There’s nothing better than seeing a child smile. So when you hear that children benefiting from funding have “beaming smiles” and that “one learner’s anxieties melted away… allowing her own personality to shine through”, it’s hard not to be proud.

(Equi-Power – charity supporting young people with disabilities through horse-riding)

So here's to you, our amazing players!

With your continued support, we can carry on working hard to better the lives of children and young people in Scotland and put a smile on lots of little faces.

The programme introduces employability topics such as interview techniques, CV skills, building relationships, improving relationships and teaches life skills to young people who otherwise would not have had the opportunity and the charity will continue to support them in the future.

Your lottery plays really make a difference as the funding provided will have a huge impact on The Larder.

Emma Husband, Fundraising and Communications Manager at The Larder, would like to say:

“Thanks so much to the Scottish Children’s Lottery and players, and thank you to everyone that’s involved, it is really going to make a huge difference to the young people at The Larder.”

Over in the East, Broomhouse Centre (SPACE) received £20,000 of funding to support their well-established befriending service, allowing children and young people to be matched with a skilled support volunteer and enjoy social and recreational activities.

Down in the South, Stable Life received £15,000 of funding to deliver a structured programme for young people which will include Equine Assisted Learning and riding lessons as well as covering issues such as anger management and relationships.

And finally in the West, Solar Bear received £15,000 of funding to grow their Deaf Youth Theatre (DYT), a long-term workshop programme for young deaf people, allowing the children to develop drama skills and lead toward performances, films, sharing, and other events.

These are just four of the many charities who’ve benefitting from Scottish Children’s Lottery Trust funding which is needed now more than ever.

Every time you play our lottery you help us support children in Scotland who need it most.

Thank you for choosing Scottish Children’s Lottery and helping us make a difference.

This funding will be used to support their Kids Day’s activities across Scotland which provide information and support to children with a loved one affected by cancer.

The Kids Days are unique, bespoke, and individual for every family who needs it and allow children to learn more about cancer in an age-appropriate way as well as giving them the opportunity to meet others who may be in a similar situation to themselves.

This funding is important as it will allow Maggie’s to continue to support children across Scotland. When someone comes for help, Maggie’s can continue to say yes.

Kerry Craig, Centre Head of Maggie’s Glasgow, would like to say:

“A massive thank you to the Scottish Children’s Lottery and all of the wonderful players. Know that you’re making a massive difference in helping organisations like Maggie’s continue to support people in Scotland.”

Each time you play our lottery, you are helping make a difference through the fantastic causes supported.

We couldn’t do it without you, so we would like to take this moment to join Kerry and say a massive thank you for playing.

Deaf Action provides a wide range of support and activities such as summer camps, family support, workshops, mentoring and transition groups that encourage confidence and independence. The young people are educated and can improve their social skills allowing them to interact with other young people.

It’s common for young people to experience issues throughout transitional periods, but these challenges can be heightened for young deaf people.

Deaf Actions’ youth support aims to help young people as they develop and makes it possible for deaf young people to have the same opportunities are their hearing peers.

Deaf action aims to create an environment where young people can truly be themselves without fear of judgment, allowing them to develop and make friends for life with those who may be in a similar situation.

We are so grateful to be able to support such unique projects, none of this would be possible without the help of our players.

So, on behalf of ourselves and all the charities we would like to take this opportunity to say a great big thank you for playing.

This will benefit a wide range of disadvantaged groups while prioritising children, young people and families who are on a low-income and in single-parent households.

CFCF will offer Aid for Fuel Costs, providing support for families ahead of rising fuel costs as well as financial assistance to offset energy bills and heat their homes, particularly in the upcoming and challenging winter months. Those in need will also be provided with a week's supply of food and essentials such as household cleaning and personal hygiene products.

With the increased costs of living as well as rising fuel and food costs, the funding has become even more vital for those in need.

With your help, disadvantaged families will have direct access to support, tailored to their personal needs and circumstances.

Through the great work of CFCF, those in need will be granted greater financial security and protection from poverty, while experiencing an increased sense of community and improving their overall physical, emotional and mental well-being.

Now more than ever, families and children are relying on charities like CFCF for support and with your support, we can help lessen the burden for those in need.

As always, we want to thank you for continuing to play and helping to make a difference.

The charity delivers much needed youth work, education and health and wellbeing programmes within some of the most deprived areas in Edinburgh with the aim to change lives through sport.

With many families feeling the impact of the rising cost of living and struggles with food poverty, this funding will help provide food for their five youth clubs which ensure the young people who attend can enjoy a home cooked meal.

