Don't forget to give back this Christmas

There are many deserving charitable organisations in Scotland who depend on the generosity of volunteers and fundraisers to continue delivering their work. Whether you can donate your time, send money or goods, or spread the word about their work, there are lots of way to help charities over the festive season. 

Here we highlight the organisations in need of your support ahead of the festivities. 

Turning Point

By this Christmas, Turning Point Scotland will have provided support to more than 1,500 people across Glasgow experiencing homelessness this year - from people in crisis through to residential support, housing support and sustaining their tenancy.

‘Home means a place where I can be safe and happy and I can be myself… a place where I feel empowered.’ - Ruby

Turning Point Scotland was one of the first organisations in the UK to adopt the Housing First approach back in 2010, supporting people into a tenancy without having to move through temporary accommodation.

Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning Kevin Stewart MSP said: ‘I’m very grateful to Turning Point Scotland and other 3rd sector organisations across Scotland for their efforts. Turning Point Scotland was basically a pathfinder for Housing First here in Scotland.

"We now need to build on that work that has been done by Turning Point Scotland and others to bring Housing First right across the country and beyond that, look beyond Housing First and introduce rapid re-housing programmes in every area of the country.

So hats off to Turning Point Scotland and hats off to all of the other organisations out there who have made all of this become a reality."

For more information visit the website or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

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Move On
 

Christmas is an expensive time of year for most people, but for many families in Glasgow the festive season is simply unaffordable. The cost of Christmas dinner can quickly add up and not being able to afford to take part can leave many feeling left out in the cold.

Move On’s Family Food Service will stop people going hungry this December by providing vital food and support for community programmes helping vulnerable people in Glasgow. As well as providing food for those who would otherwise go without, their support for Christmas lunches and dinners will give communities the opportunity to come together and reduce the social isolation many people experience over the holidays.

For many children and families in Glasgow, the essential food provided by the Family Food Service during the school holidays makes the difference between eating and going hungry. In 2018, across the Easter break, summer holidays and October week, Move On have provided healthy food for more than 12,000 children and their families. They want to do even more.

Your donations will help the Family Food Service to provide food and support for community organisations to help ensure festive meals are provided for the most vulnerable people in Glasgow. They believe everyone deserves a merry Christmas, and, with your help, more families in Glasgow will have the chance to celebrate.

To make a donation or to find out about volunteering opportunities, visit the website. Or text FFSG18 £5 to 70070 to donate £5 today.

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ENABLE Scotland

ENABLE Scotland is a Scottish charity, working for an equal society for every person who has a learning disability.

They campaign daily to end discrimination and break down the barriers that prevent people from living the same lives as everybody else. 

In Scotland in 2018:

2/3 of young people who have a learning disability and/or autism spectrum disorders have been bullied

1/3 of secondary pupils surveyed across Scotland say they find it difficult to make friends with young people who have a learning disability at their school

1/3 people who have a learning disability cannot name a close friend out with their family

“People at school have told me in the past that I shouldn’t have been born, and of course that hurts. But you can let it get to you and make you feel bad, or you can choose to stand up to it. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.” - Lucy McKee, ENABLE Scotland Change Champion.

ENABLE believe this needs to change. Your donation will help them end bullying against people that have a learning disability, help them to make new friends and live as equal members of society within their communities.

Donate Now to help people just like Lucy.

You can also get involved by becoming a member of ENABLE Scotland and be the first to find out about local events, new projects, campaigns and services. You will also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

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CHAS

Children’s Hospices Across Scotland - better known as CHAS - is the national children’s hospice service for Scotland.
For over 25 years, CHAS has been providing support for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions by offering palliative care, family respite and support – not just to the child but the whole family.
Every week in Scotland, three children die of an incurable condition. Currently, CHAS can only reach one of them but are determined to reach every family in Scotland that needs them. 

The CHAS staff and volunteers are dedicated to supporting families as they struggle with the toughest challenge of their lives.
They provide care through their two wonderful hospices – Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch – and also through the CHAS at Home service which has teams working from both hospices as well as dedicated teams in Aberdeen and Inverness to support families with the services of a hospice within their own homes, covering the whole of Scotland. CHAS further supports families and clinical teams through its Diana Children’s Nurses who work in hospitals across the country.

