Latest news with #ChildrenFirst
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Campaigner who pioneered new approach to justice dies
Died: March 28, 2025 Margaret Mills, who has died aged 76, worked tirelessly as a children's champion for the charity Children First for over 54 years until her sudden death. Starting her career in the 1970s as one of the first female inspectors with the Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (RSSPCC), now known as Children First, Margaret dedicated her life to helping children and families. Specialising in supporting children to recover from sexual, emotional and physical abuse at Children First's service in the Scottish Borders, she helped transform the lives of hundreds of children. Margaret pioneered support for child victims required to give evidence in court. This paved the way for Scotland's first Bairns Hoose, a safe space for child victims and witnesses of crime run by Children First, based on the Icelandic Barnahus model, to provide a child-centred approach to justice, care and recovery. The Bairns Hoose approach is now being rolled out across Scotland and is in development in the Scottish Borders. Mary Glasgow, chief executive of Scotland's national children's charity, said: 'Margaret considered it a huge privilege to work with young people and regarded each and every family and young person she connected with as special. 'Margaret was an extraordinary person, and we will all miss her hugely at Children First. She was a dedicated, compassionate advocate for the rights of children, striving to ensure that they had the opportunity to access all the support they needed. 'Her meaningful connection with children meant that for years afterwards many young people chose to stay in touch with Margaret and would reconnect with her for support and encouragement when they needed it. 'Margaret was loved by so many and leaves a lasting legacy behind, having paved the way for Scotland's first ever Bairns Hoose. Read more "She was truly an inspiration to others, devoting her life to securing a brighter future for children who had suffered trauma and abuse.' After leaving school at 15, Margaret – who hailed from Leitholm in the Scottish Borders – worked as a nanny with a family in Edinburgh before undertaking nursery nurse training with Barnardos. Once she was old enough she began working for Barnardos in Essex and Cambridge in children's homes where she was fondly known as the 'Scottish auntie'. On completion of her residential childcare course at Langside College in Glasgow, Margaret embarked on her career as a children's champion with the RSSPCC in 1973 supporting parents to care for their children. At that time the RSSPCC had the duty and power to investigate and prosecute incidents of child abuse and all male RSSPCC staff were inspectors, and female staff were 'women visitors'. Margaret moved back to the Borders in 1973 as an RSSPCC visitor and excelled in the role. She was instrumental in setting up a support group in Galashiels for mothers of pre-school children who needed help. In 1976 she was promoted and became one of the first female RSSPCC inspectors, moving into a lead role in the field of child protection and family assessment. By 1980 she had started another parents support group in Hawick. These groups gave Margaret and her colleague and lifelong friend Bill Dunbar the inspiration to set up the Ettrick Family Resource Centre in Selkirk in 1990. This laid the foundation for today's Children First service in the Scottish Borders which has supported thousands of children and families over the years. Margaret and Bill responded to calls from the public for support with their children's wellbeing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From then on, Margaret continued to help children to recover from unthinkable trauma and trailblazed support for child victims required to give evidence in court, leading to Scotland's first Bairns Hoose. Margaret played an active role in her community, running the creche at Kelso North Parish Church for many years. She was also president of Broomlands Scottish Women's Rural Institute. Her contribution to the wellbeing of children and young people was recognised in January 2012 when she was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List for her services to children and young people in Scotland. She is survived by her sister Ella, two nieces and their families. At The Herald, we carry obituaries of notable people from the worlds of business, politics, arts and sport but sometimes we miss people who have led extraordinary lives. That's where you come in. If you know someone who deserves an obituary, please consider telling us about their lives. Contact
The Courier
6 days ago
- The Courier
From Kyiv to the Kelpies as Angus dad who fled Ukraine invasion tackles charity abseil
A brave Angus dad who was forced to flee his home in Ukraine is hoping to conquer his fear of heights by abseiling down The Kelpies. Lloyd Gwishiri from Brechin is taking on the fundraiser for charity Children First. He became a trustee of the organisation after his family was forced to leave their home in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in 2022. The personal experience of fleeing the Russian invasion inspired Lloyd to become involved with Children First. And he is curious about abseiling down the massive equine sculptures having never actually seen them in real life. Lloyd said: 'The experience of leaving Ukraine was quite traumatising for anyone who went through it at the time. 'It was hard going through the steps of moving from country to country via public transport. It was quite intense.' The family eventually settled in Brechin. Lloyd has been keen to get involved in more fundraising work after becoming active in the local community. He is a popular coach at Brechin Boxing Club. After joining Children First as a board member nine months ago, he said taking on the Kelpies would be a 'fun and interesting adventure'. The exciting challenge involves climbing inside the world's largest equine sculptures through a maze of ladders, cables and suspended platforms. Participants emerge to enjoy the spectacular view right from the horse's mouth. After conquering the Kelpies, Lloyd will then drop back to the ground. Lloyd is calling on other daredevils to join him on June 7. He said: 'I'm terrified of heights. 'I've seen photographs of the Kelpies and I've been planning to go there. But I've never seen the Kelpies in person. 'I'm really looking forward to the experience.' Lloyd added: 'I know the challenges Children First are facing to raise funds. That was reason enough for me to participate and do whatever else I can for the charity. 'So many children and families tell us that the support they get from Children First is a lifeline.' To sign up to the Kelpies' Challenge and support Children First visit or call 0345 10 80 111.