We're thankful for being able to support such worthy causes and that's all down to our great players.

Together we can make a difference.

By helping to fund projects like these, the charity can support young people particularly at risk of social isolation and becoming involved in anti-social behaviour by giving them the opportunity to increase their confidence and build employability and social skills while alleviating the effects of poverty.

None of this would be possible without the support of our players, who we are so grateful for.

What’s even more special about the CYP accommodation is that it’s a social enterprise that provides employment opportunities to young people, offering training to develop practical skills and gain work experience as well as qualifications in catering, hospitality and the tourism industry.

Not only has the funding provided made a difference to the families staying in the pods but also to those attending CYP who can develop employability skills and in turn, appreciate the difference a holiday can make to a family with an adult or child with disabilities.

We’re so proud to be able to support projects like these and to hear first-hand, how your plays benefit children, young people and families in Scotland.

We think it’s important to share how your subscription helps Scotland’s children and this is echoed by the charity’s Senior Youth Worker.

As always, thank you for playing our lottery.

This funding will allow them to continue to provide a junior drop-in provision, giving young people a safe space to meet friends and build relationships with staff which can be important during difficult times.

There are lots of great activities the kids can enjoy, from arts & crafts to ball games, and cooking, and they even held a Halloween party!

With your support, Wester Hailes Youth Agency can provide food, toiletries and other items the young people might struggle to get at home to allow them to have a bit of dignity.

We think it’s important to share how your subscription helps Scotland’s children and this is echoed by the charity’s Senior Youth Worker.

"I want you guys to know that it's going to make a huge difference to the young people that come to our service, and when we see them running about and having a great time, we will have you to thank for that."

It just goes to show that every time you play, you really do help Children in Scotland who need it most.

We can’t thank our players enough for their continued support.

This funding enables them to provide emergency support to 75 families with children in the asylum system this winter to help them afford essentials like food and warm clothing, shopping trips and visits to see family and friends.

We are so grateful to our players for allowing us to be able to support such great causes especially at a time when so many families are struggling financially.

We believe no child should go without these basic essentials, and want to thank you for your help in supporting children and families across Scotland each time you play our lottery.

That’s why we’re delighted to award AR26 Charity with £10,000 of funding to support their Football for All programme.

Through this fantastic programme, children and young people across Scotland can enjoy free football coaching, giving the children who will benefit most an exciting insight into football, a focus, a safe space, and the chance to be a part of a community.

We’re so grateful for our players as are AR26 Charity who wanted to “say a huge thank you to the Scottish Children’s Lottery players, for joining us upfront in creating chances for children to play football!

In total we have given over £7 million to charities all over Scotland and with your help, North Glasgow Food Community Initiative received £4,408, of grant funding.

“We don’t have any outdoor space, so this is amazing!”

We are so grateful to be able to support such amazing charities, but none of it would be possible without your continued support.

Thank you for playing and giving children of Scotland a chance to thrive!

PLUS Forth Valley is a charity founded by parents and carers who wanted their children with disabilities to have access to the same social and leisure activities are their non-disabled peers and siblings, is just one of the charities you’ve supported and we were delighted to award them with a grant of £5,000.

The grant enabled them to offer four After School Club sessions a week split between primary school and secondary school children throughout term time. This allows the children to have a more structured day where they can end the school day at PLUS and enjoy fun activities like arts and crafts or making their own snacks.

With your help, the charity has also been able to hire new staff members, meaning even more children enjoy the sessions!

The club is a safe environment where the young people can learn coping skills for learning to live with their disability as well as building their confidence. It also provides parents and carers some respite, which allows them to work or gives them the chance to spend time with other siblings.

“I feel happier in the knowledge he is being supported to socialise without me present, building his independence and giving him opportunities for new things” – Parent.

Being able to support such amazing charities is a real privilege and we could do it without players like you.

Thanks for choosing to make a difference by playing our lottery – every play counts!

The charity provides a range of services including advice, training and respite breaks to unpaid carers who care for a member of their family, friend or neighbour who has a physical disability, mental health problem or addiction who needs support at home.

The funding was provided to support their Alpha Venture Employability Programme which offers work experience opportunities, training and placements to young carers with poor school attendance, or who have left school with little or no qualifications.

The charity supported 119 young carers during the programme, aiming to improve the health, wellbeing, confidence and resilience of the young people involved.

We’d say that aim was more than achieved as not only did some of these young people go on to gain employment, others undertook further training, some started paid work experience, re-engaged with school, received 1:1 mentoring, and others went on to further education. What great work!

