Did you know that Edinburgh is the loneliest city in the UK for older people?
@Vintage Vibes Edinburgh is a charity project that matches you with a wonderful older person who is local to you and has a shared interest, to create a fantastic friendship that meets once a week. It’s flexible, fun and fulfilling.
“You couldn’t have picked a better person, she is a great friend.” – Doreen
Interested? Email hello@vintagevibes.org.uk or go to vintagevibes.org.uk and sign up online
As most Scots feel the full force of the cold weather and cost of living crisis, one charity is making a pledge to support even more bereaved Scots facing funeral poverty in 2023 – but they need the help of the public to achieve their goal.
Caledonia Funeral Aid was set up to provide free practical and emotional support to bereaved Scots or those thinking about end-of-life planning, with a particular focus on those worried about how they are going to afford to pay for a funeral.
With many people having to choose between heating and eating, a bereavement could cause extra financial worry on top of the pain of a loss and that is why Caledonia Funeral Aid was set up.
Co-founder John Halliday explains: “A lot of people we support haven’t had to arrange a funeral before – thankfully. However, they are grieving, and they don’t know where to start or what to do.
“The distress is only made worse if finances are an issue. When the average cost of a basic funeral is nearly £4k, the amount of people who are struggling is more than you would think.
“Caledonia Funeral Aid operate a helpline, which provides free, impartial advice on organising a funeral, paying for a funeral and how to cope.
We are keen to spread the word that help is available, you don’t have to face this alone, support is there. That is why we have issued a callout for volunteers.
The recruits will receive full training and will staff events and workshops, as well as man the advice line.
It may sound like a difficult role, but it is truly a rewarding one, as you are helping someone as they navigate one of the most difficult periods of their life. People who we speak with are always so grateful to have us guiding them through.”
One such person is Donna, whose friend Adam died earlier this year: “I approached several funeral directors who turned me away when they heard money was an issue. I was so worried as I wanted to honour Adam’s wishes.
“Luckily, I called Caledonia Funeral Aid, and they advised me of more affordable options and financial assistance that was available. As a result, I managed to organise a dignified and caring funeral for my dear friend.”
In terms of the type of person they are looking for, John explains more: “We are looking for sympathetic and organised people who are passionate about helping others. As we work Scotland-wide, location is flexible, but we are focusing on Edinburgh in terms of delivering events and workshops.”
Anyone who is interested is encouraged to give our team a call on 03000 113 301
LINK UP at North Edinburgh Arts is running an Activate course in partnership with the University of Glasgow.
This is a foundation course in community development. It is open to community members young and old, in the North West Locality. The course is fully funded.
There a will be an online information session on 11th February with the course beginning in person on 18th February: 9:30 – 1pm for 12 weeks (times and venue to be confirmed).
Spaces are limited if you have any interest or require further information contact the Link Up team on 07493876130 or by email: fionab@northedinburgharts.co.uk
The recent news that the overall cost of dying has increased to well over £9,000 will be making a lot of people worry how they will pay, should a loved one pass away without any financial plans in place.
However, the Sunlife Cost of Dying Report 2023 https://www.sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs/ has found the cost of a basic funeral has dropped. This appears to be partly the result of the growing acceptability of simpler funerals and direct cremations.
Despite this, the funeral poverty charity Caledonia Funeral Aid is still advising bereaved people to contact them for support, before resorting to drastic measures such as using loan sharks, fundraising, or selling possessions.
Co-founder and chair John Halliday explains why: “Despite the glimmer of good news here, our relentless fight to try to push down funeral prices will need to continue. It is harder than ever for people facing a cost-of-living crisis to find even the money for a basic funeral.
“We are particularly concerned about the growing problem of funeral directors requiring deposits – we have heard time and time again people turned away from every funeral directors because they don’t have the hundreds or thousands of pounds of cash required for the initial deposit.
“Others take on a huge debt they can’t afford because they feel like there is no alternative. Indeed, the report has found that there has been a rise in the number of people taking out a debt to pay for the funeral.
