News
This site will be regularly updated with the latest news and events at Partners in Advocacy.
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The Spring Fling Ball
16 February 2010
I am pleased to announce that due to the continued success of the Spring Fling Ball, the organisers have arranged for another event to take place at the Invercarse Hotel, Perth Road, Dundee on 20th March 2010.
Tickets are priced at £ 30 per person, which will include entertainment and a 4-course Dinner. Dress - Formal or Highland Dress.
Last year the organisers raised £ 2,800 for Partners in Advocacy, Dundee.
If you are able to donate any raffle prizes or would like to attend the Ball, please contact Winnie Duncan at the Dundee office on 01382 305715 or email winnie@partnersinadvocacy.org.uk
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Glasgow Administrator vacancy
12 February 2010
We have a vacancy in our central Glasgow office for an Administrator. The post is for 20 hrs per week or 2.5 fixed days per week. Salary is £ 15,657 pro rata.
An Application Pack can be downloaded from the Recruitment page or for further information on the post, please contact Frances McKay, Glasgow Mental Health Advocacy Co-ordinator on 0141 847 0660.
The closing date is 12 noon Monday 1st March 2010 and interviews will be held on Friday 12 March in Glasgow.
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National Freephone Telephone Counselling Service for Disabled People in Scotland
12 December 2009
'Your Call' is a free telephone counselling service which is open to disabled people from all over Scotland. Your Call is one of the services operated by the Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living. The `Your Call' counsellors are all disabled people themselves, providing them with an understanding of what it means to live as a disabled person in Scotland. The counsellors work as volunteers, and are trained to a professional standard in counselling.
The service takes calls to its appointment line from 11am until 3 pm Mondays to Thursdays. Calls are free from a home telephone, and from most mobile networks(including T-Mobile, Vodaphone, O2, 3, Orange and Virgin Mobile).
The number is withheld so it will not appear on the phone bill.
Counselling can help people who are trying to come to terms with painful events from their past, or who need support through a current crisis or change in lifestyle. It can also help people who are struggling to manage difficult feelings such as depression or anxiety, or who are seeking direction and meaning in their lives.
A counsellor will not judge, nor tell a person how to live their life. Instead he or she is trained to help explore a person's own situation and to support them to find their own way forward.
The 'Your Call' number is 08088 01 03 62, and the service is open to all disabled people in Scotland who are over the age of 16, and their immediate family members.
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PIA Away Day and The Chairman's 70th Birthday
08 December 2009
This photograph was taken at our 2009 Strategic Away Day with staff and also to mark the very special 70th Birthday of our Chairman.
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Holyrood visit
03 November 2009
Douglas Brown and Daniel Kopasker visited Holyrood on 01 September as part of a project to promote Partners in Advocacy and enlist the support of the MSPs.
You can read all about their exciting visit in their report here.
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Short-term advocacy in East Lothian
05 October 2009
Partners in Advocacy provides different types of advocacy throughout Scotland. Here you can read about the Short-term advocacy service we offer in East Lothian
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Huge Thanks to Everyone
26 August 2009
Our highly successful Lottery funded project for children and young people with Additional Support Needs, which has been running for a momentous three years, has now closed.
All of our other services are thriving and Partners in Advocacy is growing from strength to strength - its only this project that has had to close due to lack of funding.
Everyone at partners in Advocacy would like to thank all who completed our campaign petition to keep it open. Also thanks to many who tried to find money for us within their budgets, but it was not possible during this economic squeeze. Thanks for trying and supporting us.
Much was achieved:
We were able to support so many children and young people over the last three years and have a really good external evaluation report that shows our successes. Tremendous achievements and thanks to Loraine and Lorna who ran the project and made such a magnificent contribution to Partners in Advocacy. Loraine and Lorna are still with us and working on various other projects.
Although no money was found, our campaign was successful as we used our voice to draw attention to the fact that this specific project was closing. We were heard and thanks to everyone who signed our petition. Another real example of advocacy in action.
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Additional Support Needs project wins funding
14 August 2009
Partners in Advocacy are delighted to announce that our Additional Support Needs project in Glasgow has received just over £ 82,000 for a three year project from BBC Children in Need to deliver a one to one issue based independent advocacy service for children and young people with additional support needs such as Aspergers, Autism, for example.
