[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f10b3rz2z388kj":3,"$f3kebyzchw4c1i":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":19,"blog_category_id":19,"is_featured":7,"title":20,"slug":21,"content":22,"content_overview":23,"published_at":24,"seo_title":25,"seo_description":26,"image":27,"created_at":28,"updated_at":29,"next":30,"prev":31},"01j6cdm1pk4gr04htv2zanxcej","1","Frontline Aberlour youth worker warns of a lost generation of young Scots","youth-worker-warns-of-a-lost-generation","\u003Cp>The future of young Scots is being sabotaged by budget cuts forcing closure of life-changing youth clubs, according to frontline workers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny Hendry, who has more than 20 years experience as a youth worker, fears crucial hubs are being lost across the country because of increasing financial pressures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He has run a successful Thursday night youth club in, Govan, for almost 20 years but recently had to relocate after the community centre where it was based was demolished to make way for housing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Johnny said:\u003C\u002Fstrong> “We’ve had to move further away now, out of the neighbourhood. It’s only a mile or so away but to young people that’s like the other side of the moon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The club has helped and encouraged generations of young people but will no longer be on their doorstep, down their street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The bigger concern is that the same thing is happening up and down the country at a time when so many more young people are struggling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The pandemic and lockdown is risking a whole generation which lost so much in so many ways, whether socialising or education.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They sacrificed a lot to protect adults and we should be repaying that debt by giving them every possible support now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not happening. We know what young people need to thrive but we’re not providing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And worse, where we have been providing it, we’re taking it away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny, who works as a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fservice\u002Fglasgow-family-support-service\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">youth support worker for Aberlour\u003C\u002Fa>, Scotland’s biggest children’s charity, said the importance of youth clubs cannot be overestimated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They can provide a destination away from drink, drugs, violence and crime while also building a crucial support network for young people seeking a new direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Johnny, who works with young people in schools and on the streets, said:\u003C\u002Fstrong> “The actual activities provided at a club are only the tip of the iceberg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A pool table and a couple of TVs might get young people through the door but it’s not why they stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The clubs are a meeting place, a support network. It can take time but the young people learn to trust us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>He said:\u003C\u002Fstrong> “Youth clubs are often a safe haven for young people whose home life might be affected by social issues like poverty, addiction or domestic violence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Many of the young people we see don’t have another trusted adult in their lives to listen to them and encourage them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They will ask for advice, for support. We will help them apply for jobs, find jobs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just being there for them can make all the difference in the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We build relationships with young people that last long after they become adults.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They drop in to keep in touch, we’re now seeing their children coming in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clubs like ours support and encourage young people and many need that now more than ever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Allan was supported by Johnny when he was 16 years old. Read his story and the difference the support from Aberlour has made to his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>‘It changed my life and I wasn’t the only one’\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Govan lost far more than a building when the youth club in Govan was demolished to make way for housing, according to one former member.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alan Pollock, grew up in the neighbourhood, and hails Johnny Hendry for his decades of life-changing work with young people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a 16-year-old karate champion when he first attended the club and, now 32, still believes it was a pivotal moment in his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Allan said:\u003C\u002Fstrong> “Johnny is a legend in Govan and it is impossible to overestimate what he has achieved and how many lives he has changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The club had a huge impact on so many young people and that needs to be properly understood and recognised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To see it flattened will sadden all the young people who went there but it’s massive loss for the whole community.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It wasn’t just four walls and a roof, it was a safety net, a place where young people could find help and encouragement when they might not have found it elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It literally changed my life and, over the years, there have been hundreds, thousands, like me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Allan, who now works as a karate instructor, had just won a world championship in his age group when he first attended the club in 2008.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At the time, I was hoping to get to Tokyo to defend my title but the cost looked like being prohibitive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just remember Johnny being totally engaged as soon as he heard about it, getting sponsorship, publicity, just doing everything he possibly could to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the end, I got to Tokyo and retained my title but my respect and gratitude to Johnny and Aberlour goes far beyond that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He helped me in all sorts of ways. I wrote my first CV with the help of the club, for example, and was coached for my first interview there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Johnny was doing it for me but he would do it for every young person that came through the door. He is a force of nature and, when it comes to young people needing help, never stops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sometimes life can change in an instant and walking into that club changed everything for me and loads of young people like me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To see it gone, and to think all that support and encouragement won’t be so easily available to young people growing up there today, is beyond grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We need far more clubs like that not fewer and far more people like Johnny Hendry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This article was written for the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.glasgowtimes.