June 2014 – Page 5 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Further £15 million to support disadvantaged families

Thousands of Scotland’s most disadvantaged children, young people and families are set to benefit from £15 million new funding over the next year, Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell has announced.

The Scottish Government will invest £10 million to continue the Third Sector Early Intervention Fund for 2015-16 to support voluntary groups working to give children the best start in life, for example through projects to tackle poverty, promote parenting skills and encourage family support for learning.

An additional £5 million will be made available to allow strategic funding partnerships (SFPs) that were established in 2013 to help the government and public sector partners improve outcomes for young people and their families to be extended through to spring 2016.

Ms Campbell, Minister for Children and Young People said: “We are working to give every child in Scotland the best start in life. That’s why we’re extending funded early learning and childcare, making free school meals available for every child in P1 to P3 and strengthening how public services work together to support children and families and ensure our most disadvantaged young people are not left behind.

“We’re also committed to supporting a capable, sustainable and enterprising third sector. This new funding will help deliver a wide range of projects to support families and empower communities, improving the life chances of children across the country and moving us closer to our shared vision of making Scotland the best place to grow up.”

A £20 million Third Sector Early Intervention Fund was established in early 2013, with 96 awards made for a range of organisations and projects. A further 45 organisations received support through SFPs to enhance or develop work focussed on supporting the needs of young people and their families. Both funding streams run over two years, up to March 2015.

One of those groups currently funded, One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS), has received a total of £709,284 from the Third Sector Early Intervention Fund.

OPFS Director Satwat Rehman said: “We received core funding which has been invaluable in ensuring we can have the information, advice and systems in place across the organisation to work with single parents and their children and respond to the issues they tell us they need support with such as debt and money advice, family and parenting support and childcare, ultimately improving outcomes for children at greatest risk of not achieving their potential due to the effects of poverty.

“We also received project funding to work with single fathers and contact fathers to work with them and help them support their children through positive activities and interactions as well as support the fathers to be more involved in local activities and groups thereby reducing the isolation they and their children experience”.

Among other projects currently being supported are Mellow Parenting, which has been able to establish eight new Dad’s groups across Scotland to improve parental attachment between fathers and their children; Mind Mosaic, which has provided play therapy to 25 children and young people and family support to 32 parents/carers and 9 kinship carers; and Dyslexia Scotland, which is providing high-quality advice, support and information to young people, and those who support them.

The funding has also been able to support organisations to work in partnership to add value to their activities. So far well over 3,500 families facing significant challenges have been supported.

The Third Sector Early Intervention Fund (TSEIF) was established in early 2013 and is administered by The Big Fund in Scotland. Today’s funding announcement means that the TSEIF and current SFPs will continue for a further year until March 2016.

Further information on the new funding will be published by the Scottish Government next month.

Happy birthday CAB!

Local MP praises work of Citizen Advice service

Mark Lazarowicz MP has pledged his support for Citizen’s Advice’s new campaign at a reception held to celebrate the charity’s 75th birthday. The Advice for the Future campaign aims to highlight the importance of free, impartial advice and get 100,000 people pledging their support.

Citizens Advice has launched the campaign as rising household bills, changes to the welfare system and a troubled jobs market mean that for many life is getting increasingly complicated. This means it’s even more important that people can access free, relevant and impartial advice to help make complex decisions.

Citizens Advice Scotland, the Scottish counterpart to Citizens Advice, opened its first bureau in September 1939 and so will also be celebrating its 75th anniversary later this year.

The North and Leith MP said: “I know from my work as a constituency MP just how valuable the service provided by Citizens Advice is to constituents: free, independent, impartial and trusted.

“The major changes to the benefit system introduced by this Government, sharply rising energy bills and the difficulty that many households have in just keeping their heads above water have left many more people turning to Citizens Advice for help.

“It has also used its first hand experience in dealing with the practical problems people face to contribute positively to debate on public policy which is why I and other Opposition MPs fought so hard against the restrictions that the Lobbying Act would have placed on charities.

