[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f10b3rz2z388kj":3,"$f2i1o16ekt2dfl":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":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":19,"slug":20,"content":21,"content_overview":11,"published_at":22,"seo_title":23,"seo_description":24,"image":25,"created_at":26,"updated_at":27,"next":28,"prev":38},"01k6z46ywd424gx6cjj61k0hjh","New Research Confirms Issue of School Meal Debt in England","new-research-confirms-issue-of-school-meal-debt-in-england","\u003Cp>New research from Aberlour Children's Charity has confirmed that school meal debt is an issue for many children and families across schools in England. As a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fschool-meal-debt-in-england\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">result of this research\u003C\u002Fa>, the influential charity is calling on the UK Government to recognise school meal debt as an indication of financial hardship for families and include clear actions in the upcoming child poverty strategy to end school meal debt and hidden school hunger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The research conducted across three council areas asked schools about the number of pupils and families in debt, the value of debt, school debt recovery practices, support for families and critically if children were still able to eat at school if in debt. Many schools and councils reported that they did not know the level of debt and how many children and families were impacted. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of those schools who did reply and provided information, showing how many children and their families were in debt, the research found that 23.1% of pupils from these schools, minus those eligible for free school meals, were in debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most schools were supportive of families, but many schools made pupils bring in packed lunches if in debt, which, alongside so-called cashless pre-paid payment systems, raises concerns about the potential for hidden hunger in schools. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tiny number of schools also reported that they were also prepared to take punitive measures to recover debt, including using debt collection agencies.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many schools simply did not know about debt and\u002For did not collect the information, with many stating that it was the responsibility of the third party catering provider to do so, which raises concerns that debt is much more widespread than some schools reported in this research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The total value of debt, based on figures provided by 47 schools, was £66,000. An average of £1400 per school. If this average was replicated across England the total debt across state schools in England would be £28 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour have made a series of recommendations to the UK Government, including the creation of a fund, just like the one recently introduced in Scotland, that schools can draw upon to underwrite school meal debt.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Chief Executive of Aberlour Children's Charity, SallyAnn Kelly OBE said:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>This research builds on the work we have done in Scotland in relation to school meal debt. In establishing, just as we did in Scotland, that school meal debt is an issue in England we believe necessitates action by the UK Government to support pupils, families and schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"School meal debt places pressure on children and families, which ultimately has the very real potential to impact their well-being and life chances. In conducting this research we have found that too many schools and councils simply do not know about school meal debt or the effect it is having.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The research also found that there is no overarching set of guidelines available to schools to help how they support children and families who find themselves in debt and how debt is recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At Aberlour we believe that no child should be punished for finding themselves in debt and because of the economic circumstances of their parents.  They should always be fed when at school and we must always, as a society, ensure our children are properly fed to help children get the best possible chance to successfully pursue their education.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We hope that the government pays close attention to this research, includes clear actions in the upcoming child poverty strategy to end school meal debt and hidden school hunger and introduces all the recommendations we have made that would help all those children and their families currently struggling with school meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fschool-meal-debt-in-england\">Read the research. \u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>","2025-10-07T00:00:00.000000Z","New Research from Aberlour Children's Charity Confirms Issue of School Meal Debt in England","Latest research from Aberlour Children's Charity into the public debt crisis confirms that 1 in 4 children in England, not in receipt of free school meals, has school meal debt. The Uk Government must do more to tackle the crisis and tackle child poverty.","media\u002FiStock-1454162141.jpg","2025-10-07T10:41:57.000000Z","2025-10-07T11:58:00.000000Z",{"id":29,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":30,"slug":31,"content":32,"content_overview":11,"published_at":33,"seo_title":30,"seo_description":34,"image":35,"created_at":36,"updated_at":37},"01k97m0e27148330fcfb9km7sq","Blog: When families Talk Money, what are they telling us?","blog-when-families-talk-money-what-are-they-telling-us","\u003Cp>At Aberlour Children’s Charity, our work is centred on amplifying and elevating the voices of families we work with across Scotland. This \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmaps.org.uk\u002Fen\u002Four-work\u002Ftalk-money-week\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cstrong>Talk Money Week\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa>, we are proud to share what we have heard: \u003Cstrong>families want to #StartTheConversation about money with policy and decision makers\u003C\u002Fstrong>. They want to be heard and their day-to-day experiences to be understood. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the key issues we’re focusing on is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fabout-us\u002Fpolicy-and-influencing\u002Fpublic-debt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">public debt\u003C\u002Fa> (such as council tax, rent arrears or even school meal debt) because it is having a significant impact on the families we support. Nearly\u003Cstrong> 1 in 6 families who apply to our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fget-help\u002Furgent-assistance-fund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Urgent Assistance Fund\u003C\u002Fa> require help with unsustainable public debt.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Research conducted in partnership with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fnew-report-universal-credit-deductions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Heriot-Watt University \u003C\u002Fa>and the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fhouseholds-with-a-disability-and-lone-parent-families-and-the-impact-of-public-debt-and-arrears\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">University of Glasgow\u003C\u002Fa> by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gla.ac.uk\u002Fschools\u002Fsocialpolitical\u002Fstaff\u002Fmoragtreanor\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Professor Morag Treanor\u003C\u002Fa> has shown that public debt is contributing to child poverty. That’s why we’re committed to understanding and addressing this issue, both through direct support and through policy change. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across Scotland, Aberlour supports families at home and in the community-- providing practical, emotional and financial support to children, young people, parents and carers. In addition to this, our Urgent Assistance Fund offers direct cash grants for life essentials, like clothing, food, and utilities, when families are experiencing a financial crisis. Through our work, not only do we aim to meet families’ immediate needs but also create safe spaces for them to share their experiences and shape the support they receive. We know that families are experts in their own lives. That’s why we are putting families’ voices and experiences at the heart of our work to call for a change to how Scotland does public debt collection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>So, when families talk to us about money, what are they telling us? \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’ve been welcomed into homes, chatted over the phone, shared tea and biscuits, and cuddled babies while exploring how public debt affects children’s lives. Families have told us about the challenges they face - like managing public debt after leaving abusive relationships, where debt recovery actions continue after separation. One mum shared how most of her income goes toward avoiding debt, leaving little for her children to enjoy the simple joys of childhood. Another mum asked that “the woman’s side of the financial effects [of abuse]” be fully heard and considered. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others have spoken about the strain of homelessness and how celebrations like Christmas feel out of reach. They told us how much it means when Aberlour staff listen to their circumstances and can give direct financial help via the Urgent Assistance Fund.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Families raising children with disabilities described the constant financial pressure - from petrol for accessible transport to specialist clothing and food. One parent said it feels like “looking for a real-life unicorn.” Another shared how their child turning 18 drastically reduced their income, leaving them wondering, “how are we going to live day to day?” \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’ve also heard from young people leaving care, families moving into new tenancies, and parents in recovery for substance use. Both families and staff have spoken about how money - or the lack of it - can shape stability, safety, and a sense of hope. One parent told us she was persevering under difficult circumstances in the hope of a “fresh start that would be best for my child.”  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These stories remind us that empowering families to share their voices and experiences sits at the heart of this work, and that is essential to how we change systems and processes that too often act as a barrier to tackling child poverty in Scotland. When families are invited to share their realities and ideas, we gain insight that no policy paper can offer. By starting the conversation and keeping it going, we can work together to build a Scotland where every child has the chance to thrive. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each family we explore this with tells us that their complex circumstances don’t always fit neatly within existing procedures - and that’s where the conversation needs to begin.  When families talk to us about money, they tell us they want change. They tell us they want their voices and views to be heard and understood by those that can make change happen. When parents talk to us about money, they tell us they want better for their children. That’s why we’re proud to be working in partnership with local authorities - like those involved in our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Faberlour-family-financial-wellbeing-tayside-pilot-evaluation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tayside Challenging Public Debt Service\u003C\u002Fa> - to break down siloed ways of working and build more joined-up, responsive and compassionate systems.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Together, we’re exploring flexible approaches to complex household situations and creating systems that feel welcoming, responsive, and supportive. This kind of approach is not simply good practice; it’s an investment to provide early help and prevent crises before they hit, helping families to thrive. This collaboration shows what’s possible when we start the conversation and keep listening. \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Robyn Moffat-Wall, Senior Policy Lead, & Alissa De Luca-Ruane, Policy & Participation Officer.