If you would like to find out more about CHAS or are interested in supporting the charity, visit www.chas.org.uk or call 0131 444 1900.

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Aberlour

Three years ago, Alice received the gift of a lifetime when her daughter Robynn-Belle was born on Christmas day. 

But her joy was short lived when the baby was taken away from her.

Alice suffered brain damage as a result of an accident when she was a child and social services thought Robynn-Belle would be better off with a foster family who could better care for her.

Distraught, Alice got in touch with Aberlour.  They supported her to build her parenting skills, helping her to be a good mum.

With Aberlour’s help, Alice received the best gift ever – she got Robynn-Belle back and they are both looking forward to celebrating Christmas together this year.

But for thousands of other families across Scotland, Christmas won’t be such a joyful time. 

You can help them.

By donating just £30 to Aberlour this Christmas, you could help to pay for an intensive session to help mums like Alice.

Please be a Secret Santa this Christmas and help keep families together.

Donate today online at www.aberlour.org.uk/secretsanta or call 0800 0856 150.

Aberlour Child Care Trust provides care and support to the most vulnerable families living in Scotland’s communities.  With your support, they can reach even more children before families reach crisis point, before the damage is done, before it’s too late. Thank you.

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Carr Gomm

Carr Gomm is a leading not-for-profit social care and community development charity with 20 years’ experience delivering the highest quality support to people across Scotland.

The charity is a significant and flexible provider of services. They support people with a wide range of disabilities and health conditions: in their day-to-day living, in planning for the future and in realising their dreams and aspirations.

They currently support over 1,600 people in 14 local authority areas across Scotland. With over 800 permanent staff, we provide a range of services including care at home, supported living, community development, social work out-of-hours services, housing management and group work.

We are a person-centred organisation that is leading the way in how organisations deliver the most personalised support and have a growing number of people who choose various forms of self-directed support.
Our strong ethos and values base guides our work and we aspire to support people to achieve their goals in life through having a clear ‘outcomes’ focus.

They have a track record of delivering positive outcomes and working with people that others consider too difficult or complex. They are innovators utilising technology in support to help people take more control of their support and live safe and well in their own homes.

Carr Gomm also run a number of community development projects across Scotland, the aim of which is to combat social isolation and loneliness that is blighting our society.

They work hard to encourage and promote inclusion by establishing different projects, such as gardening or cooking lessons. They also work with people to help them navigate and access different activities available within their community.

These projects allow people to build relationships and create a sense of belonging in their own local community.

If you would like to discuss our work in more detail and find out how we can support you or someone you know, please contact the team on 0300 666 3030.

To donate to help their work, visit the website or follow them on Facebook or Twitter. 

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Ronald McDonald House

Christmas is a time for families and that is no different for families with a loved one in hospital.

Ronald McDonald House Glasgow gives seriously ill children the best medicine of all – their family. They provide a safe, warm, welcoming, cost-free ‘home from home’ for families whose child is being treated at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow and other hospitals in the West of Scotland. They help them make precious memories at Christmas, even when they are far from home.

As an independent Scottish charity, Ronald McDonald House rely solely on fundraising to keep the doors open. They support over 550 families a year, from all over Scotland, providing a safe and welcoming base for the duration of their stay in hospital – whether that is for one night, two months or even three years.

It costs them £40 per night to provide free accommodation for a family to stay close by their sick child.

“It was a surreal six weeks being here. You look back and think ‘Did we actually go through that?’ because at the time, you’re just focusing on what has to be done there and then. And you look back and think ‘what would I have done without this place?’ …  I just can’t imagine.” - The Goodall Family

To support them in keeping families like the Goodall’s close together this Christmas, please donate via JustGiving. Or visit our Facebook page, website or call them for more information. Thank You! 

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Disabilities Fife

WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY!

To continue their fantastic work, Disabilities Fife need extra support from you so that they can continue with their projects and help to support people with disabilities across Fife. You can help us in any of the following ways.

That is:

•Volunteer your time

•Donate to help us with day to day running costs and to support our projects

•Provide new ideas and suggestions on how we can help people in Fife.

