An Edinburgh charity that aims to tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness has received a £3,000 donation from the team at Amazon Development Centre Scotland in Edinburgh.
The donation was made to Cyrenians, a homelessness organisation with over 50 year’s experience supporting those excluded from Home, Work, Family and Community. Since its formation, the charity has worked with thousands of people facing homelessness to help them towards more positive futures.
Cyrenians understand there are many routes into homelessness and that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to supporting people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. From their residential homes to their work ensuring dignified access to food, to their family mediation and outreach work, Cyrenians are there for those who need them.
Amazon’s donation will help Cyrenians to provide vital supplies to those living in their residential communities, such as new bedding, hygiene products and more.
Speaking on the donation, Oliver Masting, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “Cyrenians helps thousands of people every year in our city so we’re very pleased to support the impactful work the charity does.
“With the current cost of living crisis, the services provided by the Cyrenians staff and volunteers are needed now, more than ever, and we hope that this donation helps them to continue their invaluable work.”
Nicole LeBlond, Community Manager from Cyrenians, added: “I would like to say thank you on behalf of our team at Cyrenians for Amazon’s donation. Support like this enables us to keep offering help and guidance for people in our community who are impacted by homelessness, and we really appreciate this gesture from Amazon.”
Cyrenians received the donation as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities in and around its operating locations across the UK.
As the cost of living crisis deepens, families in Scotland raising disabled, or seriously ill children, on low incomes have the chance to secure critical support from a national charity.
Family Fund, the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families with disabled and seriously ill children, provides essential items for families including kitchen appliances, clothing, bedding, play and sensory equipment and family breaks.
Last year, it delivered over 170,919 grants and services, worth over £37 million, to families on low incomes across the UK.
Thanks to ongoing funding from the Scottish Government, the charity can continue to support families across Scotland.
With winter approaching this is timely help, as a recent Cost of caring report by Family Fund shows that nine in 10 families are struggling, or falling behind with their regular household bills and many are forced to forego living essentials such as food, heating, basic furniture like beds, flooring, washing machines and fridges, to try to make ends meet.
In the latest poll of UK families in September, almost 60% reported an average increase in household bills of £124 a month. On top of this their average monthly food bill has gone up by £189 over the year.
Cheryl Ward, Chief Executive of Family Fund, said:“We urge eligible families in Scotland to come forward with an application to secure help through these difficult winter months.
“Our research shows it costs three times as much to bring up a disabled child as other children, with many families unable to increase their income due to round-the-clock caring responsibilities.
“As prices continue to rise and winter approaches, many families tell us they are gravely worried about how they will survive the coming months.
“Family Fund is here for support now so please come forward to apply.”
Reece’s story:
Six-year-old Reece has autism and lives in Glasgow, with his mother, Olivia, and older brother, Justice, 20.
Olivia explains: “When Reece was younger, he had speech and developmental delay and was diagnosed as autistic at the age of three. Now that Reece is six years old, he’s still behind in his development. Reece can repeat what others say and he does understand what people mean but he can’t speak his own words yet. Additionally, he is still behind with his toileting as he continues to wear nappies.
“Reece attends a specialist school. They’re helping him a lot to better his understanding and to engage more. Generally, Reece enjoys school except when it’s noisy. He has sensory issues so he dislikes certain loud sounds.
“Reece finds it frustrating that we currently live in a flat without a garden. The lack of space is hindering his development since he loves the outdoors. He really enjoys jumping and swinging. When we’re outside he likes collecting sticks. Reece also likes to spin a lot and even though he can’t speak, he still makes sounds from his mouth, so people often stare but I try to explain his condition to people as much as I can.
“At the moment, I receive two days of respite care which I use to study for my degree.
“The cost of living crisis has greatly impacted the cost of my bills. We haven’t been able to afford other things as much as we used to. I can barely buy a full basket of food nowadays so I have to improvise my cooking. Sometimes I have to leave myself out of the meal and just eat snacks so that my children can eat.”