“At Caledonia Funeral Aid, we provide free advice on how to organise and pay for a funeral, what financial help is available and how to cope with a recent bereavement.
“We offer simple, dignified and cremations through our not-for-profit funeral directors Caledonia Cremation, which we set up in 2018 to support those facing funeral poverty.”
Donna turned to Caledonia Funeral Aid after her friend Adam died earlier this year:
“I approached several funeral directors who turned me away when they heard money was an issue. I was so worried as I wanted to honour Adam’s wishes and give him a decent send-off.
Luckily, I called Caledonia Funeral Aid, and they advised me of more affordable options and the financial assistance that was available. As a result, I managed to organise a dignified and caring funeral for my dear friend. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t had that help.”
With demand for their services anticipated to continue in the current financial climate, John has issued an urgent callout to the public for help:
“We are charity-owned, and only have finite resources, so we are looking for kind-hearted Scots to join our team as volunteer funeral and bereavement guides.
“It may sound daunting, but the work we do is both important and rewarding. Dealing with a bereavement can be an overwhelming and distressing experience, especially when finances are an issue, so the clients we support really do appreciate having us to turn to, during these tough times.
“So, if you are bereaved or looking to make a real difference to people’s lives, please do call our advice line now 03000 113301. Our team are compassionate, friendly and will be there for you for as long as it takes.”
As we begin a new year, many people will be reflecting and looking ahead to what the coming weeks and months will bring (writes Adeniyi Alade, Service Head of Helplines (Childline) .
Often New Year’s resolutions focus on healthy living, learning a new skill, supporting a cause, or giving up a bad habit.
This year, NSPCC Scotland is appealing for people to resolve to donate some of their time to one of the charity’s many services for children and young people.
At NSPCC, we are lucky to have a dedicated group of volunteers who give their time week-in week-out to help children and families when they need us the most.
However, to help ensure that we are here for all children, all day, every day, all year round, we need more people of all ages, and from all walks of life, to become volunteers and help us be there for young people.
Our two Childline bases in Glasgow and Aberdeen have a team of amazing volunteers who talk to children about a range of issues including mental health, abuse and neglect, family relationships, loneliness grief, and sexuality.
Childline bases across the UK held over 200,000 Childline counselling sessions with children and young people last year and need more volunteers to enable them to continue being there for children.
Could you be that person?
Our Schools Service volunteers also play a vital role, protecting a generation of children by helping them understand abuse and giving them the confidence to speak out if they need help.
Could you help children feel empowered to know who they can speak out to if they are worried?
If you aren’t able to commit to a weekly or monthly volunteer role, why not consider joining as a fundraising and events volunteer, or you could even support NSPCC Scotland with your own fundraising event throughout the year.
No matter how much time you have to give, NSPCC has a volunteering role for you. It can be a great way to give back to the community and also learn new skills.
At NSPCC, we give you all the training needed to get you ready for your role, as well as a hugely supportive team of volunteers and supervisors to guide and help you on your volunteering journey.
You can get more information at: www.nspcc.org.uk/volunteer
Could you help us be there for all children?
If you have CPR knowledge, sign up to become a lifesaver with the #GoodSAM app
Since October, over 1200 people across Scotland have registered to receive an alert when someone suffers #cardiacarrest. But we need more volunteers!
Find out more: https://savealife.scot/goodsam/
Hope in action – new tree planting at Lauriston Farm starting this Saturday.
Join us to help plant wild harvest windbreaks, #agroforestry rows and wet woodland areas.
Details and sign up sheet here: http://volunteersignup.org/FKLXC
Last week, cardiac arrest survivor John McCann, 62, whose life was saved by a first aid trained First Bus driver, shared his experiences with party leaders, ministers and MSPs at a parliamentary reception on behalf of St Andrew’s First Aid, Scotland’s only dedicated first aid charity.