Scotsman
28-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Scotsman Obituaries: Margaret Mills MBE, trailblazing children's champion
Margaret Mills MBE, children's champion. Born: 16 October 1948. Died: 28 March 2025, aged 76 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... Colleagues at Children First have been fondly remembering Margaret Mills MBE, who worked tirelessly as a children's champion for the charity for over 54 years until her sudden death. Starting her career in the 1970s as one of the first female inspectors with the Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (RSSPCC), now known as Children First, Margaret dedicated her life to helping children and families. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Specialising in supporting children to recover from sexual, emotional and physical abuse at Children First's service in the Scottish Borders, she helped transform the lives of hundreds of children. Margaret Mills was awarded an MBE in the 2012 New Year Honours List Margaret pioneered support for child victims required to give evidence in court. This paved the way for Scotland's first Bairns Hoose, a safe space for child victims and witnesses of crime run by Children First, based on the Icelandic Barnahus model, to provide a child-centred approach to justice, care and recovery. The Bairns Hoose approach is now being rolled out across Scotland and is in development in the Scottish Borders. Mary Glasgow, chief executive of Scotland's national children's charity, said: 'Margaret considered it a huge privilege to work with young people and regarded each and every family and young person she connected with as special. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Margaret was an extraordinary person, and we will all miss her hugely at Children First. She was a dedicated, compassionate advocate for the rights of children, striving to ensure that they had the opportunity to access all the support they needed. 'Her meaningful connection with children meant that for years afterwards many young people chose to stay in touch with Margaret and would reconnect with her for support and encouragement when they needed it. 'Margaret was loved by so many and leaves a lasting legacy behind, having paved the way for Scotland's first ever Bairns Hoose. "She was truly an inspiration to others, devoting her life to securing a brighter future for children who had suffered trauma and abuse.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After leaving school at 15, Margaret – who hailed from Leitholm in the Scottish Borders – worked as a nanny with a family in Edinburgh before undertaking nursery nurse training with Barnardos. Once she was old enough she began working for Barnardos in Essex and Cambridge in children's homes where she was fondly known as the 'Scottish auntie'. On completion of her residential childcare course at Langside College in Glasgow, Margaret embarked on her career as a children's champion with the RSSPCC in 1973 supporting parents to care for their children. At that time the RSSPCC had the duty and power to investigate and prosecute incidents of child abuse and all male RSSPCC staff were inspectors, and female staff were 'women visitors'. Margaret moved back to the Borders in 1973 as an RSSPCC visitor and excelled in the role. She was instrumental in setting up a support group in Galashiels for mothers of preschool children who needed help. In 1976 she was promoted and became one of the first female RSSPCC inspectors, moving into a lead role in the field of child protection and family assessment. By 1980 she had started another parents support group in Hawick. These groups gave Margaret and her colleague and lifelong friend Bill Dunbar the inspiration to set up the Ettrick Family Resource Centre in Selkirk in 1990. This laid the foundation for today's Children First service in the Scottish Borders which has supported thousands of children and families over the years. Margaret and Bill responded to calls from the public for support with their children's wellbeing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad From then on, Margaret continued to help children to recover from unthinkable trauma and trailblazed support for child victims required to give evidence in court, leading to Scotland's first Bairns Hoose. Margaret played an active role in her community, running the creche at Kelso North Parish Church for many years. She was also president of Broomlands Scottish Women's Rural Institute.
