Readers can now vote for the north and north-east charities they believe should be named an official P&J charity partner.
As part of our 275 anniversary celebrations, The P&J 275 Community Fund was launched earlier this year as a way for us to celebrate and support the work of local charities across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, and the Highlands, Islands and Moray.
Readers were asked to nominate charities which would then be in with the chance of being named as a P&J charity partner after a public vote.
More than 100 charities were nominated and split into four categories, grouped by region and size.
The charities with the most votes in each category will benefit from The P&J 275 Community Fund, receiving a minimum of £10,000 in the next year.
Our fifth charity partner is Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA), which The P&J has supported since 2019.
As P&J charity partners, each of the charities will be supported by The Press and Journal throughout 2024, including at The P&J’s 275 Charity Gala, which will take place at Aberdeen’s P&J Live on February 2.
Vote today
Readers can learn about all of the nominated charities in the Highlands, Islands and Moray large category below.
You can vote for your chosen charity in the Highlands, Islands and Moray large category today.
Don’t forget – you can also submit your vote in each of the other three categories:
- Vote for Highlands, Islands and Moray small to medium
- Vote for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire large
- Vote for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire small to medium
Voting closes on Wednesday November 15.
Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation
Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation provides valuable support to children aged 18 and under, who are affected by cancer.
From giving families the opportunity to have a much-needed break, time to make magical memories, entertainment or just a reason to get out of the house, the charity offers those in need a little “sparkle”.
These sparkles come in the form of gifts, grants and even holidays at Abbie’s Sparkle Lodge in Aviemore.
The foundation also arranges for sparkle gift bags to be sent to children affected by cancer at Easter and Christmas.
Every child undergoing cancer treatment at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital is sent a bag containing a £100 voucher and other treats.
Children undergoing treatment at hospitals in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow are also supported.
The charity is run by volunteers who set it up after 15-year-old Abbie passed away on Christmas day in 2017, after being diagnosed with sarcoma – a rare form of cancer – aged 10.
Abbie’s mum, dad, brother, grandparents, friends and others continue to keep her memory alive through the foundation.
If Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation was named as one of The P&J’s charity partners for 2024, the charity would use the funds to continue to support children affected by cancer in the north, north-east and throughout Scotland.
The charity would love to provide families with even bigger holidays, like trips to Disneyland Paris or Lapland. Any funding would continue to provide sparkle gift bags and help maintain Abbie’s Sparkle Lodge.
Vote for Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation
Befrienders Highland
Befrienders Highland provides supported befriending by trained volunteers to individuals who are isolated and lonely because of their mental ill health, caring role or memory loss.
The charity’s co-ordinators train and match volunteers with individuals who self-refer or who are referred to its service by health and social care practitioners.
Matches are based on common interests and volunteers will support each individual to work towards goals which are important to them, enabling them to re-engage with hobbies, connect with their local communities and increase their social circle of support through joining groups, classes and other activities.
Befriending matches meet weekly face to face in a public place, by telephone, email, video, letter or even through video gaming.
Befriending is provided to adults over the age of 18. All volunteers are PVG checked and all matches are risk assessed and offered regular co-ordinator support and supervision to ensure services are safe for both friends and volunteers.
Befrienders Highland has been offering befriending continuously since 1993.
The charity has continued to grow and develop its services, with employees deeply committed to the ethos and values of Befrienders Highland and the work it carries out across the Highlands.
To mark its 30th anniversary this year, Befrienders Highland ran a number of events including a 30k walk/run along the Caledonian Canal which raised more than £6,000.
If named as a P&J charity partner 2024, the funding would enable the charity to run campaigns to attract, recruit and retain new volunteers to meet the demand for matches.
Change Mental Health
Change Mental Health delivers non-clinical, person-centred support to those affected by mental illness with service centres across the Highlands.
The charity strives for a future where no person will be left to experience mental illness alone by inspiring a strong network of support, battling stigma and influencing the government to ensure a better quality of life for people affected by mental ill health.
