Edinburgh charity among recipients of more than £200k in emergency COVID-19 Scottish Children's Lottery funding

Edinburgh-based One Parent Families Scotland received £100,000.
One Parent Families Scotland has witnessed a three-fold increase in calls and enquiries from worried single parents in Scotland as a result of the coronavirus and lockdown.One Parent Families Scotland has witnessed a three-fold increase in calls and enquiries from worried single parents in Scotland as a result of the coronavirus and lockdown.
One Parent Families Scotland has witnessed a three-fold increase in calls and enquiries from worried single parents in Scotland as a result of the coronavirus and lockdown.

Emergency funding from the Scottish Children’s Lottery has been awarded to three charities, including one Edinburgh-based family charity.

The lottery awarded £205,000 in total to three charities, with Edinburgh-based One Parent Families Scotland and Fareshare receiving £100,000 each and Orkney Foodbank given £5,000.

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The money has been given as part of an effort by the lottery to help children and families hardest hit by the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Gillian Kynoch, head of FareShare which distributes surplus food to frontline charities, said: “We support a network of over 1400 organisations from Lerwick to Dumfries and our teams are working hard to distribute food to charities that are engaging with vulnerable people every single day.

“Currently our ‘landscape’ is changing rapidly to meet the new circumstances and a great deal of our provision will be converted into food parcels to support children and families at home.

“This is demanding a new army of community based action to coordinate local distribution points and volunteers to undertake the door to door distribution. We’re delighted to receive funding from the Scottish Children’s Lottery, which will help us all rise to what is the biggest challenge we have ever faced.”

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Satwat Rehman, chief executive of OPFS which will use the money to pay for fuel vouchers for families struggling to make ends meet, said: “This is a very worrying time for so many families.

“The lockdown can be particularly isolating for many single parents, who may also be experiencing additional financial pressures and uncertainties. So many parents have been in touch during this difficult time and our staff are working flat out to provide support through phone calls, texts and social media.

“This very welcome funding will enable us to offer some real practical support through help with fuel costs that will alleviate some of the anxieties that the families are facing.”

Kenneth Barclay, chair of The Scottish Children’s Lottery, said: “There is an immediate requirement to help vulnerable families across Scotland with the most basic of needs at this difficult time.

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“We’ve chosen to grant emergency funding to three charities who are working tirelessly to support families across the country: FareShare, One Parent Families Scotland and Orkney Foodbank, all of whom are truly making a difference to those who need it most.

“Every time someone plays the Scottish Children’s Lottery they help children and young people, and we’d like thank our players – this money will truly make a difference to the lives of so many.”

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