“Largely run by volunteers though publicly funded, it supports the vulnerable and indeed anyone who needs advice: our society would struggle to cope without it.”

Citizens Advice celebrates its 75th anniversary this year:

• In 2013/14 the charity helped 2 million people to solve 5.5 million problems
• In 2012/13, 22,000 volunteers donated nearly 7 million hours to the service
• This amounts to a contribution of £109 million worth of volunteering hours.

PlayTalkRead campaign kicks off today

The latest PlayTalkRead campaign, including a television advert to be shown during World Cup games, has been launched today – Father’s Day.

The PlayTalkRead campaign’s summer activity is part of the Scottish Government’s focus on the early years of children’s lives – encouraging and supporting parents and carers to play, talk and read more regularly with their little ones.

The national drive includes a new television advert themed around a message to ‘say thanks’ to parents and carers who have played, talked and read with their kids during their earliest, formative years. The ‘dad’ version of the advert will be first screened on Monday 16 June during the Germany-Portugal game.

Famous Scots, including author Ian Rankin, radio DJ Ally McCrae, chef Nick Nairn, TV presenter Michelle McManus and rugby player John Beattie are backing PlayTalkRead’s latest campaign by revealing what they would #saythanks for on Father’s Day.

Minister for Children and Young People, Aileen Campbell (pictured above) said: “Play is about having fun but it’s also fundamental to our children’s positive development. The PlayTalkRead summer campaign aims to help parents stimulate their children from birth through low-cost, fun activities. Families making special time to celebrate Father’s Day could take inspiration from the World Cup and PlayTalkRead’s new football-themed ‘30 things to do before you’re 3’ list – such as kicking a ball at the park, playing keepy-uppy in the garden or rolling a ball along the floor with your baby.

“The new advert is also a way of saying thanks to parents and carers across Scotland for investing time with their wee ones, and encouraging them to keep it up. On Father’s Day, I’d like to say thanks to my dad for encouraging me to be an active youngster and also for getting me into football – including supporting St Johnstone, who we both watched win the Scottish Cup this year! I would encourage mums and dads to get involved and share what they’d like to thank their parents for on PlayTalkRead’s Twitter or Facebook.”

This summer will see the next stage of the campaign rolled out with PlayTalkRead buses ‘Benji’ and ‘Bessie’ appearing in locations across the country, including a visit to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games. Activity on the bus includes demonstrating easy ways for parents to bond with their children during their early years, with lots of simple and low-cost ideas that can all be done at home and easily incorporated within daily routines.

The popular PlayTalkRead website has also been revamped with more ideas, advice and information for parents, including a downloadable ‘30 Things to do Before You’re 3′ list.

People can also get involved in the #SayThanks conversation with PlayTalkRead on Twitter @PlayTalkRead or by visiting the PlayTalkRead Facebook page.

The new PlayTalkRead #saythanks ad is now available to view on the PlayTalkRead website, ahead of its first TV screening tomorrow.

www.playtalkread.org

Time traveller Karen calls in at college

Pictured: Performing arts programme leader Scott Johnston, David Robertson, Karen Gillan, Marlee Pearson and Kay McAllister.

Local lass (and soon to be Galactic superstar!) Karen Gillan returned to Edinburgh College Granton Campus – where she studied performing arts – to give students an insight into the life and career of a top actress.

Karen, who studied at the college’s Performing Arts Studio Scotland (PASS) from 2004 to 2005, met around 70 students during her visit, answering questions and posing for pictures.

She spent 45 minutes with the students from the NC and HND Acting and Performance courses at the waterfront campus, talking about the career that has taken her from the BBC’s Dr Who to Hollywood films and a starring role in an American sitcom. She discussed everything from the intricacies of working with the green screens used to add digital effects, making her way as a Scot in Hollywood and London’s media worlds, and how her college education has helped her progress in TV and film.

Karen visit came at a busy time – she’s never been in higher demand. She features in two major major films to be released this summer: the unsettling horror Oculus and the latest Marvel blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy. In Guardians of the Galaxy, she will share the screen with the universe’s toughest talking raccoon and his walking tree creature friend, as her blue-skinned villain Nebula does battle with the heroic Guardians!

