[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f10b3rz2z388kj":3,"$f1mij6w3nkafqu":16},{"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":15},"01m45vtvk0pdb1y7c1cqv76edp","9cdbdd6d-4900-4646-a012-d3e67a5ee788","1",false,"Panic and Promises Won't End Child Poverty","panic-and-promises-wont-end-child-poverty","\u003Cp>We live in a world that seems to spin faster every day, where all the dials are turned to 11 all the time.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The headlines crash from one calamity to another as our political leaders rush to promise emergency action while their opponents demand even more urgency. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is noisy, tiring and a few hours later, when the news cycle spins to another red alert, the last one, whatever it was, is most often forgotten. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For years now, child poverty in Scotland has been routinely described as a national emergency demanding emergency action. It is and it does but, with more than one in five children still growing up in poverty in Scotland today, is it time to ask if the language of emergency and crisis is helping?  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it only encourages more haste but less speed, a birling carousel of taskforces and committees, policy papers and special reports, but too little measured and impactful action? Are we even checking if the blizzard of promises and commitments is being delivered before starting the snow machine again? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if the endless planning and process is actually slowing us down? What if somehow all the talk is delaying implementation of practical, tested, and effective measures to improve the lives and secure the life chances of the 210,000 children growing up poor in one of the wealthiest countries in the world? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because we already know what works. We have known for years.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there are no magic bullets, no simple solutions to the complex social issues that have blighted our poorest communities for decades. Child poverty, like Scotland’s drugs crisis, another national emergency, is embedded in longstanding economic trends that have stripped far too many of our neighbourhoods of jobs and hope. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those trends will not be reversed overnight but, in the meantime, we should not let perfect be the enemy of good. As Challenge Poverty Week begins today, the biggest challenge is to see the wood not the trees, to recognise and appreciate what is already working and build on it. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are things that we know ease the impact of poverty on young lives; that have been trialled, tested and measured; that inch their families from peril to safety; that give them new strength, confidence and a path to a more secure future. So why not have more of them? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These are services that our charity and others are delivering every day, hand in glove with our partners in social work, health care and education. These are services delivering real, measurable success, making children safer, healthier and happier today and improving their chances tomorrow. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intensive family support, for example. The clue is in the name. It is the opposite of easy. Any family’s journey back from the very edge of crisis is one of hard yards and no shortcuts. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our teams arrive to work, shoulder to shoulder, with families on the point of collapse, with children often on the edge of care. Ensuring those babies and young people are safe is always the priority but, after that, keeping them with their families is the driving force because that, all research suggests, is the best way to stabilise childhoods and secure futures. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intensive family support means doing whatever it takes to keep children safe and families together. It can rebuild broken relationships; improve parents’ confidence in themselves; create new connections in communities; and help build firmer financial foundations with advice on welfare rights, maximising incomes and problem debt. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any investment in intensive family support and other specialist services, for pregnant women and new mums, for example, is more than returned in thriving families, stronger communities and money saved. Resource is better spent on intensive support keeping families safely together, than managing their separation through a lifetime of crisis-led state intervention.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our two Mother and Child Recovery Houses, in Falkirk and Dundee, for example, offer recovery spaces for pregnant and new mums with a history of substance use, allowing them to recover while staying safely with their babies. This helps keep families together and children at home, improves their futures and saves millions of pounds in avoided care costs. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is true child protection and the big question is not whether we can afford to roll out these services across Scotland but if we can afford not to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Justina Murray \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cbr>\u003Cstrong>Chief executive of Aberlour Children’s Charity \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This article was written for the Daily Record and published on Monday 5th October 2026.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>",null,"2026-10-05T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity CEO, Justina Murray, explains what must be done to end child poverty in Scotland. We know what works and we've known for years. ","media\u002FRS873_0E5A9135.jpg","2026-10-05T11:05:26.000000Z",{"id":17,"blog_author_id":6,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"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},"01j6cdm3jd4d6cnvqq13kq2hf3","Blog: Aberlour’s 2023 Budget Calls","blog-aberlours-2023-budget-calls","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>There are few things that seem as unjust as children being burdened with debt.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that is what is happening to children whose families can’t afford the cost of school meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is why we are calling on Humza Yousaf to use next week’s Scottish budget to cancel school meal debt for all children across Scotland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fpublic-debt-publications\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published research last year\u003C\u002Fa> showing around 25,000 children and their families owed more than £1m in school meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This year \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fnews-item\u002Faberlour-and-the-scottish-sun-launch-sort-the-school-debt-campaign\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">follow up research\u003C\u002Fa> showed that in the last twelve months the number of children with a school meal debt has risen to 30,000.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the value of that total debt has now increased by 60% to nearly £1.8m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is despite the fact that half of Scotland’s councils have taken action in the last year – in response to Aberlour’s campaigning – to write off school meal debt in their own areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nonetheless school meal debt keeps growing and more and more hard-working, low income families are struggling to feed their children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Children from our poorest communities already face additional barriers to education and to achieving at school as a result of poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Aberlour, we know from working with schools around the country that increasing numbers of children arrive at school without having eaten breakfast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Children can’t be ready to learn if they are hungry.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We should at least be able to guarantee that children are fed when they are at school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for far too many children we know this isn’t happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For children in primary 6 and 7 who don’t receive a free school meal they will still get lunch at school, even if they have no money in their account or no packed lunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But their family get charged for it and they build up a debt they then can’t afford.