How Family Fund has helped
Oliviasaid: “Family Fund is very helpful, especially to families on a low income. Without the grants we wouldn’t be able to afford things so important to a child’s development.
“We received a sensory grant which we used to buy a colour changing bubble machine which Reece loves. It helps to calm him down.
“We also received a fridge freezer grant. Our old fridge was broken and too small. The grant from Family Fund allowed us to buy a newer, and bigger, fridge which was better for our family. Without the grant we would have had to wait a long time to get a new one.
“The most recent grant we received was a Haven family break grant [that] gave us a chance to get away on holiday to the seaside which Reece loves a lot. The Haven site has a lot of activities to do all under one roof. The break gave us peace of mind and it was beautiful to see Reece happy and calm. He was so content with everything around him.”
Eligible families in Scotland are encouraged to apply as soon as possible by visiting Grants: Scotland | Family Fund or calling 01904 550055
Virgin Money has teamed up with leading digital inclusion charity Good Things Foundation to help tackle digital poverty in Edinburgh and surrounding areas, by giving people access to free sim cards provided by the innovative National Databank Programme in their Edinburgh store, as part of the bank’s nationwide support of the initiative.
The National Databank, founded by Virgin Media O2 and Good Things Foundation, is like a foodbank but provides free mobile data, texts and calls for people in need. Virgin Money is the first bank in the UK to sign up to the programme and will distribute O2 sim cards that will be loaded with 20GB of free data every month for six months, from 16 stores across the country.
Users can request a voucher from a local community support organisation registered with the National Databank and take it to their nearest Virgin Money store delivering the programme. Specially-trained hosts will work with users to register their sim cards, which provides enough data for around 220 hours of internet browsing per month, show them how to get online and offer tips on how to stay safe when browsing.
Other Virgin Money stores taking part in the programme include Aberdeen, Birmingham, Blackpool, Cardiff, Glasgow Hillhead, Grimsby, Inverness, Kilmarnock, Leeds, Manchester, Montrose, Newcastle and Peterborough, Rotherham and Sheffield.
Hugh Chater, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Money, said:“For many low or no-income households, paying for data is simply another bill that they can’t afford.
“Without it however, they are missing out on accessing essential money management and support services such as benefits calculators, online job boards and price comparison sites that can help to reduce their monthly outgoings.
“Through our new partnership with Good Things Foundation and Virgin Media O2, we are working to tackle this digital divide and taking one step closer to ending the poverty premium.”
Helen Milner OBE, Group Chief Executive at Good Things Foundation:“Having enough data in our increasingly digital society is not a nice to have, it’s an absolute essential.
“If you’re not online you can’t save money on products and services, help your children participate in home-learning, or apply for jobs. There are 2 million households struggling to afford internet access in the UK today, and 10 million adults lack the most basic digital skills.
“We’re very proud to be working together in partnership with Virgin Money and Virgin Media O2 to help tackle this and help even more people access the National Databank. Together, we can come together to help address the issue of data poverty in the UK once and for all.”
Partnering with Good Things Foundation is the latest in a number of actions Virgin Money is taking to help eliminate the poverty premium among its customers and wider communities by 2030. Earlier this year the bank joined forces with Turn2Us to offer access to a free online benefits calculator.
Virgin Money has also developed an online cost of living hub with advice on dealing with price rises and cutting bills. The bank also provides regular, free financial advice to its 6.5 million customers and signposting to support services for people that need extra help – whether they’re a customer or not.
To access Virgin Money’s cost of living support services, visit:
People across Scotland are being asked to consider if they could open their homes to displaced people from Ukraine as part of a new campaign to find new hosts.
The campaign aims to increase the supply of volunteer hosts across the country for people who are currently in short-term welcome accommodation. A new webpage has been set up to provide prospective volunteers with clear information on the application process and what is expected should they be matched with a displaced person from Ukraine already in Scotland.
