Edinburgh families brought festive cheer by Corstorphine Christmas Support Project

A community project in Edinburgh helping locals struggling with the cost of living crisis is hoping to spread the festive spirit by passing on donations from the community to 105 local families this Christmas.

Helping local families for a third time, the Corstorphine Christmas Support Project has been collecting donations from local drop-off points in the area to pass onto families who are struggling to cope with higher energy bills and rising food costs in the run-up to Christmas.

The appeal was first held last Christmas and then again in January this year, and is run by the West Edinburgh Community Support Project, which receives funding from the West Edinburgh Neighbourhood Network. Alastair Brown from the project explained that although Corstorphine is widely seen as an affluent part of Edinburgh, there are families there having to make the heartbreaking choice between heating or eating this Christmas.

He said: “A number of people became aware that although Corstorphine is thought of as a well-off part of the city, there is a need out there, particularly for parents of school age children who need support. Last year we helped a number of families and they told us it made a real difference, which meant they could put their heating on at Christmas, which is a decision families with young kids should never have to make.

"We receive donations of food and Christmas gifts, we have collection points around the Corstorphine area and we work with St Thomas’ Church on Glasgow Road, where we collate and organise the donations for giving out to families in need of help. We have received support from organisations including West Edinburgh Neighbourhood Network, which has given us a grant to buy food to top up donations.”

Alastair told the Evening News that the appeal is well underway already to help spread Christmas cheer for hard-up local families. He said: "We started this appeal on Monday last week, we will package up the donations and give them to all the local schools and early years, seven of them in total, who will hand out the donations to those that need them.

"We are still collecting donations for another week or so, we are looking for financial contributions as well as donations of food. Tinned goods and dry food like pasta and rice. As long as they have a reasonable use-by date. The basics you would expect, the staples. It’s about 105 families we will help in total. We are also looking for Christmas stuff like Christmas puddings, things people take for granted at this time of year, every year.

"If people want to make donations then please drop donations into St Thomas’s Church. You can also make cash donations to our project. We are very grateful to all those who have already given and we hope that they will have a great Christmas.”

As well as at St Thomas’s Church, you can donated by December 18 to the Corstorphine Christmas Support Project at local businesses, including: Co-op store, 141 St John’s Road; Rowlands Pharmacy, 5 Featherhall Avenue; The Refillery, 119b St John’s Road; Murrayfield Medical Centre, 35 Saughton Crescent; Neilson’s, 162 St John’s Road; and Scotmid, 87 Saughton Road North.

To make a financial donation, call 07938 742645.