Work is targeted towards people of all ages and backgrounds, whether they are dealing with an on-going, long-term condition such as schizophrenia, or rebuilding their life after an unexpected crisis.
Change Mental Health wants to improve access to resources. Several of the charity’s resource centres, located across Scotland, run activity groups such as art, music, yoga, Tai Chi, radio and woodwork, that are aimed towards teaching new skills, increasing socialisation and boosting confidence.
By working one-to-one with staff, service users can create their own personal development plan that focuses on strength building while also receiving advice and guidance on areas such as housing and employment.
In the past year, Change Mental Health has supported more than 7,000 people in Scotland – 2,928 users are children and young people, and more than 200 individuals have gone on to receive mental health training and emotional and peer support.
Looking ahead, the charity wants to continue its mission in transforming society’s approach towards mental health.
As a prospective charity partner, Change Mental Health would invest funds into driving significant changes into the community, including increasing resource accessibility.
Elgin Youth Development Group
Elgin Youth Development Group’s core aim is to support young people to reach their full potential.
Since it was established in 1998, the charity has grown to support young people aged between 11 and 25.
Its services currently include youth work services, The Warehouse @ EYC, its social enterprise, The Inkwell, and its training cafe – Cafe @ The Warehouse.
The charity offers a wide range of free universal youth work services for 11 to 18-year- olds from after-school and holiday clubs, to cooking and fitness classes, as well as one-to-one and targeted work which focuses on young people’s mental wellbeing.
In addition, it offers 16 to 25-year-olds supportive paid work placements within the charity to give them experience, learn new skills and gain valuable qualifications.
Elgin Youth Development Group was set up because it was felt that young people had no place to meet and socialise.
This year, one of the charity’s greatest achievements was its highly successful summer holiday programme.
The free programme supported 167 young people over 43 sessions with the aim of giving them the opportunity to try new activities, meet new friends and gain confidence.
During the holiday programme, the charity also provided 408 free meals to the young people who attended the sessions.
If named as a charity partner, funds would be put towards providing free activities and meals for the young people accessing the charity’s services.
Vote for Elgin Youth Development Group
Forres Area Community Trust
Forres Area Community Trust (Fact) is a local development trust run by the people for the people.
The charity’s aim is to make the Forres area a better place to live, work and visit.
Fact works to develop citizenship and the community, promises to protect the local environment, culture and heritage, and aims to give local people the skills and support they need to access services, advice and guidance for learning and work.
The charity, which was established in 2011, boasts an enterprising team and works hard to raise funds from numerous sources to run various projects, activities and sessions, and to keep Forres Town Hall available to the whole community.
To date, this has been achieved via operational and project grants, town hall hire, sales, event ticketing and donations.
Fact took ownership of Forres Town Hall in 2018 and needs an estimated £5 million to refurbish it to keep it in the community for years to come.
The charity’s projects include the Town Hall Tales Project, with hoolie, and Forres Pantry, which has signed up more than 300 new members. It also has a befriending project which now has 30 clients and is growing.
Also, more than 3,000 participants take part in a programme of activities.
Fact has also supported 15 people into employment – its target was five.
If named as a charity partner, Fact would use funds to kick-start capital works on the town hall, which is a category B listed building.
The redevelopment and refurbishment will involve a huge capital regeneration project to make it meet the demands of the 21st Century and for future generations.
Vote for Forres Area Community Trust
Guide Dogs Scotland
Guide Dogs Scotland is here to help the two million people living with sight loss to live the life they choose – including those living in the Highlands, Islands and Moray.
Expert staff, volunteers and life-changing dogs are available to help people – children and adults – affected by sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.
While the charity is well known for providing guide dogs that help people to get out and about, it also runs a number of other services.
Those services include children and young people services, where parents whose children have recently been diagnosed with sight loss are provided with support, and young people are helped with navigating around their classes.
Adults are offered habilitation services which can help people adjust to living with sight loss, from everyday activities in the home, to personal care, to getting out and about safely.
