We are on a volunteer drive!
Food roles available, full training.
For more info call Jools 07455 826 660 or email juliepatterson@pchp.org.uk
Pantry volunteers required in North Edinburgh
Tag: volunteers
Are you celebrating National Thank You Day?
- National Thank You Day, backed by Lorraine Kelly, Dame Katherine Grainger and Tom Kitchin, will give thanks to those who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic
- Tartan Tea Parties, BBQs and picnics are set to take place across Scotland to celebrate local heroes
- UK Government Communities Secretary thanks community heroes and encourages all to fill the airwaves with tributes to everyone who played their part
The UK Government is celebrating Thank You Day to shine a light on Scotland’s unsung heroes who have served local communities during the pandemic.
With backing from a host of Scottish celebrities including TV’s Lorraine Kelly, olympic rower Dame Katherine Grainger and Scotland’s youngest Michelin starred chef Tom Kitchin, the day is set to give thanks to those who have gone the extra mile to help their neighbours.
The campaign for Thank You Day was started by a small group of people from across the UK including Debbie Matthew, a stroke survivor from Perthshire, and May Parsons, the nurse who administered the UK’s first Covid jab.
Thanks to their efforts, people around the country will be gathering to show their gratitude by hosting Covid safe Tartan Tea Parties, BBQs, picnics, and certificate ceremonies in honour of those who have selflessly given their time to help those in need.
UK Government Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick is also calling on people to fill the UK’s airwaves with their thanks and tributes on local radio and social media.
Unsung heroes include people such as:
- Faith leaders who embraced technology to ensure communities could celebrate religious festivals online and opened up places of worship as vaccination centres
- The many volunteers who delivered food parcels and those who were always there at the other end of the phone or on the doorstep to smile, listen and talk so people did not feel alone
- Volunteers and charities who worked to get rough sleepers off the streets and provided lifesaving support for those fleeing domestic abuse
- Council staff, social workers and refuse collectors who kept vital services going during the most challenging times.
The Prime Minister will be joining the festivities with a ‘BB-Thank-Q’, hosting community leaders, NHS workers and representatives from the Royal Voluntary Service.
UK Government Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said: This past year has been challenging for us all. But in the darkest of times, when people were most in need, the actions of our friends and neighbours to support our communities have shone the brightest.
“Across all faiths, ages, backgrounds and languages, our communities have shown off the best of this country.
“You are all our community heroes and on behalf of the UK Government I want to say thank you.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “The past year has been incredibly challenging for all of us, but the kindness, generosity and community spirit shown across Scotland has been truly heartening.
“From every one of our key workers who kept services going in the most difficult of circumstances, to our voluntary groups who worked tirelessly to help those in need, the people that delivered food parcels to their neighbours, there are so many in Scotland that went above and beyond to support their communities.
“The UK Government is proud to be supporting Thank You Day to pay tribute to all those who deserve our sincere gratitude.”
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is holding a Tartan Tea party to mark the day with staff and families from the Scottish parliament.
She said: “It has been heartening to hear stories of people across Scotland who have gone to extraordinary lengths to provide support to friends, families and neighbours throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is important we pause to recognise their efforts.
“Thank You Day gives us the opportunity to express in person our gratitude to those who go out of their way to offer their time and help – and I am hugely grateful to all those who have done so already and continue to do so.
“By heeding the various rules and public health advice and enabling others to do the same, you are protecting the vulnerable and helping suppress the virus.”
Prince Edward thanks volunteers for keeping Scotland beautiful
HRH The Earl of Forfar KG GCVO paid a visit to Saughton Park yesterday to join Keep Scotland Beautiful as they celebrated the commitment of volunteers and supporters dedicated to improving our environment.
During his visit, to the recently restored, and Green Flag Award winning park, The Earl of Forfar met with city council staff and a number of groups and individuals who work with the charity to tackle litter, combat climate change and improve local places.
His Royal Highness met with volunteers from the Friends of Glasgow Necropolis Park community group who shared their experiences of the Green Flag programme across Scotland and in particular the role they play.
He also heard about the longstanding Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood programme in Scotland, meeting a passionate judge and assessor, Colin Ainsworth, and volunteers from Friends of Saughton Park Group and Bonnie Blantyre and Pals Community Group who discussed the challenges and opportunities facing community improvement projects during the pandemic.
