Edinburgh’s Santa Fun Run and Walk to take place this Sunday

December 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment

By Abbey Fleming

Edinburgh’s annual Santa Fun Run and Walk will take place this Sunday 13th December to raise money for the charity When You Wish Upon A Star.

Fundraisers will don Santa costumes as they run, walk or stroll through a 2.5km circuit across West Princes Street Gardens.

Organisers say that being a runner is not a requirement to take part in the event and that anyone can get involved regardless of their athletic ability. The track is also suitable for wheelchairs, children in push chairs and dogs on leads.

Owning a Santa costume isn’t necessary as participants will be given a Santa suit on the day when registering.

The Santa Fun Run and Walk will raise money for the charity When You Wish Upon A Star, which takes hundreds of severely ill children to Lapland to meet Santa which the charity says allows the children to ‘swap hospital beds for sleigh rides’.

To take part, runners can either sign up in advance through the website or register on the day.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Charity, Headlines, Main Headline, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

National Lottery celebrates 20th anniversary

November 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment

By Carolina Morais

Scottish organisations funded by the National Lottery Council have applauded its “vital” and “valuable” work, as it celebrates it’s 20th anniversary.

The Edinburgh-based charity ‘Dads Rock’, which provides bonding time for dads and their children, is set to expand after the National Lottery awarded it last month with £287,096.

A spokesperson from the organisation said: “We would not be able to function without the National Lottery’s funding. It has been absolutely vital. We have been benefiting since 2012 but this last amount we just got allows us to provide services for three years.

“We are going to run a young dads’ project and invest in parenting counseling . We estimate to help over 200 families in Edinburgh.”

The children’s charity ‘Woodcraft Folk’, focused on developing young people’s social and creative skills, also recognizes the importance of the National Lottery’s support.

A Scottish representative said: “It has been a very valuable help to our organisation. The money we received allowed us to employ more staff and to do more trials to test how to approach children and help them grow.

“Here in Scotland, for example, we were able to do what we called the ‘Summer Sessions 2013’, in Stirling, in which we made some real changes in children’s lives. It has definitely been a very successful partnership for us.

Nicola Bligh, from National Lottery Good Causes, said she is “extremely proud” of what the organisation has accomplished over the last 20 years.

“It has been incredibly important. We raised over 32 billion pounds, we have supported a lot of local projects and we have benefited peoples lives.

“It is amazing how you can benefit people everyday in ordinary sectors. And we created thousands of jobs and volunteering opportunities.

“We recently captured an image that will be released this Wednesday in which we gathered over 800 people from over 50 projects that benefited from our funding over the past 20 years. It is really moving to hear these stories. The numbers of our accomplishments are amazing, but the stories behind them are what really matters.”

Ms Bligh also said: “For the future, we hope more and more projects apply for our funding, which is very easy to do through our website. Our plan, of course, is to repeat what we did over the last 20 years just as successfully and keep changing people’s lives.”

To celebrate two decades of existence, the National Lottery is releasing a new video everyday at 6pm on its website until the 19th of November, allowing people to enter the prize draws which increase in value each day.

The first National Lottery draw was on 14 November 1994. According to the organisation, over 450,000 lottery-funded projects were accomplished and over 3,700 millionaires were made in the United Kingdom.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Charity, Culture, Economy and Business, Entertainment, Headlines, Life and Society, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Grants Aim To End Stigma For Mental Health Sufferers

November 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

by Nicola Brown

image source: facebook.com/seemescotland

Caption: See Me logo            Charity fights stigma with £40,000 worth of grants.

In light of the controversial “mental patient” costumes sold by leading Supermarkets, Edinburgh charity ‘See Me’ has recently granted £40,000 to local groups in a battle to change attitudes.

With the stigma of mental illness still the dirty underbelly of Scottish society as shown through Asda and Tesco’s offensive Halloween costumes, a Scottish government initiative aims to tackle these issues. Recent government statistics have revealed that over a third of the population are affected by mental disorders each year. The most common afflictions being depression and anxiety. Yet many sufferers are still being stigmatised, which according to the Mental Health Foundation, can make it harder to recover. The charity ‘See Me’, which is fully funded by the Scottish government, aims to empower these people to speak out in a collective voice.

A spokesperson for See Me, Annie Ashby, said: “[The grants] seek to encourage organisations to take a lead in changing public attitudes and behaviours towards people with mental health problems by engaging with their local community. People with lived experience of mental ill-health have a key role in the delivery of each project.”

The changing attitudes are being achieved through the money awarded to 4 Young People’s Awards and 6 Local Grant Scheme Awards. Among the groups benefiting from the grants is HUG, with the project name ‘Vibrant Highland’, who have been awarded £4,000. The aim is to create a Highland youth group comprising 13-25 year olds with mental health problems. The grant will place them alongside other young people with the aim of educating them about their rights, as well as producing a DVD to highlight how attitudes have affected them. The charity think it important that these young people have a say in vital decisions that will impact their lives.

