Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP

Last month, I visited Asda’s store on Chesser Avenue to meet staff and congratulate them on their fundraising efforts for breast cancer care.

I was also pleased to meet pupils from Colvenstone Primary school in Westerhailes who made a major contribution to this year’s fundraising.  I was told about the idea to approach the school to ask them to contribute jokes to a book that Asda would publish.  The final result is a brightly coloured booklet filled with drawings and traditional jokes that we all know and enjoy. They certainly had me chuckling for the rest of the afternoon!

I was impressed by the enthusiasm of all the staff involved in the fundraising and congratulated them on their hard work in support of a very good cause. They can be very pleased that their efforts have contributed to over £4 million being raised for their Tickled Pink charity this year.

Later the same day I met people from the constituency who have been volunteering for a children’s charity.  I explained that I to share their goal in fighting to end child poverty.  We’ve doing this through a raft of measures that come together to support families – increases to child benefit and child tax credit, maternity pay increases, free nursery places. But work is the best and most sustainable route out of poverty so last’s months figures showing a rise in employment and a decrease in job-seekers claimants is good news.

The volunteers have given hundreds of hours over the last few months to refurbish the charity shop.  They told me how much they’d learned and enjoyed the experience which gave them the chance to give something back to the community.  Some of them have even signed up to help in the shop in the led up to Christmas!

It was in the lead up to last Christmas that we saw the collapse of Farepak.  The   Government has worked hard to help savers affected, initiating an immediate investigation, and strongly supporting the Farepak Response Fund Appeal which raised £8million.

It’s important that we do all we can to avoid anything like this happening again.
Ministers have ensured that people who pay into Christmas hamper savings schemes are better protected in the future. We have also given the Office of Fair Trading £1million for a new awareness campaign so that consumers are better aware of their options for Christmas savings.

Finally, may I take this opportunity to wish West Edinburgh Times readers a very happy Christmas and a good New Year.