Tag: support

Up to £600 for pensioners arrive in bank accounts from today

  • From today, over 11.6 million pensioners will start to receive up to £600 to help with their energy bills this winter
  • This support, worth over £4.5 billion, is part of an extensive package helping people of all ages with the cost of heating their homes, including through the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme [available to eligible households in England, Scotland and Wales], and the Energy Price Guarantee saving typical households £900.

From today (23 November 2022), over 11.6 million pensioners in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will start to receive payments of up to £600 to help with their energy bills this winter.

Winter Fuel Payments – boosted this year by an additional £300 per household Pensioner Cost of Living payment – will land in bank accounts over the next two months, the vast majority automatically.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: “We want to do everything we can to support pensioners who are often the most exposed to higher costs. That’s why we’re providing all pensioner households with an additional £300 on top of their Winter Fuel Payments to heat their homes and stay warm this winter.

“This extra payment is just one part of the wider support package we’re delivering to help with rising bills, including the biggest State Pension increase in history.

“Our support doesn’t stop here. As we deal with the impact of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine and the aftermath of the pandemic, we will continue to stand by the most vulnerable, with further cost of living payments coming next year.”

The money will appear in bank statements with the payment reference starting with the customer’s national Insurance number followed by ‘DWP WFP’ for people in Great Britain, or ‘DFC WFP’ for people in Northern Ireland.

The overwhelming majority of Winter Fuel Payments are paid automatically but some people need to make a claim, such as those who qualify but do not receive benefits or the State Pension and have never previously received a Winter Fuel Payment.

This month, over seven million payments of £324 have already been made to low-income households as part of this government’s cost of living support. This includes pensioners receiving Pension Credit.

The average Pension Credit award is worth over £3,500 a year, and for those pensioners who may be eligible but are yet to make an application, there is still time to do so and qualify for this additional £324 payment.

This is because Pension Credit claims can be backdated by up to three months, provided the entitlement conditions are met throughout that time.

To ensure that a successful backdated claim falls within the qualifying period for extra £324 cost of living help, pensioners are being urged to claim Pension Credit as soon as possible, and by no later than 18 December 2022.

The online Pension Credit calculator is on hand to help pensioners check if they’re likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive.

Further cost of living support to be paid next year was announced by the Chancellor in his Autumn Statement last week. Payments will include a further £300 for pensioners, £900 for households on means-tested benefits and £150 for those on disability benefits.

Volunteering opportunities with Edinburgh North East Scouts

Sign up for the online information evening on Tuesday 29th November at 7.30pm here:

 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/edinburgh-north-east-scouts-information-event-tickets-445103174577   

We know everyone is busy, so this event is taking place online to fit in around family, work and life. It’ll only take 1 hour and will be informative. 

Did you know Edinburgh North East Scouts has almost 100 young people on a waiting list to join? And they need new helpers to support their 14 Scout Groups in Portobello, Craigentinny, Craigmillar, Duddingston, Calton, Joppa, Stockbridge, Pilrig, Broughton, Trinity, Leith, Newhaven, Wardie and Willowbrae.   

Sign up for this event to find out about the exciting things the Scout Groups get up to and flexible volunteering opportunities. 

Demand by young people to join Scouts in the Edinburgh North East area is good with youth waiting lists growing. However, they need new adult volunteers to reduce the waiting list and enable more local young people to benefit from Scouting.  

Edinburgh North East Scouts is looking to the local community and organisations to help change the lives of local young people. They are appealing for help to reduce the youth waiting list and support 100 more young people to benefit from Scouts.  

Scouts is only possible thanks to superstar volunteers – ordinary people, like you, making an extraordinary difference in young people’s lives. They are looking for new adult volunteers to assist their existing leader and executive team. So please consider what you can do and if you know anyone who may be willing to get involved and ask them to come along to the event too. It is possible that they may consider a job share if that was of interest to you? 

Scouting has a reputation for helping young people to develop resilience, a positive character, respect for others, good community skills, as well as physical and mental fitness. Can you help inspire the doers and give it a goers of the future! 

FACTS MATTER:

FACT 1: There are 14 Scout Groups in the Edinburgh North East area and they all want to provide more Scouting to more local young children. 

FACT 2: You don’t need to have any specific skills or be Bear Grylls to lend a hand.  

FACT 3: They have a collective youth waiting list of almost 100. 
FACT 4: If you volunteer as a Leader to get involved now then they can look at how your child could get automatic entry into their preferred Scout Group. 
FACT 5: You don’t have to have previous Scouting experience to get involved.  

As a District, they want to offer your child and other local children across the Edinburgh North East area the chance to participate in all the fun experiences and adventures they do in Scouting week to week such as: camping, fire-lighting, climbing and abseiling, and yes, learning how to tie and use knots (these will come in handy in later life!)

Are you passionate about seeing local young people succeed? Are you a team player with a positive, can-do attitude? Do you enjoy fun activities? Do you want to do more in your community? Are you more of a ‘behind the scenes’ person? Do you have a skill or hobby you can share? Then this event is right up your street.  Scouts has the opportunities – you just show up, get stuck in and make memories for life!  

We all have the power to help young people to realise their potential.  You don’t need to have been a Scout when you were younger. You don’t even need to know how to put up a tent. 

Their door is open to people of all ages, genders, races and backgrounds, and they’re only able to change lives because people like you lend a hand. 

There’s lots of ways you can get more involved with Scouts as a parent, carer or family member. From helping out occasionally on a family rota or as part of their Executive Committee to stepping up as a leader, their volunteering activities are as varied as you. 