Another group to be awarded is LGBT Health and Well Being, also given £4,000. The Edinburgh based group is the largest community organisation helping young people affected by the stigma associated with their sexual orientation (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender). The grant will fund creative writing workshops held by professionals who have lived with mental illness. The workshops will encourage people afflicted by a diverse range of mental disorders to channel their experiences creatively. The participants writing efforts will then be bound in a book, with the writers offering training and guidance on how to design the layout. The book will be launched at a celebratory public event to raise awareness about their shared experiences.

The way in which society responds to those suffering from mental disorders is improving through the work carried out in the media. Monday night witnessed the twentieth anniversary of the Mind Media Awards. The night played host to journalists, broadcasters, bloggers and documentaries, which celebrated those depicting an accurate picture of mental heath and as a result, challenging the stigma. Chief Executive at Rethink Mental Illness, tweeted: “Very impressive to be celebrating 20 years of#VMGMindAwards great contribution to changing attitudes towards mental health.”

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Fashion show raises thousands for charity

March 30, 2012 by 2 Comments

    

A charity fashion show has raised nearly £3,000 for children’s charity CHAS.

Thursday night saw the opening of Edinburgh’s glamourous fashion event which showcases the work of both student and established designers.

The event, organised by students at Edinburgh University, will run a special VIP event tonight (Friday, the 30th) and finish with a general admission performance on Saturday evening.

 For more information or to buy tickets for Saturday go to: http://www.edinburghcharityfashionshow.com/

Filed Under: Arts Tagged With: , , , ,

Spain learns to grow a moustache

November 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Despite the fact that Spain was the first country where Movember was exported from Australia, the campaign has had limited public support.

Movember’s aim is to raise much needed funds and awareness for men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer and male depression. The international campaign responsible for thousands of men around the world sporting moustaches for a month is now in its eighth year. The collected money is invested on the Global Action Project which is an investigation on prostate cancer.

Today, official campaigns are run in Australia, New Zealand, US, Canada, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, Ireland and the Czech Republic. All these countries share the same goal, to increase male health awareness around the world. However, the number of men taking part differs throughout these countries. Spain holds last position in the number of Movember registrations with 1,101, which is 239,279 less than Canada, who have the highest numbers taking part.

Jaime Lanza, Spanish Movember coordinator, explains why Spain falls behind in participation, “In Spain there is too much disinformation, we do not distinguish between Foundations, NGO’s, Associations or Collectives. Moreover, we are Latins so we have distrust established in our genes. When it is time to put money in a money box, suspicions appear due to tremendous Spanish corruption cases held by politicians and charitable institutions. However, Spain is always very supportive of other causes such as disasters caused by inclemency of the weather (like the Indonesian tsunami or the Chilean earthquake).”

As Jaime Lanza confesses, “Spanish Movember is looking more for the increase of awareness rather than for donations themselves.” That is the first step in making more moustaches grow around Spain. Then the Spanish campaign can become stronger year after year.

Jaime also thinks there could be another reason for this, “Spain could not register its own website until this year. We are the only Latin country with an official campaign, so translations, banks agreements and other things differ from the rest of the countries”.

Juan Garcia, one of the Spanish participants, talks about his own experience as a part of Movember: “I knew about this campaign in my work. A work-mate had the idea to take part in it and some members of staff and myself decided to join him. It is enjoyable; it is the first time that I have let my moustache grow. It is also nice to feel support from people. Nevertheless, the most important fact is the work that Movember does and the feeling that you are part of it.”

Filed Under: Life and Society Tagged With: , , ,

Dance against domestic abuse

November 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Scottish Women’s Aid encourages you to put on your dancing shoes
for a good cause this Friday.

The organisation will hold a special charity ceilidh on November 25, in Edinburgh’s City Chambers. Scottish Women’s Aid celebrates its 35th anniversary with The Belle Star Ceilidh Band providing live entertainment.

This event coincides with the beginning of the 16 Days of Action campaign to raise awareness of violence against women.

The fundraiser is just one of several events to be held throughout the coming months.  Other milestones in the anniversary calendar include seminars with influential researchers and activists addressing major developments in the understanding of the issue of gender based violence over the past 35 years.

As part of their anniversary the organisation will also hold an exhibition of photographs and memorabilia at Glasgow Women’s Library from November 26 – December 10.

A spokeswoman for the charity said, “The anniversary events will place the work of Scottish Women’s Aid in its historic, social and cultural context, highlighting connections with other campaigns and other struggles for social justice. The events will look back over the history of Scottish Women’s Aid, celebrating its achievements as well as looking to the challenges that lie ahead.”