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>","2025-11-04T00:00:00.000000Z","In Aberlour Children's Charity's latest blog to mark Talk Money Week, Robyn Moffat-Wall, Aberlour Senior Policy Lead, shares how Aberlour is amplifying our families voices to tackle the public debt crisis in Scotland to help tackle child poverty.","media\u002FiStock-504539264.jpg","2025-11-04T14:23:20.000000Z","2025-11-04T15:47:52.000000Z",{"id":39,"blog_author_id":40,"blog_category_id":41,"is_featured":7,"title":42,"slug":43,"content":44,"content_overview":11,"published_at":45,"seo_title":46,"seo_description":47,"image":48,"created_at":49,"updated_at":50},"01k4ykt2h4y7aw5m2304ncp0tf","9cdbdd25-1564-45ec-84de-602c5009ebe1","1","Aberlour marks its 150th Anniversary","aberlour-marks-its-150th-anniversary","\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cstrong>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">'We have done so much but so much needs to be done'\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cstrong>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Aberlour, celebrated its 150\u003Csup>th\u003C\u002Fsup> milestone anniversary at\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"> a special event at the National Museum of Scotland, in Edinburgh, last night [THURSDAY 11 SEPTEMBER], said its lifeline support for young people is needed now as much as ever.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Guests, including first minister John Swinney, hailed the organisation which has grown from a tiny orphanage in Morayshire to deliver care and support to children and families across Scotland.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Chief executive SallyAnn Kelly OBE said the anniversary was an opportunity to look back on how far the charity has come and ahead to what remains to be done. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">She said: \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">It is a milestone but a staging post too because, even after a century and a half, our journey is far from over.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">How we offer care, support and love to children in need has been transformed over the years but why we do it, and why we need to, has not changed at all.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">The charity’s roots stretch back to 1875 when Canon Charles Jupp opened an orphanage for just four boys in Burnside Cottage, Aberlour. That small house expanded to become a far bigger orphanage nearby before it closed in 1967.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Since then the charity, named after the village where it began, has become one of Scotland’s most enduring and impactful organisations in the Third Sector and across Scotland’s public life, offering life-changing residential care and frontline support services for children across the country.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Kelly, who will stand down this year after 11 years as chief executive, said: \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Much of our history should be celebrated and all of it should be remembered.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Our ultimate ambition is that Scotland’s children will no longer need us but we are, sadly, a long way from there.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Far too many of our young people still have childhoods and futures curtailed by poverty and our country still squanders far too much talent and potential.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Children growing up in Scotland today face the same challenges as they did 150 years ago and we must do more to lift their families out of poverty and keep them there.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">That is our challenge and it could not be more urgent or important.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">The charity, with around 700 staff and 400 volunteers, delivers support across Scotland and has become one of the strongest, most campaigning voices for children and their families.\u003Cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">  \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Aberlour chair David Robb hailed the charity’s team and said the organisation’s skills, commitment, and innovation had delivered many landmark achievements and services. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">He said: \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Fittingly, from our staff and board members to our volunteers and donors, Aberlour has the strength of a family. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">We are family, have been for 150 years, and will be for many more to come. There will be challenges but we will overcome. Our work is too important not to.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">First minister John Swinney opened the event when he said the eradication of child poverty is the priority of the Scottish Government and hailed Aberlour as key partners. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">He said: \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Fundamentally, every child has “the right to grow up and flourish in society, notwithstanding the origins of their birth\".  It is not only Aberlour’s mission – it is a national mission for us all.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">I have made the eradication of child poverty the foremost priority of my administration This is the duty we owe to the next generation. It is also the greatest possible economic and social investment we as a nation can make in our shared future.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Aberlour has always been a key contributor to our work, and I am immeasurably grateful to them for longstanding partnership and collaboration.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill, who also spoke at the event, is a member of the UK Child Poverty Taskforce and shares the ambition of Aberlour to ease and improve the lives of children.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">She said the UK Government is also committed to improving the lives and life chances of children growing up in poverty through the work of the Child Poverty Taskforce. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">She said: \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\">I look forward to continuing to work with Aberlour and others in Scotland's magnificent Third Sector as we improve the lives of families, giving every child a fairer start and enabling them to realise their potential.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"> \u003C\u002Fp>","2025-09-12T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour marks 150th Anniversary","Aberlour celebrated its milestone 150th anniversary at a special event at the National Museum of Scotland, in Edinburgh, last night.","media\u002F0R3A6431-REVISIT-news.jpg","2025-09-12T09:23:54.000000Z","2025-09-12T10:07:23.000000Z"]