Edinburgh’s Thistle Foundation Benefits from Poscode Lottery

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have generated an incredible £41.5 Million for more than 1,200 charities, good causes, and grass roots organisations since launching in 2008 including for local charity, Thistle Foundation, who received £10,000.

The money has made a massive difference to communities across Great Britain, and for the first time this year, to international charities such as the British Red Cross and War Child. An incredible £860,643 has been given to 124 local projects in the Lothians, amongst them the Thistle Foundation who received £10,000.

The Thistle Foundation supports people with disabilities and health conditions to enable them to lead full lives. Thistle delivers over 4900 hours of support each week to more than 100 people with complex needs across the central belt of Scotland, as well as running a variety of health and wellbeing services, including free lifestyle management courses, a gym, tai chi and other classes and outdoor walks, from their base in Craigmillar, Edinburgh . Thistle also operates supported living services, education, training and consultancy services to staff from many voluntary organisations, support providers, NHS and social care.The £10,000 funding enabled the Foundation to establish their Volunteer Development Programme which will support and develop Thistle’s existing 38 volunteers to expand and develop current activity, as well as recruiting and training 10 new volunteers.

Diana Noel-Paton, Chief Executive of the Thistle Foundation, said, “We are so grateful for the support of the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. Our volunteers play an invaluable part in the work we do and this funding has helped us create a robust volunteer programme which is already having a huge impact on our work. With more volunteers, we can reach more people who need support. It also means that our volunteers are developing the skills and confidence to make positive contributions in the community.”

Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said “Raising over £40m for charities is unbelievable …  Whether it’s £500 for a local community garden, or £500,000 for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres, the impact of our players support is incredible and in many cases life changing. So a massive thankyou on behalf of all our charities for such tremendous support.”