The Wood Foundation is a longstanding supporter of the STV Children’s Appeal and their Chief Executive Sarah Chew recently joined STV Weather presenter Philip Petrie to visit one of the brilliant charities we work with, Dundee Bairns. The visit features in The STV Children’s Appeal Live Show 2025, presented by Lorraine Kelly.
Dundee Bairns, which is one of our Ignite Fund partners, has a mission to ensure that every child has access to basic necessities regardless of their circumstances. The visit offered a glimpse into how their support helps community organisations like this deliver essential services such as meals, after-school activities, and family support.
On her visit to the charity, Sarah Chew of The Wood Foundation commented:“It was a real privilege to spend time with the team at Dundee Bairns and see first-hand the valuable work they do and the difference it makes in their community. I’d like to thank them for opening their doors to me and Philip – and indeed STV viewers – enabling us to see the realities they are dealing with on a daily basis and the difference they are making to lives of many.
“We’re incredibly proud to be long-term partners of the Appeal, who work tirelessly to support brilliant charities like Dundee Bairns and so many others across the country.”
The Wood Foundation has supported the STV Appeal since 2013. The have pledged a further £150,000 to continue to support children and young people in communities across Scotland in 2026.
The partnership underlines the organisation’s ongoing commitment to addressing child poverty and creating brighter futures for young people across the country.
Natalie Wright heads up the STV Children’s Appeal and works closely with The Wood Foundation throughout the year. On the partnership, she said:“The Wood Foundation’s commitment to the STV Children’s Appeal and the charities we support has been unwavering for 13 years, and we can’t thank them enough. With their support, we will continue to work hard to empower charities and organisations throughout Scotland to support the people who use their services, in the way they know best.”
The founder of Dundee Bairns, David Dorward, was pleased to welcome Sarah and Philip to their base. He said: “Since we began in 2016, we’ve now provided over 600,000 meals to young people and families, as well as clothing to around 6,000 children in Dundee. We’ve also been able to appoint 3 full time Wellbeing staff to support children and families attending Greenfield Academy and 9 associated primary schools.
We were delighted to welcome The Wood Foundation and STV Children’s Appeal for a visit, and to have the opportunity to show just how much need is out there, and how important it is to have support within communities.”
The STV Children’s Appeal raises money throughout the year to support children and families experiencing poverty in Scotland. Every pound donated stays in Scotland, funding local projects and national initiatives that help young people thrive. Administration costs are covered by STV and by a portion of The Wood Foundation’s donation to the Appeal, and this means that every penny raised through fundraising continues to go directly to young people and their families.
