back – displayed a giant banner proclaiming IF YOU EXPLOIT US, WE WILL SHUT YOU DOWN at the Earl Grey Street shop.

Dubbed The Starvation Army by its opponents, Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty (ECAP) says the Salvation Army is heavily involved nationally in the government’s controversial work-for-your-benefits schemes, and in Edinburgh is believed to be the main work placement for claimants ordered to participate in the Mandatory Work Activity scheme, administered by the provider learndirect.

ECAP claim The Salvation Army is also very involved in the Work Programme, under which even disabled claimants can be forced onto workfare. Claimants unable to take part in this unpaid work, or who decline to work for no pay, face having their benefits stopped under the government’s “enhanced sanctions” regime.

ECAP say the blockade was a success – the shop closed for a time and at least two women turned away and took their bag of donations to the nearby Shelter shop when they were informed of the ‘Sally Army’s’ involvement in workfare.

“We felt our action was very successful. We shut down a key workfare user for three hours at the busiest time of the week. And we gave out hundreds of leaflets to passers-by, stressing that workfare is an attack on the wages and conditions of all workers, and many people reacted positively,” said Esther McDonald of Edinburgh Coalition Ágainst Poverty.

The protest was aimed at galvanising opposition to the government’s plan for a new workfare scheme, Community Work Placements, which extends the period of compulsory work-for-benefits to six months. A Britain-wide week of action, co-ordinated through Boycott Workfare has seen actions in many towns and cities. On 31st March in London protestors invaded the YMCA and sang “Forced to work at the Y-M-C-A”.

“The Community Work Placements scheme is already in trouble, ” say ECAP. “Many charities have already said they will not participate – even the Salvation Army won’t touch it – and its start date has been postponed. We urge all charities and voluntary organisations to boycott the scheme. Research shows that workfare does not help the unemployed find jobs and being unemployed is not a crime.

The main contract for the Community Work Placements scheme in Scotland does not yet seem to have been awarded – we are researching which organisation is to be involved as we plan to take direct action against them and make this workfare scheme unworkable.”

For more information see:

www.edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk

www.boycottworkfare.org

Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty and Boycott Workfare are both on Facebook and on Twitter

ECAP logo

North Edinburgh celebrates Diamond Jubilee

Maybe we didn’t have the sheer number of parties, but what we lacked in quantity we made up for in quality and enthusiasm when north Edinburgh celebrated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee yesterday – and we had summer sunshine too!

Her Majesty herself made a surprise appearance at Holy Cross in Davidsons Mains (above), while a giant bear was seen dancing at an event organised by Stockbridge Colonies (below)!

And Wardieburn couple Marc and Joanne Blackburn organised a party for friends and neighbours at the local Salvation Army hall after they won a competition ran by local supermarket Iceland. Some revellers travelled from as far afield as Sunderland to join the Wardieburn event!