John, who lives in the West End of Glasgow, spoke of the great importance of first aid and emphasised the vital need to ensure more people are equipped with the knowledge and confidence to intervene in any emergency. He underlined how his life – and ability to tell his story at the event – was entirely down to the actions of one man.
The reception was attended by Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar, Minister for Public Health, Woman’s Health and Sport, Maree Todd and Collette Stevenson as sponsoring MSP, amongst others.
The event was held to mark the 140th anniversary of the charity and provided an opportunity for political and wider stakeholders to find out more about St Andrew’s First Aid’s mission to transform Scotland into a nation of live savers by providing vital first aid training to everyone.
The reception also included a speech from Molly Jansen, 17, a St Andrew’s First Aid volunteer. Molly spoke about the valuable experiences of being a volunteer and the importance of St. Andrew’s First Aid’s school projects such as the Ready for Life programme which teaches a certificated emergency and mental health first aid course to secondary school pupils.
Stuart Callison, Chief executive at St Andrew’s First Aid said: “We’re delighted that the vital work being completed at St. Andrew’s First Aid is being recognised and celebrated.
“We are very grateful to everyone who attended our event and helped us to celebrate these 140 years of providing essential first aid training and support to Scotland.
“As Scotland’s only dedicated first aid charity, we have a responsibility to train as many people in lifesaving skills and raise awareness of the important campaigns and initiatives we have in place to achieve this.”
Are you 14+ and looking to get into volunteering? Check out our flyers and get in touch with our Volunteer Development Worker Gillian!
We are also having a volunteer recruitment event on Thursday 29th September at 4pm – come along and find out more!
Welcome to your June Newsletter
First of all, we hope you enjoyed the Picnic in the Park on Sunday 19th June in collaboration with the Friends of Victoria Park and the Victoria Park Allotment Holders. There seemed to be hundreds of people there, all having a great time. We hope you caught up with some old friends and made some new ones.
Next in the calendar will be our second Annual General Meeting. This will be held on Saturday 2nd July and members will be receiving their own invitation to attend in person this year, now that Covid restrictions have been relaxed. There will be more details in the members’ invitations.
If you think you are already a member, but have not received the AGM invitation by email in the last few days, please do get in touch with us to check your membership status by emailing admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk .
Just a reminder that receiving this newsletter does not necessarily mean that you are a member. You might just have signed up to receive the newsletter but not joined as a member.
Check out our website for membership conditions, which are purely geographical. If you live in our area of benefit (there’s a map on the website) then you can become a full member with voting rights.
If you live outside the area then you can still become an associate member but will not be able to vote at the AGM.
Joining is free. If you haven’t joined and wish to, then you can find the form under JOIN on the website.
The Trustees look forward to meeting members in person, many of them for the first time, and discussing our exciting plans for the future.
We would also like to use this newsletter to introduce you to a new member of our team. Bryan McCarthy joins us as our new Volunteer Coordinator.
One of our trustees, Christine McDerment has been on the other end of the volunteering email address up until now, but Bryan has stepped up and answered the call for some help.
Bryan is originally from Cork, Ireland, but moved to Edinburgh five years ago and has been living in Leith while working in criminal justice with Edinburgh City Council. “I have always enjoyed volunteering in my spare time and am excited to put my energy into coordinating the volunteering activities of Heart of Newhaven,” he says.
Now, a reminder: we are looking for volunteers to get involved in reminiscence training.
Sharing family stories is therapeutic and instructive, not to mention enjoyable. If you’re interested in helping to record people’s stories and memories, to then share with the community, then please get in touch. We have secured funding for this, so the training would be free for the participants.
Contact: judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
or Christine.mcderment@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
Remember to check the website regularly for blogs.
The month of May saw a visit to the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, with whom we hope to collaborate on exhibitions and events in the future. As well as their regular collection they also offer temporary exhibitions and the current one runs until 19th June.
You can find the blogs, including Culture & Heritage and View From The Chair, under BLOGS on the website.