The charity’s guide dogs help people with visual impairment to become more independent and mobile. They are highly trained to support people to navigate any mobility challenges they may face.
Currently there are more than 10 guide dog owners in the Highlands, Islands and Moray communities.
Guide Dogs Scotland has more than 1,500 staff including puppy development advisers, dog care, trainers, fundraisers and habilitation specialists.
If named as a charity partner, the funds would help to train more guide dogs for those waiting to be matched with one across the Highlands, Islands and Moray. One guide dog costs £10,000 to train and the difference it could make to someone is life changing.
Every penny donated would help adults, children and families affected by a vision impairment in the Highlands, Islands and Moray communities.
Hilton Family Support
Hilton Family Support, which is based in the Hilton community of Inverness, offers emotional, social, financial and health-related support to families referred by professional agencies and those who self-refer.
The charity offers group and one-to-one support, including specialist sessions for families with children aged zero to three.
Hilton Family Support regularly collaborates with external organisations such as the police, fire services and financial institutions to provide holistic support to those who need it.
It began in response to unmet local needs and was established as an independent charity in 2020. It currently operates with a full-time employee, volunteers and financial support from those who donate.
Since 2020, Hilton Family Support has successfully reinstated pre-Covid participation levels in its groups and activities, added an early years family development role which has allowed it to introduce new programmes for younger children, and has continued to provide quality one-to-one support to those within the community.
In future, the charity wants to expand its network of referral agencies, develop staff and volunteer training, and offer more outdoor learning opportunities.
With extra funding, the group would be able to purchase new materials for its sessions, support the learning and development of staff, and create a walk-in clothes and toy exchange for those who need it.
Vote for Hilton Family Support
Keirans Legacy
Keirans Legacy aims to save lives, enhance education and provide recreational activities to improve the wellbeing and mental health of others.
In Scotland, more than 3,000 people – including 270 children – will have an out-of- hospital cardiac arrest, with less than 10% of these people surviving due to a lack of equipment and knowledge.
The charity was founded in honour of Keiran Mckandie, who was involved in a freak accident in 2016 which resulted in him being knocked off his bike and, due to a lack of resources and proper equipment, sadly passing away.
Keirans Legacy provides emergency lifesaving defibrillation devices across Scotland to help avoid similar situations occurring.
In September 2022, Keirans Legacy equipped the fast response vehicles in all 13 divisions of Police Scotland with a Keirans Legacy defibrillator. They have now been deployed more than 100 times and saved the lives of eight individuals.
In the coming year, Keirans Legacy aims to continue the work it is doing across communities, with a particular focus on areas of deprivation, as well as remote and rural areas to ensure equity for all.
As a P&J 275 charity partner, Keirans Legacy would utilise the extra funding to work closely with local communities in Moray and the Highlands to identify and place defibrillators in the most convenient and beneficial locations.
Moray School Bank
Established in 2017, Moray School Bank was created with the aim of providing new school uniforms and warm winter clothing to children living in poverty across Moray, ensuring all children are equal and have opportunities to reach their full potential at school.
Its vision is to end child poverty for good, changing the world one family at a time – an ambitious goal, but one that the Moray School Bank is passionate about and determined to achieve.
More families living in poverty and experiencing financial hardship due to the cost-of-living crisis need help to provide the most basic warm winter clothing for their children.
Employing similar principles to that of a foodbank, the Moray School Bank asks those in the community to kindly donate items they no longer need or want.
The Moray School Bank has a variety of projects that exist to support families including No Worries in Moray, which offers family days out, as well as a community garden which provides a safe space for learning and having fun.
Moray School Bank aims to become completely self-sufficient by offering the equipment and resources needed to provide school uniform provisions to local families.
Munlochy Animal Aid
Munlochy Animal Aid is a charitable organisation that is dedicated to caring for a wide range of animals.
Its mission is to provide shelter and veterinary care to animals in need, especially when their owners are unable to care for them temporarily due to hospitalisation, incarceration, homelessness, or other crises.