A young reporter, Callum Alexander, who is eager to raise awareness of the importance of improving our environment, and KSB’s education team were then able to share their experiences with The Earl of Forfar before he was introduced to KSB’s June Clean Up Scotland Hero, Jason Wilcox, who highlighted his litter picking activity with the West Lothian Litterpickers and the scale of the problem as we have eased out of lockdown.
His Royal Highness also met with representatives of Keep Porty Tidy a group involved in our My Beach Your Beach campaign at Portobello.
Finally, The Earl of Forfar was introduced to a number of volunteer Charity Trustees and was invited to present our outgoing Chair Lindsay Montgomery CBE, and John Frater with Fellowship Certificates to make their long service to the charity.
Tom Brock OBE, KSB Chairman said, “It was an honour to be able to introduce His Royal Highness, The Earl of Forfar, to some of the truly amazing volunteers we work with, from our outgoing Charity Trustees to the communities, local authorities and young people who are all working tirelessly to keep Scotland beautiful.
“Our connection and need for clean, green spaces has never felt more important and it was a privilege for us to celebrate and showcase the work being done across the country by passionate individuals all striving to improve places and neighbourhoods and play a key role in Scotland’s green recovery.
“I would like thank The Earl for showing such an interest in the work we, and those we work with, do to make Scotland clean, green and sustainable for everyone.”
Fort Kinnaird joins the Great British Spring Clean
Volunteer litter pickers from Fort Kinnaird recently joined the Keep Britain Tidy Great British Spring Clean in a bid to help tidy up Edinburgh.
A team of nine volunteers joined forces on Thursday 10th June for its first community litter pick, where they conquered the stretch from Fort Kinnaird to The Jewel.
In a team effort, William Grigg, Lindy Watson, David Overton, Liam Smith, William Urban, Colin McEwen, Kevin Dargavel, James Stevenson and Alan Mcgoldrick from the Fort Kinnaird team collected 15 bags of mixed waste and bottles.
Following the success, volunteers from Fort Kinnaird will continue with their community litter picks on a monthly basis, as the centre continues its commitment to minimising the impact it has on its local community.
Liam Smith, Centre Director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “We’re really proud to be participating in this year’s Great British Spring Clean, joining thousands of people across the UK to clear litter from our streets, parks and benches.
“It’s been great to help tidy up our local area and to give back to our local community in Edinburgh.”
Bield launches award to celebrate acts of kindness
One of Scotland’s leading housing providers has launched an initiative to celebrate its community for their acts of kindness.
Housing and care provider, Bield, has launched a platform to recognise individuals going above and beyond in the community, naming the award – ‘You are one of a Kind’.
Running until March 2022, customers, owners, service users, staff and members of the local community will have the chance every month to nominate their local heroes or heroines who have gone out of their way to lend a helping hand.
At the end of each month, a board of judges will select a Bield customer along with a Bield staff member or volunteer to receive the One of a Kind Award and a £50 voucher.
This comes as Bield is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and is looking to get as many people as possible involved in the milestone.
Chief Executive of Bield, Dr Lynne Douglas said: “Many things can go unnoticed as people go about their day to day life and this award gives us the perfect opportunity to recognise all the little things that make a big difference to individuals and their communities – especially in the current climate.
“The community at Bield has rallied together throughout the pandemic so we are really excited to launch this initiative and give those people a platform to share their amazing efforts.
“Our first series of nominations have started to come through and the stories so far have been incredible – it is wonderful to see individuals supporting each other.
“The Bield community is truly one of a kind and we felt this award will help showcase and celebrate the amazing people we interact with on a daily basis.”
This award further amplifies the importance the provider has put on kindness, last year it was added to its core values, building on the ethos staff and customers live by.
Customers, staff and volunteers can cast vote here:
Bield is a registered charity which grew from humble beginnings, starting out with one housing development in Bo’ness which has gone on to become a major provider of housing and care services for around 20,000 older people across 22 local authority areas.
To find out more about Bield and its developments, visit www.bield.co.uk or follow on Facebook @bieldhousingandcare and Twitter @BieldScotland.
Volunteers supporting vaccination roll-out across Scotland
Thousands of hours contributed to national programme
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has thanked volunteers who have now contributed more than 25,000 hours to help deliver the national vaccination programme.
Scotland’s NHS Boards have been supported to deliver the programme by the National Volunteer Coordination (NVC) Hub which deploys people to help at vaccination centres.
