[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f10b3rz2z388kj":3,"$f1f8cocaxyr1kl":16},{"id":4,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":5,"is_featured":6,"title":7,"slug":8,"content":9,"content_overview":10,"published_at":11,"seo_title":7,"seo_description":12,"image":13,"created_at":14,"updated_at":15},"01m5yr36vzgnkxw06xbrd8qvy9","1",false,"We can change Scotland's story on alcohol","we-can-change-scotlands-story-on-alcohol","\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"mso-special-character: footnote;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportFootnotes]-->\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justina Murray, Chief Executive, Aberlour Children’s Charity\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This week we have seen further evidence of Scotland’s toxic relationship with alcohol, with the publication of the latest alcohol-specific death figures.\u003Ca href=\"#_edn1\">[1]\u003C\u002Fa> In 2025, 1,152 people in Scotland died through alcohol.\u003Ca href=\"#_edn2\">[2]\u003C\u002Fa> This may be 3% lower than the previous year, but it remains 13% up on pre-pandemic levels. Alarmingly, death rates for women are rising (3% up).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The human toll of this loss is traumatic for families and communities. So, so many lives lost. And this sits alongside the everyday harms felt by those concerned about their own drinking, and those desperately worried about keeping their loved ones alive. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The story of alcohol in Scotland today is that we have a higher rate of alcohol deaths than England and Wales. We buy more alcohol per adult than England and Wales. Almost 1 in 5 of us drink enough to harm our health and to be classed as hazardous, harmful or dependent drinkers. More of us are diagnosed with chronic liver disease each year. We don’t really think about alcohol being linked to over 200 health conditions or causing 7 different types of cancer. In a country where we routinely hear, “There is no money”, alcohol harm is estimated to cost us up to £10 billion a year.\u003Ca href=\"#_edn3\">[3]\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is little sign of any shift in Scotland’s entrenched ‘Alcohol Everywhere’ culture. Just this week (only a day after the alcohol death figures were released), a hospitality chain in Edinburgh asked for licensing permission for unaccompanied 12-15 year olds to be in their pubs until 8pm, describing these as “family-friendly” and “accessible” environments for young people.\u003Ca href=\"#_edn4\">[4]\u003C\u002Fa> And earlier this month we saw the First Minister raising a glass of whisky on the front cover of the SNP conference handbook, of all of the images which could have been used under the banner ‘Choose Scotland’.\u003Ca href=\"#_edn5\">[5]\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what is the story for the children and families we support? I joined Aberlour last year - our 150th birthday year. Perhaps due to that timing, or certainly encouraged by it, I often reflect on the organisation’s long history and deep legacy, including what might be the same or different now compared to the early days of the Aberlour orphanage. This grew to care for up to 600 children at any one time, all in one place. Nowadays our models of care have radically altered, with our remodelled Sycamore children’s houses providing safe and loving family-sized homes in the community for 3 or 4 children at a time, alongside a broad continuum of services to support babies, children, young people and families facing disadvantage and adversity, from early help to the most intensive support. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite all these changes, that thread of alcohol harm in families - and the havoc this creates in every respect - runs through every chapter of our 150 years. This harm impacts the lives of children and families across every one of our services today, just as it shaped the story for so many children arriving at the original Aberlour orphanage.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we are also working alongside families to change Scotland’s story on alcohol. There is quite rightly a call for better prevention and early support for families, but how we respond in a crisis speaks volumes. We offer a range of specialist services for pregnant and new mums and their babies where there is harm through alcohol and other substances. This includes our residential Mother and Child Recovery Houses, alongside community-based perinatal and intensive perinatal services. The impact of these services is mind-blowing, with 65-70% of mums staying safely with their babies, when previously their children were at extremely high risk of going into care - with all the accompanying human and financial cost of this. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These services provide concrete and costed evidence that with the right approach and investment, we can write a whole new chapter alongside children and families. This support offers a blueprint for whole family recovery, helps us #KeepThePromise (not just say it), delivers effective child protection, and models outcomes-focused Public Service Reform. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s time for a different story on alcohol harm in Scotland, let’s turn the page. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cdiv style=\"mso-element: endnote-list;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportEndnotes]-->\u003Cbr clear=\"all\">\u003Chr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\">\u003C!--[endif]-->\n\u003Cdiv id=\"edn1\" style=\"mso-element: endnote;\">\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Ca style=\"mso-endnote-id: edn1;\" title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref1\" name=\"_edn1\">\u003Cspan style=\"mso-special-character: footnote;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportFootnotes]-->\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">[1]\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C!--[endif]-->\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nrscotland.gov.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Falcohol-specific-deaths-2025\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nrscotland.gov.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Falcohol-specific-deaths-2025\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv id=\"edn2\" style=\"mso-element: endnote;\">\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Ca style=\"mso-endnote-id: edn2;\" title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref2\" name=\"_edn2\">\u003Cspan style=\"mso-special-character: footnote;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportFootnotes]-->\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">[2]\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C!