EVOC Learning March Poster 2014
Lots of leaning opportunities at EVOC this month – and many are free!
See the attached document for details – and book early!
Day: March 5, 2014
Lothian girls offered protection against cervical cancer
The NHS Lothian school nurse team is offering the third dose of the HPV immunisation to teenage girls in schools across Lothian from the beginning of this month.
The HPV vaccination program, which started in Scotland in 2008, aims to protect girls from developing cervical cancer. The vaccine protects against the four strains of HPV (Human Papillomavirus) which account for 70 per cent of cervical cancers.
Cervical cancer can occur at any age, however it is the second most common cancer in women under the age of 35 in the UK.
Lorna Willocks, Immunisation Co-ordinator, NHS Lothian said: “The HPV vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect against the most dangerous strains of HPV that can cause cervical cancer.
“It is crucial that young women have all three vaccinations and also attend for their cervical screen appointments to ensure they have the best protection for the future”.
Teenage girls in S2 will be offered the final dose of the vaccine in March as part of the school immunisation programme. Young women and their parents, are urged to ensure they complete the course of immunisations to protect against cervical cancer.
Mhairi to receive community award
Mhairi Curran is Drylaw’s Citizen of the Year. Drylaw Telford Community Council agreed that Mhairi should receive the annual Thomas Tierney Award for Good Citizenship at last week’s regular monthly meeting.
Community worker Mhairi has lived in Easter Drylaw all her life and has been actively involved in her own community for many years – firstly through the Drylaw Telford Action Group, North Edinburgh Social Reserach Group’s fuel poverty campaign and more recently as both an office bearer with Easter Drylaw Residents Association and a member of Drylaw Telford Community Council.
Community Council chairman Alex Dale nominated Mhairi. He explained: “I nominated Mhairi because she has been involved in many of the positive things that have been happening in the area over recent years. It’s recognition of her commitment to her community – her work with the community council on the open space sub group, her early contribution on the skatepark and her work with EDRA, especially last year’s campaign against dog fouling. I’m pleased that the community council supported Mhairi’s nomination.”
It’s likely that Mhairi will receive her award at a reception in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre on 26 March. Congratulations, Mhairi!
‘Moral case’ for welfare reforms is a sham, says Minister
The UK Government’s “moral case” for welfare reform is harming the living standards of poor and vulnerable people in Scotland, Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess said yesterday. Trussell Trust figures show that over 50,000 people in Scotland received assistance from their foodbanks in the last ten months.
Mrs Burgess highlighted her concerns to MSP’s during a welfare reform debate in the Scottish Parliament, where she said that the current reforms are creating deep concern and anxiety and is leaving already vulnerable people at risk of extreme poverty and exclusion.
The Scottish Government estimates that the reduction in welfare expenditure in Scotland could reach as much as £4.5 billion by 2015.
Margaret Burgess said: “The reforms are unfair and unjust and impact on some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Yet, even with all of that, the UK Government talks about the ‘moral case’ for welfare reform. It is a sham.
“What is evident is that more and more people are struggling to cope and being flung into a downward spiral of misery. Where is the morality in that? It is shameful that in the 21st century, there are people in Scotland who are in desperate straits because of the UK’s relentless and unfair policies. Rather than help, the UK Government’s plans are punishing the most vulnerable in our society.
“In the meantime, the Scottish Government is taking direct action and delivering real support to help people deal with the cuts and changes to welfare provision. That includes investing at least £258 million over the period from 2013-14 to 2015-16 to mitigate the worst impacts of these reforms.
“But these are resources that have been taken away from other areas, money that could have been used for other priorities. For example we could have used this money to invest more in health and education for our people – and in growing Scotland’s economy. With independence, we can take decisions about welfare that will ensure fair and decent support for people in Scotland.”
Ewan Gurr, Scotland Development Officer for the Trussell Trust said: “While The Trussell Trust celebrates the ways in which communities pull together in lean times to respond to emerging need, we do not celebrate the fact the need exists in the first place.
“Foodbanks are a grass-roots response to a systemic problem and are often a lifesaver to many individuals and families who feel they have nowhere else to turn. We applaud the consistent efforts of the Scottish Government to mitigate the effects of food poverty and to raise the profile of this issue in an effort to identify creative solutions.”
However The Department for Work and Pensions said the government’s welfare reforms will make three million households across the UK better off, and refutes claims that welfare reforms have caused increased dependency on food banks. A spokesperson for DWP said: “The benefits system supports millions of people who are on low incomes or unemployed and there is no robust evidence that welfare reforms are linked to the increased use of food banks.”
Last month Prime Minister David Cameron told the Daily Telegraph that the government’s economic plan for Britain was ‘about doing what is right’. He wrote: ‘For me, the moral case for welfare reform is every bit as important as making the numbers add up.’
