Thank you

Another year has gone by, and this is our time to reflect, evaluate and to look at the future. It has been a year of massive growth, with the completion of our space at Ludgate to the relocating of our Charity shop. 2023 saw the introduction of many new projects including Café Xtra and our after-school club food provision, as well as building on the things that we do so well… helping people.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone and express my gratitude for sticking with us through a year that included three massive moves while continuing to help us to successfully support thousands of vulnerable Clackmannanshire residents.

Thank you to the staff and volunteer team, for never losing their dedication and passion, for contributing their invaluable experience so that the Gate can continue to be the successful. No role at the Gate is more or less important than another from frontline staff to those who quietly work behind the scenes, you all make the Gate.

Thank you to our trustees, who tirelessly and voluntarily share their time, and knowledge to make sure that the Gate fulfils its role in helping the most disadvantaged in our Community.  

Thank you to our donors, partners, and other supporters, without your continued backing we would not be where we are today.

Finally thank you to the people in the community who trust us to help them in their time of need.

I would like to wish you all a happy and peaceful New Year. See you in 2024 for another fantastic year.

Jilly Guild

Chief Officer

Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface Christmas Quiz

A photo from the Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface Christmas Quiz. Our team came a respectable second and it was lovely to get together with all the other charities! A big thank you to CTSI, especially Chris for his hosting skills.

Family Christmas Meal (Saturday 16th of December 4pm-6pm)

We are now fully booked for our family Christmas meal where we will be serving soup, turkey with all the trimmings and a dessert. We will be giving out Christmas presents to any families so please let us know if we can help as we have had a very successful toy drive through the help of advertising from the Alloa Advertiser, we would also like to thank everyone who has donated toys to help families during these tough times, everyone has been so lovely and generous!

Over 65s Christmas Lunch (Saturday 16th of December 12pm-2pm)

We are having an over 65’s Christmas Lunch (£5 per person) on Saturday 16th of December 12pm-2pm, please book by texting 07491383441 ASAP as we have limited space and these events are very popular and run out of space after one day!

‘WIN’dow winners…

We are delighted to announce that we have won the ‘Alloa 2023’ window dressing competition from ‘Alloa First’.

The brief was ‘Christmas’ so we created three windows that showcases our varied stock and the imaginations of the Staff, Volunteers and Trustees. With a nod to a traditional Christmas, the window is captivating and interesting with toys, plush textiles and contrasting lighting.

Well done to the team, what an excellent start to our first Christmas in our new shop at 69 Mill Street FK10 1DX.

Photos From Our Christmas Market

Our Christmas Market was a great success today, it was very well attended and we even had a special visit from Santa!

Christmas Market (Saturday 25th of November 10am-2pm)

We will be having our Christmas Market on Saturday 10am-2pm, come along and have a look at all of the exciting stalls we have!

If you buy something at our café (2 Ludgate, Alloa) you will get a voucher which gets you 10% off in our charity shop (69 Mill Street, Alloa) and your child can get a gift from our mystery box!

Citizens Advice Scotland – Worried This Winter campaign to help with energy bills

Over 1.4 million people in Scotland are worried about being able to adequately heat their home this winter

A new campaign has launched, encouraging people who are worried about energy bills to seek advice from our friends at the Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) network.

CAS has launched the Worried this Winter campaign, encouraging people to seek advice from the network in a variety of ways. People can visit www.cas.org.uk/worried where they can choose an option that works for them, such as:

  • Online advice pages or interactive self-help tools like www.moneymap.scot
  • Specialist services like the Money Talk Team
  • Find their local CAB if they feel they need one to one advice

Last year the average gain from energy related advice from across the Scottish CAB network was more than £400. 

Visit www.cas.org.uk/worried

November Bingo Breakfast (Wednesday 15th of November 10am-11:30am)

Our Breakfast Bingo is a Wednesday this month, please leave a text or voicemail with your name and any other names of those attending!

New Date For Family Meal (Friday 17th of November 4pm-6pm)

We are having a FREE family meal night on Friday the 17th of November 4pm-6pm. Food will be soups, spaghetti with meatballs, mince & tatties and jelly with ice cream. Bring Tupperware if you want to takeaway or if there are extras! Just pop in, no booking required.