The organisation also offers financial assistance for emergency veterinary care and donates pet food to foodbanks in the local area.
It serves not only animals, but the local community and regularly welcomes individuals to visit and interact with the animals, providing a therapeutic experience.
Munlochy Animal Aid actively works to promote responsible and compassionate pet ownership by offering educational talks and raising awareness about its work with the community.
Founded by Iona Nicol and her late mother, Margaret MacDonald, with support from family and volunteers, Munlochy Animal Aid began in a modest shed.
Over the years it has expanded its facilities to accommodate 25 dogs and 40 to 50 cats and kittens, and paid £68,000 in vet fees in its last financial year to help sick pets and their worried owners.
As the charity prepares to celebrate its 45th anniversary, Munlochy Animal Aid continues to improve its facilities and advocate for responsible pet ownership.
The organisation aims to secure funding to develop its facilities further and commit to the unwavering support of animal welfare.
Nansen Highland
Nansen Highland works with young adults with learning disabilities and related additional needs.
The charity is celebrating 30 years of helping young adults learn the skills they need to live independently or with reduced support.
It has worked hard to be non-dependent on grants for its core needs, achieving this in 2000, and no longer has an overdraft facility with the bank. Now, 30 years on, Nansen Highland has a team of 30 working across all services.
The charity’s day centre is located on the Black Isle, near Muir of Ord, and it has two residential homes with four residents each.
The young adults attending have a say in what should be changed or added to the activities offered.
It believes that when young adults come to Nansen Highland services with a smile and leave with a smile, a good service has been delivered.
Moving forward, the charity is looking to establish the means to further develop its services and help more people in need.
With extra funds from The P&J 275 Community Fund, Nansen Highlands would aim to expand the capabilities at its hub, Redcastle Station, having fully explored and exploited the building and now needing to expand.
The charity wants to build a log cabin-style building, allowing care for more young adults in need.
This would also result in the restart of the Nansen online service, which is on hold, helping young adults in remote areas of the Highlands.
Outfit Moray
Outfit Moray is an outdoor learning and adventure charity based in Lossiemouth.
The charity endeavours to change the lives of young people in Moray by providing adventurous activities such as climbing, hillwalking, kayaking, paddle boarding, mountain biking and many more.
These activities facilitate the development of those taking part, building self-confidence, growing self-esteem, encouraging new life skills and improving health. These are vital for young people to be able to negotiate an ever more challenging world.
Outfit Moray’s work is divided into strands with EnerG and Activ8.
EnerG strand works specifically with vulnerable and disadvantaged young people, offering one-to-one sessions. Last year saw more than 1,500 attendances from young people aged eight to 18.
The Activ8 strand focuses on making outdoor learning and adventure accessible and affordable to more families and young people.
A total of 68% of sessions are Activ8, making it the busiest strand with around 3,000 young people benefiting.
It is a small charity with only seven full-time members of staff, including two Bike Revolution mechanics and three outdoor instructors.
Last year saw a total of 823 outdoor learning and adventure sessions, working with 61 schools and organisations with around 5,700 opportunities available.
With funding from The P&J 275 Community Fund, the charity would look to use the donation to support outdoor learning and adventure opportunities for young people in Moray.
Sight Action
Sight Action delivers support and training to more than 2,500 people in the Highlands and the Western Isles.
The registered charity provides personalised support through qualified rehabilitation staff and trained support workers. The aim is to provide early intervention, enabling people to be confident and independent in their everyday lives.
Established in 1868, the charity’s main office is in Robertson House, Dingwall, with outreach centres in Wick, Thurso and Stornoway.
Contracted to deliver children’s services through Highland Council, NHS contracts and grant funding, Sight Action has established services for people with varying degrees of sight loss and diagnosis from birth to old age.
Volunteers help to deliver a free talking book service, IT support and face-to-face or telephone befriending, also helping set up peer support groups in various areas of the Highlands.