She also has a starring role in a new sitcom called Selfie on America’s NBC Network.

The visit to Edinburgh College was arranged by performing arts programme leader Scott Johnston, who taught Karen at the college and has stayed in touch with her since she left.

Karen said: “It was such an honour to be welcomed back into the college that taught me so much. It was great to see so many enthusiastic students. It made me nostalgic for my time spent studying with Scott and the things I learned.”

Scott said: “It was an absolute joy to have Karen back at the college. The students loved meeting her. They got the chance to ask her loads of questions and learned a lot about what it’s like to try and make it as an actor, so it was really valuable for them. After the Q&A she stayed behind to pose for selfies with the students so they were delighted. She’s a great actress and a lovely person, and we’re very proud of how she’s doing.

“We try to give our students as broad an understanding of the industry as possible to make sure they appreciate all aspects of it when they begin their careers, so we arrange regular visits by actors, writers, directors, agents and other roles. When it’s someone like Karen, who studied here on the same course they did, that can be incredibly inspiring. She’s a brilliant ambassador for the college and we hope our students can follow in her footsteps.”

The Queen’s baton hits Edinburgh today!

The Queen’s Baton arrives in Edinburgh this morning

The relay in Edinburgh, which will mark the start of the baton’s 40 day tour of Scotland ahead of the Commonwealth Games, will offer residents and visitors the opportunity to cheer on the baton and join in community celebrations today.

The Queen’s Baton will be carried through Edinburgh by over 100 batonbearers who have been nominated in recognition of their contributions to sport, community and youth projects, including representatives from the city’s secondary schools.

Councillor Steve Cardownie, Festivals and Events Champion at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The relay is a fantastic opportunity for people to take to the streets to show their support for our batonbearers and celebrate Edinburgh’s part to play in the Commonwealth Games.

“It is great that the Queen’s Baton will travel throughout the Capital and into the many communities that make this city so unique.

“As host of the 1970 and 1986 Games, and co-host of this year’s diving event at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, it is fitting that the baton will be brought home to Edinburgh – the only city in the world to welcome Commonwealth Games events for a third time.

“I urge everyone to get into the spirit of the Games and join in the Edinburgh celebrations.”

To signal the start of the relay celebrations in Edinburgh, a Gala Classical Concert was held at the Usher Hall last night. Entitled Edinburgh Raises The Baton, the concert featured the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, and the acclaimed pianist Stephen Hough.

Today crowds will get the first glimpse of the Queen’s Baton as it is arrives at Heriot-Watt University, chosen as the site for Scotland’s National Performance Centre for Sport. To celebrate, the Centre will be hosting sports activities for all the family including Gaelic football, dancing and tennis, events for children including a bouncy castle and face painting, as well as community and farmers markets. Further details are available on the Heriot-Watt website.

The relay will move to Murrayfield Stadium where it will board a tram to make its way to the city centre, taking in Edinburgh Castle, where a 21 gun salute at 12:00 noon will mark the Queen’s official birthday celebrations.

The baton will then travel down the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace where it will signal the start of the City of Edinburgh Council’s School Run Event, which is supported by Games for Scotland and supermarket chain Scotmid.

The School Run is a unique event encouraging school age children of all abilities to play their part in relay day over a 2.2km route through Holyrood Park and run, jog or walk side by side with sporting stars to raise money for community and school sports facilities. Young people can sign up to the run through their schools.

Both the School Run and the Queen’s Baton Relay will then pass through Holyrood Park to Meadowbank Sports Centre and Stadium, the home of Edinburgh’s previous Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. At Meadowbank, the Council’s free ‘Tryathon’ event will take place with the opportunity for budding sports stars to try their hand at Commonwealth Games sports and cheer the arrival of the Queen’s Baton.

The relay will then take in more of Edinburgh’s communities including Leith, the Portobello Promenade and Duddingston, before the baton is received at the Royal Commonwealth Pool where a spectacular diving demonstration will be held.