This wouldn’t be possible without the help of our players, so thank you for being a part of making a difference

They aim to match trained workers and volunteers with children and families who are vulnerable and or have a child with additional support needs, who may be isolated within their community with no or very little support of their own in place.

With the help of this grant, Firsthand Lothian worked with 23 different families, building positive, supportive relationships with the parents and engaged in fun activities to help develop the children’s communication skills and build confidence. The activities were child led and saw them visiting places and doing things that children enjoy as well as encouraging them to try new things and places such as The Royal Mile, The Science Festival and even rock pooling!

Firsthand Lothian play an important part in helping children and families to feel more connected and less isolated within their local community.

This is just a small insight into some of the amazing charities that are benefitting from the money raised by our players and shows how through your lottery tickets, you can really make a difference.

Thanks for all your support and choosing to play the Scottish Children’s Lottery.

The charity works alongside children and their families with additional support needs, to reduce stress and difficulties as well as helping to improve their relationships.

They provide a range of services from helping children transition to high school, to school one-to-one sessions and attendance meetings, offering emotional support to get young people back into school.

Their group sessions focus on mental wellbeing, team building and creating positive relationships which all come into play with their exciting holiday activities like getting out and about on the bus and days at the park, making friends and enjoying some ice cream!

We’re sure that would put a smile on a lot of faces!

We’re so proud to support fantastic charities such as Families First St Andrew’s and thank all of our players who are helping us to make sure Scotland is filled with happy and confident children for years to come.

This much needed funding allowed them to support over 360 families living in poverty with safe and sustainable baby and child equipment, such as prams and highchairs and Baby Food Packs, which contain essential items such as formula milk for babies and are provided to families who need it most.

The charity also recently opened a family centre which provides a space for the charity to support vulnerable families in making positive changes in their lives as parents and helping them to raise happy and healthy children.

With your help, Birth, Baby and Beyond were able to bring on more staff which will allow them to push forward with many of their amazing plans for the future.

A Children and Families social worker who works in partnership with the charity tells us how crucial this funding is:

“I have witnessed first-hand how support from Birth, Baby & Beyond has enabled children’s immediate needs to be met… This action enables families to meet their child’s physical needs, but crucially it also has the lasting impact of allowing the family to focus on other aspects of their child’s care.”

Every child deserves the best start in life and we feel so proud to be supporting Birth, Baby & Beyond who are ensuring Glasgow’s children don’t go without.

This wouldn’t be possible without players like you and we’re truly grateful for your continued support.

On behalf of ourselves and all of the charities involved, we would like to say a massive thank you!

Many families can find themselves in a desperate situation with an immediate financial need and the fund enables the charity to quickly provide families with money for food, travel, clothing, laundry, toiletries and in some cases household fuel.

The charity explained just how crucial the service is for families:

“A baby was born by emergency C-section as mum had developed COVID complications and was then put into an induced coma within intensive care. Additionally, Dad had also developed COVID, he was self-employed with no income being received in the household.”

The family were relieved to receive immediate support from the Emergency Fund as well as a referral to the Family Fund and Money Matters. Without the support of the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, the situation could’ve become a greater worry for the family.

On behalf of ourselves, the charity and all the families you have helped support at their time of need, thank you for playing.

Children 1st is a national charity working to prevent and protect children from reaching a point of crisis and were awarded £25,000 of Scottish Children’s Lottery Charity funding.

The funding was vital to their support work and enabled the charity to help 14,451 children, young people and families through their local services in 13 communities across Scotland. The past few years have been tough for many families and Children 1st worked with families to help them recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic, addressing their practical, emotional and financial needs with urgency, compassion, and care.

With your help, Children 1st delivered over £30,000 worth of supermarket vouchers to 650 families to help them meet immediate needs. By having support like this, 89% of families have improved financial stability.

One parent explained how much of an impact the charity has had on them:

“Children 1st have been a lifeline for my family. Without their support, I’d have spiraled into such a dark place that I wouldn’t have been there for the boys.”

As always, it’s stories like these that really hit home just how much of a difference charities like Children 1st can make and with your continued support, we can support even more good causes to ensure every child has a chance in life.

Thank you for playing.

The children take part in weekly gardening session which has been shown to improve health and wellbeing with the support of a Therapeutic Gardener. Just the like the seeds sown, the children are flourishing and their feeling of self-worth growing. By allowing them to carry out the tasks themselves, the children’s level of independence and sense of responsibility has also increased.

The children even created a bird bath which involved sanding a wooden post where one child was able to work independently sanding and painting and is very proud of their work. We can’t wait to see the finished result!

