Firsthand Lothian

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Firsthand Lothian Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Firsthand Lothian, Nonprofit Organization, .

Firsthand Lothian aims to increase resiliency and improve well-being of disadvantaged and vulnerable families and those with a child/ren with a disability up to the age of 16. Delivered in the family's local community we match workers and volunteers a child and their family and work with them to help them achieve the change and outcomes they have identified as being important to them.

We support children with Additional Support Needs who are in mainstream education but struggling. Through spending 1:1 time with the child weekly, at weekends for 3 - 4 hours, over a period of 6- 9 months, the worker will encourage the child to have new experiences, go to new places, try new things and engage in activities that aid their development, improves their social and communication skills, confidence and self esteem.

In addition we offer support to parents and carers though our Time 4 Mum project which matches an isolated parent / carer with a volunteer for up to 12 weeks - encouraging mum to think about what she would like to do on a regular basis to recharge her batteries, enable her to meet new people and build networks of her own in her local community.


We also deliver Health and Wellbeing sessions for parents and carers where, in addition to meeting others who understand the challenges of having one or more children with additional support needs, they can learn techniques and engage in activities that help them better manage stress and provides space to recharge their batteries and share their parenting knowledge and experiences.


We are not in receipt of statutory funding and we do not work with families who are in receipt of statutory support. To that end we actively seek funding from Trust and Grant making bodies and generate income through fundraising activities and individual donations.

Firsthand Lothian were at The University of Edinburgh careers fair today speaking to potential Family Support Workers an...
06/10/2026

Firsthand Lothian were at The University of Edinburgh careers fair today speaking to potential Family Support Workers and Volunteers and Time for Mum buddy volunteers.

Firsthand Lothian parent carer mums used decorative paper and napkins to do Decoupage on shells at the wellbeing group t...
05/10/2026

Firsthand Lothian parent carer mums used decorative paper and napkins to do Decoupage on shells at the wellbeing group this morning.

It is a fun and easy craft where a base layer of Mod Podge is used pressing down the napkin or paper and sealing it with a top coat for a glossy finish.

Decoupaged shells could be used as decorative trinket and jewellery dishes, functional home decor items, thoughtful handmade gifts or seasonal ornaments. 🐚

02/10/2026

Thanks to Bridgend Farmhouse for letting us host our health and wellbeing exhibition for the month of September. It was amazing to celebrate the work of our parent carer wellbeing group and we got really positive feedback from people who had viewed it. It has inspired us to create more artwork.

Firsthand Lothian were at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh at their Qemploy event today chatting to potential Family...
01/10/2026

Firsthand Lothian were at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh at their Qemploy event today chatting to potential Family support workers and volunteers and Time for mum buddy volunteers.

Thank you to Balerno Village Trust for inviting us today. It was lovely to chat with people today and get a tour of your...
29/09/2026

Thank you to Balerno Village Trust for inviting us today. It was lovely to chat with people today and get a tour of your new community space. Good luck planning future community events and programmes. Very exciting!

Firsthand Lothian parent carer mums enjoyed a 4 week interactive Stress Management Group which helped them understand th...
28/09/2026

Firsthand Lothian parent carer mums enjoyed a 4 week interactive Stress Management Group which helped them understand their unique stress response and build practical coping strategies.

During weeks 2-4 the women learned to

•Identify Triggers:
Recognise early signs of tension and how stress affects your body and mind.

•Mindfulness Techniques:
They practiced simple, real-time breathing and grounding exercises which they can use anywhere.

•Peer Connection:
They shared experiences and learned alongside each other in a safe and relaxing environment.

•A Toolkit:
The women had a chance to make actionable routines to manage their emotional well-being long after the session ends.

We are looking forward to meeting parent carers tomorrow at this event.More information on the flier below.Thank you to ...
28/09/2026

We are looking forward to meeting parent carers tomorrow at this event.
More information on the flier below.
Thank you to Balerno Village Trust for hosting this event. 🙂

Firsthand Lothian Time for Mum Volunteer Anushka shares her experience of volunteering. If you think you could inspire a...
25/09/2026

Firsthand Lothian Time for Mum Volunteer Anushka shares her experience of volunteering.

If you think you could inspire and motivate a mum to reach a personal goal why not become a Time for Mum buddy.
Could you befriend an isolated mum? Do you have spare time during the week?
If you can give 2-4 hours per week please get in touch. Please apply on our website or contact us on [email protected] or 0131 523 1322

Firsthand Lothian will have a stall to meet new Volunteers and Family Support Workers at the following events. We look forward to chatting to potential volunteers and workers and sharing with you what we do.

Heriot Watt on Wednesday 30th September from 2-4pm
Heriot-Watt University

Queen Margaret University on Thursday 1st of October from 11-2 pm
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

Edinburgh University on Tuesday 6th October from 1-6pm
The University of Edinburgh

Last night at our AGM we said goodbye to Shona Campbell who is standing down from the Management Committee after 10 year...
24/09/2026

Last night at our AGM we said goodbye to Shona Campbell who is standing down from the Management Committee after 10 years. Shona used her expertise to serve as our Treasurer. We are grateful for all her support and wish her well in all her future endeavours.
Thanks again Shona you'll be missed

Frankie continues sharing her experience of being a Family Support Volunteer with Firsthand Lothian and explains what th...
23/09/2026

Frankie continues sharing her experience of being a Family Support Volunteer with Firsthand Lothian and explains what the rewards are by volunteering.

Firsthand Lothian will have a stall to meet new Volunteers and Family Support Workers at the following events. We look forward to chatting to potential volunteers and workers and sharing with you what we do.

Heriot Watt on Wednesday 30th September from 2-4pm
Heriot-Watt University

Queen Margaret University on Thursday 1st of October from 11-2 pm
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

Edinburgh University on Tuesday 6th October from 1-6pm
The University of Edinburgh

If you are looking to gain practical experience supporting children to reach personal goals and develop skills and confidence see our flier attached.

We are looking for people who have a spare 4 + hours per week on either Friday afternoons, Saturdays or Sundays and would like to make a difference. If interested please get in touch.
You can apply on our website or contact us on [email protected] or 0131 523 1322

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