Hosts will register their details online which will then be sent to their local authority, where checks are undertaken to ensure that homes offered are suitable to host displaced people from Ukraine.
Minister with Special Responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine Neil Gray said: ““I’m so proud of the warm welcome the people of Scotland have given to those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
“We have welcomed so many people through our Super Sponsor Scheme who would otherwise not have been able to travel. We don’t want people to spend any more time than necessary in temporary accommodation and we are keen to match people with hosts as soon as we can.
“We need more hosts and that’s why we’ve launched this campaign. We know that being a host is a big commitment so we have set out exactly what will be expected so people can make an informed choice before providing their details.
“The most successful arrangements happen when both the needs of hosts and Ukrainians align. Many people may prefer to live in areas close to amenities and services, or close to pre-existing Ukrainian communities. In addition, volunteer hosts will have their own preferences and may not have space for larger family sizes or complex group compositions.
“Matching takes time and considerable input. This is why we have increased resources to our local authorities to boost the process.
“I’m extremely grateful to people who are already hosting, as well as those who have already put their details forward and are still waiting to be matched. Rest assured your generous offer is under consideration and your local authority will be in touch. Anyone who has already provided us with their details, will not need to do so again.”
Simon Tyas MBE from Scot Hosts said: ““We are pleased to support this campaign, which is very much needed. Over the past nine months, Scot Hosts been working with hosts (through the Facebook group Scotland Ukraine Host Support Group) and Ukrainian families across Scotland to try and ensure that they have a positive and effective time during their time together in Scotland.
“We’ve created a support network where hosts can share positive and negative experiences, and we stand ready to welcome new hosts who are willing and able to offer their homes.”
People experiencing homelessness in Scotland will have the ability to settle and access support wherever they choose under legislation coming into force today.
People can currently be asked to demonstrate their local connection to the area where they present as homeless. If they are unable to do so, councils can refer them to another area where they do have a local link, such as somewhere they or their family members have lived or worked.
The new legislation suspends that power for Scottish local authorities, giving people freedom about where they settle and access services. It aims to help them integrate more fully into the local community and to reduce repeat homelessness.
Housing Secretary Shona Robison said: “Local connection requirements have been recognised as a barrier to accessing homelessness services which is why we have chosen to remove them.
“Most people who are homeless want to live in a community where they are already settled, but this legislation allows them to move somewhere new if they want to – whether that’s to access support, take advantage of job opportunities or simply to have a fresh start.
“This puts rights for homeless households on a par with those for people who own or rent their homes, ensuring they have access to consistent services wherever they are in Scotland.
“I know that there are housing pressures in some local authorities but that, ultimately, they share our ambition of ending homelessness. This legislation will help ensure people can find a settled home as quickly as possible in an area of their choosing.”
Alison Watson, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “We hugely welcome the news that this legislation has been passed. It is important progress towards realising the UN right to adequate housing: ensuring people are empowered to make informed decisions on where they would like to apply as homeless and that dignity is embedded in our homelessness system.
“This much anticipated change is one that we have been long calling for, and is another milestone in securing progressive rights to housing. We believe home is everything, and only building more social homes will bring the housing emergency to a permanent end, but it’s vital that people know their rights and are empowered to defend them.”
Ginny Cooper, from Homeless Network Scotland’s Change Team, said: “We are pleased to learn about the changes being made to local connection legislation, and see it as an important shift towards giving people experiencing homelessness more choice in where they decide to build their lives.
“Giving people the option to relocate will improve their opportunities to create new relationships within communities where they are able to thrive.”
“All general bills are a worry. It’s crushing to not even be able to afford the most basics in life due to being an unpaid carer.” (unpaid carer responding to the Carers Trust survey)
Almost three quarters (74%) of unpaid carers in Scotland are worried about being able to afford energy bills.
Almost two thirds (58%) of unpaid carers in Scotland have either had to give up work altogether or reduce their paid hours because of their caring role.
One in eight (12%) unpaid carers in Scotland have had to use a food bank.
