A young person with dark hair stands in front of a group of fashion mannequins. Wearing a black jumper, they hold a brightly coloured tote bag, which features swirls of blue, purple and red

Image: Martin Shields

A young Scot designs charity tote with John Lewis to “represent the brilliance of care experienced people”

Posted 19.01.24 by Alice Hinds

A care experienced student from Glasgow has designed a new charity tote bag in partnership with retailer John Lewis, helping to raise vital funds while also inspiring young people in the care system to discover their talent.

Selected by Who Cares? Scotland (click here for more) as an individual with bags of potential, 18-year-old Michael Archibald was given the opportunity to work with the in-house design team at Saatchi & Saatchi as part of the retailer’s Building Happier Futures programme, which recruits people with care experience to work in its department stores.

The first item in a new range of products the retailer says will create more opportunities for designers with care experience, profits from sales of Michael’s bold and stylish bag – available for just £12 – will go to Action for Children, Home-Start UK, and Who Cares? Scotland.

Discussing the inspiration behind the bag, Michael said: “The stars on the bag represent the brilliance of care experienced people, and the surrounding clouds depict the love, care and respect these individuals need.

“Creative industries are such a competitive field and being given the chance to create a product that is actually my own design – and see it physically in store – is an amazing experience. It’s made me feel like I’m able to go places.”

Queralt Ferrer, John Lewis' Director of Design for Fashion, added: “We set out to design a tote bag, but beyond that, our brief to Michael was very open. We could see he has a keen eye for aesthetics, and the ability to create authentic and captivating designs.”

In 2023, the Building Happier Futures (click here for more) programme generated £1.1million for care experience charities, including supporting Who Cares? Scotland to hold events for 880 people.

News: Campaign for school-based fundraising for Pakistan floods

Posted 6 September, 2022 by Nina Joynson

A Scotland-based initiative has developed new school materials to teach pupils about Pakistan and encourage fundraising to aid relief efforts.

Following mass flooding that has devastated Pakistan in recent weeks, Global Citizenship Education (GCE) has launched new educational materials to help schools to teach pupils about Pakistan and raise money towards relief work in the country.

The new resources help to teach pupils about modern-day Pakistan and the country's history while combatting stereotypes. It also connects with the Sustainable Development Goals, detailing how Pakistan has been affected by global warming.

Schools are also being encouraged to take part in fundraising throughout September and share their campaigns with GCE through email or social media. All monies raised will go towards the official appeal for relief efforts.

Two days after rolling out the latest campaign, GCE's founder Nuzhat Uthmani announced that Glasgow City Council had agreed to launch the materials across its schools, meaning thousands of pupils will start fundraising and learning about Pakistan in the coming weeks.

2022 floods

Pakistan has been devastated by flooding that began in June. It is now estimated a third of the country, an area equivalent to the size of the UK, is now under water.

A state of emergency was declared on 25 August, with over 30 million people affected by flooding as a result of heavy monsoon rainfall. The severe consequences to homes, food and crops, livestock, infrastructure, and sanitation have overwhelmed rescue and aid agencies and international assistance has been called on to provide relief.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) formally launched an appeal on 1 September to generate donations towards the rescue and aid mission.

Learning through a global citizenship framework

The resources focused on Pakistan's recent flooding is the latest from the GCE initiative, which compiles resources to help educators to embed the values of global citizenship, sustainability and antiracism in their teaching activities.

Founded in Scotland by Uthmani, the materials are aimed at a primary school audience in a Curriculum for Excellence framework, with guidance towards appropriate materials for older classes.

Click here to learn more about the GCE campaign and start fundraising

Click here to donate directly to the Pakistan Floods Appeal

Q&A with Sarah Dyer: Talking the talk and walking the walk

Posted 17 August, 2022 by Jennifer Drummond

Sarah Dyer, an Early Years Officer from Fife, will be taking The Big Stroll as part of the Kiltwalk 2022 in aid of Children in Scotland. Here, she tells us how supporting children and young people during the pandemic gave her the motivation to fundraise for us.

What inspired you to sign up for the Kiltwalk 2022?

I was looking to be more active and start walking more. Someone at work suggested that I take part in a charity walk to give me some motivation. I had seen adverts on TV for the Kiltwalk and always thought it looked really fun. This year's Kiltwalk is on my 41st birthday so I took that as a sign and registered.

How are you preparing? Do you have a special training regime?

I have been going for walks with friends who are also taking part in the Kiltwalk, covering just over 5 miles. I try to walk about 2-3 miles a day but with only a few weeks to go until the big day I really need to up my game and increase those distances!!

Have you walked for charity before or completed any other charity events in the past?

I've never walked this distance before but I think having friends to chat to and the atmosphere on the day will help.

I have previously taken part in charity events and have abseiled from the Wallace Monument and Tynecastle Football Stadium for the RNIB.

Why did you choose to walk for Children in Scotland?

As an Early Years Officer and a mum, I understand the challenges that children and young people face. During the pandemic, I became aware of Children in Scotland and your fantastic resources for people working with children, in particular your webinars and training courses to enable a better understanding of the challenges that children in our country face and how best to support them.

I chose to walk for Children in Scotland because, like me, you strive to improve children's lives, focusing on improving outcomes for children facing all sorts of barriers and helping them to reach their full potential.

Sarah Dyer will be walking The Big Stroll, a distance of 14.8 miles, as part of the Edinburgh Kiltwalk on Saturday 18 September.

Click here to sponsor Sarah, on behalf of Children in Scotland

A young Scot designs charity tote with John Lewis to “represent the brilliance of care experienced people”

A care experienced student from Glasgow has designed a new charity tote bag in partnership with retailer John Lewis, helping to raise vital funds while also inspiring young people in the care system to discover their talent.

Related content

News: Campaign for school-based fundraising for Pakistan floods

A Scotland-based initiative has developed new school materials to teach pupils about Pakistan and encourage fundraising to aid relief efforts.

Related content

Q&A with Sarah Dyer: Talking the talk and walking the walk

Sarah Dyer, an Early Years Officer from Fife, will be taking The Big Stroll as part of the Kiltwalk 2022 in aid of Children in Scotland. Here, she tells us how supporting children and young people during the pandemic gave her the motivation to fundraise for us.

Related content