Tag: The Big Give

Edinburgh Charity launches Christmas appeal to help tackle loneliness

The Eric Liddell Community launches ‘Belonging at Christmas’ Appeal to help support its dementia care and community hub, with The Big Give doubling all donations (up to £4000) made in the first week.

The Eric Liddell Community, an Edinburgh-based care charity, has today launched its Christmas Appeal for 2024, ‘Belonging at Christmas’. This year’s appeal will help support the charity’s year-round dementia care services and community hub, providing a lifeline to many who rely on its support to combat loneliness and isolation.

The festive period can be particularly difficult for those experiencing loneliness. The Eric Liddell Community provides a safe and welcoming space where individuals can find connections and companionship. The charity is calling on the public’s generosity to help its continued efforts to create meaningful connections and essential support for those in need.

From Tuesday, December 3rd, to Tuesday December 10th, donations to the ‘Belonging at Christmas’ appeal through BigGive.org will be matched by The Big Give (up to £4000). This partnership offers an incredible opportunity to make a real difference for the many individuals who depend on The Eric Liddell Community’s support.

Anna Beauchamp, Fundraising Relationships Officer at The Eric Liddell Community, highlighted the importance of the Christmas Appeal: “As we seek the support of the local community during the festive period, we feel it is important to highlight the people whose lives we have positively impacted throughout 2024.

“The Eric Liddell Community has welcomed over 6,000 people through its doors monthly, providing over 2,500 hours of companionship and 300 support classes for those suffering from isolation.

“With your support, we look to grow these numbers even further in 2025 and beyond, providing a warm, safe community for those that need it most.”

Over the next 25 years the number of people in Edinburgh living with dementia is set to double, touching more lives with loneliness and isolation. It can take up to 12 months to receive a diagnosis from the NHS leaving a staggering number of people waiting to receive specialised support.

This not only affects those on their dementia journey, but their family and loved ones too. The Eric Liddell Community seeks to end this critical gap and provides vital care and support to those affected by this wait time.

John MacMillan, CEO of The Eric Liddell Community, added: “Eric Liddell lived his life prioritising and caring for others. As a charity, The Eric Liddell Community works hard to live up to his legacy, putting the local community first in everything that we do.

“The festive season is often the loneliest time of the year for many, and as we continue supporting our service users throughout the holidays, we appeal to your generosity to help sustain these vital services for Edinburgh’s community.”

To donate to The Eric Liddell Community’s ‘Belonging at Christmas’ Appeal please visit Belonging at Christmas between the 3rd to 10th of December.

After the 10th of December, to contribute directly to the appeal, please visit The Eric Liddell Community website at ericliddell.org.

Charities bracing themselves as nearly one third of Scots say they may need to take on debt to cover the costs of Christmas

Charities bracing themselves as nearly one third of Scots say they may need to take on debt to cover the costs of Christmas

Nearly one third of people in Scotland (29%) may need to take on debt to cover the cost of Christmas this year, according to a survey of 2,000 people carried out by Censuswide for charity The Big Give.

Nearly one quarter of Edinburgh residents (24%) are not looking forward to the holiday season this year, with money worries being the most common reason, the survey also found.

While lower than the national average (16%), a shocking 13% of Scottish residents are worried they may need to use food banks to help them manage this Christmas.

Thankfully, more half of respondents from Scotland plan to donate the same amount to charities over the Christmas period. Between rising financial concerns and the ongoing health crisis that is the Covid-19 pandemic, the work done by local charities is more important than ever.

A campaign organised by the Big Give and backed by celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Dame Judi Dench, Russell Brand and others is aiming to help. 

The Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s biggest Christmas coordinated fundraising appeal, is supporting over 900 charities to raise funds with the unique offer of matching any donations made during the week of 30th November – 7th December.

Alex Day, Director of The Big Give said: ‘Our study shows that, sadly, people across Scotland and the rest of the UK are facing an imperfect storm; High fuel prices, chronic mental health problems, rising debt, loneliness and fears about Covid-19 will mean that, for many, this festive period will be a far cry from picture perfect scenes portrayed on Christmas cards.

‘Some will rely on charities which will be further and further stretched as demand grows.’

‘That is why, for those who can, supporting charities is more important than ever. Through The Christmas Challenge campaign, we are offering to match any donation made to hundreds of amazing charities through theBigGive.org.uk. That means whatever you can give will go twice as far.’

People Know How joins Christmas Challenge aiming to double supporters’ gifts

Edinburgh charity People Know How is gearing up to double supporters’ Christmas donations by taking part in the UK’s biggest match funding campaign, The Big Give’s Christmas Challenge 2019.  Continue reading People Know How joins Christmas Challenge aiming to double supporters’ gifts