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Scotsman
From Kyiv to the Kelpies: Dad conquers fear of heights to protect Scotland's children
A brave dad who was forced to flee his home in Ukraine is hoping to conquer his fear of heights by abseiling down Scotland's largest equine sculptures to raise funds for Children First, Scotland's national children's charity. 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... Children First trustee Lloyd Gwishiri is terrified of heights, but says he is curious about abseiling down the Kelpies, having never yet seen them in real life. After his family was forced to flee their home in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2022, Lloyd has personal experience of how trauma can deeply impact children. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lloyd added: 'The experience of leaving Ukraine was quite traumatising for anyone who went through it at the time. It was hard going through the steps of moving from country to country via public transport. It was quite intense.' Mary Glasgow, chief executive of Children First. He eventually settled in Brechin, Angus with his family and has been keen to get involved in more fundraising work after becoming active within the local community. After joining Children First as a board member nine months ago, Lloyd said taking on the Kelpies would be a 'fun and interesting adventure'. The exciting challenge involves climbing up inside the Kelpies through a maze of ladders, cables and suspended platforms before reaching the top and enjoying the view right from the horse's mouth. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After conquering the Kelpies, Lloyd will then free hang abseil or descend via the quick flight rope drop back down to the ground. The Kelpies Limited spaces are still available and Lloyd is calling on other daredevils to join him. Lloyd said: 'I'm terrified of heights! But I'm quite curious to abseil the Kelpies. I've seen photographs of the Kelpies, I've been planning to go there but I've never seen the Kelpies in person. 'It seems like it is going to be a fun and interesting adventure both to meet more people within Children First. I'm really looking forward to the experience.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lloyd's experience as a member of the Children First board of trustees motivated him to sign up, so that he can raise vital funds to continue protecting Scotland's children and keep them safe from harm. Children First trustee Lloyd Gwishiri is hoping to conquer his fear of heights by taking on the Kelpies Challege. Lloyd added: 'I know the challenges Children First are facing to raise funds, so that was reason enough for me to participate and do whatever else I can for the charity. 'So many children and families tell us that the support they get from Children First is a lifeline. I want to do all I can to make sure that every child who desperately needs the charity's help can get it." Mary Glasgow said: 'Climbing the iconic Kelpies will be an experience like no other and we are delighted that our board member Lloyd is taking on the challenge. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Every day our teams at Children First hear from children who are coming to us distressed and at risk of serious harm. Each year we provide practical, emotional and financial support to thousands of children and families across Scotland through our national support line and in their homes, schools and communities. 'Every penny raised by Lloyd and his fellow Children First Kelpies champions will help change a child's life. If you can join them, please sign up today. Together we can give children the help they need to enjoy a safer brighter future.'
Politico
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Rahm teams up with fired Navy chief
Presented by Happy Monday, Illinois. And congrats to all the Peter Lisagor journalism award winners and nominees. Honored that Illinois Playbook won in the Best Newsletter category! TOP TALKER FIRST IN POLITICO: Rahm Emanuel has tapped retired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, who led U.S. naval operations before she was fired by the Trump administration, to team up on his scholarship program for ROTC students in Chicago. The two will appear today at Rickover Naval Academy in Chicago to announce 12 recipients of the inaugural Admiral Lisa Franchetti ROTC Scholarship. Exclusive interview: 'I'm focused on and am passionate about developing the next generation of leaders,' Franchetti told your Playbook host of the Children First scholarship. The fund was started by Emanuel and is coordinated with Chicago Public Schools. School daze: Emanuel, who like Franchetti, studied at Northwestern, said 'it's frustrating' that her military career ended so abruptly. 'It's wrong on a thousand levels,' he said in an interview. 'The Navy was better. Our Armed Forces were better, and our values and our interests were better protected when Lisa Franchetti was on point.' But he adds, 'We're lucky to have her thinking and protecting and caring about service men and women' through the scholarship program. Our home page story is here. THE BUZZ FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Illinois House Democratic leader Kam Buckner has been named to the board of a national Democratic committee that funds state legislative races. Buckner, a Chicago Democrat who serves speaker pro tempore, is now a member of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democrats to state legislatures. The board is seen as integral to helping win elections, and Buckner and the six other new members will be tapped to address efforts to 'fight extremism' that pops up in elections. Buckner drew praise from the Democratic organization for his policy expertise and his ability to work well with colleagues. 