Ross is living his dream!

One of the With Kids ambassadors, Ross Morrison, who is a very talented athlete and was a Coca Cola Flames torch bearer in the Olympic Torch Relay has been living his dream.

Find out in this blog post how Ross has overcame his own personal struggles to become a professional basketball player and believes that all children deserve a chance to fulfil their dreams...

Recently there has been a lot happening with our young ambassador. His parents moved to be closer to him but he's left the country!

He got the opportunity to go to Dallas for a few days to meet up with his cousins and to give him a much needed break from the hectic year he'd just had. 

By chance while he was on holiday, he got spotted!

He has been asked to go back for 3 months and to train and play for TX Bluechips in the Summer Tournaments in Los Angeles and Las Vegas which has been an absolutely amazing opportunity for him!

He also met one of the former Glasgow Rocks players Rob Yanders whose team Ross was playing against.

So much for the guy who joined a basketball club over here and was told he would never play and remain a printer.

The young star has said that no matter how often someone says you can't try for your dream, if it's within reach, then go for it! 

Sometimes it just happens when you are not expecting it - so never give up!

After everything Ross has been through trying to become a basketball player it's taken a world class coach and a chance meeting to spot his true potential.

We hope you enjoy the photos of Ross going all out and living his dream!

We are currently running a competition on the With Kids Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the #WKMemories where you could win an overnight's stay for two at the CitizenM Hotel in Glasgow.

You can choose to upload an old photo, or you can take one of a place which you remember fondly from your childhood - it's completely up to you! To find out more about the competition please click HERE.

If you have found this post of interest then please feel free to share it with your online community via the share buttons below. Thank you.

With Kids Edinburgh - Ladies Lunch

With Kids may have originated in the east end of Glasgow, however did you know that we also help vulnerable children and families in Edinburgh?

Thanks to Inspiring Scotland, who provided funding for our Edinburgh pilot based in Wester Hailes in the south-west of the city, we now reach even more vulnerable families across Scotland on a daily basis.

And on Friday 28th of September, we are hosting a Ladies Lunch at the beautifully restored Grade A Ghillie Dhu in Edinburgh - where all proceeds from the event will go to our Wester Hailes Project.

The afternoon, hosted by Peter Ferguson of PDF Productions, will include entertainment by the fabulous Edward Reid, semi-finalist on Britain’s Got Talent.

fatBuzz, a social media, design, marketing and events management company from Glasgow, is organising the event and the champagne reception is sponsored by Inverarity Morton, one of Scotland's largest independent drinks suppliers.

There will also be an opportunity to shop from a selection of pop up shops including Nova Handbags and Orli Jewellery.

There are a variety of ways in which you can help. You could become a sponsor for the afternoon or you could take a table. A table for 10 is priced at £500, or individual tickets can be bought for £50.

If you are unable to attend, perhaps you could help in some other way? We are looking for auction and raffle prizes or maybe you would simply like to make a donation?

To book a ticket, or table, please email events@fatbuzz.com

You can now follow With Kids Edinburgh on Twitter, where you can keep up to date with our latest news and information.

We will also be revealing our new With Kids Edinburgh ambassador, who is an ex-Scotland rugby international, as soon as possible! Can you guess who it will be?

If you have found this post of interest then please feel free to share it with your online community via the share buttons below. Thank you.

Once Upon A Time - A Real Fairytale

As many people are no doubt aware, With Kids' ambassador Robert Carlyle is currently starring in the hit American fantasy-drama, Once Upon A Time.

Robert's involvement with our charity was highlighted by members of Once Upon A Fan, the major online resource for fans of the series, who then decided to help with fundraising.

In an incredible real life fairytale for With Kids, they have, to date, raised £3,475 of a £5,000 target.

As if that wasn't enough, Once Upon A Fan are running a With Kids charity auction from Monday 24th September to Sunday 30th September 2012.

Pieces for auction will include jewellery, original fan art pieces, rare autographed posters, journals, Emmy DVDs and lots more.

The final, ultimate auction for the ‘chipped cup’ from Skin Deep, signed by Robert and Emilie de Ravin, will take place on the 30th September.

Gareth Hughes, the founder of Once Upon A Fan, said: “The support we have received from all over the world has just been incredible. It has blown me away. Not just in terms of donations, but the kindness shown.”

In our second guest blog post, Gareth delves into his past and explains why With Kids are so close to his heart.

Every Fairytale has a Happy Ending

I became aware of With Kids through fans of Once Upon A Time, who recommended watching the videos that Robert had done. 

I could really relate to the difficulties that disadvantaged families go through and the idea that everybody deserves a chance, or a happy ending.

I grew up in a very poor part of Merseyside on a council estate where chances in life seemed limited. 

Early on, I made a conscious decision that I could do well in spite of the barriers that society sometimes places on people.

I went to university and I am now a manager of a brain injury unit in Cheshire.

I can relate so much to what With Kids are trying to do because my mother and father never had that kind of support.

We were lucky in the sense of having a local community of neighbours that pulled together and supported each other, but nothing like With Kids existed.

So, when I learned about With Kids and what they do, it was just instinctive, as the fan site grew in popularity, that we could use this huge following to do some real good.

My life could have gone down a very different path so the idea of building resilience and self esteem in children from a young age is so important to me, so that they find pride in themselves and achieve their goals, however big or small those goals are.

That's why I love what With Kids are doing.

The love is mutual Gareth. The love is mutual.

If you would like to submit an item for the Once Upon A Fan With Kids auction, contact Gareth at gareth@onceuponatimefans.co.uk

You can donate to With Kids, via Once Upon A Fan's Just Giving page.

If you would like to follow in Gareth's footsteps and write a guest blog post for With Kids, please email s.blair@withkids.co.uk with your ideas and suggestions.

