Collaborating within 525 Ferry Road

Third sector support for coronavirus

As the world comes to grips with the coronavirus outbreak, third sector organisations have been rallying to support their local communities. Both People Know How and Scran Academy have adapted their projects to help the community.

Here at People Know How we’ve adapted our services to support our communities of Edinburgh and East Lothian. Our Positive Transitions Service and Reconnect service have moved to online and phone support in the form of Online Befriending and Group Support for children and young people, and Distance Befriending for adults. We’ve also developed a computer delivery project in collaboration with Venture Scotland, refurbishing donated devices and getting them to those that need them to stay connected and have already delivered over 100 computers so far. To learn about how you can receive a device send your details over to contactus@peopleknowhow.org

Over at Scran Academy, they’ve collaborated with a range of local partners to provide free meals for vulnerable members of the community, prepared by local volunteers and staff members. The organisation normally supports young people to overcome life barriers and realise their full potential through a catering-based social enterprise and alternative education programmes. Since lockdown, they’ve collaborated with five local partners to provide free, nutritious and safe meals for over 1,200 vulnerable people across Edinburgh, prepared by over 150 local volunteers and staff members. They’ve already funded, cooked and delivered over 36,000 meals in Edinburgh and this number is only growing. If you need food support, you can register on the Scran Academy webpage

Bringing our support together

In May Scran Academy moved into 525 Ferry Road, where People Know How has its offices while also managing the building on behalf of Edinburgh Palette. They will be taking up open plan office space within the building that will function as the new Scran Academy headquarters.

As well as becoming neighbours, People Know How and Scran Academy are also partnering up to work together to support people who are isolated, through both our Distance Befriending and computer delivery projects. Already there is some overlap in their projects, with people Know How providing devices to some of the young people that Scran Academy are supporting. People Know How are also distributing flyers promoting the availability of devices to organisations and emergency food distribution centres like Scran Academy, which they will be handing out with the meals they distribute.

The collaboration of organisations within third sector hubs like 525 Ferry Road is a beacon of hope in these difficult times. By working together, we can only strengthen our support for the community.