This project has been running for two years on an annual grant from Children in Need. Now that we have a three year grant we will be able to plan a longer term service. An example of some of the issues that children and young people with additional support needs come to us for support with is accessing the services they are entitled to, or on specific issues like bullying, self harming, or relationship issues. We will support them to have a voice, to be heard, to understand what's happening at a pace they are comfortable with, and to make informed choices especially at key times of transition in their lives.
This the second of three grant rounds distributing the proceeds of the November 2008 Appeal - with the third round being announced in October. This time, a total of £ 12,097,737 has been awarded to projects working with disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.
Following the Appeal night last November, which raised a record-breaking total of £ 20,991,216, BBC Children in Need has received additional donations from fundraisers, schools and businesses from all across the country. BBC Children in Need relies for its funding on the energy and inspiration of thousands of fundraisers and supporters across the UK, who donate their time and money to create an array of events. These included cake sales in the office, talent contests at school, sponsored cycles and, the eye-watering, back, chest, arm and leg wax!
In April BBC Children in Need Appeal announced that the 2008 Appeal had raised over £ 36 million and, due to the continuing efforts of its supporters and fundraisers, this amount has now grown to over £ 37 million.
Since November, the BBC charity has received thousands of applications for funding. These are rigorously assessed and considered by eight committees who pass on their recommendations to the Trustees of the Charity for approval.
Our Additional Support Needs project in Glasgow is one of 46 projects in Scotland who have received grants this time around, which will go on to make a positive difference to hundreds of young lives in Scotland.
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Black & Minority Ethnic Research
04 August 2009
Partners in Advocacy were delighted to receive funding from Big Lottery Fund for research to be carried out within the ethnic community. We were concerned that we did not appear to be reaching many people from this community and were unsure why so rather than reach any conclusions ourselves we put the project out to tender to research consultants.
Our aims for this research are:
- For current services in the area to be mapped out;
- Assess the future needs and potential level of demand of these client groups, through consultation with community representatives and service providers;
- To identify current provision and gaps in terms of Advocacy for these client groups;
After 3 interesting presentations we decided to select CEMVO to conduct this research.
CEMVO are a national intermediary organisation that began its operations in Scotland in 2003 with the aim of building the capacity and sustainability of the ethnic minority voluntary sector and its communities in Scotland.
A representative, Jeanice, has been meeting regularly with Audrey Walker to look at progress and discuss any concerns.
The findings of this study are expected in July and the results are eagerly anticipated. The outcome will help shape our future working practice within this community.
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Spring Fling Ball
22 July 2009
Partners in Advocacy held their Fundraising Ball in April, which was enjoyed by everyone who attended it and proved to be a great success.
Click here to view some photographs taken at the event.
Click here to read an interview with the two successful organisers, Gail Ingram and Theresa Anderson.
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Successful Big Lottery Funding bid
06 July 2009
Partners in Advocacy are delighted to announce our new grant from the Big Lottery Fund - 21st Century programme. This will fund our citizens advocacy project in Dundee for the next three years.
Thank you to Dundee City Council who kept this fantastic project going for the last year so that we were able to effectively bid to the lottery and for their ongoing support of our work.
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Another success!
06 July 2009
We have received a capacity building grant from Lloyds TSB Foundation to help us with a number of areas including re-visiting our strategic and business planning.
Thanks to Lloyds TSB Foundation for investing in us.
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Dundee research project starts
03 July 2009
Our research project in Dundee has just started. Our external consultant will look at the advocacay needs of the BME sector in Dundee, and research who we are reaching - or not, and identify service provision gaps as well as good practice.
This has been funded by a Big Lottery Fund Investing in Ideas grant.
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PIA chosen for one year Stroke Pilot Project
03 July 2009
Partners in Advocacy have been chosen to be one of 3 advocacy organisations across Scotland who will be delivering the advocacy one year pilot project for people who have suffered strokes.
Our aspect of the pilot project will be delivered in Edinburgh over the next year and will compliment our existing successful 3 day physical disabilities project which is funded by the Scottish Government.
The pilot is being funded by the Scottish Government and we will be working in partnership with the Stroke Association and Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance.
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New short-term advocacy service
01 July 2009
Partners in Advocacy are happy to advise that they are now offering short-term advocacy for individuals with physical disabilities, acquired brain injury and aspergers.
This is a new and unique service for people in the Edinburgh area, that aims to provide the same quality of advocacy assistance that Partners in Advocacy is already recognised for.
