Walking to end homelessness

There is still time to sign up for Fresh Start's sponsored walk on 24 June.  The walk starts at 10 am at Dean Parish Church, Dean Path and follows the Water of Leith Walkway to Colinton Dell, before returning into town along the canal path.

For further details or to register for the walk contact Tom at reception@freshstartweb.org.uk or Tel: 476 7741.

We can even help you create your own on-line sponsor page for family and friends to support you.

Rettie & Co call off Christmas

Well the sending of Christmas cards anyway! As an alternative, they have decided to dedicate their Christmas card budget to help Fresh Start.

Rettie & Co have taken the view that charity starts at home, a place very close to their hearts. By asking all their clients and staff to donate such things as bedding, cutlery, plates, electrical goods, cleaning products, sheets, mugs – things that people usually hoard at home, until they move and instead of throwing them in the rubbish bin, they are being used for a worthy and relevant cause – the Fresh Start ‘Starter Packs’.

Keith Robertson, Managing Director of Fresh Start said "It is fantastic that Rettie & Co have taken this opportunity to support Fresh Start and demonstrate what Christmas is really about. We are delighted with the support that their staff and customers have shown. The goods that they donated are not luxuries but essentials for example bedding to stay warm at night or a kettle to make a hot drink. Without their support our clients would go without as they don’t have the budget to buy these goods that so many of us take for granted. Given the bad weather we have had our service is needed more than ever as people are spending all they have, just on staying warm."

Tony Perriam, Director at Rettie & Co said ‘Teaming up with Fresh Start was a great fit for our business. We have been able to spread the word via our staff and clients about their fantastic work, giving disadvantaged people across Lothian the new beginning that they need to get settled in their new homes. We have used our vehicle fleet to collect and deliver donations and hope that our efforts will help some people to be able to do simple tasks that we take for granted’.

Inspiring volunteers

Three of Fresh Start's volunteers have been awarded the City of Edinburgh's "Inspiring volunteers Award".

Earlier this year Fresh Start were asked by the Volunteers Centre to nominate volunteers working within North Edinburgh for the "City of Edinburgh Inspiring volunteers Award" and on Friday 4th June, Marjory Liddle (Starter Packs), Jim Douglas (Starter Packs rep + Hit Squads) and Jack Simpson (Starter Packs rep + Hit Squads) were invited to the National Museums of Scotland Collection Centre, where they were presented with their award certificates.

Between the three of them they have given a total of 2,376 hours of volunteer time to Fresh Start. This equates to a person working a 35 hour week for a period of 16 months. However, the real value of their work is not measured in the hours that they donate as volunteers but in the differences that they have helped make in the lives of all the Fresh Start clients who receive Starter Packs and Hit Squads - and this is priceless.

Fresh Start's services depend on the dedication and devotion of all our volunteers, and we can't thank you enough for all your hard work and support.

If you would are interested in becoming involved as a volunteer at Fresh Start, please look at the information on our volunteer pages or contact us using the form provided on the website.