For over three decades now the organisation is battling domestic abuse and offers help to them who suffer from it. The services they provide include safe refuge accommodation as well as information and support. Their mission statement is to end violence against women by fighting gender inequality, one of the main causes resulting in abuse. In times where domestic abuse is still a taboo, Scottish Women’s Aid has been ambitiously campaigning for real change throughout the years and has established itself as an important charity organisation.

The ceilidh starts Friday, November 25 at 7.30pm in the Edinburgh City Chambers.

Prices range from £16-£20 for adults and £10 concessions for students and under 16s. All the money goes to Scottish Women’s Aid. Food and a welcome drink are also included in the ticket price.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Life and Society Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Grassmarket Community Project says: ‘Count on us!’

March 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Credit: Daniel Schwen

By Edoardo Zandona’

Worried about filling in the census? Now you can ask somebody to help you out.

The Grassmarket Community Project will hold a drop-in session next Tuesday from 10-3pm, to help those struggling to complete this unpleasant but necessary duty. The charity describes it as a “learning and training project for the officially excluded”.

The first Scottish census for 10 years will arrive in 2.5 millions households by March 27. It will include, for the first time, questions about same-sex civil partnerships, as a result of the Civil Partnership Act 2004.

Tune into Susannah Radford on Edinburgh Napier News Radio at 2.30 pm to find out more.

Listen Here:

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12.30 Bulletin

March 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment

by Catherine Mumford, Susannah Radford, Fearghus Roulston, Orla Nr Sheaghdha

Newsreader Cath reads the latest bulletin

Headlines:

Listen to today’s 12.30 bulletin to join in the debate as questions are asked about aid to Burma. The latest news about the war plane strikes on Ajdabiya from British troops.

Also, find out what charity has been helping with the census.

Listen Here:

Filed Under: All Politics, News in Brief Tagged With: , , , ,

Royals support Scottish Venture

March 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

by Orla Ni Sheaghdha

Venture Trust helps young people in difficult situations.

Edinburgh based charity Venture Trust is to benefit from the Prince William and Kate Middleton Wedding Gift Fund. The couple are encouraging guests to donate money to charity in lieu of giving them wedding gifts. Venture Trust is one of 26 organisations which are featured on the list. Chief Executive, Greg Barton is delighted about the news. “It’s a wonderful honour to be recognised by Prince William and Miss Middleton for our work with complicated young people across the UK- we’re immensely grateful for their support.”

The charity was founded in 1982 to provide support for young people in difficult situations, particularly young offenders. Venture Trust run three programmes to help disadvantaged and vulnerable people make positive changes in their lives. Inspiring Young Futures supports youths who are in care or who are young carers themselves. Transitions to Independent Living looks after those who may be homeless or have unstable living situations. The Criminal Justice programme provides alternative options for young offenders.

These intensive personal development programmes take place in wilderness settings in order to provide participants with the opportunity to escape pressures they face in their everyday lives. Taking part in physical activities also seems to have a positive effect on the emotional and social wellbeing of those involved in the programme. The Royal Wedding Gift Fund will help to ensure the continued support of these development programmes for young people in the UK and other global projects which are being run by Venture Trust.

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Emergency relief fund set up for tsunami victims.

March 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment

(Image courtesy of: YouReporter.it)

A relief fund has been set up by the GlobalGiving organization to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami which devastated Japan last night. The aim of the project is to collect $90,000 to “disburse funds to organizations providing relief and emergency services”, and it is meant to be the first step of a series of international actions for support.

If you wish to contribute to the cause, you can access the project’s webpage here.

Filed Under: News in Brief Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Edinburgh bands play gig for Teenage Cancer Trust

January 26, 2011 by Leave a Comment

By Lisa Toner

Edinburgh guitarist Rory Fitzsimmons has set up a live music event in the city to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust as a tribute to his 18-year-old brother Jamie.

Jamie has been receiving treatment from the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at the Sick Children’s Hospital for four years and big brother Rory wants to give him “a night he will never forget.”

Rory (left) and his brother Jamie

Rory said: “Jamie has been a patient at the Sick Kids unit since he was 14. We want to raise funds to help TCT, it’s a fantastic organisation who work to make the lives of teenagers with cancer more comfortable and normal.”

The gig named “One More for the Road” will be held at Studio 24 on Thursday. Local bands Still Whisky and The Black Jack Blues Band are on the bill alongside Rory’s own band, hard rock five-piece, Black Cherokee.

Black Cherokee have also written a song dedicated to Jamie, a rock ballad aptly named ‘Brother.’ Rory said: “All of the guys in the band put what they could into the song. It just came together perfectly as we all know Jamie.”

Black Cherokee

The track is due to be released as a fundraising single and all proceeds will go to Teenage Cancer Trust.