The NVC hub is operated by the British Red Cross with the support of a network of national and local voluntary sector organisations who identify and deploy suitable volunteers. It provides a central point of contact for NHS Boards and local authorities which they can use in addition to local volunteers to ensure the right resources are in place.
Among the activities the volunteers have helped with are meeting and greeting the members of the public and providing re-assurance, advice and practical assistance for those that want it.
In addition to helping at vaccination clinics, volunteers have also been involved in supporting the community testing programme, including a team of 90 volunteers delivering testing kits to around 4,000 Glasgow households.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “It is fitting that during National Volunteers’ Week we acknowledge the huge contribution made by volunteers to our vaccination roll-out. I want to thank each and every one of them for giving up their time and helping to ensure the successful roll-out of the largest vaccination programme the country has ever seen.
“The hub being coordinated by the British Red Cross helps ensure we have people in the right place at the right time to make everything run as smoothly as possible.
“It is down to the enormous efforts of our vaccination teams around the country that more than two million people in Scotland have now received both doses. I am grateful to them and all those who have taken up their offer of a vaccine.
“The vaccination programme is one of the main ways – along with restrictions and testing – that we are working to beat this virus and so it is crucial that everyone attends for their appointments when they are offered. This is equally important for those receiving appointments for their second dose as these offer longer lasting protection against COVID-19.”
British Red Cross Community Reserve Volunteer David Hardacre said: “I had never volunteered before and signed up through the Scotland Cares site. I have really enjoyed my time as a volunteer.
“It can be challenging at times hearing how difficult some folk are finding all this with Covid but it surprising what a chat and a friendly smile can do to lift their spirits. I have helped with a few things, including the vaccination clinics, which is great. You really feel part of the team, the NHS staff are so helpful and calm. I will continue to help so long as there is a need for me.”
British Red Cross Director, Scotland Marie Hayes said: “The response from the voluntary sector throughout the pandemic has been outstanding. Thousands of individuals, many of whom have never volunteered before, have turned out to support the NHS and local authorities and, importantly, their communities as we collectively act to beat the Covid virus.
“The tasks undertaken have been vary varied, some of these include; shopping and prescription collections, a friendly voice on the phone, marshalling at vaccination clinics, test kit distribution and collection etc. It has been quite remarkable to see so many come forward to help in whatever way they can.
“The endeavours of the volunteers over the past months has without doubt helped reach those most in need during this pandemic and I have no doubt these act of human kindness, great or small, will continue until we finally see an end to the current situation.”
Edinburgh Volunteers urgently needed for Scottish Poppy Appeal
Poppyscotland, the leading Armed Forces charity, is marking Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June) by celebrating the contributions made by its army of volunteers, and inspiring others to get involved too.
The annual Poppy Appeal is Scotland’s largest fundraising campaign and the money it raises provides life-changing support for the Armed Forces community. This year will mark the centenary of the Scottish Poppy Appeal and the range of services it enables Poppyscotland to provide is as vital today as it was in 1921.
The Appeal is only possible thanks to the dedication of hundreds of volunteers and as planning gets underway for the 2021 Appeal, Poppyscotland needs new Scottish Poppy Appeal Organisers in Edinburgh.
The charity’s Head of Fundraising Gordon Michie said: “By volunteering for Poppyscotland, you will be helping us transform the lives of veterans, those currently serving, and their families. Our Armed Forces community needs our support now more than ever.
“This Volunteers’ Week, we’re asking individuals, businesses, groups of friends, or community associations that have good organisational skills to step forward and lead this year’s Appeal in Edinburgh. Our volunteers are at the heart of everything we do – without their vital support, we simply wouldn’t be able to deliver the Scottish Poppy Appeal.”
Scottish Poppy Appeal Organiser volunteers are crucial in helping raise funds for the charity’s welfare services, with demand expected to grow in the aftermath of the pandemic. As well as helping to make a difference to people’s lives, volunteering is also an opportunity to meet new people, gain new skills and experience, and get involved in the local community.
To find out more about becoming a Scottish Poppy Appeal Organiser for Edinburgh, or other opportunities to get involved throughout the year, contact Ian Jackson, Volunteer Development Officer at Poppyscotland, on 0131 550 1559, email volunteer@poppyscotland.org.uk or visit www.poppyscotland.org.uk/volunteer
Lothian MSP encourages capital residents to get involved with Covid-19 vaccination trials
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs is encouraging Edinburgh residents to get involved with Covid-19 vaccination trials.