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Families we work with at Aberlour say the anxiety of having school meal debt adds to the already huge financial pressure they are under.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In some cases, local authorities are using sheriff’s officers to chase families for school meal debt – for as little as £10.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For older children in high school we know that they feel ashamed and embarrassed to tell a teacher or member of school staff they have no money to buy lunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, to avoid the shame and stigma many of them just go hungry instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>We hear about young people looking out for each other, and those that have lunch money clubbing together to buy enough food for their friends who don’t have any.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it shouldn’t be young people’s job to look out for each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It should be our politicians’ job to do that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It should be the First Minister’s job to do that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last week MSPs voted unanimously to protect children’s rights through incorporating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That includes children’s right to food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>School meal debt and hidden school hunger show us that right is simply not being met for children in Scotland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Humza Yousaf must now make sure children’s right to food is realised, not just because it is the right thing to do but because the law says he must.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a member of the \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\">End Child Poverty coalition\u003C\u002Fa> Aberlour has called on the Scottish Government to do much more to tackle child poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This includes putting more money in low income families’ pockets by increasing the value of the Scottish Child Payment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We know the best way to prevent families getting into debt is to make sure they have enough money to provide for themselves in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we need to make sure that any increased income families receive doesn’t just go back to councils or debt collectors to pay school meal debts, when they still can’t afford to feed their children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>School meal debt must be written off and we must prevent school meal debt for struggling working families by extending free school meals to all low income families.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then families can use any extra money from the Scottish Child Payment for what is intended to do – increase their income and help them afford the day-to-day essentials they need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>School meal debt and hidden school hunger should shame us as a country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humza Yousaf must act now to make Scotland a country where no child goes hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Martin Canavan\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Head of Policy and Participation\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","\u003Cp>There are few things that seem as unjust as children being burdened with debt. But that is what is happening to children whose families can’t afford the cost of school meals. That is why we are calling on Humza Yousaf to use next week’s Scottish budget to cancel school meal debt for all children across … \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-backend.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fblog-aberlours-2023-budget-calls\u002F\">Continued\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","2023-12-15T00:00:00.000000Z","Blog: Aberlour's 2023 Budget Calls - Aberlour - Web Backend","Aberlour Children's Charity is calling on the First Minister to cancel school meal debt for all and extend free schools meals in the budget.","media\u002Fmartin-canavan-3-min-scaled.jpg","2024-08-28T11:58:33.000000Z","2024-11-25T07:22:18.000000Z",{"id":17,"blog_author_id":6,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"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":6,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"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},"01j6cdm3jjwcf5y7yrs3m0vs33","AbJam 2023: Creating Your Future","abjam-2023-creating-your-future","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>“New dawns”, “new experiences”, “thinking about the future.”\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were the phrases used to describe this year’s theme at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fabout-us\u002Fabjam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AbJam\u003C\u002Fa> 2023: “New Horizons”. This year, with over 40 young people in attendance, it was a fantastic success! Each year, our young people work hard to organise AbJam and plan a weekend where they can get together, have fun and make new memories whilst developing skills and meeting friends. The weekend featured a variety of workshops and activities all imagined, delivered and chosen by the AbJam Young Planners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weekend kicked off with a game of human bingo, a quiz, and the first of the much-loved football tournaments. Other activities featured throughout the weekend included a ‘Mystic Tales’ story writing workshop, a scrapheap eco-challenge, the AbJam traybake off and lots of outdoor activities like the big swing, archery and Jacob’s ladder. There was also the much-anticipated annual event ‘Aberlour’s Got Talent’ where the young people got to showcase their skills and talents. It was great to see such a supportive environment where everyone felt confident and truly excelled!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weekend concluded with a workshop on ‘Environment, Health and Climate’ and a prize giving for achievements over the weekend, including young people’s participation. There was time for a reflection on their experiences over the weekend to capture what went well and what can be improved upon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One young person loved: \u003Cstrong>“getting to see everyone, new folk and old as well.” \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another young person said: \u003Cstrong>“I loved every single minute of the weekend especially Mackenzie doing the worm at Aberlour’s Got Talent, I even enjoyed taking photos of the weekend with my Canon camera.”\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weekend was described as \u003Cstrong>“interesting and enjoyable”\u003C\u002Fstrong> by one of the attendees, and a good quote to summarise \u003Cstrong>“it was fun, and I would love to come back next year, the food was decent, and the activities were great.”\u003C\u002Fstrong> In terms of improvement, one young person felt an \u003Cstrong>“inspirational key speaker would be good”\u003C\u002Fstrong> and another would like \u003Cstrong>“better workshops e.g., dance, beauty, art for girls”\u003C\u002Fstrong>, these provide great ideas and feedback for planning AbJam 2024.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>AbJam continues to help build a sense of community among Aberlour young people and teams by bringing them together through activity, singing, enjoyment, conversation, and the sharing of experiences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We already can’t wait for AbJam 2024!\u003C\u002Fp>\n","\u003Cp>“New dawns”, “new experiences”, “thinking about the future.” These were the phrases used to describe this year’s theme at AbJam 2023: “New Horizons”. This year, with over 40 young people in attendance, it was a fantastic success! Each year, our young people work hard to organise AbJam and plan a weekend where they can get … \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-backend.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fabjam-2023-creating-your-future\u002F\">Continued\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","2023-12-13T00:00:00.000000Z","AbJam 2023: Creating Your Future - Aberlour - Web Backend","Discover what our young people loved about Aberlour Children's Charity's Youth Conference: AbJam 2023 .","media\u002FMicrosoftTeams-image-19.png"]