Louise Stirton, Teenage Cancer Trust’s fundraising executive for the East of Scotland said: “We’re honoured that Rory and Jamie are hosting this gig for us, they are a really inspiring pair. It’s going to be a great night and everyone should grab a ticket and come and join us!”

The money raised at Thursday’s event will help the teenage cancer charity raise the £1.6m needed for a new unit at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital for young people between 17 and 24 years and for a unit at the new children’s hospital due to open in 2013 for ages 13 to 16 years. Teenage Cancer Trust also have plans to recruit more specialised clinical staff to provide the best care and support for young people.

Tickets for One More for the Road on Thursday 27th January at Studio 24, Carlton Road are £5 and are available at the venue door or from Ripping Records or Has Beans Café.

Copies of Black Cherokee’s ‘Brother’ will also be on sale after the gig.

Find out more about Black Cherokee at www.myspace.com/blackcherokeeband.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Life and Society Tagged With: , , , ,

Men in moalition to fight cancers

November 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Denton Wilson, Prostate cancer survivor

Denton Wilson, Prostate cancer survivor

by John Stephens

Usually November marks the entrance of winter and the donning of accessories to hold warmth within your body as the winter slowly creeps in like a militant involved in guerrilla warfare. Thermal gloves, waterproof jackets, and ski hats are all seen as necessities… and now, if you are a man so is a moustache.

The moustache is however not purely for heat-retaining properties or as a fashion accessory, but more a symbol. Gavin Brown MSP for the Lothians was willing to share his experience and thoughts on the Movember campaign, as various MSP’s are campaigning and all pitching in to help spread awareness of men’s health issues.

“I was e-mailed by constituents mid-October asking if I was taking part in the campaign. It was then that I decided to do it as it is undoubtedly a good cause and growing a moustache is definitely worthwhile to help address serious issues such as prostate and testicular cancer.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: All Politics, Entertainment, Life and Society Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Month of Movember raises cancer awareness

November 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment

By Morag Hobbs

Movember has this year taken hold of the nations men and raised over £2 million in the UK so far, although has seen many people grow some pretty horrific facial hair in the process.

The charity idea, started in 2003 starts on 1 November with the intention for men to grow their facial hair in the name of raising money toward helping raise awareness for cancers affecting men, mainly prostate cancer, has grown into a widespread phenomena with men all over the country growing moustaches in the name of charity. The website raises awareness of prostate cancer, which is a very serious issue in the UK, with 12% of all cancer deaths being due to this type of cancer, the second highest after lung cancer.

[Read more…]

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Zumbathon Hits Edinburgh

October 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The Zumba dance craze is set to hit Edinburgh this weekend with the Worlds Biggest Zumbathon taking place at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston on Sunday.

Zumba dancers

Organised by and in aid of Scottish care charity Quarriers, the event has been endorsed by Zumba, the registered organisation behind the workout craze, and is part of a Guinness world record-breaking attempt for the most people doing Zumba for 30 minutes.

Inspired by Latin dance, the routines feature interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat.

Zumba is currently being taught at over 60 000 locations in 105 countries with 7.5 million participants taking classes every week.

David Lowe, who teaches zumba classes in Edinburgh as one half of The Zumba Boys, said why he thinks it has become so popular in recent years:

“It’s not like having an instructor shouting left and right at you. It’s a great way to have fun and to get fit, with a great party atmosphere”.

The Zumba Boys will be two of the official Zumba instructors on hand to show people exactly what to do and people of all fitness levels are invited to take part.

The event will take place simultaneously at the Gorbals Leisure Centre in Glasgow.

As one of Scotland’s largest social care charities, Quarriers provide care and support for thousands of vulnerable children, young people, adults and families. They hope to have up to 1000 people taking part across the country.

Participants can register for the event at http://www.quarriers.org.uk or by calling 01505-610 017 and help raise as much money as possible.

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Edinburgh Restaurateurs Come To Pakistan’s Aid

October 20, 2010 by Leave a Comment

by Kirsty Tobin

Mumbai Mansion, owned by general secretary of the Scottish BCA, Salim Haider

A number of restaurants and takeaways across Edinburgh have this past week taken part in a charitable event raising money for Pakistan Flood Relief.

The event is the brainchild of the Bangladesh Caterers Association of Scotland. Three restaurants and four takeaways throughout the city pledged to donate fifty percent of profits from one night of service to the relief effort. The proceeds from the evening will be given to a representative from the Pakistan High Commission.

Kamal Mahi, a member of staff at the participating Morningside Spice Indian Restaurant, explained what will happen with the money once it has been collected and counted: “from there it’s going to be distributed equally to wherever it’s needed most”.

The evening also benefits from donations given by various providers of produce in the area: “some people have donated lamb, chicken, even vegetables, to the restaurants,” said Mahi.