If you have found this post of interest then please feel free to share it with your online community via the share buttons below. Thank you.

With Kids are Having a Ball!

At With Kids, we always make sure some of Glasgow's most disadvantaged and vulnerable children are having the time of their lives, but next month, they really will be having a Ball.

That’s because on Friday 14th of September, we are hosting our second With Kids Autumn Ball and Fashion Show!

Taking place in the luxuriously refurbished Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow, the evening, organised by fatBuzz Ltd, promises to be a night to remember.

Featuring clothes from Falk&Ross UK Limited, as well as exclusively designed t-shirts made by the children and their families, the children themselves will take to the catwalk to strut their stuff.

Letting the kids take centre stage on the night will undoubtedly help boost their confidence and self-esteem, and subsequently, could really help change their young lives.

April Clark, a student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, will be managing production and choreography, while students from Cumbernauld College will be taking care of hair and makeup.

After the fashion show, the party will continue with Michelle McManus and Scotland’s top female tribute band, Feeva.

The event will be hosted by BAFTA award winning actress and With Kids’ Ambassador, Kathleen McDermott Carberry, alongside celebrity designer and television presenter, John Amabile.

Kathleen, who was born and bred in Barlanark in the east end of the city, has previously spoke of her pride in being an Ambassador for With Kids.

She said: “I am extremely proud to be an Ambassador for With Kids because the area in which they work is very close to my heart and it saddens me that so many children living in Glasgow are still in need of the help and support With Kids provide."

This fashion show will not only raise much-needed funds for one of Glasgow's most important charities, but the children will be undertaking something that can empower them in a way that they have never experienced.

A table of ten for the With Kids Autumn Ball and Fashion Show will cost £750 and we’d be delighted if you, your friends and clients could join us for a memorable night of drinks, dinner, fashion, and entertainment.

We are delighted to have a number of category sponsors onboard, but there are still sponsorship opportunities available. If you want to support this event, you can be assured that With Kids have considerable experience of event management and corporate partnerships and will maximise the opportunity for you.

Finally, the With Kids Autumn Ball and Fashion Show promises to be a fantastic event, but we depend on auction prizes to make a healthy amount of money for some of the most vulnerable and excluded children who desperately need the support of With Kids.

For more information on booking details, sponsorship or auction prizes, please contact events@fatbuzz.com.

If you have found this post of interest then please feel free to share it with your online community via the share buttons below. Thank you.

With Kids Charity Ambassador, David Eustace the face of Panasonic Lumix G3

One of 'With Kids' ambassadors David Eustace is the face of the new Panasonic Lumix G3. We think this is pretty great given David's humble beginnings as an East End Glaswegian. We are so proud to have David as one of our Ambassadors as his support and love for the charity has helped raise awareness for what we do.


With Kids is based in the East End of Glasgow which has some of the highest levels of poverty in Scotland and the UK. Living in or near an area of high poverty can affect people directly or indirectly through crime, lack of amenities, poor educational facilities etc. We work to support families and children who find themselves in difficult situations and those who struggle to cope with these issues.

As a famous contemporary photographer, we think David is the ideal choice to be one of the main faces for Panasonic's newest compact system camera. The international advertising campaign for the Lumix G3 highlights David's use of the camera. Through the campaign we are able to not only see how fantastic and high quality the camera is, but we are able to get a glimpse of how David views the world and also how he captures images of ordinary life, yet he makes them look extraordinary. In David's words 'the Lumix G3 allows him to shoot the world as he sees it.' Take a look for yourself at the advert below:

There are also great videos available that show us the making of the advert, which allows us to see extra footage of David as he gives us his views of the camera in more depth:

To find out more on David's involvement in With Kids, please visit our blog as he gives an in-depth 3 part interview on why he has chosen to be one of our Ambassadors. Thank You David. For more information about the charity, or to make a donation, visit www.withkids.org.uk

If you have found this post of interest then please feel free to share it with your online community via the share buttons below. Thank you.

Elaine C. Smith - With Kids Links families of the East End together..

In this final part of two videos, Elaine talks passionately about the East End, and how it is home to very creative, talented and successful public figures. She then goes on to give us her advice to the kids if they want to achieve their goals. Work hard, be creative and be involved.

As the interviews goes on, Elaine talks about how there wasn't an organisation like With Kids when she was growing up, and how they could have benefited many of the families in Glasgow's East End. Towards the end of the interview we begin to discuss how With Kids Links families of the East End together, and their is a strong sense of community there.

Finally Elaine finishes off by talking about how the scottish people never let you forget where you came from, and how important it is to remember where you came from, but for Elaine, it would take a lot more to make her forget where she was born and raised, as she still lives in the East End today.

If you have found this post of interest then please feel free to share it with your online community via the share buttons below. Thank you!

Elaine C. Smith - Early intervention is essential to the children..

We are delighted to announce that Elaine C. Smith has agreed to come on board as a With Kids Ambassador.

Like many of our other ambassadors, Elaine was born and raised in the East End of Glasgow, and no matter how successful she has been in her career, she has never forgot where she came from and still calls Glasgow's east end home.

In this part one of two videos, Elaine explains how she admires the work that With Kids do, with not only supporting the kids in poverty stricken areas, but helping the Parents also. Elaine then talks about how she loves living in the east end, as it keeps her down to earth and keeps her aware that there are still people who are living in abject poverty.

Although Elaine admitted the east end is not the easiest place to live, that's what she loves about it, and the fact that her own children are growing up aware of their surroundings and know that there are less fortunate than them.

Elaine then goes on to talk about how the East End never had an organisation like With Kids when she was growing up, how their services could have changed many families' lives and how With Kids' early intervention is essential to the children of the East End. 

If you have found this post of interest then please feel free to share it with your online community via the share buttons below. Thank you!