[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f10b3rz2z388kj":3,"$f3p79h3q2c9yke":17},{"id":4,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":8,"slug":9,"content":10,"content_overview":11,"published_at":12,"seo_title":8,"seo_description":13,"image":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16},"01m5fanaffkxrzkrpj1x4keag4","9cdbdd6d-4900-4646-a012-d3e67a5ee788","01j303dmcc6n6900v73fs88bc7",false,"Right to Food Commission supports Aberlour's Call to End School Meal Debt","right-to-food-commission-supports-aberlours-call","\u003Cp>School meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three words that should never be uttered in the same sentence\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Children bearing the burden and stigma of debt should shame any society.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, here in Scotland that is what we saw happening for thousands of children and their families around the country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For many high school children having a negative balance on their parent pay account would mean being unable to access a meal at school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>School meal debt and hidden school hunger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two sides of the same coin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what side that coin lands on it would still show how badly we have failed many of Scotland’s most disadvantaged children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is why at Aberlour we were compelled to do something about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To make sure we stood beside those children and their families and to call for something to change – urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We wanted to make sure we saw an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fabout-us\u002Fpolicy-and-influencing\u002Fpublic-debt\u002Fschool-meal-debt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">end to school meal debt and hidden school hunger for good\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 2023 we urged the then First Minister, Humza Yusaf, to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To bring an end to the shameful practice of children and their families being chased by debt collectors for school meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>School meal debt is a symptom of families not having enough money to provide the very basics for their children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fundamentally, it is about a lack of income.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We welcomed the introduction of a one-off School Meal Debt Fund to write off outstanding debt for one year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we were clear that was not enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our evidence shows that the majority of children with school meal debt are from low-income working families who do not qualify for free school meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, along with writing off the debt for struggling families, we called for the expansion of Free School Meals to all low-income families across Scotland to help prevent school meal debt in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, we welcomed John Swinney’s subsequent commitment to continuing the School Meal Debt Fund for a further year to write off nearly £3 million of school meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Figures show that this benefitted 70,000 children and their families across Scotland over the last two years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A welcome relief for many, but still a limited intervention without a long-term solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our campaign to end school meal debt has continued up to and during the recent Scottish Parliament elections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year we also published evidence that pointed to the extent of school meal debt for children and their families in England.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What our research suggested was that around 1 in 4 children not eligible for free school meals in England had regular or persistent school meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so we called on the UK Government to act and follow Scotland’s lead by taking action to end school meal debt for children across the rest of the UK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This week saw the launch of the independent UK Right to Food Commission report and findings following their work to evidence the scale of food insecurity across the UK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Commission’s report provides a roadmap and clear actions all governments across the UK must take to end food insecurity for all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This includes ending school meal debt for good for all children the length of the country, from Aberdeen to Aberystwyth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Scotland, the SNP made a commitment during the Scottish Parliamentary election campaign to end school meal debt once and for all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That manifesto pledge was then followed by the First Minister announcing that families struggling with school meal debt would continue to be helped by committing the same level of investment again this year to write that debt off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time this will happen alongside the further expansion of Free School Meals in primary schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The urgent measure and a preventative solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is much more the First Minister must do to make real progress on his ambition to “eradicate child poverty”.