The profits have not yet been tallied. The committee is meeting on Friday, following the return of the Chairman of the Scottish branch. General Secretary, Salim Haider, expects to be able to make the formal donation early next week.

The participating restaurants have been selected by the heads of the Scottish branch of the BCA.

 

Radio version of article: Food for Pakistan

Filed Under: Life and Society Tagged With: , , , ,

Football fans support Casa Alianza

October 6, 2010 by Leave a Comment

by Sofia Goncalves

by Robin Hammond

Famous for being rowdy and boisterous on the football terraces, Celtic football fans also have big hearts. While their team are campaigning for success in Europe, club supporters are backing a Scottish organisation helping street children from Latin America.

According to Paul Reilly, a Celtic supporter, the club became involved with Casa Alianza after one of the members, Neil Doherty, returned from a trip to Latin America and became aware of the situation of the street children in there. When Mr. Doherty returned to the UK, he suggested the club to start supporting children from Central America.

Paul Reilly says “We started with Casa five years ago. At the moment, we are trying to raise money from the events. We have also supported the street children on the World Cup.” They managed to bring street children from Nicaragua to the World Cup in South Africa, 2010. Other than that, their support “tends to be mainly financial, by publicising it or by writing about them on our newsletter.

“In a longer term, we are looking into having some members to work in Central America.”

Some of the members attended an event organised by Casa Alianza, last saturday. With the race night in the Sacred Heart Church Hall, in Lauriston Street, Casa Alianza raised over 600 pounds to help the street children.

This charity association is trying to get  Scottish Charity status. Their work in Scotland has been to run events, raise awareness to the situation of violence and abuse suffered by the street children, try to encourage volunteers to join Casa, get people to take action by writing letters to the Government and get grants from other associations.

Casa Alianza’s work in Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua is also precious. Mr. Gunson, coordinator of Casa Alianza in Scotland, says “part of the program is to keep up with their education, get them into school or, if they are a bit older, to get them into work placements or short courses. It’s a delicate and slow process. We also try to reintegrate them with their families if there has been no abuse.

“we are trying to build their self-esteem, build up their confidence. Volunteers walk in the streets offering first aid. We also have boarding houses but the children have to want to be there.”

Casa Alianza also has music links, such as Suzanne Vega, or the Isle of Wight Festival and other supporters.

by Robin Hammond

Filed Under: Life and Society, Sports, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Biggest ever money donation received in charity shop

October 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment

By Bryanie Kane

Staff at the Cancer Research shop. Credit: BBC News

A charity shop in Glasgow has been left in shock and awe, after a gentleman donated a sum of £20,000.

Members of staff from the Cancer Research UK shop, in Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street, are hoping to trace the mystery benefactor in order to say a big thank you. The man, who handed over a sealed envelope with a bankers draft inside, left before anymore could be said. This is believed to be the biggest donation of money ever received in a Cancer Research UK shop, as they receive “£200 at most,” says John File. Now staff of the branch are desperate to find the benefactor. A banner has been raised in a bid to let the man know the sincere thanks felt by the association.

The donation was handed in over three weeks ago but John File, from Cancer Research UK’s Press Office in Scotland, says,”It is important to let people know about this as it raises our profile and helps people understand more about the research which comes from donations like this.”

The money will be used for “research into the basic signs of cancer, how it works. The money will be used completely for helping us find a way of fighting it.”

Mr File also said, “We are used to getting donations of money from legacy; though wills and so on. But to have a donation of this magnitude come into a store is just fantastic.”

This is not the first time the people of Scotland have gone above and beyond for the charity. In October of last year a Beano Annual was donated and reached £4200 at auction, along with a mysterious Hermes bag which was left in a black bin liner.  All of these cases have occurred in the last year, showing that the generosity of the Scottish people has not faltered even with the credit crush upon us.

The Scottish Press Office for the organisation wish to send their sincere thanks to the anonymous donator, “We would like to let him know that the money is going to be used completely for research and it was amazing what he has done. So we would like to say a huge thank you and just hope he hears it.”

Filed Under: Life and Society Tagged With: , ,

Bagpipe Busking across the USA

February 26, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy of Dave Wilson

By Lauren Witherspoon

Widespread redundancies are now commonplace, but Rob Calder saw it as an opportunity to do something different. After uninspiring interviews and no clear vision of what he wanted to do, the bagpiper from Edinburgh had an epiphany.

“I was actually just coming back from football one night thinking to myself; “what am I going to do this summer? Then I thought, I’ll just go travelling and take my bagpipes with me and busk? And it was one of these ideas that just really blossomed. I decided to do it to raise money for charity.””

“The thing about American’s is that they all love to find out about their identity and origins,” said Rob. “If they’ve got Scottish connections, ninety percent of them just lap it up and they want to know more.”