Carers Trust is urging the Scottish Government and the UK Government to provide additional cost-of-living support to unpaid carers now and to develop long-term solution for funding of social care.
A new survey of unpaid carers in Scotland provides a stark assessment of how many of Scotland’s 800,000 unpaid family carers have been plunged even further into financial misery by the cost-of-living crisis.
The research, undertaken by Carers Trust, the UK infrastructure charity for local carer organisations, revealed that 38% of all unpaid carers have had to give up paid work altogether to provide the dedicated care at home that a sick or disabled relative needs. A further 20% of respondents reported having reduced the number of paid hours they work because of their caring role.
The research, which was responded to by 531 family carers, uncovered the shocking fact that one in eight (12%) unpaid family carers are now using food banks as a result of soaring living costs. In addition:
28% have had to cut back on food
7% have either sold their home or released home equity to pay for essential items
17% have not been able to pay household bills on time
38% have had to cut back on other household items
27% have had to use a credit card to pay for essential household items.
25% have had to borrow money from a friend or a relative
17% have had to take out a loan
One survey respondent said: “I am terrified that I won’t be able to pay the bills this winter”.
Responding to a survey question about what essential costs they would no longer be able to afford, almost half (48%) said transport, almost three quarters (74%) said energy bills and over one third (34%) said rent or mortgage costs.
Carer’s Allowance failing to prevent poverty among unpaid carers
The survey also starkly highlighted the inadequacy of Carer’s Allowance, the principal state benefit for unpaid carers.
Currently set at £69.70 per week, providing this is the lowest level benefit of its kind, despite more than one third (34%) of unpaid carers spending 50 hours or more a week caring for a sick or disabled relative.
The Scottish Government does provide a Carer’s Allowance Supplement of £245.70 twice per year to provide additional support to unpaid carers in Scotland.
However, eligibility criteria for Carer’s Allowance benefit are strict: claimants must earn £132 a week or less after tax and must be spending a minimum of 35 hours a week caring for someone.
Over half of all survey respondents said that they do not receive the allowance and, of those who did, 56% of respondents in Scotland said it was not enough to meet their needs as an unpaid carer.
The survey also found that, instead of preventing poverty among recipients, Carer’s Allowance recipients were more likely to be experiencing financial hardship.
58% of respondents receiving Carer’s Allowance said they were struggling to make ends meet, compared to 38% of respondents who don’t receive Carer’s Allowance.
More support needed for local carer organisations supporting unpaid carers
A parallel survey of Carer’s Trust’s UK network of over 120 local carer organisations, who provide services to unpaid carers, has also highlighted the impact of recruitment challenges and funding shortages on their ability to support unpaid family carers.
48% of services cited fundraising and sustainability as the principal challenge to work supporting unpaid carers, whilst 40% of respondents cited staff recruitment and retention as a challenge – almost twice the level (23%) reported the year before.
Carers Trust Scotland’s Director Louise Morgan said: “Scotland’s health and social care system relies on the hard work of millions of unpaid family carers. However, the double whammy of lack of financial support and struggling local services means that thousands of unpaid family carers are being pushed into dire poverty.
‘With little ability to work, unpaid carers simply cannot boost their earnings to meet the cost-of-living crisis. Yet they need to keep the heating on and equipment running to keep their sick and disabled relatives warm and safe.
“The recent Autumn Statement simply did not recognise the extra cost of being an unpaid carer. We therefore need to raise Carer’s Allowance urgently, provide and to add it to the list of benefits qualifying for the additional £900 cost-of-living support payment and provide double payments of Carer’s Allowance Supplement payments to help unpaid carers to pay their rising bills during the cost-of-living crisis.
“As a country we’re relying on unpaid carers to keep the health and care system afloat. The least we can do in return is ensure they get a fair deal in return”.
The much-anticipated launch of Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger restaurant in Edinburgh is due to take place on 1 December but the capital’s eager foodies can grab a sneak-peak and bite to eat when the doors open early on the 28th of November for a charity fundraising day.