--[endif]-->\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">Note that alcohol-specific deaths only include those specifically caused by alcohol, such as alcoholic liver disease, alcohol poisoning.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv id=\"edn3\" style=\"mso-element: endnote;\">\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Ca style=\"mso-endnote-id: edn3;\" title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref3\" name=\"_edn3\">\u003Cspan style=\"mso-special-character: footnote;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportFootnotes]-->\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">[3]\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C!--[endif]-->\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">You can find lots of useful information and statistics at Alcohol Focus Scotland on Scotland’s relationship with alcohol and alcohol harm, including a great series of monthly blogs by Chief Exec Carolyn Lochhead, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk\u002F\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk\u002F\u003C\u002Fa> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv id=\"edn4\" style=\"mso-element: endnote;\">\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Ca style=\"mso-endnote-id: edn4;\" title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref4\" name=\"_edn4\">\u003Cspan style=\"mso-special-character: footnote;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportFootnotes]-->\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">[4]\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C!--[endif]-->\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002Fcm62yj7nqj77o\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002Fcm62yj7nqj77o\u003C\u002Fa> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv id=\"edn5\" style=\"mso-element: endnote;\">\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Ca style=\"mso-endnote-id: edn5;\" title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref5\" name=\"_edn5\">\u003Cspan style=\"mso-special-character: footnote;\">\u003C!-- [if !supportFootnotes]-->\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">[5]\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C!--[endif]-->\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fs3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com\u002Fwww.snp.org\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F06\u002FSNP-Handbook-26-online-5-public.pdf\">https:\u002F\u002Fs3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com\u002Fwww.snp.org\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F06\u002FSNP-Handbook-26-online-5-public.pdf\u003C\u002Fa> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv style=\"mso-element: endnote-list;\">\n\u003Cdiv id=\"edn5\" style=\"mso-element: endnote;\">\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>",null,"2026-10-29T00:00:00.000000Z","This week we have seen further evidence of Scotland’s toxic relationship with alcohol, with the publication of the latest alcohol-specific death figures.","media\u002F1301_transform.webp","2026-10-27T13:16:48.000000Z","2026-10-30T08:58:49.000000Z",{"id":17,"blog_author_id":18,"blog_category_id":5,"is_featured":6,"title":19,"slug":20,"content":21,"content_overview":10,"published_at":22,"seo_title":23,"seo_description":24,"image":25,"created_at":26,"updated_at":27,"next":28,"prev":38},"01kfawqn3y8t4gc3v1gk8780qq","9cdbdd6d-4900-4646-a012-d3e67a5ee788","Aberlour rushes crisis payments to families on the brink","aberlour-rushes-crisis-payments-to-families-on-the-brink","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Aberlour Children’s Charity promises emergency support is only the start\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lifeline payments being delivered within days will pull some of Scotland's most vulnerable families from the brink of financial crisis, according to a leading charity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour Children’s Charity said frontline teams are already working with families in the city to ensure an extra £550,000 of emergency grants will deliver immediate help and build a foundation for a more secure future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The money is part of a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.scot\u002Fnews\u002F10m-emergency-support-for-families\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">£10million package announced by the Scottish Government  \u003C\u002Fa>to be shared between charities and government agencies providing emergency financial support to ease child poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justina Murray, Chief Executive of Aberlour, said the extra funding for the charity’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fget-help\u002Furgent-assistance-fund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Urgent Assistance Fund\u003C\u002Fa> (UAF) is welcome with the emergency support providing both short-term help and an opportunity to build more stability and security for families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>She said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Our immediate priority is to ensure this money is used most effectively to help families facing financial calamity right now. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These emergency grants will help families unable to pay for absolute essentials, from food and heating to clothes and bedding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This money is a lifeline but remains only short-term relief and, when today’s emergency is averted, our responsibility is to offer practical, life-changing support for those families tomorrow and all the days after that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This extra money awarded by the Scottish Government is welcome, and will undoubtedly protect hundreds of children and their families in the short term, but crisis care is not enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As a country, we must do more to raise our families out of poverty for good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Research last year revealed child poverty is still rising in Scotland’s biggest city where one in four young people - 25,690 young Glaswegians, 26% of the city’s children - are living in families where income is below 40% of the national median.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour said emergency payments to families unable to pay for food and heating surged by a fifth last year, with £378,000 of emergency payments from its Urgent Assistance Fund approved in the year to October 2025, up 17 per cent on the preceding 12 months.   \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since 2021, the charity, delivering frontline care and support for families and children across Scotland, has distributed almost £3m from the fund with the majority of applicants seeking help to buy food, clothing and heating. The average payment was £236 last year and delivered within days of approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Murray, who joined Aberlour, one of Scotland’s most influential charities, last year, said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>These payments are relatively small, a few hundred pounds, but can mean children will not go to bed cold or to school hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Many families are living from pound to pound and a single unexpected bill, for a broken washing machine or bedding damaged by damp, can topple them into crisis.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our teams offer a whole range of practical assistance and emotional support but, at times of absolute need, families require money most urgently.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These crisis payments can literally keep the lights on for families and gives them a chance, with our support, to find a more solid footing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>SNAPSHOTS OF CRISIS: FAMILIES ON THE BRINK\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Applying to Aberlour’s Urgent Assistance Fund, two Glasgow parents, whose names have been changed, reveal the toll of poverty on their children.  \u003C\u002Fem>  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Sandra: ‘My daughter’s shoes are leaking. She’s cold all day’\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>I need help to buy my children shoes as the cold is making them ill. My daughter goes to school in shoes that let in water and make her cold for the rest of the day. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She is picking up every cold and is tired all the time. Her mattress has springs poking through it and some mornings I find her sleeping on the sofa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Her youngest brother is still in nappies but it’s hard to buy the baby things he needs. Even the clothes to keep him warm are beyond me. A warm jacket is what he needs most. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s absolutely freezing and my kids are cold and exhausted. I’m doing everything I can but it’s not enough. It makes me feel ashamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Robert: ‘My son’s bedroom was flooded. The walls are black with mould’\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>The upstairs neighbours flooded our flat and my son’s bedroom is now out of action until we can get it fixed. The hall is damaged too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was already a cold, cold flat. So poorly insulated but the flooding has made it worse. We need new flooring and beds but I don’t have a pound to spare. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We had mould before but it’s everywhere now. I’m always cleaning, wiping it down, but it smells awful and looks worse. My hands are ruined with bleach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hope the kids had a decent Christmas. I tried my best but, to me, it felt pretty grim, just something else to worry about. I was struggling to keep the kids warm never mind get them presents. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The state of the flat, the cold and damp, is bad enough but I’m most scared about what might be coming next? What’s around the corner?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Do you support a family in desperate need? Find out more about \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fget-help\u002Furgent-assistance-fund\">applying to the Urgent Assistance Fund\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This article was written for The Herald and publised on Saturday 17th Janaury 2026.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>","2026-01-19T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity rushes crisis payments to families on the brink","Discover how the Aberlour Urgent Assistance fund is helping families across Scotland who are on the brink of financial crisis to help feed and clothe their children. Recent funding from the Scottish Government will help deliver emergency grants.","media\u002FiStock-504539264.jpg","2026-01-19T10:27:43.000000Z","2026-01-19T10:35:43.000000Z",{"id":29,"blog_author_id":18,"blog_category_id":5,"is_featured":6,"title":30,"slug":31,"content":32,"content_overview":10,"published_at":33,"seo_title":30,"seo_description":34,"image":35,"created_at":36,"updated_at":37},"01kj7zrec5cqtr2s5sv46hy00h","Children must be heard in election campaign","children-must-be-heard-in-election-campaign","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Aberlour Children's Charity urges election candidates to support families on the brink\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice of Scotland’s children must be heard in the looming Holyrood elections, according to a leading charity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour Children’s Charity is urging party leaders and candidates to ensure young people and their families are not drowned out as Scotland goes to the polls in May.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chief executive Justina Murray called on the next Scottish Parliament to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fsupporting-families-ending-child-poverty-scottish-parliament-election-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">show greater commitment to ending child poverty and supporting families on the brink\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>She said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Many voices will be raised during the election, but we would urge candidates to make a particular effort to hear the concerns of children, young people and their families.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Child poverty does not have to be something that our country simply has to tolerate. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our politicians can go further and faster but that will require greater commitment, more financial support for families, and the ambition to ensure they are not only lifted out of poverty but lifted out for good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Murray said every policy intended to support young people and safeguard their futures must be driven by the ambition of \u003Cstrong>“ending child poverty, not merely managing it.” \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>She said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>That demands practical, effective policies to encourage fair work, good housing, educational attainment, and better health.