Unfortunately, one American didn’t want hear any more, as Rob was given a New York welcome on his first day in the Big Apple. “Somebody threw a bucket of water out a first floor window” Rob explained. “Most of it missed me but it made me feel miserable, I was just about to knock it on the head but this guy asked me to keep playing and in the end I made about 50 bucks.”

Ignoring advice on wearing earplugs, Rob played every day of his seven-week one-man tour that saw him travel from the East to West coast of America. Starting off in New York and heading south through New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and then crossing the continent through the southern states of Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, and finally making his way to San Francisco through Arizona and Colorado. “I’d commit to doing it every day, and there was some days when I thought I just couldn’t face it and I was getting so stressed out about it, but I always played. Even if it was nine o’clock at night outside a football ground or a baseball ground I forced myself to play.

“Once you get started it’s always fine but there was always that feeling of “Oh My God, can I really face drawing attention to myself again with this bloody loud instrument? That you sort of think people aren’t gong to enjoy. You almost try to talk yourself out of it. I am really proud that I played every single day.”

In Denver, Colorado, the police came to the response of a complaint. “I thought I was going to get arrested but they were absolutely great, they really enjoyed the bagpipes. I had my picture taken with them and they were a real laugh.”

At the Grand Canyon Rob saw an opportunity to boost the money he would be handing over to the Edinburgh charity Ecas. “I just turned up and started playing.” The scenic views were a perfect backdrop,” Rob told. “…people were really emotional, it was just as the sun was setting as well so it was beautiful. People were really generous.  I met a Scottish couple who came across and we started chatting for a while, it was nice to hear a familiar accent.”

The most financially successful destination on route, Rob intended on repeating his Scottish serenade the next day but was turned away due to laws that protect the peace of the historic site. “It was a bit of a downer, but I’m glad I did it ‘cos it was a great place to play the pipes.”

For now it is back to the daily grind for Rob but would he take on another globe-trotting challenge? “I think the conditions would have to be right for met do it again because now I have got a job. It’s one of these things that if have a got a few weeks to kill then I’ll definitely go and do it again, maybe in a different country.”

Rob completed his busking tour in organisation the summer of 2009 and raised over £5000 for Edinburgh charity Ecas, which is a voluntary organisation dedicated to giving practical and friendly help to physically disabled people.

Filed Under: Economy and Business, Entertainment, Features, Life and Society, Travel and Communities, Uncategorized, World In Depth Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Pyjama parties pull in cash for kids

November 27, 2009 by Leave a Comment

by Emma Craig and Megan Berkley

Pyjama parties with a twist have been held in Edinburgh to raise money for children.

Oxgangs Primary School has been one of many to take part in fundraising for Children in Need.

On Friday both school children and teachers came dressed in their pyjamas for lessons.

Their donations raised a grand total of £159 between three infant classes.

As well as seeing their favourite teachers don their pyjamas the children learnt about disadvantaged youngsters their own age.

This week also saw the launch of New Pyjamas campaign, hosted by Jack McConnell and George Foulkes in the new Sick Kids hospital.

The money raising drive has a target of £15m for the hospital and has already pledged funds for a drop-in centre, helping to make it a centre of excellence in Scotland.

The money raised by the pyjama fund will go towards the building of the new hospital and the purchase of the best equipment.

Elaine McGonigle, director of the charity said: “It’s about doing something a bit different, and getting senior politicians wearing their pyjamas helps get more people in. Everyone quite enjoys it.”

The Charity organiser recognised the success of the event however hopes for even more support.

Ms McGonigle added: “We need everyone to get behind this, and if everyone in Scotland gave as little at £3, we would reach our target in no time.”

It’s hoped the new building should be completed around 2013.

Jack McConnel Speaks:

George Foulkes Speaks:

Miss Mery Oxgangs Primary Teacher Speaks:

Filed Under: Life and Society, Travel and Communities Tagged With: , , , , ,

Scotland begins fundraising frenzy

November 20, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Scotland is gearing up for what promises to be another record breaking Children in Need fundraising day on the 20th of November.

pudsey bear

After getting past the £2 million mark for the first time last year, efforts are being increased across the country to try to raise the money-making bar even higher.

The BBC’s charity is now in its 29th year and has raised over half a billion pounds for underprivileged children in the UK.

Every penny counts towards giving a child a better future, so whether you sit in a bath of baked beans to raise money, get your legs waxed or cycle over 10,000 miles like Mark Beaumont, every effort is appreciated by Pudsey bear and his team.

going through the pain barrier for Children in Need

“We are overwhelmed by the support of people right across the UK every year as we know that for many people these are difficult times,” said a spokesman.

“The generosity and commitment shown last year which helped us raise £36 million allowed us to make a difference in many young lives.

