Information about firsthand
Funding
Since 1992, firsthand (then known as Edinburgh Sitters) has received core funding from the City of Edinburgh Council through a Service Agreement with the Social Work Department. This now represents around 30% of the organisation’s income. Other statutory funding comes from Sure Start Scotland as part of the Government initiative to support parents with children under three years of age. The Befriending Service, established in 2001, is funded by the Social Work Department through the Carers’ Strategy (until end March 2006) and Section 10 Support Finance.
We have recently received funding from Children in Need, the Silverhill Trust and the Big Lottery Fund for groupwork with children and young people, developing a project funded by the Children’s Promise that ended in 2004.
To make up the shortfall, and so that the organisation may continue to offer its services, we ask for funding from a wide range of grant-making bodies — trusts, businesses and others. In the year 2005–2006 we require £60,000 to meet our budget.
People donate to firsthand on an individual basis, because they have used our services, volunteered, or been involved in some other way, and this makes up a small but significantly welcome part of our income. Please see How you can help.
firsthand organises fundraising events, often designed to bring people together as well as raise money, and individual supporters contribute by helping or attending. (See the news page for details of current events.)