'As a former college football player, he knows how to put aside personal differences and focus on what's best for his team,' according to a statement from the group. A NEW ERA FOR PLAYBOOK: Big news from POLITICO's flagship morning newsletter in Washington: Today we launch The Playbook Podcast, hosted by Author and Managing Editor Jack Blanchard and newly named Playbook Chief Correspondent Dasha Burns. Jack has already been skillfully decoding politics, policy and power in Washington, and now with Dasha, a proven force on the Trump beat, will deliver across platforms what makes Playbook essential: a clear, aggressively nonpartisan and deeply reported distillation of what matters now and why. Also joining the team: Adam Wren as Contributing Author for Playbook's Friday and Saturday editions, adding insight and sharp political reporting to your weekend reads. Sign up now to get Playbook delivered straight to your inbox. WHERE'S JB In D.C. for the SelectUSA Investment Summit to meet with CEOs and international trade partners WHERE's BRANDON No official public events Where's Toni No official public events Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a complaint? Email skapos@ BUSINESS OF POLITICS — BOST IS IN: Congressman Mike Bost has announced he's running for re-election in the 12th District, and he's already been endorsed by President Donald Trump. Bost launched his re-election campaign at last week's Monroe County GOP Century Club Dinner and announced on X that Trump has endorsed him. Bost, who has twice served as Illinois co-chair of Trump's campaign, boasts in his campaign announcement that he's 'earned Trump's endorsement in five consecutive election cycles.' The message: Republicans who have been thinking of challenging him should think twice before doing so. 'This Marine isn't finished fighting for the incredible people of Southern Illinois,' Bost said in a statement. — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The Illinois Blue PAC, the first federal political action committee organized for Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton's Senate race has been launched. Chair of the PAC is David Lobl, a Chicago native who now lives in New York and has advised the governor there as well as the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Also heading the PAC: Mark Kalish, a former member of the Illinois House who leads the Health Care Council of Illinois PAC, public affairs consultant and former comms adviser to the governor Alex Hanns and his public affairs firm StrategyA, and CreoStrat media strategist Stephan Miller. The PAC operates separately from Stratton's political campaign, which allows the political action committee to raise an unlimited amount of funds to promote her as a candidate. — SCOOP: Congresswoman Robin Kelly is being endorsed by 18 members of the Congressional Black Caucus in her bid to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin. Congressman Jonathan Jackson (IL-01) is among those endorsing. The full list is here. — LABOR LOVE: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi secured the first labor endorsement of the U.S. Senate primary in Illinois, winning the support of Local 881 United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents 34,000 workers from the retail, cannabis, nursing home, barber and cosmetology industries. — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: State Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl is running for the open seat on the Democratic State Central Committee in the 10th District. Current committee member Melinda Bush has announced she's not running. Details and endorsements here — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Judge Michael Zink is announcing his campaign today to fill the vacancy in the Cook County 20th subcircuit after Judge David Haracz's retirement. Zink was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court in December to the position and now must run for the seat. ILLINOIS' POPE — Dolton hopes ties to Pope Leo XIV will burnish town's image and spur growth: 'The village has suffered after years of alleged corruption among village mayors past and more recently Tiffany Henyard, who was tossed out of office with the most recent election. … The selection of Robert Francis Prevost as pope could help bring businesses to Dolton, which is now the focus of attention,' by the Daily Southtown's Mike Nolan and Samantha Moilanen. — 'He's one of us': South Holland church celebrates bragging rights as Pope Leo XIV's de facto home parish, by the Tribune's Carolyn Stein — Peek inside the vacant South Side church where Pope Leo XIV got his start: 'St. Mary of the Assumption, the church that served as the pope's base, has been closed for years now,' via the Block Club. — How the new Pope Leo XIV's childhood church in Chicago fell into disrepair — and what may lie ahead, by the Tribune's Caroline Kubzansky — Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez has sent a letter inviting Pope Leo to visit his boyhood home. Read it here — Would you stay at Pope Leo's childhood home? By Curbed's Matthew Sedacca — 'Da