“We thank all of the people across the country who have organised or are participating in a fundraising event for your amazing efforts.”

Edinburgh student run charity, Children’s Holiday Venture received a £2000 grant from Children in Need in September of this year and are reaping the benefits now.

Claire Austin, the charity’s vice president was delighted to receive the funding: “It was a fantastic boost to get such a generous sum.

“It is really going a long way with helping the children as we help greater numbers in better ways.

“We all enjoy our regular swimming trips but we now have better opportunities to go on day trips which are more fun and educational.”

She added: “The work Children in Need do each year goes such a long way to helping so many charities like us around the UK and the support the receive from the public is fantastic.

“We can’t thank everyone who helps enough for their generous donations.”

The live telethon starts at 7 o’clock on BBC 1 so tune in for all sorts of fundraising fun.

If you want to get involved the check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/news/map.shtml to find out what’s happening in your area.

Filed Under: Features, News in Brief Tagged With: , , , , , ,

T’s for Trust launches in River Island

November 11, 2009 by Leave a Comment

By Emma Hamilton

High street fashion store River Island launches a T’s for Trust campaign in selected stores across Britain tomorrow, Thursday 12th November.

The fashion store has teamed up with Prince’s Trust celebrity ambassadors, Alesha Dixon, Pixie Lott, Kelly Rowland and male band Kid British to create a t-shirt collection to raise money for The Prince’s Trust Charity.

The collection has been designed by River Island’s young designers with the ambassadors in mind and is aimed to reflect the stars personal style. The collection consists of three t-shirt dresses for women and four t-shirts for men.

riverisland_tsfortrust_pixielott_kellyrowland

T's for Trust: Celebrity dresses.

The t-shirt dresses for women reflect an array of styles and are sure to be on every woman’s wish list for the festive party season.

Alesha Dixon’s t-shirt dress is full of bright colours and sparkle. The dress is covered in purple sequins and has beautiful purple and pastel yellow coloured  floral motifs at the top of the dress on either side.

Alesha loves the bright colour of the dress and its versatility, as she says, “You can wear my tee with shorts, you can wear it with leggings or you can wear it as a dress. It’s got flowers which I absolutely adore and lots of colour.”

From bright colours to bright print, Pixie Lott’s dress is a zebra print number with a touch of punk rock chick to it with studs on either shoulder and also features this seasons key trend of fringing, draped from either shoulder.

Pixie says “I love the t-shirt dress River Island created for me, I think it’s really cool – the lengths perfect the fringing wicked and i love both the print and the black version. It’s great that this is being sold in River Island and will hopefully raise lots of money for The Prince’s Trust.” The dress is also available in black and is set to be a best-seller.

The design created for Kelly Rowland echoes a glamourous, sophisticated look and is certainly the most extravagant with the price at £99.99. The dress is one- shouldered and covered in gorgeous crystals and diamontes.

The starlet says,  “All of the lovely, sequins, trinkets and diamontes on this dress remind me of being on stage and that’s what I love. It’s very fitted , just how I like my clothes to be. I love what The Prince’s Trust does and I’m excited that River Island and The Prince’s Trust have come together for this great cause.”

All the T’s for Trust designs are available in selected River Island stores from tomorrow.

The Prince’s Trust is a registered charity that gives practical and financial support to 14-30 year olds that have struggled at school, been in care , are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law.

The Prince’s Trust is extremely happy to be working with River Island.

Geraldine Gammell, Director of The Prince’s Trust in Scotland said, “The new range being introduced at River Island is a fantastic way to highlight the work of The Prince’s Trust.  The T-shirts are an ideal way for individuals to help support the charity and make a lasting difference to the lives of young people throughout the country. The designs from our ambassador’s are fresh and vibrant, perfect for the festive season and I’m sure will prove hugely popular.”

The Prince’s Trust has helped more than 600,000 young people since 1976.

Filed Under: Life and Society, News in Brief Tagged With: , , ,

On your marks, get set, go ho ho

November 5, 2009 by Leave a Comment

by Samantha Taylor

72788474Hundreds of Santas will fly into Princes Street Gardens this December as part of a truly magical event called The Great Scottish Santa Run.

The event, which is organised by the children’s charity When You Wish Upon a Star, takes place each year and the proceeds go towards making Christmas just that bit more special for sick children.

This year the run will take place in the west gardens and fundraisers will do two laps of the grounds. Santa costumes will be provided on the day.

All money raised will go towards the charity who, each year take 400 sick children to Lapland to visit Santa. Whilst there they can enjoy husky rides, sledging and a trip on a sleigh with Rudolf the Reindeer.

Part of the money from the Edinburgh run will also go to Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids. Evelyn Queen, the charity manager for Cash for Kids, told Edinburgh Napier News what it would go towards: “All funds raised by our charity are for children with special needs.

