Latest news with #AsdaFoundation
Scotsman
01-08-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Asda cleaning up and giving back in Kilmarnock
Colleagues at Asda Kilmarnock have joined forces with volunteers from Kilmarnock YMCA for a community litter pick – using the special day to present the youth group with a bumper charity cheque. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... As part of a month-long series of clean-ups this July, Asda teams across the UK have been rolling up their sleeves to tackle litter and help improve green spaces in their communities. The Kilmarnock event saw Asda colleagues and young YMCA volunteers work side by side to clear eight bags of rubbish from Kay Park, a favourite spot for families and walkers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Alongside the clean-up, Asda also presented Kilmarnock YMCA with a cheque for £1,000 from the retailer's Asda Foundation Young Futures Fund grant scheme, a programme that supports projects aimed at improving opportunities for young people through everything from skills development to mental health support. Asda Kilmarnock Community Champion, Teresa Bruce and Kilmarnock YMCA members after a litter pick in Kay Park, receiving an Asda Foundation cheque for the Young Futures Fund Asda Kilmarnock's team joined colleagues from more than 350 stores across the UK to work with grassroots groups and local volunteers to clean up their communities, helping people to come together and take pride in where they live. Teresa Bruce, Community Champion, Asda Kilmarnock said: "We're proud to support the incredible work of the Kilmarnock YMCA through both the Asda Foundation's Young Futures Fund and getting involved in this hands-on community clean-up. Initiatives like this are a brilliant way to do our bit and give back, making the most of the place we live. 'The litter pick at Kay Park was a real team effort - 18 young people from the YMCA took part and had great fun competing to see who could collect the most rubbish. By the end of the afternoon, we'd filled eight full bags altogether – proof of what we can achieve when we work together.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Taylor Smith, Youth Work and Community Development Manager, Kilmarnock YMCA added: 'We're so grateful to receive the £1,000 grant from the Asda Foundation. It will help us to continue to provide free youth work services and support in our community.
Scotsman
04-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Asda Dyce presents £1,000 Asda Foundation Grant to Dementia Charity ‘The Living Well Dementia Café' in celebration of Asda's 60th Birthday
An Aberdeen community project has been awarded a £1,000 grant by Asda's charity, the Asda Foundation, to celebrate a decade working with people impacted by dementia. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Living Well Project, which was established in 2010 to support isolated and vulnerable people in the north of the city, launched its Living Well Dementia Cafes five years later, providing much-needed social support for those affected by memory loss and dementia, as well as their families and carers. The £1,000 grant comes as part of more than £60,000 of funding from the Asda Foundation that will be awarded to grassroots groups across the UK in celebration of Asda's 60th Birthday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Living Well Project, which also runs a Befriending Service, will use the funding to host special events across its three Living Well Cafes to mark a10 years at the heart of their communities. The Living Well Project Cafe Jeanette Abel, Team Leader at The Living Well Project said: 'People living with dementia can often feel isolated and on the edge of society. Our cafés offer a safe place where peer support is so important and where attendees can reconnect with people in their own communities. We were delighted to be awarded a grant of £1000 as part of the Asda 60th birthday celebrations and this will be used to celebrate our own 10th birthday. The cafes have grown since we started in 2015 and have become so important to those who attend as we are able to support carers as well as those living with the debilitating illness. Carers can meet others in similar situations, and they get support from each other. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Those with a diagnosis of dementia also get support in a different way as they have fun and get the opportunity to 'live in the moment' and enjoy a happy afternoon.' Fiona Cumming presents cheque to The Living Well Project Dementia Cafe The team offers a range of activities at the cafes, with a strong emphasis on music. Linda Rendall, Cafe Co-ordinator at The Living Well Project added: 'It has been proven that music can have a positive effect on those living with dementia, providing a way to connect when verbal communication is difficult. The dementia community continues to grow locally as the prevalence of the disease escalates but it can be difficult for unpaid carers to find a safe environment to attend. This year, as The Living Well Cafés celebrate their 10th birthday, we plan to use the funding received from the Asda Foundation to mark the occasion with celebratory events in our three dementia cafes. We will invite local entertainers and encourage people to dance and sing along to songs that are from their era and are familiar to them' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Glasgow Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Cumbernauld charity Tony's Safe Place receive Asda funding