It’s stories like this that making playing so worthwhile.

We wouldn’t be able to support such amazing causes without your continued support, so thank you for playing with us.

Bridges Project, based in East Lothian and Midlothian also received £16,550 of Scottish Children's Lottery funding to expand their Way2Work 16+ service, enabling them to help even more young people develop confidence and employability skills.

There's no better feeling than seeing a child smile and with your help, and through the great work of the charities, there will be a lot of happy wee faces out there!

You could do it too when you play Always IN!...

The charity supports families with young children who are facing difficulties. They recognise the ongoing challenges of raising children in the safest and most nurturing of environments whilst coping with the stresses of ill health, isolation, disrupted relationships, poor & insecure housing, financial insecurity, trauma, abuse, and loss.

This funding allowed the charity to support 30 Home-Starts across multiple local authorities such as Angus, Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian, Renfrewshire & Aberdeenshire. Not only did the £25,000 enable them to focus on a mix of immediate needs to maintain or increase their support to existing families, but also on building their future capacity to reach more families

With the help of our players, around 100 infants, from babies to 5 years old, and their parents were supported through Scottish Children's Lottery funding

These stories just illustrate how together, we can help make a difference to the lives of young people in Scotland.

You could do it too when you play Always IN!...

There are plenty of fantastic prizes to be won, including a share of £50,000.

Sign up today and you could be next to cash in on some BIG money prizes.

You could do it too when you play Always IN!...

There are plenty of fantastic prizes to be won, including a share of £50,000.

Sign up today and you could be next to cash in on some BIG money prizes.

The funding, which will have a life-changing impact for around 10,000 children and families in 2022, will support projects that ensure children receive the very best start in life, no matter their circumstances.

Around one in five of all households in Scotland are classed as being in, or on the margins of, poverty. This leads to over 220,000 children in Scotland struggling daily with the effects of poverty.

Scott Millar, Charity Manager at the Scottish Children’s Lottery, said: “We are delighted to announce such a significant amount of funding to help support projects that ensure children in Scotland receive the very best start in life, no matter the circumstances they were born into.

“Our vision is to ensure that children across Scotland are given the same chances as everyone else, regardless of the challenges they face.

“We are confident that the supported projects will enable and empower disadvantaged young people to achieve goals that might otherwise have been out of reach.

“Our key aim is to improve the lives of young people right across the country and strive to build and develop close-knit relationships between those who matter most. Last year was exceptionally tough for many families, so we are delighted to be able to kick-start 2022 with this funding that will help so many children throughout the whole of Scotland.”

A diverse group of projects will benefit from the windfall, and the charities that were successful in gaining funding range from those in the Highlands to those in Dumfries and Galloway.

These include organisations seeking to help marginalised young people in multi-cultural communities become more socially connected. Another will introduce at-risk young people to the joy of climbing as a way of developing life skills like teamwork, self-confidence and resilience. 

We will continue to share the life-changing stories from these charities as the year progresses and provide feedback on the relationships built along the way. But for now, here are what your contributions mean to some of the charities we’ll be working with:

“All of us at Solar Bear are delighted about this generous offer of funding, and I know our DYT members will be too. Thanks so much, this award will make a huge difference to our work with DYT next year.” – Jonathan Lloyd, Creative Director/CEO Solar Bear (Deaf Youth Theatre) in Glasgow.

“We are thrilled to receive this significant funding boost from the Scottish Children’s Lottery, which will go a long way in securing the roll out of our Ready for Life programme. The programme trains secondary school pupils in emergency first aid and first aid for mental health, equipping them with a range of life skills and the ability to spot vital signs of mental health issues in family and friends.” – Stuart Callison, chief executive at St Andrew’s First Aid (Mental Health First Aid Training).

“What wonderful news especially on such a grey day. We are so enormously grateful for the continued support of the Scottish Children’s Lottery. This grant is really great news, thank you again for supporting our youth work.” - Gemma Fleet, Fundraising Manager Epilepsy Action Scotland

“A HUGE thank you...this award is going to make a significant impact; we greatly appreciate your support through the process.” - Claire Montgomery, Head of Engagement, Curiosity Collective

“Thanks so much for this brilliant news - absolutely thrilled!” - Caryn Kerr, Fundraising & Development Manager, Big Hearts Community Trust.

Every subscription benefits good causes for children in Scotland. These include local community groups; disadvantaged young people and their families and carers.

With the help of our players, we have raised more than £6.5 million for good causes. And there’s much more to come.

