Seven organisations, spread across Midlothian and beyond, have each received cheques for £400 to help with their work tackling poverty over the busy festive period; they are Aberlour Child Care Trust, Dalkeith Storehouse, Edinburgh and Lothian Trust Fund (ELTF), Mayfield Pantry, Gorebridge-based Midlothian Foodbank, Newbattle Storehouse and Penicuik Foodbank.

Abby Parkhurst from Aberlour Child Care Trust, said: “An enormous thank you to Melville for the £400 donation we recently received. Since the end of the furlough scheme and the uplift to Universal Credit, applications to our urgent Assistance Fund have been steadily increasing. Melville’s donation will go directly to the families who need it most this winter.”

Jane Burnett, Melville housing manager, added: “All of these charities provide invaluable help to the communities we serve and we’re delighted to be able to help out in some small way. It’s going to be a long hard winter for a lot of people but there is support available. Any Melville tenant who is struggling should contact us and if we can’t help directly we will point them in the direction of an organisation that can.”