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002F24518689.govan-youth-club-loss-lamented-community-stalwart\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Glasgow Times\u003C\u002Fa> and published on Wednesday 14th August 2024.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","\u003Cp>The future of young Scots is being sabotaged by budget cuts forcing closure of life-changing youth clubs, according to frontline workers. Johnny Hendry, who has more than 20 years experience as a youth worker, fears crucial hubs are being lost across the country because of increasing financial pressures. He has run a successful Thursday night … \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-backend.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fyouth-worker-warns-of-a-lost-generation\u002F\">Continued\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","2024-08-15T00:00:00.000000Z","Frontline Aberlour youth worker warns of a lost generation of young Scots - Aberlour - Web Backend","Johnny Hendry, Aberlour Youth Worker, warns of the impact of closing youth services on teenagers across Scotland.","media\u002F5O2A7831.jpg","2024-08-28T11:58:31.000000Z","2024-11-25T07:22:16.000000Z",{"id":18,"blog_author_id":19,"blog_category_id":19,"is_featured":7,"title":20,"slug":21,"content":22,"content_overview":23,"published_at":24,"seo_title":25,"seo_description":26,"image":27,"created_at":28,"updated_at":29},{"id":32,"blog_author_id":19,"blog_category_id":19,"is_featured":7,"title":33,"slug":34,"content":35,"content_overview":36,"published_at":37,"seo_title":38,"seo_description":11,"image":39,"created_at":28,"updated_at":40},"01j6cdm1pzdj812fbqkjrny3br","Calling all designers! Help co-design our 150th Anniversary Logo with young people!","calling-all-designers-help-co-design-our-150th-anniversary-logo-with-young-people","\u003Cp>Could you co-design our 150\u003Csup>th\u003C\u002Fsup> anniversary logo? Aberlour Children’s Charity is commissioning a logo for our 150th anniversary in 2025.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’re looking for a designer to work in collaboration with children and young people in Aberlour’s care. The designer will create a logo that reflects them and Aberlour as a whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This logo is to be designed by and for young people. We would warmly welcome applications from young designers. Due to the participatory nature of the project, applicants must be based in the UK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What we are looking for:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Aberlour is a children’s rights championing organisation, dedicated to person-centred, participatory and inclusive practices. This project is to be conducted in a way that aligns and reflects these values.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>You’ll be expected to attend meetings with Aberlour to discuss the brief and the approach, as well as facilitated discussion sessions with a group of young people (maximum of 3 sessions).\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>You’ll develop several branding options based on these discussions. The group of young people will then choose their preferred option, which you will refine based on input from the senior leadership team, marketing and the policy and participation team.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The logo:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’re looking for a logo which celebrates the anniversary of Aberlour, and captures the essence of how children and young people see and experience the organisation and the work we do. We’ll be exploring what Aberlour means to them now, what it has meant to them in the past and what their ambitions are for Aberlour’s future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Call for proposals \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deliverables and time scales:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>The logo must work as a standalone logo although will also be used in conjunction with the Aberlour logo\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>The logo must include “150”\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>The logo will be used across all aspects of the organisation. For printed materials, the logo will be used on branded merchandise, apparel, documents and promotional materials for support services to run 150\u003Csup>th\u003C\u002Fsup> events in their own communities. Digitally, the logo will be used for video, online and social media.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>The logo must use Aberlour’s brand colours (which will be provided)\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Final design to be agreed by end of October\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How to apply\u003C\u002Fstrong>:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please send the following to \u003Cstrong>Rachel Garden at rachel.garden@aberlour.org.uk\u003C\u002Fstrong> by midnight on Sunday 11th August 2024:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>A portfolio or website showcasing your work\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>A short cover letter explaining why you would like to take on this work, and outlining your relevant previous experience (be that through personal, professional or voluntary work)\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>An estimated quote for your fees (max budget for design of logo and assets £2K inc. VAT)\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n","\u003Cp>Could you co-design our 150th anniversary logo? Aberlour Children’s Charity is commissioning a logo for our 150th anniversary in 2025. We’re looking for a designer to work in collaboration with children and young people in Aberlour’s care. The designer will create a logo that reflects them and Aberlour as a whole. This logo is to … \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-backend.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fcalling-all-designers-help-co-design-our-150th-anniversary-logo-with-young-people\u002F\">Continued\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n","2024-07-18T00:00:00.000000Z","Calling all designers! Help co-design our 150th Anniversary Logo with young people! - Aberlour - Web Backend","media\u002F150th-web-cover-scaled.jpg","2024-11-25T07:22:17.000000Z"]