Tony's Safe Place received the grant from the Asda Foundation as part of Asda's 60th anniversary celebration. The funding will be used to support the charity's work with people affected by addiction, poverty, loneliness, and poor mental health. Tony's Safe Place was set up by grandmother-of-two, Linda Rice, in 2018, following the death of her son Tony at the age of 24. Linda Rice with her son Tony (Image: Supplied) The grant is part of a wider £60,000 funding initiative by Asda Foundation, aimed at supporting community groups and charities across the UK. Tony's Safe Place intends to use the money to take the community on trips to Scottish beauty spots where people can enjoy the mental wellness benefits of cold-water swimming. Ms Rice, founder of Tony's Safe Place, said: 'After we lost Tony in July 2018, we were all in total despair. "We quickly realised there was nowhere nearby we could go to talk and find support, something everyone in our circle of family and friends desperately needed – and I decided straight away I needed to do something because I was concerned another family could lose someone and find themselves in a similar situation. 'By November that year, after some initial training, I was able to get a centre to host meetings for people impacted not just by the fallout of suicide, but by addiction, poverty, isolation and poor mental health – all the things that can lead to tragedy if the right support isn't there. 'By 2022, we opened our community hub, Tony's Safe Place, in the centre of Cumbernauld. "Tony was an amazing person, the life and soul of the party, and he always did his best to help other people. "What's heartbreaking is that he didn't manage to reach out for help when he needed it himself. "As a family, looking back I think we tiptoed around his problems, and now that I've learned so much more about these things, I'd say that's not what you should do, you need to be asking the hard questions. "It was a very difficult lesson for us to learn, and now we want to help other families in similar situations to get the right support when they need it.' Lynne Morrison, community and customer champion at Asda Cumbernauld, said: "Linda and all the team at Tony's Safe Place are an inspiration, and absolutely deserving of this grant. "They do so much good in our community, offering support and understanding to families and individuals going through some of the most difficult times of their lives and we're delighted to contribute in whatever way we can to their incredible work." Linda added: 'This grant will make a significant impact as we use the funding to take members of the community to beautiful places around Scotland like Loch Lomond, Luss Beach and the beautiful surrounding area to enjoy some cold-water swimming, a pastime that's not just a break from the norm and a fun day out, but can have great benefits for mental health and wellbeing. 'We're very thankful for all the support Asda has given us over the years, and particularly to Lynne, who is a lovely, selfless woman, a beautiful star and a wonderful champion for the work we do in our community.'
Scotsman
07-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Asda Inverness presents £1,000 Asda Foundation Grant to Spokes For Folks in celebration of Asda's 60th birthday
In celebration of Asda's 60th Birthday, the Asda Foundation is providing grant funding of over £60,000 to celebrate 'diamond' community groups and charities across the UK. Asda Community and Customer Champions were invited to nominate deserving groups, who will each receive one-off £1,000 grants to support their work and activities Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Asda's Charity, Asda Foundation has awarded a £1,000 grant to Inverness-based charity, Spokes For Folks. The grant is part of over £60,000 of funding that will be awarded to community groups across the UK from the Asda Foundation in celebration of Asda's 60th Birthday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The volunteer-led charity provides sociable assisted trike and adapted bike rides for the elderly and those with limited mobility. Each ride is piloted by trained volunteers who help break down barriers caused by social isolation and disability – while also promoting the use of green spaces and intergenerational connection within the community. Spokes For Folks Spokes For Folks will use the funding to purchase a specially designed trike from Copenhagen. This new addition will allow the charity to support more people, particularly care home residents, to enjoy scenic views, fresh air and being out in the community with others. Asda Inverness Community Champion Kylie Omand, said: 'The group are delighted with the £1,000 grant from Asda Foundation after we nominated them, in celebration of Asda's 60th Birthday. It is such a heart-warming initiative and it's amazing the places they manage to take people that they otherwise wouldn't get to see. 'I joined them for a ride recently and the trikes are incredible, making for a comfortable and smooth journey for their passengers. I am over the moon that the application was successful and they're able to purchase a new trike!' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Vonnie Stevenson, Fundraising and Social Media Committee Member, Spokes For Folks, said: 'We are incredibly grateful to Asda Foundation for the funding that's enabled us to add another trike to our fleet. The demand for our service is growing every day. We are currently supporting 30 different clients and groups, so having an extra trike really makes a difference. Spokes For Folks 'With nine trikes now on the go, our pilots are out up to three times a day, Monday to Friday. We're always keen to train up new volunteers and pilots to help us keep things moving!
