Celebrities across Scotland are pledging their support for our Runaways Campaign. Here's what they have to say:
Annie Lennox (Aberdeen)
“To me, a home should be a haven. A refuge. A place where you can feel completely comfortable and at ease. Home sweet home means a place that is uniquely special to you and the people you share your life with.
“This campaign highlights the worrying problem of young runaways in Scotland and with our support, Aberlour Child Care Trust can continue to help these youngsters who may be exposed to danger during life on the streets.
“My grandparents lived a few miles beyond the village of Aberlour and I have very special childhood memories of spending time there. Knowing that a happy childhood isn’t an experience that we all share, it’s vital that we recognise this issue and give others the chance to live in a home where they feel totally loved, safe and secure.”
Lee McConnell (Glasgow)
“The home and family are a vital part of childhood. Home sweet home to me means love, family, comfort, warmth, safety, support. These are things that come to mind for what I got during my childhood. My home environment is what has allowed me to go on to live my dreams of becoming an athlete.”
Lorraine Kelly (Dundee)
“I travel a lot for work, but for me home will always be Dundee. It’s where I feel most at home with so many family and friends around me. Knowing that thousands of Scottish youngsters obviously don’t have a strong support network that they see no option to escape their problems other than to run away is extremely sad.
“Aberlour Childcare Trust does a fantastic job supporting Scotland’s runaway children. Aberlour runs the only refuge in the country providing advice and shelter to young runaways. It desperately needs more funding to ensure it can continue to help such vulnerable youngsters for years to come.
“If you can, please support the Home Sweet Home campaign, and help make a difference to those young vulnerable people who really need it.”
Michelle Mone (Glasgow)
Michelle Mone, 36, Scotland’s leading female entrepreneur and creator of Ultimo lingerie, commented:
“I know how much it means to have a safe home and a family who supports you, so I am delighted to give my support to the Aberlour Child Care Trust. The Aberlour refuge provides a home, in every sense of the word, for kids who are vulnerable throughout Scotland. I would encourage everyone to make a donation to this charity, however small, to ensure it can continue its fantastic work.”
John Loughton (Edinburgh)
"Often running away isn't something children want to do, but sadly, they see no other option. A home should be a source of stability, comfort, support and love but the shocking statistic that 9000 children run away from home every year in Scotland shows this isn't a reality for everyone.
"I fully support Aberlour in their efforts to help Scotland's vulnerable children. The charity goes a long way to making sure that youngsters who run from home are kept safe by providing the only refuge for runaways in Scotland. However, more needs to be done to highlight the daily realities and danger that faces young runaways. It's a sad reality, but without vital funding to support the refuge, its future could be under threat."
Carol Smillie (Glasgow)
“Home should be a place where you can be yourself, not have to worry and, perhaps most importantly, be happy. The alarming statistics about young runaways are proof that this isn’t always the case for many children across Scotland.
“Having a young family of my own, I find it disturbing that to think that children of similar ages run away from home because they see no other option. Fortunately, I’ve been able to offer my children a safe and secure home but thousands of youngsters aren’t as lucky.
“Aberlour is doing a fantastic job to raise the profile of the extent of the problem and support young runaways.”
Sam Torrance
"As a father of three, I find it so disheartening to hear about the thousands of children across Scotland that runaway from home every year. Home should be somewhere safe, not somewhere to flee from. I support Aberlour’s Home Sweet Home campaign because, by running the only refuge in Scotland for runaway children, the charity offers advice and support that can make a real difference to the lives of these troubled and frightened youngsters. It’s a crucial service which really needs our help.
“I know Aberlour has had previous support from Scotland's golf community but I hope that the charity committees of golf clubs across Scotland will seriously consider helping this worthwhile campaign and give generously."
Katherine Grainger:
"For me home is the first place I want to come to whether life is great or awful. It’s a sanctuary - a place of peace, safety, laughter and love. Sadly this is not the case for so many young Scottish runaways.
"I genuinely believe a huge part of how my life is now is thanks to my home life when I was growing up. I have the most wonderful loving parents have always given me enthusiastic support and encouragement to follow my heart. That grounding gave me confidence to go out and dare to live out my dreams.
"Its awful that so many Scottish children don’t get the same start in life. Opportunities can be more difficult without the sort of love, guidance and grounding that I had. That’s why Aberlour Child Care Trust is such a fantastic charity. It gives children the potential of a better future, something that every single child is entitled to.
"Aberlour offers a much needed place of refuge for Scottish children who are vulnerable or disadvantaged. I wholeheartedly support the work Aberlour does and hope that through its work, Scottish children can look forward to many wonderful opportunities."
Duncan Bannatyne OBE, respected businessman and CEO of Bannatyne's Health Clubs, said:
“To me Home Sweet Home means a place where you feel loved and safe. Sadly, this isn’t a reality for more than 9000 children across Scotland who runaway every year. That’s why Aberlour Childcare Trust’s Runaways campaign is a vital step towards helping some of our country's neediest children experience stability, security, and trust.
“Having a family of my own, I strongly believe that every child has the right to live in a safe and secure home. By raising funds for Scotland’s only refuge for runaway children, we can work towards keeping the crucial service open. We need to understand why young people choose to flee home and be able to provide them with the advice and support they really need. Aberlour’s refuge does this.”