News on how Scotland's voluntary sector is responding to the pandemic
Charity wants to play its part
The Eilidh MacLeod Memorial Trust is calling for guidance and advice to create a bespoke support scheme for youth music education across Scotland to enable tuition to continue during the Covid-19 outbreak.
In order to shape this special funding scheme, Eilidh’s Trust wants to hear from existing youth groups and tutors about the best ways of teaching and how continuity of learning can be delivered remotely over the coming weeks. The trust also wants to hear about any innovations or good practice that is helping to deliver lessons that others can learn from, or challenges youth groups are facing in terms of technology or software which it can support to make life a little bit easier.
Eilidh’s Trust was established in 2018 in memory of Eilidh MacLeod from the Isle of Barra who died along with 21 others in the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017. The trust supports music education for young people reflecting Eilidh’s own musical ability and enjoyment as a piper with the Sgoil Lionacleit Pipe Band. The trust will also manage and maintain a permanent memorial to Eilidh and a garden of remembrance and reflection on Barra.
Suzanne White, founder and trustee said: "Eilidh’s Trust is a small charity and limited in what we can do but we really want to play our full part in helping to deliver some continuity of learning and make sure this period can be a bit more manageable for young performers. We fully understand the need for tuition to continue so that creative skills progress and develop. It is also good for the young musicians to maintain a routine of learning in their chosen discipline, something we want to help facilitate.”
If you think you can help email hello@eilidhstrust.org.uk
NHS and neighbours at the forefront
A majority of people in Britain are ready to support their neighbours and NHS charities through the coronavirus pandemic, despite facing money worries of their own, a new poll finds.
The poll by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), conducted as strict social distancing rules were being introduced, found that people are willing to chip in to help friends, family and neighbours to weather the crisis.
More than half of people said they expect to help their neighbours or friends with shopping or errands (56%) while half said they expect to check on their vulnerable or elderly neighbours (51%).
The survey also found some willingness to support charities, with NHS and local charities garnering higher levels of support than national or international causes.
Diabetes charity launches research grants
Diabetes UK has launched a £100,000 grant, available for scientists to study how coronavirus affects people living with diabetes.
The global Covid-19 pandemic is affecting everyone across the world, but there’s uncertainty about whether people with diabetes could be more vulnerable.
Infection with viruses similar to Covid-19 can, in some cases, cause more severe symptoms and complications in people with diabetes. However, being a new type of virus, there is an urgent need to fill in the current gaps in knowledge around how it affects people living with any type of diabetes.
This is why the charity is reaching out to scientists across the UK to apply for the £100,000 grant funding to help answer vital questions about COVID-19 and diabetes.
From investigating which groups of people with diabetes might be at greater risk of complications, to looking at the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of those living with diabetes, the charity hopes to see a range of important research questions being raised.
This will help rapidly improve the advice that can be given to people living with diabetes, and help them keep safe and healthy during this uncertain time.
The deadline for applications is 20 April.
100 homes created
Scotland’s largest housing, care and property management group Wheatley, has provided more than 100 empty homes to local authorities as temporary accommodation for homeless people.
The group announced last month its plans to hand over void properties to councils across Scotland to house homeless people in response to the impact of the coronavirus crisis.
In the following week, 81 empty homes were allocated to Glasgow City Council and 26 to Dumfries and Galloway Council. Another nine will be made available to Edinburgh City Council this week.
Wheatley chief executive Martin Armstrong said more properties would be handed soon to West Dunbartonshire Council and West Lothian Council.
“We are doing all we can to work with our local authority partners to help the most vulnerable people in society during these unprecedented times,” he added.
