Faculty launches Christmas appeal for poor families

The Faculty of Advocates is appealing to members, staff and friends for donations again this year to bring some Christmas cheer to vulnerable families.

All donations to Faculty's annual Christmas collection will go to the family support charity, Home-Start Glenrothes.

Maria Maguire QC, the collection’s organiser, says the appeal is needed more than ever this year. "I want to do everything possible so we do not let them down", she commented. "They need us more than ever.

"The response to the appeal in previous years has been tremendous. COVID will make it harder, but I know that we can still make a real difference for the families.

"There are about 100 children aged one to five as well as older children. More than half the families have a parent with mental health problems for whom the pressure of Christmas could be too much.  Parents starve themselves to feed their children and save something for Christmas, and this makes me even more determined that we need to do all that we can."

All types of donations are welcome – toys, books, games, clothes, perfumes or treats like selection boxes and tins of biscuits. Cash donations will buy vouchers for food, and provide an emergency fund throughout the year for items like beds, cookers, fridges and washing machines.

Presents can be handed in at Faculty reception, Parliament House, Edinburgh, between Monday, 7 December, and noon on Saturday, 12 December, when they will be delivered to Fife. It may also be possible for items to be collected from people’s homes.

More details are available here.