Pope' bobbleheads unveiled, via the Sun-Times THE STATEWIDES — Domestic violence law named in memory of Karina Gonzalez took effect on Mother's Day: 'An immigrant woman from Mexico, who worked dead-end jobs and survived an abusive husband, will now go on to save the lives of other domestic violence victims,' said Manny Alvarez, Karina Gonzalez's son,' by the Sun-Times' Kaitlin Washburn. — 'Bare-knuckled fight' over drug discount bill in Springfield, by Crain's Jon Asplund — Lawmakers have just days to save Metra, Pace and CTA from massive cuts: 'The governance piece has been discussed ad infinitum, but there's been no robust vetting of how to solve the cash gap. Tax, toll and fee increases have been floated, which could mean an unwanted surprise for Illinoisans come late May,' by the Daily Herald's Marni Pyke. CHICAGO — AN ANNIVERSARY | Mayor Brandon Johnson's second year found him fighting unexpected battles: 'Though the harsh spotlight on Johnson's office on the fifth floor is nothing new, some of the thorniest issues the former Chicago Teachers Union organizer has battled his second year have come from unexpected fronts: education, and the city's political left. Those difficulties at times dominated his administration's attention and pushed him to expend political capital in ways he may not have predicted when he came into office as the city's most progressive mayor in 40 years,' by the Tribune's Alice Yin, Jake Sheridan and A.D. Quig. — Transit advocates push mayor, board for nationwide search for next CTA boss: 'Kevin Irvine, a former CTA board member, asked current board members not to approve Mayor Brandon Johnson's reported pick — city COO John Roberson — as CTA president during a special meeting,' by the Block Club's Mack Liederman and Manny Ramos. — The Catholic church's social service arm in Chicago uses Cozen O'Connor lobbying firm, which also represents abortion provider, by the Sun-Times' Robert Herguth Reader Digest We asked what political debate topic would be better decided by a game of rock scissors paper. Daniel G. Goldwin: 'Whether the Bears new stadium is in Arlington Heights or Chicago.' Lucas Hawley: 'The SALT tax bill issue currently infighting in Congress.' Anne Sommerkamp: 'Ending Citizens United.' Timothy Thomas: 'The old political saw of a billionaires tax ... as if a billionaire gets a weekly paycheck and a W2 at the end of the year.' NEXT QUESTION: Which fictional politician would actually make a decent real-life leader? KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION — CITY CRAWL: Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Sen. Dick Durbin, Cook County Commissioner Jessica Vásquez and House Democrats Vice Chair Congressman Ted Lieu of California took part in a business crawl Friday along Chicago's Milwaukee Avenue's business corridor. The goal was to celebrate Small Business Week. Along the way, business owners talked about the impact that the Trump administration's funding cuts and service reductions will have on the local economy, according to Ramirez's team. — Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) and Congress' only PhD physicist led 112 members of Congress in expressing concern that the Trump administration has directed the National Science Foundation to freeze all grant funding. Their letter is here. — Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) leads a list of House members calling on White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to reverse plans to eliminate the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Their memo is here. THE NATIONAL TAKE — States bear the brunt of House GOP Medicaid plan, by POLITICO's Ben Leonard and Robert King — Democrats are triggered by Biden's return to the spotlight, by POLITICO's Brakkton Booker — Trump is already obsessed with the midterms, by POLITICO's Rachael Bade — David Hogg tried pitching a compromise to the DNC. He was rebuffed, by POLITICO's Holly Otterbein TRANSITIONS — Dr. John J. Whyte has been named CEO of the American Medical Association. Whyte, who is chief medical officer of WebMD, starts July 1, via the AMA. — Eric Zylstra is now senior counsel in Michael Best's Intellectual Property Practice Group. He was senior associate at Squire Patton Boggs. — Andrew Velasquez III is now senior VP of Sierra Public Safety Group in Chicago. He was the former head of the City of Chicago Emergency Management and earlier was regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency. EVENTS — Thursday: Chicago Ald. Nicole Lee and Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita at an Asian American Heritage Month Fundraiser. Details here — Thursday: The founding of the North Lawndale Employment Network will be celebrated along with its Sweet Beginnings jobs program. Details here TRIVIA FRIDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Robert Christie for correctly answering that Gov. Frank Orren Lowden's father in-law was George Pullman, the inventor of the Pullman sleeping car and the founder of a company town in Chicago. TODAY's QUESTION: What Illinois-based company founded by a German immigrant grew nationwide to help Americans in transportation and recreation before it crashed in the 1990s? Email skapos@ HAPPY BIRTHDAY State Rep. Kam Buckner, former head of the United Nations World Food Programme Ertharin Cousin, Clark Hill senior counsel and former Ald. Latasha Thomas, Illinois Senate Dems Deputy Comms Director Adrianna Pitrelli and Yale MBA candidate Emily Harwell -30-