The good news is you shape what you do and the time you have to give. Scouts happens when a lot of us give a little …and no, you don’t have to be a Scout or outdoors expert to volunteer. 

Most of their volunteers work directly with young people aged 6-18 through their Beaver, Cub and Explorer groups – helping young people gain skills for life through fun activities. 

District Commissioner, Rob Whitelaw, said, “This isn’t a job application, and you certainly don’t have to be an adventurer like Bear Grylls to get involved with Scouting and in fact not many of our volunteers are! 

“Do you have first aid knowledge? Are you good with numbers? Handy in the kitchen? Or are you a DIY whizz? We all have useful skills, and you can volunteer and help in many ways. Are you ready to inspire a generation of young people to experience fun, friendship and real adventure?

“The opportunities to volunteer with us are flexible. Think of something you’d like to do, and chances are it’s just what we require. Whatever your skills, experience and interests, we can find a role for you!” 

Contact/sign up:

Sign up for the online information evening on Tuesday 29th November at 7.30pm here:

 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/edinburgh-north-east-scouts-information-event-tickets-445103174577

Game, set, match funding as Judy Murray backs Mary’s Meals

Donations made to the school feeding charity will be matched, with up to £1.5 million available 

Judy Murray is encouraging people across Scotland to give to Mary’s Meals this winter – so that the charity can reach even more hungry children with its nutritious school meals. 

The British tennis coach is supporting the Double The Love campaign – which will see donations made to Mary’s Meals until 31 January 2023 doubled by a group of generous supporters, up to £1.5 million. 

Judy says: “I am delighted to announce that donations to Mary’s Meals are being doubled this winter – meaning this wonderful charity can reach even more children with daily school meals. 

“It’s game, set, match funding – so please give, if you can!” 

Mary’s Meals, which was founded in a shed in Argyll, feeds an incredible 2,279,941 children every day in countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, India and Yemen.  

The promise of a meal at school attracts hungry children into the classroom where, instead of working or looking for food, they can gain an education and hope for a better future.   

But the charity has warned that the world is facing a hunger crisis of unprecedented proportions brought about by conflict, climate change and Covid-19 – making its work both challenging and indispensable.  

Judy took part in a Q&A at an event held at Glasgow Caledonian University on Saturday [12 November] to mark the 20th anniversary of the charity. Mary’s Meals’ founder, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, also spoke at the celebration. 

Suzy Harley, head of supporter care at Mary’s Meals, says: “Every day, we encounter new children who desperately need our life-changing meals. And every day we find new ways of reaching them thanks to the kindness of those who believe in our mission. But it has never been more difficult to do so – and that is why we need your support now more than ever. 

“Double The Love is an important opportunity for us to feed even more little ones. We are deeply thankful to Judy and everyone who is helping us keep our promise to the more than 2.2 million children who rely on our meals, while allowing us to reach the next hungry child waiting for Mary’s Meals.” 

Thanks to the charity’s low-cost approach it costs just £15.90 to feed a child with Mary’s Meals every school day for a year. And, thanks to Double The Love, a donation of £15.90 made before 31 January 2023 will feed two children for a year. To find out more, visit marysmeals.org.uk/double. 

Self-Build Loan Fund to reopen

£6 million loan fund reopens for applications tomorrow

Self-builders who are unable to access standard bank lending can now apply for a loan of up to £175,000 to help with the development costs of their home.

The Self-Build Loan Fund reopens for applications tomorrow (Monday 21 November) and aims to support the delivery of good quality and energy efficient housing, giving people more choice about the homes they want to live in.

Following the success of a pilot scheme in the Highlands the fund was launched nationally in 2018, with 41 loans worth a total of £6.2 million approved to date.

Housing Secretary Shona Robison said: ““This fund aims to unlock the dream of building your own home, in many cases allowing people to stay in their local communities.

“We know it can be more difficult to access finance for self-build projects than for buying an existing property, and this fund is a crucial lifeline for those unable to access standard bank lending. When loans are repaid, the money can be re-used, during the life of the fund, supporting more self-builders and providing more homes for future generations.

“Self-provided housing can play an important role contributing to the long-term sustainability of our rural and island communities, and this £6 million Scottish Government fund will continue to help support this. It has had great success in the Highlands and Islands and has also provided dream homes for people living across the whole of Scotland.

“Wherever you live, if you’re interested in building your own home I’d encourage you to contact the Communities Housing Trust to find out more.”

Kirsten, a school teacher from Shetland who benefitted from the fund, said: “We acquired our plot of land over 20 years ago. At that point there was an old croft house on the land which we initially planned to renovate.

“However, several things arose to hinder our plans. The most significant was my partner becoming long-term disabled after an accident. This meant a lot of disruption to our build plans.  

“If the fund hadn’t been available we would have had to stop our build altogether and sell the plot of land. That would have meant it being harder for us to get onto the property ladder.

“It can be difficult or more costly to find a property that has larger living accommodation needed for wheelchair use. It may also have taken us away from our home area where family are nearby. I don’t know what we would have done without this fund.”

Ronnie MacRae, CEO of the Communities Housing Trust, said: “In the years we’ve administered the fund, we’ve seen demand rise as conditions become even more challenging for people to build their own home. In many cases, families just need a bit of extra support and are fully able to build and then repay the loan.

“Self-build remains an important option for many, particularly in areas where no other options exist, so we are extremely grateful to the Scottish Government for continuing to provide the fund.”

The fund is reopening after closing on 31 August 2022 to new applications.

The Self-Build Loan Fund is administered on behalf of the Scottish Government by the Communities Housing Trust.

‘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