Edinburgh School Uniform Bank provide new school uniforms to families who are facing hardship, with the aim of supporting their dignity, inclusion, wellbeing, school attendance and attainment.

With money raised by our players, we awarded the charity £5,000 which kitted out 924 children and young people with a week’s worth of shirts for going back to school.

The children are referred by family support workers, one of which describes just how big an impact these projects can have:

“It helps parents enormously, many cannot afford to buy school uniforms, some children I support go to school with holes in their shoes, some are inadequately dressed for the weather. One little girl was just beaming when she tried on her uniform. I found this very emotional. She did a twirl with her skirt on, she was so pleased with herself. The parents are always very grateful.”

One of the wee girls involved in the project even drew a thank you message (pictured above):

“Thank you, I look nice going to school. My brother looks good too”.

We are so grateful and proud to support such meaningful work in the local community and to hear first-hand how the funding can make a difference to the lives of children and young people. This is what playing our lottery is all about!

On behalf of ourselves and the charities involved, thank you for your continued support!

You can find out more about the Edinburgh School Uniform Bank here.

The programme is one step on their mission to ensure that disadvantaged children and young people in the UK have the literacy skills they need to lead a successful life.

271 children and their families were brought together with professionals and volunteers to engage in fun learning activities including songs and rhymes with the aim of encouraging communication skills, strengthening and developing the parent/child bond in the process while preparing the children for school and future learning.

Training was also delivered to 27 practitioners in different grassroots organisations which proved successful in building practitioner confidence in delivering as well as engaging with parents involved.

Many of the parents described how their child’s enjoyment of drawing and singing had increased as well as their own understanding and confidence around supporting their child’s early literacy at home.

One parent didn’t like to read stories to her toddler and found it difficult to engage when reading stories. After a chat with the parents I supplied her with a story sack. Feedback was very positive, her child was fully engaged and they both had fun bringing the story to life. – Practitioner

So maybe there is such a thing as a happy ending, or maybe this is just an exciting beginning!

You can find out more about The National Literacy Trust here.

The Scottish Children’s Lottery’s main aim is to raise money to help children in Scotland, and each time you play, you are supporting charities and good causes out in the local communities doing just that.

The Wester Hailes Youth Agency, who work with young people aged 8-25 in Wester Hailes and the surrounding communities in South West Edinburgh, are just one of the many good causes making a difference.

With your help, we’ve provided funding of £10,000 which will support their Drop In provision for young people aged 8-18, giving them the chance to have fun, a break from their problems and access to support as they need it.

Fundraising Officer, Clare, describes the Drop In as “a safe and secure environment where young people can develop relationships with peers and staff, enjoy their free time and feel part of their community:

During the COVID crisis we have delivered digital sessions which included a digital summer programme: a night at the movies, a wellbeing session, craft sessions, chocolate pizzas and a games night. We delivered all resources needed for sessions to the young people taking part.”

That sounds like something we’d want to get involved in! The Youth Agency have enjoyed welcoming young people back to their youth centre and seeing each other in person again, with Fundraising Officer, Clare, emphasising how “relationships with young people are at the centre of our work”. 

Both the Scottish Children’s Lottery and The Wester Hailes Youth Agency are grateful for your continued support which makes this all possible, so on behalf of the Scottish Children’s Lottery and the charities involved – thank you.

This much needed funding enables the charities to reach the children and young people most in need.

By playing Always In, players just like you have helped make a difference to lives of young people all across Scotland through the work of charities such as Family Support Unit (Circle) who received funding of £20,000, Epilepsy Action Scotland who received £10,000, and Ecologia Youth Trust who received £23,499.

This wouldn’t be possible without your continued support, so on behalf of the Scottish Children’s Lottery and the charities involved – thank you!

Through this funding Youth Vision have also be able to start up groups such as the Back on Track Group, allowing young people to be out of school one day a week to work on their John Muir Award & Dynamic Youth Awards.

Despite current restrictions, Youth Vision are continuing to support the young people in their efforts to achieve their goals and awards by connecting with them via online group calls. All groups have been offered the chance to do their Duke of Edinburgh Awards. At this time their Saturday Wilderness group have been meeting in their local park and enjoying being outdoors, learning new skills and are working towards their Dynamic Youth Awards.

A spokesperson from Youth Vision stated:

“Even though it has been an extremely difficult year, we at Youth Vision have managed to continue supporting young people in their communities.”

Both the Scottish Children’s Lottery and The Youth Vision are grateful your continued support which makes this all possible, so on behalf of the Scottish Children’s Lottery and the charities involved – thank you.

Thank you for playing!