The launch day will allow guests to enjoy Scotland’s first Street Burger restaurant with all proceeds going to the restaurant’s charity partner, Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus (SBH) Scotland. SBH Scotland Honorary Patron, Gordon Ramsay OBE, has also pledged to match all the proceeds from the day to ensure the charity get an extra special festive funds boost.
In a bid to further bolster the charity partnership, from the 29th until the end of December, a £1 voluntary donation will be added to diners’ bills at Street Burger as well as the St Andrew Square restaurant, Bread Street Kitchen and Bar.
The funds raised will help SBH Scotland provide vital support to over 4,000 children, young people and adults across Scotland who are affected by the lifelong, complex conditions of spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus.
A spokesperson from Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants said: “We have been working on the launch of Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger for a long time and we are very much looking forward to opening the doors to our first burger restaurant in Scotland.
“This special launch day gives us the opportunity to showcase our food whilst giving back to SBH Scotland and supporting all the incredible work the charity does to help families in Scotland.”
Gordon Ramsay became SBH Scotland’s first ever Honorary Patron back in 2003 when he met the organisation’s Chairperson, Dr Margo Whiteford CBE, at the Great North Run. For nearly 20 years, he has continued to support SBH Scotland through charitable donations and appearances.
Dr Margo Whiteford CBE, Chairperson of SBH Scotland, said: “Gordon Ramsay has been a great friend of SBH Scotland for nearly two decades and we remain thankful to him and his restaurant teams for such continued generosity.
“Funds raised at this time of year are crucial for the dedicated support we can provide now and for the next 12 months. As well as our personal home and hospital support, health check clinics, counselling service and groups we’ve also just extended our financial support service for families affected by the cost of living crisis. We heavily rely on fundraising to reach our annual targets and we are grateful for every pound donated.
“This festive season, we hope all diners visiting Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger will be happy to know that every meal they have will help us continue supporting thousands of families at a time when they need it the most.”
For more information on SBH Scotland and Gordon’s festive fundraiser is so important, please visit: https://www.sbhscotland.org.uk/
Scottish law firm Gillespie Macandrew has made a significant charitable donation of £40,000 to be shared between its two charity partners, Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC) and Alzheimer Scotland.
As part of its ESG programme, in each of the last 7 years Gillespie Macandrew has donated around 1% of the firm’s annual pre-tax profits to its partner charities. In total this commitment has contributed over £210,000 to Scottish charitable causes.
The firm’s charity partners are nominated and chosen by staff and supported through volunteering and other activities. Last year Gillespie Macandrew began a three-year partnership with both ECHC and Alzheimer Scotland.
Robert Graham-Campbell, Chief Executive Officer at Gillespie Macandrew commented: “We are delighted to share the firm’s success with these two very important Scottish charities, particularly during a period of recessionary pressures for organisations and individuals.
Our practitioners deal with sensitive family matters every day and it is therefore very fitting that we support ECHC and Alzheimer Scotland who provide invaluable support to Scottish families.”
Victoria Buchanan, Deputy Director of Development at Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, commented: “Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity is thrilled to receive this wonderful donation of £20,000! Being in hospital is tough for children but this donation will make things easier for them and their families.
“Through ECHC’s daily art activities, youth work and family programme on the wards, children can have fun and feel better supported to face whatever challenges lie ahead.
“We’d like to thank everyone at Gillespie Macandrew for their generous donation.”
Caroline Miller, Lead for Stakeholder Engagement at Alzheimer Scotland, commented: “We are so grateful to all of the people at Gillespie Macandrew for their continued support over the past year.
“People living with dementia and those who love them continue to be disproportionately affected by the legacy of the pandemic and the effects of the cost-of-living crisis so it’s vital that we continue to be there to make sure no one faces dementia alone.