Local services delivered to people isolated by sight loss as well as location can be a lifeline to those who need it, as well as to their families and friends.
This coming year, Sight Action hopes to secure statutory funding, allowing for the charity to meet demands on services in the Highlands, as well as recruit additional volunteers to help with service delivery and expand social groups for people to attend.
Any extra funding from The P&J 275 Community Fund would be invested in the promotion and development of services, including advertising what the charity does, and how and where people can access those services.
Step by Step in Moray
Step by Step in Moray supports families with young children who feel isolated or vulnerable for many different reasons.
The charity helps them to develop friendships, confidence and skills that will improve their wellbeing and resilience, enabling them to give their children the best start in life.
Each family with children up to the age of three can expect a warm welcome in a friendly, non-judgmental environment.
The charity supports families through life’s challenges such as post-natal depression, abuse, loneliness and anxiety, or coping with poverty or addiction, supporting families on their journey from a challenging place to a place of hope and wellbeing.
Group session staff also offer one-to-one support, and families remain connected through group chats, where they regularly share information and experiences.
Founded in November 2008 from a small group meeting in Elgin, Step by Step is now an independent organisation funded entirely by grants and donations, delivering 13 weekly sessions across three locations. It is governed by a board of nine trustees, and has eight part-time staff and 30 volunteers.
Staying focused on preventative measures and early intervention remains a key priority in enabling the charity’s families to give their children the best start in life.
Any cash received from The P&J 275 Community Fund would help support 50 families attending its Forres services for another year.
Also, funding would provide role-modelling learning opportunities through play, arts and crafts, stories and songs, as well as snacks. Staff would be able to provide one-to-one support, as well as liaise with relevant agencies on behalf of families.
Vote for Step by Step in Moray
The Leanne Fund
The Leanne Fund is a leading charity which provides vital support to those affected by cystic fibrosis (CF) across 11 Scottish NHS regions.
It aims to raise awareness of CF and help create lasting memories for those with the condition and their families.
The Stornoway-based charity was founded in 2010 by the Mitchell family in tribute of their late daughter Leanne, who lost her battle with CF.
Six years later, it made a successful bid to the Big Lottery Fund and the organisation, now an employer, was able to expand its services across Moray, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and the Northern Isles.
A further development enabled the charity to expand across NHS Tayside and later the Central Belt, covering Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Ayrshire and Arran, and Lanarkshire.
If named a P&J 275 charity partner, funding would be allocated to its families in crisis service.
This assists families with financial burdens caused by the cost of living and ensures they are not forced into choosing between household bills and essential care resources.
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to affect many, the charity wants to concentrate on providing a safety net for families, particularly in the lead-up to Christmas to allow them to enjoy festivities without added financial pressures.
Wild Things! Environmental Education in Action
Operating across Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands and Islands, Wild Things! Environmental Education in Action helps people of all ages gain skills and qualifications, while reconnecting with nature to improve their health and wellbeing.
In the past year, the group has reached out to more than 1,400 people across the region, including vulnerable groups, and has provided a series of workshops and remote learning packs to support care home staff to deliver independent activities.
The award-winning charity prides itself on reintroducing around 36,000 people over 20 years to the natural environment. In 2015, Wild Things! looked at expanding on its work by developing several accredited and accessible training courses.
Demand has grown substantially for its services. The charity has challenged itself to build a much larger audience by reaching out to an additional 300 vulnerable beneficiaries, with a focus on the younger demographic.
This comes after reports of insufficient resources and equipment across education institutions.
Wild Things! wants to increase the number of placements offered next year, as well as offer enriching programmes and the necessary tools to improve health and wellbeing.
If it was to become a P&J 275 charity partner, the organisation would direct funds into delivering its Growing Wild and Well sessions.
These are formed through a blend of outdoor games, bushcraft, teamwork challenges and environmental learning, as participants work towards gaining qualifications that will benefit their academic learning.
Vote for Wild Things! Environmental Education In Action