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this is one example that the rest of the UK can follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Making sure no child ever again is burdened with debt or goes hungry at school would be a quick win for Andy Burnham, to show his commitment to tackling food insecurity by ending school meal debt in every postcode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Martin Canavan\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Head of Policy & Influencing \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>",null,"2026-10-21T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity's Head of Policy & Influencing, Martin Canavan, shares what must be done to end school meal debt and hidden hunger in schools for good. He shares what has been done in Scotland and what must be done in England.","media\u002Fshared image.jpg","2026-10-21T13:33:25.000000Z","2026-10-22T08:11:54.000000Z",{"id":18,"blog_author_id":19,"blog_category_id":20,"is_featured":7,"title":21,"slug":22,"content":23,"content_overview":11,"published_at":24,"seo_title":21,"seo_description":25,"image":26,"created_at":27,"updated_at":28,"next":29,"prev":40},"01jwzwmga7t2t1cst1pa2gh87x","9cdbdd25-1564-45ec-84de-602c5009ebe1","1","Aberlour 150th Afternoon Tea Party","aberlour-150th-afternoon-tea-party","\u003Cp>On Sunday 18th May a lucky few of us returned to our Moray roots to mark Aberlour’s 150th anniversary with an afternoon tea party hosted by our Chair, David Robb, at the Fleming Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guests included former residents coming from as far afield as Cambridgeshire and Kent, as well as local civic leaders, people connected to the orphanage and charity, trustees of the board, senior management and staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the event we launched the new Aberlour 150th anniversary tartan and David Robb, who grew up in Aberlour village, wore the kilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Former resident Ron Aitchison spoke at the tea party about his entire childhood which was spent at the orphanage having arrived as a 10-month-old baby, suffering from pneumonia, alongside his eight brothers and sisters.  Speeches were also delivered by David Robb, Lynne O’Brien and Banffshire Lord Lieutenant Andrew Simpson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack and Rhys from Youthpoint Moray composed and performed a special tune on their bagpipes at the event and Vange spoke about the art created and on display, as part of the creative community, by local children and young people supported by Aberlour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several former residents were recorded speaking about their lasting memories of their time at the orphanage and wishes for the future. Whilst positive about his experience at Aberlour, Ron welcomed the change from placing children in large institutions to housing them in small, family-style homes and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>The young children today have got a much better chance to get going in life.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>He finished by offering an emotional message to those currently in care\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>I would like to encourage the younger people to stick to their guns – and not to give up on their dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Exhibition boards and archive exhibits were displayed for two weeks in the Speyside Museum to give an insight into Aberlour Children’s Charity’s work  ‘Then and Now’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>","2025-05-19T00:00:00.000000Z","On Sunday 18th May a lucky few of us returned to our Moray roots to mark Aberlour’s 150th anniversary with an afternoon tea party hosted by our Chair, David Robb, at the Fleming Hall.\nGuests included former residents coming from as far afield as Cambridge","media\u002FIMG_9126 ex-residents.jpg","2025-06-05T11:11:49.000000Z","2025-06-05T11:13:58.000000Z",{"id":30,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":31,"slug":32,"content":33,"content_overview":11,"published_at":34,"seo_title":35,"seo_description":36,"image":37,"created_at":38,"updated_at":39},"01jxmbezmjc68qwmsqd48d8b7s","Tayside Public Debt Project An Example for the Rest of Scotland to Follow","tayside-public-debt-project-an-example-for-the-rest-of-scotland-to-follow","\u003Cp>Aberlour Children's Charity has today, here in Dundee, told senior Labour politicians that their Tayside pilot into public debt recovery practices offers an example for the rest of Scotland to follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour informed Scottish Labour Finance Spokesperson and North East MSP Michael Marra MSP and Paul O'Kane MSP, Labour spokesperson Social Justice and Social and Equalities about the success of Aberlour's innovative anti-poverty initiative, the Family Financial Wellbeing Pilot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Working with three Tayside local authorities, the Aberlour initiative undertook a series of innovative interventions, including the payment of involuntary public debts such as council taxes or rent arrears, enabling families to afford essential expenses such as food and clothing as well as Christmas gifts and specialised sensory toys for children with disabilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tayside pilot clearly demonstrated that debt to public bodies is a key factor in entrenching and increasing poverty and child poverty, and that new ways of tackling public debt, including debt write off, can help stabilise and reset families whilst at the same time help the public purse make significant savings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This types of savings made by public authorities through new and unique ways of recovering debt, including debt write off, includes removing the cost of re-housing families after evictions and\u002For reducing the risk of children going into care, which could potentially cost councils hundreds of thousands of pounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Faberlour-family-financial-wellbeing-tayside-pilot-evaluation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aberlour Family Financial Wellbeing Tayside Pilot\u003C\u002Fa> identified systemic shortcomings in debt collection practices, particularly the lack of coordination among public debt collectors (75% of the debt owed by the families involved in the Tayside project was public bodies). This often resulted in simultaneous deductions from wages and benefits by multiple public agencies, exacerbating financial hardship for disadvantaged families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Aberlour’s CEO, SallyAnn Kelly OBE, said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>We currently have a system that prioritises debt repayment over ensuring families can feed and clothe their children. The state must serve as a safety net, not a financial trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We need to see comprehensive reform of debt collection practices by public bodies and governments must take proactive measures to address the escalating debt crisis faced by disadvantaged families and help not hinder them as they seek to reset their lives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Aberlour Family Financial Wellbeing Pilot had a clear and demonstrable beneficial impact, and stands as a model that can be implemented nationwide as part of a concerted effort to alleviate the burden of debt on disadvantaged households and help tackle child poverty. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We hope that politicians across all political parties reform and improve the way debt is recovered as well as looking to prevents the reasons why people fall into debt in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Maria's Story\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria*, aged 24, is currently in receipt of Universal Credit for herself and her 4-month-old son, Rory*. Her financial situation is significantly impacted by deductions from her Universal Credit for an advance payment and outstanding court fines. She is also receiving Child Benefit but had not been receiving the Scottish Child Payment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria is on a recovery journey and has been engaging with Aberlour’s support services for approximately six weeks. During this time, historical council tax debts were identified, including a debt amounting to £2,288.63 that originated in another city but continued to follow her. Maria had not previously applied for the 25% single person council tax discount or exemption based on her care-experienced background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through a collaborative effort between Aberlour and Welfare Rights services, Maria received intensive support to maximise her income and apply for all relevant benefits. Welfare Rights workers intervened to reassess her council tax liabilities and successfully argued that, as a care-experienced young person, she was exempt from council tax. As a result, the full debt of £2,288.63 was written off. The increase in her income supported repayment of the advance payment and court fines, there was not need to access the hardship fund.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This joint working enabled Maria to remain engaged with support services and alleviated significant financial stress, giving her the opportunity for a fresh start. The resolution of her debt and the securing of appropriate benefits marked a major milestone in stabilising her financial and emotional well-being as she continues her recovery journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Names changed.\u003C\u002Fp>","2025-06-16T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity's Tayside Public Debt Project An Example for the Rest of Scotland to Follow","Aberlour Children's Charity on Monday 16th June 2025 told senior Labour politicians that their Tayside pilot into public debt recovery practices offers an example for the rest of Scotland to follow.","media\u002FMichael Marra, Paul O'Kane, Sean Duffy, SallyAnn Kelly - Tayside Visit_160625.jpeg","2025-06-13T09:55:45.000000Z","2025-06-16T14:35:29.000000Z",{"id":41,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":20,"is_featured":7,"title":42,"slug":43,"content":44,"content_overview":11,"published_at":45,"seo_title":42,"seo_description":46,"image":47,"created_at":48,"updated_at":48},"01k0vzrxw639xge0c9v4g2zc6x","Blog: 'There is a lot of hope here'","blog-there-is-a-lot-of-hope-here","\u003Cp>Sometimes, it can be the small, everyday things that stop you short, like watching a mum play with her baby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That might seem to many of us the most natural thing but if your parents did not play with you then it is not natural at all. It is a skill to be learned, an achievement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The women in the Mother and Child Recovery Houses are themselves being cared for in ways that many have never experienced and, over time, that helps build a sense of themselves as loving, capable mothers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, we see the women’s heads lifting when they realise they can do this, that they can live the life they want to live and be the mothers they want to be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our houses in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fservice\u002Fmother-and-child-recovery-houses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dundee\u003C\u002Fa>, and now in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fservice\u002Fmother-and-child-recovery-house-falkirk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Falkirk\u003C\u002Fa>, care for up to four women and their children, up to five years but mostly babies, in a structured programme designed to help them recover from problematic use of drugs and alcohol, strengthen their parenting, and keep families together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is not an easy option and women are very clearly told what to expect and what will be expected of them. It is full-on, a lot is asked of them and it is not for everyone. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some despite their best intentions are just not at the right stage in their lives but it is too black and white to talk about success or failure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With new skills and new ways of thinking, we obviously hope the women will recover and care for their children in the long-term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever happens, their baby spent their first six months with a loving mother, who was doing everything she possibly could to be the best parent possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When those babies grow up, they will understand just how hard their mums tried. There is a lot of hope here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Dawn Ward\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cbr>\u003Cstrong>Director of Children and Families  \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This article was written as part of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fassets\u002Fpdf\u002Fwe-are-family-150th-celebration.pdf\">'We are family' special edition supplement with the Sunday Post\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>","2025-05-18T00:00:00.000000Z","In Aberlour Children's Charity's latest blog, Director of Children and Families, Dawn Ward, shares how our Mother and Child Recovery House teams help families to feel hope.","media\u002Fdawn ward web.jpg","2025-07-23T15:52:29.000000Z"]