[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f10b3rz2z388kj":3,"$f1xs3cfpyiho0k":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\u002Fmartin canavan 3.jpg","2026-10-21T13:33:25.000000Z","2026-10-21T15:24:48.000000Z",{"id":18,"blog_author_id":19,"blog_category_id":19,"is_featured":7,"title":20,"slug":21,"content":22,"content_overview":23,"published_at":24,"seo_title":25,"seo_description":26,"image":27,"created_at":28,"updated_at":29,"next":30,"prev":31},"01j6cdm1v5k9c29swdyx3fwzn2","1","Aberlour Foster Carer raises over £4,200 for families in desperate need","aberlour-foster-carer-raises-over-4200-for-families-in-desperate-need","\u003Cp>Aberlour foster carer Sarah Byrom launched her new book \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fnews-item\u002Flocal-foster-carer-launches-new-book-in-aid-of-aberlour-childrens-charity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">‘Marmalade Raspberries & Albrecht – a Poetry Prose Memoir,\u003C\u002Fa>’ in the summer of 2023. Sales of the book, which is a celebration of the importance families and the ‘often bonkerness of daily, family life,’ has raised over £4,200 for Scottish families trapped in poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The local author values family life and two years ago became a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fhelp-us\u002Ffostering\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">foster carer with Aberlour Children’s Charity\u003C\u002Fa>. Recognising the importance of Aberlour’s work to support struggling families through its Urgent Assistance Fund, Sarah has covered all costs of publishing her book herself and has donated every penny from the book and cards sale to the emergency relief fund.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Sarah Byrom, author and Aberlour foster carer said:\u003C\u002Fstrong> “It has been a joy to finally release ‘Marmalade Raspberries & Albrecht – a Poetry Prose Memoir’ and see it in print after working on it for 14 years. But it has been even more fulfilling to know that the money raised through its sale is helping families struggling across the country to buy the basic essentials their children desperately need.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour works across Scotland providing a range of services including family support and fostering. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fget-help\u002Furgent-assistance-fund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aberlour’s Urgent Assistance Fund\u003C\u002Fa> has been a lifeline for many desperate families during the pandemic and the current cost-of-living crisis, giving emergency cash grants to pay for food, utilities, clothing, nappies and other basics. Since April 2021 thousands of families including over 12,000 children have benefited from grants from the Aberlour Urgent Assistance Fund worth over £2 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Abby Parkhouse, Community Fundraiser at Aberlour said:\u003C\u002Fstrong> “We are thrilled that Sarah has been able to raise over £4,200 through the sale of her book for the Aberlour Urgent Assistance Fund. Right now, 1 in 4 children are living in poverty in Scotland. Across the country children are going without the basics – things most of us take granted – and the need has never been greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sarah has been able to help many local families buy food, clothe their children and keep the heating on this winter. We are so grateful to Sarah and without supporters like her we wouldn’t be there for the families who need us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Maggie*, a mum supported by the Aberlour Urgent Assistance Fund said:\u003C\u002Fstrong> “Being awarded a grant from Aberlour got me back on track. I was able to buy food for me and my girls and pay my gas and electricity bill so I could keep my home warm for them. All it took was that little bit of help and it affected everything. It improved my mood; it helped me financially and it helped my relationships with my kids. It was more than just money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Marmalade Raspberries & Albrecht – a Poetry Prose Memoir’ was launched in Sarah’s childhood home’s garden, an important place in both her and her family’s life, and then at Carberry Tower in June 2023.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Name changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n","\u003Cp>Aberlour foster carer Sarah Byrom launched her new book ‘Marmalade Raspberries & Albrecht – a Poetry Prose Memoir,’ in the summer of 2023. Sales of the book, which is a celebration of the importance families and the ‘often bonkerness of daily, family life,’ has raised over £4,200 for Scottish families trapped in poverty. The local … \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-backend.aberlour.org.uk\u002Faberlour-foster-carer-raises-over-4200-for-families-in-desperate-need\u002F\">Continued\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","2024-01-16T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Foster Carer raises over £4,200 for families in desperate need - Aberlour - Web Backend","Aberlour Foster Carer raises over £4,200 for families in desperate need through the sale of their own book.","media\u002FAuthor-Sarah-Byrom-with-launch-book-table-min-e1708965350497.jpg","2024-08-28T11:58:31.000000Z","2024-11-25T07:22:18.000000Z",{"id":18,"blog_author_id":19,"blog_category_id":19,"is_featured":7,"title":20,"slug":21,"content":22,"content_overview":23,"published_at":24,"seo_title":25,"seo_description":26,"image":27,"created_at":28,"updated_at":29},{"id":32,"blog_author_id":19,"blog_category_id":19,"is_featured":7,"title":33,"slug":34,"content":35,"content_overview":36,"published_at":37,"seo_title":38,"seo_description":39,"image":40,"created_at":28,"updated_at":29},"01j6cdm1v9h2gt59jvbahh9vws","Aberlour’s response to the Scottish budget","aberlours-response-to-the-scottish-budget","\u003Cp>Today, Tuesday 19\u003Csup>th\u003C\u002Fsup> December 2023, the Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robinson announced the Scottish Government’s budget for the next financial year in Parliament. Read Aberlour CEO, SallyAnn Kelly OBE’s, response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“During his campaign to become First Minister earlier this year Humza Yousaf committed to increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £30 per week.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is very disappointing not to see that commitment realised in today’s Scottish Budget.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The cost of living crisis continues to hit the poorest the hardest and rising energy bills and food prices will only make things even harder for struggling families in the coming months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Increasing the value of the Scottish Child Payment only in line with inflation will not provide families with enough to mitigate ever more financial strain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Failure to respond to the calls of more than \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fend-child-poverty-letter-to-first-minister-ahead-of-autumn-budget-announcement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">150 organisations and campaigners\u003C\u002Fa> to raise the Scottish Child Payment to £30 per week is a missed opportunity to keep Scotland on track to meet our child poverty targets and to lift more children and families out of poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We welcome the commitments to end school meal debt for this year – an issue Aberlour has long campaigned on – and to extending free school meal eligibility to all primary school children whose families receive the Scottish Child Payment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“However, ending school meal debt for good will require a commitment that goes beyond a “one-off” fund, as well as increasing income thresholds for free school meal eligibility to benefit all low income families in Scotland and prevent school meal debt from occurring altogether.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nonetheless, we know the best way to prevent families experiencing debt is to make sure they have enough money to provide for themselves in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Therefore, we continue to urge the First Minister to live up to his commitment to tackle child poverty and put more money in families’ pockets by increasing the Scottish Child Payment even further at the earliest opportunity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>SallyAnn Kelly OBE\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Aberlour CEO\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","\u003Cp>Today, Tuesday 19th December 2023, the Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robinson announced the Scottish Government’s budget for the next financial year in Parliament. Read Aberlour CEO, SallyAnn Kelly OBE’s, response. “During his campaign to become First Minister earlier this year Humza Yousaf committed to increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £30 per week. “It is … \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-backend.aberlour.org.uk\u002Faberlours-response-to-the-scottish-budget\u002F\">Continued\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","2023-12-19T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour’s response to the Scottish budget - Aberlour - Web Backend","Read Aberlour's response, from CEO SallyAnn Kelly, to the latest Scottish Government's Budget announcement.","media\u002FSallyAnn-Final-scaled.jpg"]