[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f10b3rz2z388kj":3,"$f3f3aux28qtte8":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":5,"blog_category_id":5,"is_featured":6,"title":18,"slug":19,"content":20,"content_overview":21,"published_at":22,"seo_title":23,"seo_description":24,"image":25,"created_at":26,"updated_at":27,"next":28,"prev":29},"01j6cdm1thwstcawdw2hzprfbd","Aberlour’s response to the child poverty statistics","aberlours-response-to-the-child-poverty-statistics","\u003Cp>Today (Thursday 21st March 2024) the Scottish Government published the latest child poverty statistics. Read Aberlour CEO, SallyAnn Kelly OBE’s, response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The latest poverty statistics show child poverty in Scotland is rising.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To describe child poverty as ‘broadly stable’ when 1 in 4 children are living in poverty is an absolute disgrace and fails to contextualise or understand the day-to-day experiences of families living in poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Broadly stable will mean nothing to those families struggling to feed their children or heat their homes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These figures tell us that despite the Scottish Child Payment the Scottish Government’s efforts to reduce child poverty are failing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there is no comfort from choices made in the most recent \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fnews-item\u002Faberlours-response-to-the-scottish-budget\">Scottish Budget\u003C\u002Fa> which included spending decisions that offer nothing to reduce child poverty in the year ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Scottish Government’s interim targets will now likely not be met, and we are deeply concerned that the statutory child poverty targets for 2030 will also be missed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is clear that the Scottish Government must now make different political choices and these choices need to sit at the forefront of political decision making in Scotland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This means increasing the value of the Scottish Child Payment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This means investment in vital services that support all families across Scotland that need extra help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This means tackling the debt crisis that is trapping so many families in poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This means building enough social housing to ensure safe, secure and affordable homes for all families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by making such choices will we begin to make headway on tackling the scourge of child poverty in Scotland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>SallyAnn Kelly OBE\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Aberlour CEO\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n","\u003Cp>Today (Thursday 21st March 2024) the Scottish Government published the latest child poverty statistics. Read Aberlour CEO, SallyAnn Kelly OBE’s, response. The latest poverty statistics show child poverty in Scotland is rising. To describe child poverty as ‘broadly stable’ when 1 in 4 children are living in poverty is an absolute disgrace and fails to … \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-backend.aberlour.org.uk\u002Faberlours-response-to-the-child-poverty-statistics\u002F\">Continued\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","2024-03-21T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour's response to the child poverty statistics - Aberlour - Web Backend","Read Aberlour CEO, SallyAnn Kelly's response to the latest child poverty statistics published by the Scottish Government.","media\u002FSallyAnn-Final-scaled.jpg","2024-08-28T11:58:31.000000Z","2024-11-25T07:22:18.000000Z",{"id":17,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":5,"is_featured":6,"title":18,"slug":19,"content":20,"content_overview":21,"published_at":22,"seo_title":23,"seo_description":24,"image":25,"created_at":26,"updated_at":27},{"id":30,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":5,"is_featured":6,"title":31,"slug":32,"content":33,"content_overview":34,"published_at":35,"seo_title":36,"seo_description":37,"image":38,"created_at":26,"updated_at":27},"01j6cdm1tpfbzkja16mq6xrmb2","Groundbreaking Anti-poverty Approach sees Debts Reduced for Disadvantaged Families","groundbreaking-anti-poverty-approach-sees-debts-reduced-for-disadvantaged-families","\u003Cp>In a pioneering effort to tackle the profound impacts of poverty on families, Aberlour, Scotland’s leading children’s charity, has unveiled the remarkable success of its innovative anti-poverty initiative. Coinciding with Debt Awareness Week, Aberlour announces the groundbreaking results of its Family Financial Wellbeing Tayside Pilot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Faberlour-family-financial-wellbeing-tayside-pilot-evaluation\">The Aberlour Family Financial Wellbeing Tayside Pilot,\u003C\u002Fa> which was funded with grants from the Robertson Trust, the Corra Foundation, and Aberlour itself, has demonstrated the transformative potential of providing targeted personal financial support to disadvantaged families. Throughout a three-year pilot starting in December 2021, Aberlour has worked closely with families grappling with challenges such as poverty, homelessness and mental health issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Working with three Tayside local authorities, the 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>Testimonials from families supported by the project underscore its impact on their lives: \u003Cem>“We had a Christmas! We would not have been able to afford anything at all this year, which was scary and very upsetting.”\u003C\u002Fem> Another shared, “\u003Cem>It has given us hope; now there is light at the end of the tunnel. I genuinely believe that now. I didn’t before at all.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crucially, families emphasised how the support received through the pilot programme had helped to keep them together, averting the looming threat of separation. One family member explained: \u003Cem>“It has removed a huge burden. We may have had to consider going on the run to stay as a family. I’m serious.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Faberlour-family-financial-wellbeing-tayside-pilot-evaluation\">The Aberlour Family Financial Wellbeing Tayside Pilot\u003C\u002Fa> identified systemic shortcomings in debt collection practices, particularly the lack of coordination among public debt collectors. 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>Highlighting the urgency of addressing this issue, Aberlour’s CEO, SallyAnn Kelly OBE, emphasised,\u003C\u002Fstrong> “We cannot 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.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Aberlour Family Financial Wellbeing Pilot 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> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n","\u003Cp>In a pioneering effort to tackle the profound impacts of poverty on families, Aberlour, Scotland’s leading children’s charity, has unveiled the remarkable success of its innovative anti-poverty initiative. Coinciding with Debt Awareness Week, Aberlour announces the groundbreaking results of its Family Financial Wellbeing Tayside Pilot. The Aberlour Family Financial Wellbeing Tayside Pilot, which was funded … \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-backend.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fgroundbreaking-anti-poverty-approach-sees-debts-reduced-for-disadvantaged-families\u002F\">Continued\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","2024-03-18T00:00:00.000000Z","Groundbreaking Anti-poverty Approach sees Debts Reduced for Disadvantaged Families - Aberlour - Web Backend","In a pioneering effort to tackle the profound impacts of poverty on families, Aberlour, has unveiled the remarkable success of its innovative anti-poverty initiative.","media\u002FCoL-crisis-2.jpg"]