Scotsman
23-04-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Rooting for the Community - Asda Foundation plants £3k in local orchard
A grassroots group dedicated to enhancing the lives of those in need has been awarded a major grant by Asda's charity to transform a Dunfermline orchard into an inclusive space for all. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Asda Foundation has backed The Knights Templar Goodwill Charity of Scotland (KTGCS) with a donation of £3,000, a sum the group will use to improve wheelchair and pushchair access so more people than ever can enjoy their outdoor community space. Founded by Armed Forces veterans in 2021, KTGCS works to support people struggling with a range of challenges from mental health issues and poverty to isolation and loneliness. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The funding, granted through Asda Dunfermline, has been delivered as part of the Asda Foundation's Outdoor Community Spaces Fund, which aims to help community groups transform their local areas, enhance access to shared outdoor spaces for marginalised and vulnerable groups and help to combat loneliness. Katie Banks, Operations Manager, KTGCS, Barbara Inglis, Community Champion, Asda Dunfermline, Gary Stevenson, Chairman, KTGCS The funding follows feedback from the Community Tracker, an insights survey commissioned by Asda and the Asda Foundation, where more than four in five Asda customers said having access to safe outside spaces makes a positive difference to the mental health of people in their community. Katie Banks, Operations Manager at Knights Templar Goodwill Charity of Scotland, said: 'We applied for this grant from the Asda Foundation to help make our orchard an inclusive and accessible place for everyone. We wanted to create a space where everyone feels welcome, including those with mobility needs, young families, and people who might not usually access green spaces. 'With the funding, we purchased recycled picnic tables, which can accommodate a wheelchair and push chairs. Our charity supports hundreds of people across the local community each year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The orchard is open to all and will benefit more than 300 local residents, providing a peaceful, inclusive space to connect, grow food, and take part in activities like composting, fruit harvesting, and community gardening.' Barbara Inglis, Community Champion, Asda Dunfermline said: 'Knights Templar Goodwill Charity of Scotland are a really tremendous group of volunteers who have worked super hard over the last three years to build the charity into the thriving community hub it is today. 'They began by supplying care packs to people in the community experiencing homelessness, and have since grown to provide hot meals, school uniforms, a baby bank and now have started a community orchard and garden, which will be open and inclusive to everyone in the local area. 'It is truly a fantastic project, and I'm incredibly proud to have played a part in the journey. There's still a way to go before it's complete, but it will be well worth it and benefit the whole community.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Martin Kendal, Communications and Impact advisor, Asda Foundation said: 'Our research consistently shows that communities value access to safe and welcoming public spaces. Spending time outdoors has a positive impact on health and wellbeing, and community-driven projects like this help strengthen local connections and foster pride in our surroundings. We are proud to support grassroots initiatives like this one in making a lasting impact.' Katie Banks from KTGCS added: 'A big thanks to Barbara and the Asda Foundation. The impact of the grant is already being felt. There's been a real sense of excitement and growing community engagement.' The Asda Foundation announced funding of up to £500,000 earlier this year for grants nationwide through the Outdoor Spaces Fund, with individual awards ranging from £500 to £3,000. Already the Fund has awarded more than £14,000 to grassroots groups across Northern Ireland. As well as helping community groups transform their local areas, the funding aims to enhance access to shared outdoor spaces for marginalised and vulnerable groups, and combat loneliness. Since 2022, the Asda Foundation has donated more than £2.5 million to worthy causes.
