STAND INTERNATIONAL - We have in some lovely giftware from Silver Stag Scotland which is a community interest company (CIC) the profits of which go to support the work of STAND International, a Scottish charity established in 2006 to work with those who are socially and economically disadvantaged in Scotland and abroad, in countries such as Belarus, Romania, Ghana and Ukraine. Stand International started as a joint project between two Scottish homeless charities in 2003, with the aim of encouraging and facilitating homeless individuals to take up volunteering opportunities in their own communities. In 2005 this was extended toi include homeless volunteers participating in short-term volunteering opportunities overseas. Projects involved renovation and construction work and providing outdoor activities for disadvantaged children and orphans in a number of countries in Eastern Europe. As a result of the projects' success STAND International was established in 2006. The acronym STAND comes from Start A New Day, denoting the idea that participating in projects allows those involved to re-evaluate the opportunities they are presented with in life and to consider a new more positive start to their involvement in and contribution to their own communities. You can find out more about STAND International on their website: