A five figure sum from Aberdeen Asset Management’s Charitable Foundation will increase support for children facing challenging emotional problems in the Scottish capital.
The Foundation’s contribution of £16,800 will enable the UK's leading provider of school-based emotional and mental health services, Place2Be to support more children in Edinburgh.
Place2Be provides mental health support in primary and secondary schools to help children and young people cope with a range of issues such as bereavement, family breakdown, domestic violence, addiction, neglect and trauma. Around 3,000 children and young people across eight primary and two secondary schools in Edinburgh can access Place2Be’s support. A team of trained counsellors are available for all of the pupils – including short sessions which the children can book themselves into during lunch and break times, and one-to-one sessions which are available to children with more severe needs.
With the help of Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation, Place2Be will be able to recruit and train 36 vital Volunteer Counsellors in Edinburgh who will work with up to 150 children during the school year through 2,500 one-to-one counselling sessions. Place2Be Volunteer Counsellors are either qualified or in-training to be counsellors or therapists and provide the one-to-one counselling service which takes place in a dedicated Place2Be room in each of the Place2Be partner schools.
Director of Fundraising for Place2Be, Olivia Curno says: “The fantastic donation from Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation will help to fund the recruitment and training of 36 Volunteer Counsellors, helping us to support ever more children in Edinburgh. We are hugely grateful to them for their ongoing support in helping us to continue to deliver our life changing work, supporting children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing across Edinburgh.”
Colin Burrow of Aberdeen Asset Management’s Charitable Foundation said: “Aberdeen Asset Management’s philosophy is to give back to our nearby communities and Place2Be provides a vital service to the Edinburgh community. Place2Be reaches out to some of the most vulnerable children and their families who so desperately need support."
Established in 2012, Aberdeen Asset Charitable Foundation seeks partnerships with smaller charities around the world, where funds can be seen to have a meaningful and measurable impact and the firm encourages its employees to use their time and skills to support its charitable projects. A number of charities supporting young people have been among recent beneficiaries, including £11,000 to Gorgie City Farm Youth Project which enables teenagers facing difficulties in their lives to work with animals in its pet boarding facilities, based on evidence that being with animals can have a positive effect on humans.
Other beneficiaries have been Edinburgh’s Friends of Redhall School to support its end of year activity camp for special needs schoolchildren and Edinburgh-based The Yard to continue its youth club for disabled children for a second year and Quarriers’ James Shields Project to provide first home starter packs to young people who have experienced homelessness.