“Gillespie Macandrew have made an incredible contribution during our partnership, raising over £40,000 which has all been used to support people living with dementia here in Scotland. Services supported include our network of Dementia Advisors who provide personal support, advice and advocacy and our Freephone 24 Hour helpline which is a lifeline for so many”.
Gillespie Macandrew has a long and proud history of supporting not for profit organisations and staff are given a paid day off each year to participate in charitable or corporate and social responsibility events.
The firm has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth, advising clients on all areas of land and rural business, private client, commercial real estate, energy, tax and disputes, combining a personal approach with industry-leading expertise.
The Women’s Fund for Scotland has so far invested around £3 million to over 640 groups and is the only sex and gender specific grant maker in Scotland
Almost 1,000 life-changing grants have been made by The Women’s Fund for Scotland
42,967 women and girls have benefited from The Women’s Fund for Scotland funding
The Women’s Fund for Scotland (WFS), a charity created to help girls and women across Scotland, has released its 2022 Impact Report.
The report details the way WFS has been able to inspire and empower women across the past 20 years to help them overcome inequalities that affected their freedom, health, income, pay and power.
Founded in 2002, WFS is the only gender-specific grant maker in Scotland and the report highlights that to date, it has invested around £3 million in over 640 groups helping almost 43,000 women and girls. The work of the fund has helped to create 48 social enterprises and the grants have supported 65 women to become self-employed.
The report highlights many examples of the life-changing impact support from the fund has had on women from all walks of life in Scotland.
The fund has helped and supported a wide range of groups across Scotland from a textile training project, partnerships with Glasgow Girls Football Club and the Women’s Business Station, supporting Deaf Link to develop a tailored service to meet the needs of deaf women and girls experiencing abuse, to the “Followitapp”, a digital resource for women being stalked that is accessible through the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre.
One user of the app described how it has helped her record incidents, and feel like she doesn’t have to have the evidence of her stalker in her home:
“I never felt safe. I was at breaking point. When the App didn’t exist, I wrote things down. I would get to the stage where I didn’t want to write it down anymore. I didn’t want it lying about my house. It was just a constant reminder of my stalker. I just wanted to forget about it all.
“In the App, the time and date are already there for you, and it’s a lot quicker. You don’t need to fill in all the information there and then. I filled the rest in when I got to a safe place.”
Sue Robertson, Chair of the Women’s Fund for Scotland, says: “Our impact report provides the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the important work that The Women’s Fund for Scotland supports.
“In Scotland you are never more than 50 miles away from an organisation funded by the Women’s Fund for Scotland, and more than 42,000 girls and women have benefited from our funding. This is something we are extremely proud of and hope to build upon in the coming years.”
Shona Blakeley, Executive Director at The Women’s Fund for Scotland adds: “We are extremely proud of all the support we have been able to offer over the years.
“However, this is only possible thanks to our supporters, and we rely on their generosity and kind donations. For those who would like to donate, you can do so via our JustGiving page – https://www.justgiving.com/womensfundforscotland”
The city council’s Transport and Environment Convener has condemned anti-social behaviour towards Lothian Buses employees.
Councillor Scott Arthur’s comments follow an open letter from Sarah Boyd, managing director of Lothian Buses, which acknowledges an increase in abusive behaviour towards drivers and other customer-facing people, as well as frontline workers around the city.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, responded to Sarah Boyd’s letter, saying: “It’s extremely disappointing to hear that Lothian Buses’ employees are having to endure abusive and anti-social behaviour.
“These keyworkers work hard to provide a trusted, essential service for the city and it’s appalling that they’re having to put up with this kind of treatment.
“We’ve pulled through an exceptionally challenging few years together, as a city, and I’m grateful for the indispensable role Lothian Buses played during the pandemic. We should not forget that drivers faced unknown risks everyday getting keyworkers to work.
“The current Europe-wide driver shortage means all bus companies face huge challenges in maintaining their network, but I know the vast majority of people in Edinburgh understand this and will continue to support Lothian Buses by reinforcing a zero tolerance stance on anti-social behaviour.”