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There is much be done, but if politics is about priorities, there can be no greater priority for the next Scottish Parliament than supporting families and ending child poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour, delivering frontline support for families across Scotland, is calling on the Scottish Government to prioritise ending child poverty, through policies including the strengthening of Scotland’s social security systems and an immediate increase to the Scottish Child Payment to at least £40 per week and rising to £55 by 2031.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The charity, which will invite candidates to a hustings for young people during the campaign, is also urging newly-elected MSPs to overhaul the collection of public debt, such as council tax and rent arrears, which, it warns, is far too harsh on Scotland’s most disadvantaged families, with some debt recovery systems helping keep children in poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murray highlighted additional risks faced by particularly vulnerable families, including those affected by disability, and called for greater financial help, stable support services and an ongoing commitment to on teenagers living with disability when they turn 18.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>She said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>The transition to adulthood can be a fraught time for families affected by disability, when support for young people can fall between the cracks of different agencies and service providers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our politicians must ensure the rights of all our children and young people are better protected, but some families face particular challenges, demanding special attention and specific support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This article was written for The Herald and published on Saturday 21st February 2026.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>","2026-02-23T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity is calling for the voice of Scotland’s children must be heard in the looming Holyrood elections","media\u002FJustina - serious.jpg","2026-02-24T14:09:57.000000Z","2026-02-25T14:09:10.000000Z",{"id":39,"blog_author_id":18,"blog_category_id":40,"is_featured":6,"title":41,"slug":42,"content":43,"content_overview":10,"published_at":44,"seo_title":45,"seo_description":46,"image":35,"created_at":47,"updated_at":47},"01kexz0dppj8kbqf6qg93946br","2","Aberlour's response to the Scottish Budget","aberlours-response-to-the-scottish-budget-2026","\u003Cp>Ahead of the Scottish Budget \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fnews-item\u002Fblog-we-can-beat-child-poverty-but-we-have-no-time-to-waste\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">we urged\u003C\u002Fa> the First Minister and his Government to accelerate efforts to tackle child poverty. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So we welcome many of the new commitments which will help reduce the impact of poverty for some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged children and families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given families with young babies are often at increased risk of poverty, we are pleased to see an increase in the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week for families with a child under 1 year old. However it is disappointing, and a bit baffling, that this vital measure won’t be introduced until 2027\u002F28, and it is still some way off meeting our call to increase the rate to £40 for all ages of children.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However this one change will make a difference to around 12,000 children, helping to reduce child poverty and providing much needed financial support for families at the earliest and most crucial stage of their child’s life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We are also encouraged by the announcement of a £50 million whole family support package, helping parents to get into and stay in work. Creating routes out of poverty for good for families must be our ultimate goal, so any investment to support parents into secure, meaningful fair work is welcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Food insecurity is a symptom of poverty, and too often children arrive at school hungry and unable to learn. The announcement of universal free breakfast clubs for all primary school children will help tackle this hidden school hunger, and support children to be ready to learn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We know our drugs deaths crisis is far from over, and we need greater efforts to reduce drugs harm for women and their children. So we welcome the commitment to protect funding to deliver the Scottish Government’s Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan, and to intensify preventative spend across services, including for families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, the measures announced in the Scottish Budget will make some progress in tackling child poverty and supporting children and families who experience the most significant disadvantage. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Scottish Government’s upcoming Child Poverty Plan should provide more detail on how these commitments will be taken forward. However, there is still so much more that must be done, and the current pace does not reflect the urgency of the situation for families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We must increase the incomes of more families over the next Scottish Parliament through equalizing the value of the Scottish Child Payment for all low income families. We need more targeted investment and action to support children and familied in disabled households, as well as single parent families, who are at higher risk of poverty and disadvantage. We need clear action to tackle the public debt crisis that continues to trap families in poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We asked that the First Minister used this Scottish Budget go further and faster to tackle child poverty. This is a step in the right direction, but there is so much more to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Justina Murray\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Aberlour CEO\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>","2026-01-14T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour's response to the Scottish Budget 2026","Read Aberlour CEO, Justina Murray's response to the Scottish Government Budget announced on Tuesday 13th January 2026.","2026-01-14T09:57:20.000000Z"]