“We give money to a lot of different places. Schools, nurseries and special groups are just some of the people that request our help.

“All money will definitely go towards helping children in this area.”

Evelyn also gave some advice to this years runners: “Just take it at your own pace and most of all, enjoy yourself and have a good time.”

The fun will kick off on Sunday 13th December when registration opens at 9am.

Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With: , , , ,

Repossessions on the Increase

November 4, 2009 by Leave a Comment

By Rebecca Gordon

Housing charity Shelter fear a spike in home repossessions as a result of the deepening recession. Speaking ahead of a conference tackling mortgage repossessions, Director Graeme Brown has urged lenders to back Government proposals to support struggling mortgagees.

Repossession, courtesy of Dailymail.co.uk

Repossession, courtesy of Dailymail.co.uk

According to Sheriff Court figures, there was a 20% increase in mortgage actions taken to court in Scotland in 2008-9 and a 50% rise in decrees granted, revealing a worrying situation for Scottish householders.

With interest levels at their lowest yet, Shelter believe homeowners may find difficulty keeping homes when rates eventually increase. Calling for radical action, Brown believes Government plans are only part of the picture;

“We need to see this as a wake-up call and not just about picking up the debris of yet another housing market crash. As first time buyer numbers plummet protections for homeowners must be matched by protections for tenants.

Unless we get a better balance in the housing market we are already sowing the seeds of the next boom and bust cycle.”

Allowing discussion of the Scottish Government’s Repossessions Working Group and the pending Home Owner and Debtor Protection Bill on mortgage repossessions, the conference included speakers Alex Neil MSP, Housing and Communities Minister; Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland; Kennedy Foster, Policy Consultant Scotland, Council of Mortgage Lenders.

Alex Neil, MSP believes the Scottish Government recognises its responsibilty;

“With an increasing number of families facing financial difficulties, repossessions across the UK quadrupling in only four years and forecast to increase by another 60 per cent this year, it is imperative that families are protected with the full weight of the law.

That is why proposals for a new law – the Home Owner and Debtor Protection (Scotland) Bill – to protect people affected by debt and at risk of repossession were recently published.”

Filed Under: All Politics, Travel and Communities Tagged With: , , , ,

Poppy display attracts public support

November 4, 2009 by Leave a Comment
11_17_1-red-poppy-remembrance-sunday_web

Poppies are encouraged to be worn in the lead-up to Remembrance Sunday

By Kaye Nicolson

PoppyScotland‘s poppy display was launched yesterday in the Omni Centre, Edinburgh.  WWII and Falklands veterans were at the event, alongside serving soldiers, acknowledging a huge response from supporters of the Poppy campaign.

This is the second year of the PoppyScotland event, involving 35,000 ‘pop-up poppies’ being sent to supporters of the charity, in order for them to leave messages for veterans and loved ones. Leigh Howieson, a spokeswoman for PoppyScotland, described the response as greater than last year, adding that the new interactive facility has enhanced public involvement.

The messages are displayed in the windows of the city centre venue, alongside electronic banners on which the public can post messages of support and respect.  It is hoped that this eye-catching display in such a busy part of the capital will encourage reflection on the sacrifices made by those in the armed forces, in the lead-up to Remembrance Sunday this weekend.

This comes during an ongoing Poppy Scotland campaign which aims to teach young people about war veterans, the reason why poppies are worn, and the history of British conflicts.  This involved a War Poetry Competition, which has attracted entrants of all school ages.  The deadline for the competition is at the end of November, however is part of a larger three year education project developed by the charity.

Filed Under: Life and Society, Travel and Communities Tagged With: , , , , ,

Show You Care

October 8, 2009 by Leave a Comment

by Hollie Smith

Tesco Barrhead where the events will be taking place

Tesco Barrhead where the events will be taking place

This weekend, residents of East Renfrewshire will be out in force to help raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and the Army Benevolent Fund.

Tesco in Barrhead will be playing host during the three days of scheduled events which include: face-painting for all, a raffle – with the chance of winning a Tesco goody-filled hamper worth £150 and a car boot sale, which will take place on Sunday.

Margaret MacIver, head of Tesco Barrhead’s charity committee, said:

“We are staging the charity events over three days, from Friday the 9th of October through till Sunday the 11th.
“We are offering a great chance for everyone in our community to get involved and show that they care. Over the three days we hope to raise a total of £1500 so we really would like everyone in the surrounding areas to play a part.

“The car boot sale is our main event, we have already had a great response with over twenty people already signed up to take over one of our car parks for the day but as always we are looking for more.”

If you are unable to give your time this weekend you can still pledge a donation. If you would like to find out more information about the events taking place over the weekend or if you would like to find out how you can play your part contact Margaret MacIver, 0141 532 7319.

Filed Under: Life and Society Tagged With: , , , , ,
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