Interview Date:  15 June 2012
Ref: B0157

Interview Date: 15 June 2012
Ref: B0156

Men from Bethany’s Men’s Music Group have been working hard over the past year at the Scots Music Group and we are proud to announce they have written and recorded a top-notch contemporary Scottish folk song on a footballing theme.

Twa Fields O Dreams, a song about Hearts and Hibs, was written by Bobby McLean and Scott Murray during the Scots Music Group’s Inspire Project in 2011.

The song celebrates the great football teams of old and looks forward to future successes.  Bobby came up with the idea for the song after hearing sectarian chanting at a Hearts/Hibs game – he wanted to write a song praising both teams, even though he’s a lifelong Hearts fan.  At the time it was written Bobby had no idea how relevant the song would be in 2012 when the two teams meet in the final for the first time in 116 years!

Bobby is part of the Bethany Christian Trust/Edinburgh YMCA Men’s Group, one of the organisations which worked with the SMG Inspire Project.  Inspire offered opportunities for those affected by homelessness and mental health issues to get involved in Scots music and song.

• LISTEN TO and DOWNLOAD the song as a FREE mp3 from the Scots Music Group

DONATE to Scots Music Group or Bethany Christian Trust and contribute to the development of Inspire (which will start its new project, Inspiring Leith, in summer 2012) and to the valuable support provided by Bethany Christian Trust in the community.

Interview Date: 5 June 2012
Ref:  B0006

Interview Date: Week beginning 4 June 2012
Ref:  B0032

Interview Date: 28 May 2012
Ref: B0155

Interview Date: 8 May 2012
Ref: B0072

Interview Date: 11 May 2012
Ref: B0049

On the way to the showroom a wall crowded with thank-you cards is visible through the interview room window. “These are just a sample of the people who have been helped,” says Gordon Kingsford-Smith, Manager of Bethany Homemaker, a social furniture project which helps vulnerable people on low incomes to source and fund essential items for their homes.

Each year, Homemaker provides furnishings for over 900 households.  The Homemaker team’s grant application success rate stands at an astounding 91%.

Homemaker works on a referral basis to ensure the most vulnerable people are able to benefi t from the service. Referrals can be made by recognised caring, community, public health or social work organisations. The service helps vulnerable people who have just got their own permanent tenancy as well as people on low income or state benefits.

Thanks to Community Care Grants (CCG), available through Job Centre Plus, Homemaker is able to provide a faster service for individuals and families at this key stage in resettlement. The grant pays for essential items the applicant needs to set up home which they couldn’t otherwise afford.

Homemaker helps explore other funding options for anyone who is unsuccessful in their CCG application.  One of Homemaker’s three case workers meets with referred service users and in a 15 to 20 minute interview gathers any details that may be useful in applying for an external grant. Details such as previous employment, the circumstances causing their hard times, and any medical conditions are all factors that have specific grants attached to them.  “If we gather enough evidence to present someone’s case, we can write the letter and usually get the funds,” Gordon says.

The turn-around for these kind of applications is around 4-6 weeks as some of the grant committees only meet once a month. Then, if they are successful, the service user is invited back for a follow-up appointment to choose items for their home and arrange delivery with the help of three Homemaker volunteers who perform the important role of Showroom and Delivery Coordinators.  Items include beds and mattresses, chests of drawers, wardrobes, other furnishings and reconditioned appliances, plus new cookers, fridges/freezers, washing machines, carpets and bathroom vinyl.

“This isn’t a handout, it’s a hand up,” Gordon explains. “We sell items, we don’t give them for free.”  However, the prices are rock bottom and as they don’t even meet the costs of running Homemaker, Bethany Head Offi ce Fundraising Team seeks to raise money from other sources to ensure the project stays afloat.

Dignity is key at Homemaker. Service users choose the items they want, even down to the colour scheme.  The staff at Homemaker are there to help them stretch the grant as far as possible. Sometimes this will mean choosing a second-hand washing machine in order to get a carpet for the children’s room, but the idea is always that the service user is able to choose from a selection of goods. “We want people to feel good about their homes,” Gordon says. And judging by the wall of thank-you cards in the interview room, the Homemaker team’s hard work is greatly appreciated.