Congratulations to the Midlothian team again! Together with Midlothian Sure start, we have won the Quality Improvement Awards for Co-Production with Families for the Lawfield Community Project Partnership. What a great achievement!

Check out “QI Awards 2017 WINNER Co-Production with Families – Midlothian Sure Start” from Children and Families on the Vimeo link below.

We are delighted to have been shortlisted for a national award –  the Third Sector Awards – Charity Partnership of the Year, for the Lawfield Community Project

The project is centred around Lawfield Primary School in Mayfield, Midlothian.

 Lawfield is a new school created in 2008 following the merger of two local primary schools. It has a school roll of 380.

The majority of pupils are experiencing socio-economic disadvantage with 33% of pupils eligible for free school meals. Attainment in literacy is poor – for example, out of a sample of 85 second level pupils, 52% of these were attaining below expected levels in literacy. The school was facing high levels of exclusions, incidences of  violence and the senior management team had a high turnover.

Voluntary sector partner agencies agreed to support the school. A pilot – the Lawfield Community Project was set up test out how to best support the school and show case how the voluntary sector can help meet a specific need in the community by working in partnership with each other and statutory partners to make a difference.

This project led to new ways of working, joint working process, a single allocation process, removal of scatter gun referrals, a single point of access for families and impacts in relation to childrens’ attainment. In addition, the community has engaged with the school

The voluntary sector partnership is between Home Link Family Support, Children 1st, Midlothian Sure Start and Play Therapy Base who are all looking forward to the judge’s final decision in September 2017

We were delighted and impressed to receive a cheque for £900 yesterday from Karen Murray of Cranley Nurseries.  It was raised by ten Nursery staff who ran the Edinburgh Marathon for us!

We are very proud of ALL 75 of our volunteers but some have had special recognition this Volunteers Week:

Flora Michalopoulou received the Health and Wellbeing Award in Midlothian, for her gentle persistence with a mother who could not leave the house and is now not only out and enjoying life but also volunteering herself. Mum is delighted with the match:  ‘She says I can really talk to Flora I don’t feel pressured and the kids love her. She’s helped me to do  my own volunteering and I have been out on my own too. I took the kids to gymnastics alone and enjoyed it and will go back.’

Ingrid Tait received an Edinburgh Inspiring Volunteer Award for supporting a family with complex needs, they said that Ingrid was “fantastic, so easy to talk to. I felt supported and much more confident. The children always love to read with Ingrid as soon as she comes in. We do loads of activities. Ingrid always has great ideas of what to do, and she helped us find new places to go, and work out the bus routes.”

Anna Batink also received an Edinburgh Inspiring Volunteer Award. The mum in the family said her biggest achievement from Anna’s support has been to help her to trust again, make new friends and improve her boundaries. “Anna helped me to trust again and get back my confidence”.
Anna says it has been well worth it because ‘I felt appreciated by the family and that I am helpful to them which is the most important thing for me.’

Mary Lilley also received an Edinburgh Inspiring Volunteer Award Mary has supported 3 families over the past two and a half years. Her most recent family say “Thank you for sending me my Mary, my son loves her so much he has tried to follow her home! She is easy to talk to and is building my confidence – she understands my anxiety issues. The match simply couldn’t have been any better, my son really looks forward to Mary’s visits and I feel like I am beginning to enjoy motherhood at last.’

We are grateful to the intrepid staff of Cranley Nurseries who again have tackled Edinburgh’s Marathons to raise funds for Home Link Family Support.

We are amazed that staff who work all week with little children still have the energy to pound the streets on a baking hot day.

Photos coming soon

You can still donate to the magnificent runners at https://mydonate.bt.com/events/edinburghmarathonhlfs/438427

We’re delighted that Flora Michalopoulou has recieved the health and Well being award at the splendid Midlothian Volunteer awards. 

Flora was given the award for her work with an isolated Midlothian family.  Flora visited a family in which mum’s mental health meant that she never left the house.  Flora’s unstinting support was key to raising mum’s confidence that now a year later she is able to get out and about with the children and is regularly volunteering herself. 

The award was sponsored by Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership.

We are currently running 2 Stay and Play groups and 1 Bumps and Babies group in Edinburgh and 1 Stay and Play group in Midlothian during term time. These groups are open to families with children under 5 years of age and are free for families/caregivers to attend. Parents can just drop in with their children for a chat with the workers or join in with some of the activities on offer. This includes; free play, singing, stories and arts and crafts as well as a great selection of toys to play with. It is a great opportunity to meet new people and for children to get involved in these activities with parents/caregivers. For further details please see below. 