To celebrate the end of the relay, a community concert will be held this evening at the Ross Band Stand in Princes Street Gardens so that even bigger crowds can take part in the festivities.

Tomorrow (Sunday June 15), the Queen’s Baton will travel to South Queensferry anf the baton will then go on to visit all other local authorities in Scotland.

Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games Ms Robison, said:“The Queen’s Baton Relay is an exciting and dynamic countdown to the Games and offers the perfect opportunity for communities across the whole of Scotland to share in the pride and excitement of what look to be the best and most successful Games ever.

“When the Baton arrives into Scotland and the Capital on the 14 June, I urge everyone to join in with the celebrations and events across Edinburgh, and surrounds, and in particular to come out and support the wide range of inspirational baton bearers as they carry this enduring symbol of the Games in their local areas.”

Nick Finnigan, Executive Manager of Edinburgh Castle said: “Edinburgh Castle has witnessed many hundreds of years of history and continues to provide a spectacular backdrop for history in the making today.

“We are delighted to be welcoming the Queen’s Baton relay to the castle, and I am sure that its arrival will provide a great spectacle for visitors to the castle.”

Professor Steve Chapman, Principal of Heriot-Watt University, said: “We are very pleased that the first Scottish leg of the Baton Relay is through our Edinburgh Campus and right past what will be the site for the new National Performance Centre for Sport.”

Muirhouse summer fair this morning

You may not need your sunglasses, but today’s the day for the Old Kirk and Muirhouse Summer Fair. Get down for 10am to bag those bargains!

MP seeks assurances on St James Centre Post Office

St James Centre redevelopment will see Post Office move to Princes Mall

Following confirmation that the Central Edinburgh Post Office will be moving from the St James Shopping Centre to Princes Mall, Mark Lazarowicz MP has called for the Post Office to make a commitment to seek to move back once the redevelopment of the St James Centre is complete – and in the meantime to make sure that the other post offices in the area are able to meet the needs of customers.

Mark Lazarowicz said: “Given the announcement that the redevelopment of the centre will now be going ahead I can understand the decision to move the central Post Office to Princes Mall but I believe that should only be temporary while the redevelopment takes place.

“I am urging the Post Office to make a commitment to seek to move back into the centre once it is finished and in the meantime to ensure that facilities in Princes Mall are as accessible as possible for elderly and disabled customers.

“Self-service machines could continue to be located in the St James Centre until the redevelopment begins and facilities at other post offices in the area like Elm Row and Frederick Street should be enhanced to ensure they can cope with larger numbers of customers if some people switch to using them instead.”

“A Post Office should be part of the plans for the new St James Centre if it is to meet all of the retail needs of local residents.”

The Post Office announcement confirmed its decision on the move after a consultation to which Mark Lazarowicz MP made a submission stressing these points. The consumer watchdog, Consumer Futures, also expressed its concern over the move, in particular over access at the proposed site in Princes Mall for customers with limited mobility needs.

Call for Scots to donate blood this summer

Scots are being urged to make an extra special effort to give blood in the run up to World Blood Donor Day 2014 on Saturday (14 June).

The call for people to give blood comes as it was announced that, from next month, O negative blood will be routinely carried by doctors from the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS) on Scottish Ambulance Service air ambulance helicopters – enabling patients to be given a blood transfusion more quickly.

Public Health Minister Michael Matheson today welcomed this announcement as he met with consultants from the EMRS team at the Glasgow Donor Centre to encourage more people to give blood.

While visiting the centre, Mr Matheson also met with blood donors to thank them for making this life-saving contribution.

He said: “Whether you’ve given blood before, or have never managed to get round to donating, I’d urge you to make an extra effort this World Blood Donor Day and make that potentially life-saving contribution. The importance of making a regular commitment to donating blood is one that the EMRS team are all too aware of and I have no doubt they will have seen first-hand how giving blood can really help people in need.