If you would like to know how to access this service please contact Rosemarie McNee on 0131 478 7724 or email rosemarie@partnersinadvocacy.org.uk
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Inspiring Volunteering Awards 2009
18 June 2009
Partners in Advocacy is thrilled to announce that Joan Alexander has been recognised for her long term volunteering commitment. Joan was presented with the prestigious Volunteer of the Year Award by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh at a special ceremony in the City Chambers on Wednesday 3rd June.
Loraine Herschell, Children's Advocacy Co-ordinator, who has worked closely with Joan and her partner and nominated Joan said, "Joan has been an absolute inspiration to us all. We at Partners in Advocacy are extremely proud of Joan and are delighted that she has been rewarded in such a magnificent way. Our heartfelt congratulations go out to her "
You can read the full story here.
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WE NEED YOUR HELP URGENTLY - SIGN OUR PETITION
27 May 2009
For over ten years we have supported hundreds of the most vulnerable children and young people with additional supports, through our independent advocacy service in Edinburgh. We have enabled them to understand what’s happening to them, to make informed choices and have their voices heard. We have also helped them to access the services they are entitled to — health, education, social work.
However, we have had our continuation funding bid rejected and we now need to fight to save this essential service. Without this financial support we will be unable to continue helping these young people now or in the future.
You can help us by downloading our Petition and getting as many people as possible to sign it and support us. We already have support from MPs in Holyrood and Westminster but we need your help too.
If you would like further information, read our Press Release or call the Campaign Hotline on 0131 478 7723.
Closing date for the return of Petitions is 30th June.
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Inspiring Volunteering Awards 2009
27 May 2009
Joan Alexander has been short-listed to receive an award within the Commitment category at the Inspiring Volunteer Awards. The Lord Provost will present Joan with her certificate on Wednesday 3rd June during a reception at Edinburgh City Chambers. Joan has also been put forward for Volunteer of the Year.
Joan has been an Advocate for Graham for over 10 years and as the one constant person in his life, has supported him through many difficult and sometimes traumatic events during this time.
Joan had this comment to make: "I have been an Advocate for the same young man for the past 10 years. In that time I have been challenged like nowhere else in my private or working life. I have also learnt and developed new skills like listening and communication and have enjoyed every minute of it. I have taken immense pleasure from the fact that I have assisted a young man to be empowered, independent and have his own voice."
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Annual General Meeting
27 February 2009
Our AGM took place on Wednesday 4th February at the Best Western Queens Hotel Dundee, 160 Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4DU. A report on this successful event will be published shortly.
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SPRING FLING FUNDRAISING BALL
07 November 2008
Book your tickets now as they are disappearing fast!
We are holding our Spring Fling Ball on Saturday 11th April 2009 and we'd be delighted if you could join us.
It will be taking place in Dundee at the Invercarse Hotel where we start the evening with a delicious four-course Dinner and then dance the night away to live music from the fantastic band 'The Directors'.
Dress is Formal / Highland and this exciting event starts at 7.00pm. Tickets cost £ 30 per person (£ 5 deposit required)
If you'd like more information or would like to reserve places, phone Gail Ingram on 01382 462868.
Make sure you don't miss this wonderful Ball!
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Training News
06 August 2008
A sunny Saturday in August. Lorna and I were a bit apprehensive as we have decided to change the format of the training sessions offered to Citizen Advocates.
In the past it would be covered 2 days a week over a 3 week period from 6-8pm. We decided that it would be possible to deliver this course during the day from 4pm, with further training offered which would be more tailored to the needs of the advocates when matched to any young person.
This proved to be very successful with over 10 volunteers confirming their attendance and 8 attending on the day! Lorna and I somehow managed to keep on time and the feedback from the day was very encouraging. We will need to make a few adjustments but I think this could be the way forward for the many interested volunteers of Edinburgh.
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Launch of new Mental Health Advocacy Service for Children and Young People in Edinburgh
05 August 2008
As of July 2008 we are pleased to announce that we are now providing a new advocacy service in Edinburgh for 11-21 year olds with experience of using mental health services.
Our new worker, Pauline Bell will be out and about spreading the word and is looking forward to seeing the service up and running.
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10th Anniversary
05 August 2008
Partners in Advocacy are holding a 10th Anniversary Celebration hosted by Rhona Brankin MSP. The Guest speaker will be Dharmendra Kanani.
It will take place at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 25th September 2008.