Stay and Play Pilton:

Come along to West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre (19 West Pilton Grove, Edinburgh, EH4 4BY) on Mondays from 11am – 12.30pm. This group runs during term time only. For more information please call Lyndsey on 0131 661 0890

Stay and Play Goodtrees:

This group runs every Wednesday 11-12:30pm during term time and is open to parents and carers with children under the age of 5. Come and see us at Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre (11-15 Moredunvale Place, Edinburgh, EH17 7LB) or for further information please call Nadia or Esther on 0131 661 0890

Bumps and Babies:

This group is for expectant parents and parents/carers with babies who are not yet on the move. Come and join us at Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre (11-15 Moredunvale Place, Edinburgh, EH17 7LB) every Tuesday 1.15pm – 2.45pm during term time. For more information please call Helen on 0131 661 0890.

Stay and Play Midlothian:

Based at Newbattle Community Learning Centre (67 Gardiner Place, Newtongrange, Dalkeith EH22 4RT) every Thursday 10-11am. For more information please call Rachel on 0131 661 0890.

This week 2 charities have joined forces with a Boxing Gym, a Chartered Accountants and Business Adviser and an Edinburgh School to ensure that Lothian families don’t miss out this Christmas.  They have been collecting, buying and distributing hundreds of toys and food parcels.

Local charity Home Link Family Support made a list of 45 families who were struggling to afford Christmas this year.

Scott Moncrieff staff members chose a family and went shopping for them, buying amazing presents: scooters, books, farms, dolls and trucks.  Freshstart collected up a large van full of gifts and delivered them to Home Link Family Support’s office where their co-ordinators were ready to deliver them to individual families across Edinburgh and Midlothian.  The presents are deliberately delivered unwrapped but with plenty of paper and sellotape, so that the parents will get the satisfaction of wrapping the gifts themselves and know what each child is getting.

This year Home Link also received fantastic gifts via Cody’s Xmas Toy Box organised by 8 yr old Cody McManus and Holyrood Boxing Gym.

And just to put the icing literally on the cake – Edinburgh Academy gathered donations of gorgeous festive food – cakes, chocolates, pies and juices for 20 Christmas hampers.

Now the goodies are all delivered to the families ready for wrapping for Christmas Day.

Most of the families had no idea that they were getting anything and they said:

• I have been really struggling this year and was worried about what I would be able to provide for the wee one’s Christmas.  I can now look forward to seeing his face one Christmas morning.
• Massive thank you – totally unexpected. Had me in tears with shock and kindness. Didn’t expect it at all – it was a complete surprise. I didn’t think I deserved it. I’d been feeling like that no one has cared recently such as friends, family with selfishness – so to actually think there is actually people out there that can care for me and other families in need has made me realise how caring, wonderful and nice amazing people there are out there.  For which I’m very, very grateful and thank you so much – it will make it extra special for me and my wee boy on Christmas Day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart – it was nice to cry happy tears for once. I can’t wait to open them and see my wee boy’s face.
• From Mum and Dad of a very new baby:  Thank you so much for the food hamper, it’s great.  Really takes the pressure off and means we don’t need to take the baby out in the cold to shop for food.  Brilliant.  Thanks
• Thank you so much for the six gifts for our children.  We are blown away by the kindness and generosity and it has been a big help for us,
• Thank you so much for the lovely presents. P will love the Frozen Scooter and F will love the building blocks.  These gifts have been such a  great help.
• Thank you so much for the gift.  G will be thrilled when ‘Santa’ brings it.  Your generosity and community spirit are to be commended
• Thanks so much for the food. It’s really kind.  My wee girl will be well chuffed when she comes home from school!

Organisations involved:

• Edinburgh Academy
• Fresh Start is an Edinburgh based charity helping people who have been homeless get established in their new home. Working in partnership with volunteers and organisations from a broad section of the community, we deliver a range of services that provide the practical and social support that help people resettle successfully.
• Scott-Moncrieff is one of Scotland’s leading independent firms of chartered accountants and business advisers.
• Cody’s Xmas Toy Box is an appeal organised by Holyrood Boxing Gym in which 8 yr old boxer Cody Mcmanus raised an incredible £2840 to buy toys for disadvantaged children.

Santa’s definitely coming to a lot of families in Edinburgh and Midlothian who weren’t going to be able to afford much this Christmas.

Thanks to heaps and heaps of donated presents from Scott Moncrieff business advisers and accountants, organised by Freshstart.

We gave them the anonymised details of families and Scott Moncrieff staff picked a family and went shopping on their behalf. They bought loads! Dolls, cars, baby gyms, even a ball pool.