Contact Disabilities Fife today to find out more on 01592203993 or email help@disabilitiesfife.uk.

You can also visit the website www.disabilitiesfife.org.uk or follow them on Facebook. 

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Scottish Refugee Council

Will you help refugee families this winter?

This year Scottish Refugee Council’s Christmas Appeal is raising vital funds to support refugee families in Scotland. Every penny raised will help struggling parents and children at a time of real need. 

The festive period is a time for getting together with loved ones and celebrating what’s important, but for many refugee families it is a time of poverty and loneliness. 

Their family services offer a safe space for families who have nowhere else to turn and provide holistic, specialised support so that parents can begin to build a positive future to help their children thrive.

In a single day, the advisors will support families who have become homeless, help parents who have no winter clothes for their children, and assist vulnerable families who are struggling through a complex legal system. The need for their services is greater than ever, and they can’t support struggling families without your help. 

A donation to the Christmas Appeal will help refugee families today.

Scottish Refugee Council helps people who have fled war, terrorism and human rights abuses rebuild their lives in safety in Scotland.  Every year we provide emotional and practical support to men, women and children, and help more than 500 families access essential services like housing, healthcare and legal assistance.

This winter, refugee families need your help. Donate to the Christmas Appeal and support families in need.

Thank You.

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The Food Train

The festive season is upon us and for most of us this means bright lights, shopping, and spending time with friends and family. However, older people are especially vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation at this time of year, with two in five older people (about 350,000) in Scotland, saying that their TV is their main form of company.

Since 1995 Food Train has been making daily life easier for older people living at home. Teams of dedicated, kind and caring volunteers from communities across Scotland bring friendship and joy to older people’s lives whilst delivering much needed practical help such as grocery deliveries, giving home cooked meals, putting on social events, bringing library books and helping with jobs around the house.

Their services don’t stop over Christmas, however. The shopping service volunteers will deliver vital fresh food and groceries to all members; many older people will enjoy Christmas lunches arranged through the befriending services; and the Meal Makers volunteer ‘cooks’ will share fresh homecooked meals with their older neighbours throughout the Christmas and New Year period.

Whilst the volunteers give their time willingly and for free, the charity rely on the generosity of other donations to ensure they can continue delivering and growing services for older people across the country. You can help to support older people to live at home longer by either volunteering, highlighting The Food Train's services to an older person who could benefit or by donating money.

How a donation from you can help:

• £5 buys one new shopping box to support an older person with grocery deliveries for a year
• £10 provides a ‘befriending’ day out for an isolated older person
• £20 buys a complete uniform - for one of the hard-working volunteers
• £50 provides a nutritious hearty lunch at a befriending club for older people
• £100 provides enough fuel for 350 grocery deliveries

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/foodtrain or for more information www.thefoodtrain.co.uk.

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Venture Trust

Not everyone will know they are valued this Christmas. Not everyone has a loving family around them. Not everyone has a safe environment or a place to call home. Not everyone has hope. Venture Trust believes in and helps those people.

This is James. He spent his time as a child in and out of care. He struggled at school, had a turbulent relationship with his family, and found himself living in a hostel where instability and uncertainty were part of his everyday life. His confidence was at rock bottom and he had no hope left.

Then he came to Venture Trust. The charity nurtures and supports individuals who find themselves facing multiple issues such as addiction, homelessness, isolation, trauma and abuse, to make positive and sustainable life changes through community and wilderness based personal development programmes.

James learned to deal with the challenges presented on the wilderness journey and make positive choices in stressful circumstances. He was shown how to communicate more effectively, and to work as a team, developing life skills, and most importantly building self-belief and hope.

The shy young man who was lacking in confidence and battling internally with anxiety and anger returned from his journey in the frozen Scottish wilderness “the same person but different”. He went on to embark on one of Venture Trust’s employability programmes and is currently waiting on the outcome of his college application. Something he never ever thought was achievable.

This Christmas you can help people like James to have a brighter future.

Donate to Venture Trust and you will be helping to give someone vulnerable the gift of hope. Visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/venture-trust/viewpoint or text: VTUK22 followed by £2, £5 or £10 to 70070

To find out more about Venture Trust, please visit: www.venturetrust.org.uk