Tag: support

‘Deeply humbled’ Sunak visits Kyiv

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said it is “deeply humbling” to be in Kyiv and pledged that the UK will continue to stand by Ukrainians in their fight, on his first visit to the country yesterday [Saturday 19th November].

Meeting President Zelenskyy, he confirmed that the UK will provide a major new package of air defence to help protect Ukrainian civilians and critical national infrastructure from an intense barrage of Russian strikes.

The £50 million package of defence aid comprises 125 anti-aircraft guns and technology to counter deadly Iranian-supplied drones, including dozens of radars and anti-drone electronic warfare capability. It follows more than 1,000 new anti-air missiles announced by the Defence Secretary earlier this month.

In the last week, Ukrainian forces say Russia has rained down more than 148 missile strikes on critical infrastructure, leaving approximately 10 million people without power. The UK is also bolstering our training offer to Ukrainian’s armed forces, sending expert army medics and engineers to the region to offer specialised support.

In Kyiv, the Prime Minister laid flowers at a memorial for the war dead and lit a candle at a memorial for victims of the Holodomor famine, before meeting first responders at a fire station.

The team of emergency responders described their harrowing work rescuing survivors from the rubble and fighting fires in the aftermath of Russian airstrikes and mortar attacks.

He also saw captured Iranian-made drones which have been used to target and bomb civilians in recent months.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “I am proud of how the UK stood with Ukraine from the very beginning. And I am here today to say the UK and our allies will continue to stand with Ukraine, as it fights to end this barbarous war and deliver a just peace.

“While Ukraine’s armed forces succeed in pushing back Russian forces on the ground, civilians are being brutally bombarded from the air. We are today providing new air defence, including anti-aircraft guns, radar and anti-drone equipment, and stepping up humanitarian support for the cold, hard winter ahead.

“It is deeply humbling to be in Kyiv today and to have the opportunity to meet those who are doing so much, and paying so high a price, to defend the principles of sovereignty and democracy.”

Recognising that Ukrainians face a very difficult winter, with widespread blackouts of destruction of homes, schools and hospitals, the Prime Minister has also confirmed £12 million for the World Food Programme’s response, as well as £4 million for the International Organisation for Migration.

The funding will help provide generators, shelter, water repairs and mobile health clinics. The UK is also sending tens of thousands of extreme cold winter kits for Ukrainian troops.

Working with the Government of Ukraine, the UK has identified an initial eight construction projects to be supported by UK Export Finance, helping to repair Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and lay the foundations for economic recovery. The projects include six bridges and two housing projects, including a development in Bucha for some 2,250 residents.

Local band CHIL announce charity gig for Edinburgh Crisis Centre

The team at the Edinburgh Crisis Centre are delighted to have fundraising support from local band CHIL who are planning a charity gig in December.

The life saving Crisis Centre supports around 2000 people across the city each year who are experiencing emotional distress and often thoughts of self harm or  suicide.

The Crisis Centre team is 24/7 365 days a year and consists of volunteers who run groups and offer telephone support. Get them on Facebook.

The band members were motivated to do a charity gig for the Crisis Centre because of their own experiences, and they’re hoping the gig will raise awareness of the work of the Crisis Centre team.

The gig’s taking place on Sunday 11th December at the Leith Dockers Club and doors open at 3pm for a start of 4pm and finish of 8pm.

Nick Bell from the Crisis Centre said: “It’s always great to have this kind of support in the local community and we couldn’t be more grateful to Jack and the rest of CHIL for what they’re doing.

“The Crisis Centre has been in the city for 15 years and each year the number of people we support and who phone in for advice increases.

“It’s not an overstatement to say that the support our team offers people is life saving on many occasions and we rely on volunteers who form a big part of our team.

“We’d love to see as many folk as possible at the gig and tickets can be booked by emailing ecc.volunteersgroups@penumbra.og.uk”.

CHIL band member, Jack Hunter said: “We think support for mental health is critical, especially in current times.

“The band members have experience of these kind of issues within their family and friends group. Some of us have worked in the social sector and were aware of the great work of the Edinburgh crisis centre.

“We hope the gig will raise the profile for the Crisis Centre work and a bit of funding to support this.”

Leukaemia charities announce financial support service to help patients during the cost of living crisis

Leukaemia Care and Leukaemia UK have launched a new support fund to aid leukaemia patients with the cost of living crisis this winter.

The Cost of Living with Leukaemia Fund has been created in response to the financial crisis in the UK, and will help make a difference in the lives of leukaemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) or Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN) patients who might struggle this winter with increased pressure on household bills. 

Over the past year, Leukaemia Care has provided over £70,000 of financial support to people affected by leukaemia, MDS or MPN. These grants seek to provide help for those who are struggling with increased bills, hospital travel costs or paying for food. 

Leukaemia UK previously committed an additional £20,000 grant towards the cost of continuing Leukaemia Care’s Financial Hardship Fund. 

As a result Leukaemia Care has been able to offer 464 grants to families affected by leukaemia, MDS and MDN.

With that funding now exhausted due to high demand, new funding was needed at a time when demand for financial grants has been amplified during the ongoing cost of living crisis. 

Leukaemia Care has seen a 400 per cent increase in the number of applications to its existing fund as the country enters a difficult winter where people who were already struggling financially due to their leukaemia diagnosis are now facing additional cost of living pressures. 

Around 43 per cent of patients reported a financial impact, either due to an increase in costs or a reduction in income, or indeed both. This increases to 55 per cent for acute leukaemia patients. 

To help address this need, Leukaemia Care and Leukaemia UK have now come together to launch this new fund. 

Zack Pemberton-Whiteley, CEO of Leukaemia Care said: “We know how devastating the financial impact of leukaemia is to people affected, and the recent cost of living crisis has only increased this pressure further.

“Because of this, Leukaemia Care are pleased to be working with Leukaemia UK to launch the Cost of Living with Leukaemia Fund to provide additional financial support to people affected by leukaemia and other blood cancers.”

Fiona Hazell, Chief Executive of Leukaemia UK, said: “Whilst many in the UK are struggling financially, we know that a leukaemia diagnosis adds extra financial pressures, on top of the emotional and physical challenges.

“Leukaemia UK and Leukaemia Care want to do everything we can to improve the lives of those with leukaemia and so are extremely pleased to be able to launch the Cost of Living with Leukaemia Fund together.”

If you are in need of support, you can apply for the hardship fund here:

 https://www.leukaemiacare.org.uk/support-and-information/support-for-you/cost-of-living-hub/cost-of-living-with-leukaemia-fund/  

Leukaemia Care also has a range of services which can support patients, from counselling to buddy services, which help leukaemia patients at various stages of their journey.

Find out more here:

https://www.leukaemiacare.org.uk/ 

contact advocacy@leukaemiacare.org.uk 

or call 08088 010 444. 

Amazon Walk for Alzheimer Scotland

A group of employees from the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline recently participated in Scotland’s Memory Walk with the aim of raising money and awareness for Alzheimer Scotland.

Scotland’s Memory Walk is an annual event run by Alzheimer Scotland that encourages its supporters to unite across Scotland to walk in memory and in honour of loved ones with dementia.

The team started the fundraising walk at Edinburgh Airport, with the goal of finishing a 12-mile journey at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline in four hours.

The team arrived at the fulfilment centre after 5 hours, raising a final total of £2,200 for Alzheimer Scotland through the walk.

Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s national dementia charity. They aim to ensure nobody faces dementia alone by providing support and information for people living with dementia, their carers and their families in Scotland.

The donation from Amazon will be used to deliver social and therapeutic activities across Alzheimer Scotland’s 24 Dementia Resource Centres and within the community, ensure families are supported by Dementia Advisors, fund vital dementia research and keep their 24hr Freephone Dementia Helpline (0808 808 3000) operating.

UNP – Amazon EDI4 – 44015 Memory Walk From left, John Aitken, Aoife Considine with Juno, Murray Tweddle, Bonginkosi Ndlovu and Stuart Penny.

Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “We are so proud of the team from Amazon in Dunfermline who took part in Scotland’s Memory Walk.

“Their efforts do not go unnoticed, and they should be very pleased with the amount they raised for such an important charity.”

John Aitken, an employee at Amazon in Dunfermline who took part in the fundraising walk, added: “I am very proud to have completed the walk, especially with such a great team by my side throughout the journey.

“Alzheimer Scotland is very close to my heart so it’s great that I could lend a helping hand to support the charity.”

UNP – Amazon EDI4 – 44015 Memory Walk From left, John Aitken, Aoife Considine with Juno, Murray Tweddle, Bonginkosi Ndlovu and Stuart Penny.

Sarah Cheung, Stakeholder Engagement Leader for Alzheimer Scotland, added: “On behalf of myself and the team at Alzheimer Scotland, I would like to say thank you to Amazon in Dunfermline for its kind donation.

“I would also like to extend a huge thank you and well done to the inspiring team of staff who took part in our Memory Walk – you should all be proud of your achievements.”

The donation to Alzheimer Scotland was made as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities around its operating locations across the UK.

CleanupUK launches litter-picking hubs as climate emergency continues

A new initiative from UK-based charity CleanupUK has launched, offering communities access to free litter-picking equipment to protect their local environment from the impact of litter and to connect communities.

CleanupUK has established litter-picking hubs to mitigate the effects of litter on neighbourhoods and local wildlife in the UK whilst tackling loneliness and isolation that can take place during the winter months.

The Cleanup Hubs have been developed in partnership with local community groups such as youth centres, Councils for Voluntary Services (CVS), city farms, and a local mental health charity. Through collaboration and collective action, these organisations are coming together to serve the local community and to help foster a sense of pride in otherwise challenging times.

CleanupUK will offer litter-picking equipment including high-vis jackets, litter-picking hoops, and litter-picking sticks to local hubs which can be borrowed free of charge by the local community.

CleanupUK and partnering organisations believe that this will:

  • Support communities to look after their natural environment in a way that suits them
  • Give communities a place where they can come together and take practical action for the environment
  • Allow communities to make an immediate positive impact on their local neighbourhoods
  • Encourage people to connect with those they may otherwise not engage with and help foster a sense of community and local pride

The development of Cleanup Hubs comes against the backdrop of 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) which will see leaders from across the world gather to discuss the impact of climate change on our planet.

CleanupUK Chief Executive George Monck says, “We know that all of us can make an extraordinary impact on society and litter-picking is a great example of that.

“By coming together, local people can prevent harmful litter infiltrating parks and entering our rivers and waterways, all whilst building a stronger sense of community and having fun.”

A full list of current CleanupUK Hubs is below:

  1. The Wharton Annexe, TS24 8NS
  2.  Kilmarnock Children’s Centre, TS25 3NU
  3. Jellystone Park, TS4 2SL
    Belle Vue Community Sports & Youth Centre, TS25 1QU
  4. Primrose Hill Community Centre, TS19 0HL
  5. Mind, TN34 1HG
  6. Stepney City Farm, E1 3DG
  7. St-George-in-the-East, E1 0BH
  8. Women’s Inclusive Team, E2 9LJ
  9. Love Bethnal Green, E2 OTB
  10. Jaywick Sands Community Forum, CO15 2LU
  11. Baggator, BS5 0HH
  12. West End Refugee Service, NE4 5JE
  13. CVST Harwich, CO12 3AJ
  14. CVST Clacton, CO15 1NZ
  15. Eastbourne Sports Complex

Support for people living in Edinburgh to tackle energy bills and fuel poverty

There are now an estimated 860,000 fuel-poor households in Scotland following the latest increase in energy bills on 1 October

As more and more people across the country continue to worry about the cost of living, Zero Carbon Buildings Minister Patrick Harvie wants people living in Edinburgh to know that free impartial advice and financial support is available to help make home energy improvements.

Home Energy Scotland’s ‘Warmer Homes Scotland’ programme could provide funding of up to £5,000 to help support homeowners in Edinburgh to make their homes warmer, greener and more efficient to heat. This latest Scottish Government campaign aims to raise awareness of the support available to tackle energy bills and fuel poverty. 

Commenting on the launch of the Home Energy Scotland 2022/23 campaign, Zero Carbon Buildings Minister Patrick Harvie said: “Many people across the country including Edinburgh continue to worry about the cost of living crisis and the big rise in energy bills caused by surging gas prices.  

“Our latest estimates indicate that there are around 860,000 fuel-poor households in Scotland, of which 600,000 will experience extreme fuel poverty, following the latest increase in energy bills on 1 October. 

“We are making sure that anyone in Edinburgh worried about or struggling to pay their energy bills can get the right support and advice.  

“Our Home Energy Scotland service, delivered by the Energy Saving Trust, provides free and impartial advice, support and funding to help households in Scotland to better insulate their homes saving on energy costs while at the same time reducing their impact on the environment.  

“The Home Energy Scotland team are on hand to advise how our Warmer Homes Scotland programme could provide funding of up to £5,000 to help make your home warmer, greener and more efficient to heat.  

“A range of measures – big and small – to improve energy efficiency around your home are likely to be available, and I’d urge all households to find out more and get advice as soon as possible.”  

Charity urges more families to apply for support for disabled young adults

A forward thinking national charity scheme which aims to improve quality of life and independence for young disabled adults aged 18-24, is calling for families to apply for the much-needed support.

Faced with three times higher costs to raise a disabled child or young adult, the current cost-of-living crisis is deeply challenging for families – now finding it even harder to afford the things their disabled young person needs to transition to adulthood- including technology, training and leisure activities.

National charity Family Fund is urging families with an 18-24 year old young adult to apply for wide-ranging grants through its Your Opportunity scheme, set up three years ago to help young disabled adults lead more fulfilling lives and realise ambitions.

The scheme has so far supported over 2,000 families and funds are available to help over 1,000 more young adults by next spring.

Family Fund, is the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families living on a low income, raising disabled and seriously ill children and young people.

Cheryl Ward, Family Fund’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Raising a disabled or seriously ill child is three times more expensive than raising other children .When a child reaches 18, we know they lose an average of 57% of the support and benefits they had before they reached adulthood so costs are even higher for families.

“This financial cliff-edge can be very tough for parents and carers of young adults, but when the cost of living is rising ever higher, and families are having to cut down on essentials like food and heating, there is little room for the extras which improve a young person’s quality of life.”

Your Opportunity grants include:

·       computer or tablet grants to support young people with further education, online hobbies and the overall building of independence;

·       transport costs for bus fares for appointments, or to support independent travel to clubs or hobbies;

·       help with the cost of membership fees, season tickets, computer games, and music systems to promote recreation and days out;

·       help with the costs of buying a provisional driving licence, and other learning materials to support driving ambitions;

·       white goods to help with independence, or help make mealtimes easier for carers;

·       sports, or lightweight, wheelchair to enable participation in sport activities, or access to activities that would not be possible with a day-to-day wheelchair.

The Your Opportunity scheme was initially set up in 2019 by Family Fund with a donation of £500,000 over five years from the Edward Gostling Foundation.  The Foundation has committed to continue the funding for the next ten years.

The success of the scheme has also led to the Pears Foundation providing grants of £600,000 over two years.

Cheryl Ward added: “We are extremely grateful to The Edward Gostling Foundation and the Pears Foundation for recognising the need to plug the gap in support and we are proud to be working with them to improve the lives of so many young people.

“We are committed to continue to grow this income further.”

Families are eligible to apply if the young person lives at home with their parent or main carer.

Families interested in making an application for a young person should go to:

Your Opportunity: Help for 18-24 year-olds | Family Fund

Online payment plans help almost 21,600 customers pay their Self Assessment bill

Since 6 April 2022, almost 21,600 Self Assessment customers, who were unable to pay their tax bill in full, have set up a payment plan to spread the cost into manageable monthly instalments – an increase of around 3,900 customers on the previous year – HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed.

The deadline for customers to submit their tax returns for the 2021 to 2022 tax year and pay any tax owed is 31 January 2023 and HMRC is encouraging anyone yet to complete their return to do it early. Those who have already completed their Self Assessment know what they owe and can budget to make payments on time.

Filing early also means customers, who are unable to pay their tax bill in full by the deadline, will have plenty of time to access support and advice on GOV.UK. HMRC may be able to help by arranging an affordable payment plan.

Visit GOV.UK to find out more about Time to Pay arrangements.

In the 12 months to 5 April 2022, almost 142,000 customers chose to use self-serve Time to Pay to pay any tax owed for the 2020 to 2021 tax year, spreading the cost of around £475 million into monthly instalments.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “We’re here to help customers get their tax right and if you are worried about how to pay your Self Assessment bill, help and support is available. Visit GOV.UK and search ‘help pay Self Assessment’ to find out more.”

Using HMRC’s self-serve Time to Pay facility means customers benefit from a tailored payment plan via monthly direct debits.

This means they can spread the cost of their tax bill based on how much is owed and the length of time they need to pay. Self Assessment customers can apply on GOV.UK if they:

·         have filed their tax return for the 2021 to 2022 tax year

·         owe less than £30,000

·         can pay in full within 12 months

If customers owe more than £30,000, or need longer to pay, they should call the Self Assessment Payment Helpline on 0300 200 3822.

A list of alternative payment options, including payment via the free and secure HMRC App, are available on GOV.UK.

A full list of payment options and eligibility criteria is available on GOV.UK by searching ‘HMRC payment option’.

Help and support is available on GOV.UK for those completing their Self Assessment tax returns. There is also a series of videos on YouTube.

All Self Assessment customers need to be alert to the risk of criminals emailing, calling or texting claiming to be from HMRC. Scams come in many forms – some threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion, others offer a tax rebate.

Contacts like these should set alarm bells ringing and HMRC advises customers to take their time and check scams advice by searching for ‘HMRC scams’ on GOV.UK. HMRC also urges customers never to share their HMRC login details. Someone using them could steal from the customer or make a fraudulent claim in their name.

Amazon community Halloween fancy dress party supports CHAS

The team at Amazon in Dunfermline recently celebrated Halloween by inviting the local community to take part in trick-or-treating at the fulfilment centre. 

Families from the local area were invited to visit the fulfilment centre for a Halloween themed fancy dress event. Members of the Amazon team also celebrated the day with sweet treat giveaways and a charity raffle in support of CHAS. 

Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “We all had such a great evening and loved seeing so many children dressed up for Halloween. The atmosphere was fantastic and it’s even better that we could support CHAS in the process.”

Amazon Dunfermline (EDI4) Hallowe’en Party, Mon 31/10/2022. Photography from: Colin Hattersley Photography – www.colinhattersley.com – cphattersley@gmail.com – 07974 957 388.

Kim Skelton, a member of the local community who visited the event, added: “My kids loved Halloween trick-or-treating at Amazon.

“The decorations were brilliant, and everyone really enjoyed themselves.”

Amazon Dunfermline (EDI4) Hallowe’en Party, Mon 31/10/2022. Photography from: Colin Hattersley Photography – www.colinhattersley.com – cphattersley@gmail.com – 07974 957 388.

Lara MacDonald, Senior Corporate Partnerships Executive at CHAS, said: “I want to say thank you to the Amazon team for supporting us through the site’s Halloween event. Every donation means so much to us and we always appreciate Amazon in Dunfermline’s support.”

The donation to CHAS was made as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities around its operating locations across the UK.

Stars support Military charity this Remembrance

A host of stars and influencers, such as Sophie Ellis Bextor, Anneka Rice and Sammy Winward, are showing their support for Remembrance Day this year by backing a national poppy pebble painting initiative, led by the Forces Employment Charity.

The Poppy Pebbles project invites schools, veterans and the public alike, to paint a poppy on a pebble and place it on a war memorial, or headstone of a veteran, as a way of commemorating Remembrance Day.

Those taking part are encouraged to undertake research into identifying and visiting local war graves in their area via the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, finding out information about the veteran who was buried there.

Colin Back, National Manager of Project Nova at the Forces Employment Charity who devised the initiative says: “The Poppy Pebbles project initially started life as a mindfulness activity during lockdown for some of our more vulnerable veteran clients, who we support into employment.

“However, we found that the idea really struck a chord with the public more generally and now sees people taking part all over the country, from all walks of life, as their way of commemorating Remembrance.

“We are delighted that this year the Poppy Pebbles project has also captured the imagination of some famous faces too, who are helping us encourage more people than ever to get involved.”

For more information, including a free Poppy Pebbles resource pack, please visit www.forcesemployment.org.uk/poppypebbles