Aberlour Children’s Charity, a charity that offers support for disadvantaged children and families in Scotland, were recently among recipients of the Enable Grant funding scheme provided by the Church in Society Committee of the Scottish Episcopal Church to support projects which work to enable life in all its fullness for children, young people and their families.
In a funding report issued to the Church in Society committee the team at Aberlour shared with the committee some of the ways in which the monies had been used. They write that the grant was used: “to provide activities for children and their families to spend quality time together in a fun and memorable way. The families we support struggle to make ends meet and provide necessities such as food and clothing; a family day out is a luxury they simply cannot afford. Supporting families to access activities provides the opportunity to nurture family relationships, giving children and parents quality time together, away from the stress and worry of their everyday lives. Many of the children we support have never experienced the activities we have been able to provide such as a trip to the cinema or pantomime.”
Some of the activities listed in the funding report included support for over a hundred families facing difficulties to enable them to spend quality time together as a family, as well as group activities including an Easter activity day for over 30 young children.
The report goes on to provide some feedback from service users, saying: “One mum who was experiencing a difficult time due to strained family relationships and a house move, felt guilty that her children had been stuck indoors all summer and she hadn’t been in a position financially to enjoy a day out. Our Family Support Worker organised for the family to have a day out to Calderglen Country Park and Zoo via the activities fund, and Mum shared how she felt about the day ‘We had a great day out in the summer to somewhere I normally wouldn’t be able to take the children myself, due to cost of travel, entry and lunch/snacks. We all had a great day together, spending time having fun and having a treat from Greggs for lunch which I wouldn’t normally be able to do.’
Another Aberlour Family Support Worker shared that: “Two brothers had been separated and placed with different foster care families away from their home and community in Glasgow. It was a difficult time, but we were able to give them the choice of an activity to spend quality time together. The boys chose to go bowling and had a fun afternoon together. Thank you for giving them this gift of time to connect and create memories.”
The Church in Society committee are thankful to Aberlour for sharing the report, and hope that sharing these examples can inspire others to identify projects which could benefit from the Enable Grant. The Rev Willie Shaw, a member of the Church in Society Committee said: “It is really encouraging to see the Enable Grant recognised in this way, especially given the long standing connection between Aberlour and the Scottish Episcopal Church. We are grateful to Aberlour for sharing with us how the donation was used and the difference it has made, and hope that the examples given can spark ideas across the SEC and our partner organisations for projects that would be eligible.”
The Enable Grant is available to groups which have a connection to Scottish Episcopal congregations and is meeting a real need in a community (expecting to impact on the lives of children, young people and their families), your application will be considered. Please see this page for more information.
Aberlour, which started life as a small orphanage in the town of Aberlour in Moray, was founded by the Rev Canon Charles Jupp, Rector of St Margaret’s, Aberlour in 1875, and has long maintained it’s founding links with the Scottish Episcopal Church. You can read more about their work here.
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