“The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the continued the future supply of blood tissues and cells, which is why we are investing £43m in a new National Centre of Excellence for the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS). This centre will help ensure the continued future supply of blood tissues and cells, as well as facilitating the effective introduction of new developments, products and safety measures in a flexible, state-of-the-art building.”

Dr Moira Carter, Associate Director, Donor Services, SNBTS, said: “World Blood Donor Day is kicking off an unforgettable sporting summer for Scotland. As we look forward to the World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, and the Ryder Cup, we anticipate donations may drop off by as much as 20%. However, the need for blood continues, so please do take time out from your schedule in this sporting summer to donate.

“Blood Donor Week is a fantastic opportunity for us to thank the 138,000 people in Scotland who have given blood in the past 12 months. We have been delighted to welcome 3,290 17 year olds who have started giving blood so far during 2014, but we need more to come forward. As the overall population ages, these young donors are even more important in making sure we meet the needs of patients in Scotland today and into the future.”

Dr Neil Hughes, consultant in Pre-Hospital Medicine, said: “The Emergency Medical Retrieval Service helps patients when they need it most. We will attend major trauma incidents in Scotland, to provide emergency care for patients who are critically injured at the scene. We also manage and transport critically injured patients with the Scottish Ambulance Service from remote and rural Scotland to centres which offer the care the patient needs.

“As O Negative is the only blood group that can safely be given to anyone in an emergency, a transfusion in these circumstances can buy precious time for critically ill patients. We would like to extend our thanks to all O Negative blood donors for making this possible.”

SNBTS are asking in particular those donors with blood types O+, O-, A- and B- to make a real effort to give blood in the next few weeks, to ensure blood supplies are well-stocked over summer.

To register as a blood donor or to find out where your nearest donation session is, call 0845 90 90 999, text ‘blood’ to 61611, or visit www.facebook.com/givebloodforscotland @givebloodscot #blooddonorweek2013

SSPCA plea: don’t leave dogs in hot cars

Dogs die in hot cars warning

The Scottish SPCA is urging pet owners not to leave their dogs in hot cars this summer, warning that last year a man in Scotland was convicted for doing so.

Concerned members of the public have already been contacting the
charity’s animal helpline after seeing distressed dogs left inside warm
vehicles.

The Scottish SPCA is keen to remind the public that they may be risking their dog’s life by leaving it in a hot car for even a short period of time.

Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said, “Most people know what it’s like to get into a car after it’s been sitting in the sun. It’s unbearable and we immediately roll down the windows or turn on the air conditioning.

“Imagine being trapped inside a hot vehicle wearing a fur coat for minutes, possibly hours, and you are some way to understanding how a dog left inside a hot vehicle feels.

“Many people might not realise that even on warm, cloudy days, cars can
effectively turn into ovens and dogs can overheat in minutes. Leaving a window open or providing water is simply not good enough – dogs can’t sweat the way humans do and need to pant to cool down which can lead to severe dehydration and hyperventilation.

“We run our ‘dogs die in hot cars’ campaign every year but we continue
to receive a large numbers of calls from concerned members of the public
each summer and we fear some owners don’t fully appreciate the danger
they are putting their pets in.

“Causing an animal unnecessary suffering is an offence and last year a
54 year old man from Glasgow was convicted after leaving his two dogs
inside a hot vehicle in the height of summer. He was banned from keeping animals for ten years and his two jack russells were not returned to his care as a result.

“Thankfully these dogs made a full recovery after receiving emergency
treatment for heat stress but they could have died had we not
intervened. “We hope this case serves as a warning to other owners who may be tempted to leave their dogs in their vehicle on a warm day.

“Our advice is to leave dogs at home as it is simply not worth the risk.”

Scottish SPCA posters highlighting the dangers of leaving dogs in hot
cars are available to be displayed in local communities. To request copies please phone the charity’s Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999 and
select option 5.

Alternatively, email editor@scottishspca.org, providing the address you
wish your posters to be sent to and the number you wish to receive.

Month: June 2014

Sponsored walk to support Muirhouse summer programme