Miles Briggs said: “Phase 3 of Valneva Covid-19 vaccination trials are pivotal for getting the new vaccinations into production.
“Two thirds of adults have had their first dose of a vaccine and a third their first dose, but booster doses will likely be required later in the year.
“The distribution of vaccines to other countries across Europe and globally will also be important, with most countries being behind Scotland and the UK in their vaccine rollout.
“I would encourage anyone over 18 who is interested in being involved with the Valneva vaccine trial to sign up at ukcovid19study.com”
In January 2021 we started commercial manufacturing of our COVID-19 vaccine at our site in Livingston, which is a globally qualified manufacturing site for viral vaccines.
We are producing our COVID-19 vaccine on our established Vero-cell platform – leveraging the manufacturing technology for our licensed Japanese Encephalitis vaccine. This video provides a snapshot of manufacturing at our site in Scotland.
We are also significantly expanding our facilities at Livingston to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity, which is creating new jobs in the area.
Last month we reported positive data from the Phase 1/2 trial of our inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, which found that it was well tolerated, with no safety concerns identified, and highly immunogenic.
Unlike earlier COVID-19 vaccine trials, which involved a placebo dose, everyone involved in this trial will receive two active vaccine doses.
Even as existing vaccines are rolled out, there is an ongoing need for people to volunteer for vaccine research.
If you’re over 18 and haven’t had a #vaccine yet, you could be eligible to take part in the Phase 3 trial of Valneva’s inactivated #COVID19 vaccine. Find out more at: ukcovid19study.com #BePartofResearch
The #Valneva vaccine being manufactured in Livingston is the only inactivated #COVID19 vaccine in development in Europe and it’s now being trialled in #Edinburgh.
To find out about the #vaccine and getting vaccinated, take a look at: ukcovid19study.com
As we roll out existing #COVID19 vaccines, experts are working on new ones & boosters to protect us over time. Crucially, volunteers are still needed for trials.
To find out about the Valneva #vaccine trial, taking place in Edinburgh, visit: ukcovid19study.com
People wanted to help make a new national walking network
During the Spring 2020 lockdown volunteers from across the nation plotted a network of walking routes that connect all of Great Britain’s towns and cities.
Without leaving home over 7,000 ‘Slow Ways’ walking routes were mapped using existing paths, trails and roads. Combined, the routes stretch for 100,000km and lap the equator – twice!
The team behind Slow Ways is now looking for people from every town and city in Great Britain to walk and review the routes to make sure they work in practice.
Dan Raven-Ellison started the Slow Ways initiative just before the country went into lockdown at the start of last year.
“The Slow Ways walking network will be something we can all enjoy for generations to come. Working from their living rooms and kitchens, volunteers have done an incredible job of drafting the network, but now we need to make sure it works on the ground, quite literally.
“To do that, we need people to head out and walk all the proposed routes to check them.
“Making use of country paths, under-used ways and city streets, the idea is to make it easier for people to plan walking journeys between neighbouring places and combine routes to go on longer distance walks.
“Some people will use Slow Ways to simply see friends in neighbouring towns. Others will use them to get to a festival, for a walking challenge to raise money for charity, or as time to reflect while exploring nature.
“Millions of us love walking – it’s such a simple thing, and it benefits so many of us in so many different ways. What if we had a proper national walking network that inspired more people to walk more often, further, and for more purposes?”
Thousands of people are needed to put the Slow Ways network through its paces whilst assessing routes for accuracy, safety and accessibility.
To find out more and to help simply visit the Slow Ways website (www.slowways.org), choose a route, walk it and leave a review.
All of the kilometres walked and feedback shared by users will help to establish a network that’s not only trusted, but widely used to connect people and communities across Great Britain.
Find out more at www.slowways.org
Lauriston Farm project looking for local people to get involved
Do you live in Muirhouse, Pilton or Drylaw? Would you like to be in our advisory group?
We are looking for people from the Muirhouse, Pilton and Drylaw areas to join the advisory group for the Lauriston Farm project.
The project seeks to transforming an existing farm into an urban food production and community hub that benefits, supports and regenerates the environment and all those connected to it.
The group will meet once a month to give input, insight, thoughts and advice on different aspects of the farm project as it progresses.
In terms of time commitment, there will be an introductory meeting in late March and monthly meetings thereafter. (maximum one 2hr meeting per month).
If you would be interested in joining the group please e-mail: