Every year you’ve partnered with us to give the children we support a summer holiday. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis these holidays have been cancelled, but now more than ever our kids need a break.

Cramped living conditions, poverty, lack of structure and conflict at home can mean that lockdown is particularly hard for the children we support.

At Bethany, we believe that every child deserves a chance to experience some joy this summer, even if they are in lockdown. Our services and staff are working hard to:

• Provide food parcels, phone top-ups, and craft kits for children from some of the most deprived communities in Scotland
• Give essential counselling over the phone to children in Glasgow
• Distribute activity packs for children at food banks so they have access to some entertainment whilst they shelter at home
• Help families home-school by providing equipment such as printers and computer tablets and delivering homework
• Support families coping with trauma, family conflict, and other mental health problems

Bethany services continue to adapt to this evolving situation and we are determined to give these children a break from the difficulties they face every day. We do this practically, one child at a time, one family at a time. Can you help us?

Trying to find things to do every day during lockdown has been a challenge. Our support worker has been great bringing homework to my door and also asking if I need essentials from the shops. We just can’t cope staying in and not being able to talk to people plus it’s been difficult getting the right food on our budget especially when the supermarkets are understocked. – Kinship Carer of 1, Scotstoun

“Bethany’s family support worker has been of tremendous help dropping off school work for my son and most especially my daughter who had no school iPad of her own to join her classmates online. The support from everyone is amazing and so unexpected. Everyone is out there doing amazing work looking after the community, particularly parents, the elderly and frail ones.” – Mum of 5, Glasgow

Together, we can make sure that homeless and vulnerable families don’t face a summer in lockdown alone.