Day: June 29, 2015

Forth’s youth told: think BIG!

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Think BIG. Think bold. Be creative. And there’s no such thing as a daft idea! That was the message to participants at an event held at Pilton Youth & Childrens Project last week – and the results of the day’s work will help to guide youth service provision across Forth Neighbourhood. 

Organised by Forth Neighbourhood Partnership and Total Craigroyston, YouthTalk brought together young people from across Forth with community representatives and decision makers to discuss three key issues.

‘Positively Engaging Young People’ is one of Forth Neighbourhood Partnership’s main priorities and Convener Cllr Cammy Day explained to delegates: “We want young people’s views and aspirations to influence decisions that are taken locally and to listen to their suggestions about how things can be improved for them. We want them to have a real say in the future of this community and how it develops over the next ten or more years”.

A background report to aid discussion was prepared prior to the Youth Talk event. During the review young people across Forth were approached in schools, libraries, at youth groups, basically anywhere they assembled – and asked their opinions on the area. North Edinburgh Young Peoples Forum organised and conducted a survey in four local High Schools and the local Street Work team also gathered views: all told around 1400 young people gave their opinions on their local community -what they like, what they hate and what Forth needs to make it better for young people.

Assisted by motivational speaker Mike Stevenson from Thinktastic, Wednesday’s YouthTalk event saw young people and ‘seniors’ working together in small groups to discuss three ‘ideas’:

How do we involve more young people in positive activity?

How do we better promote the positive contribution our young people make in their community?

What should an ideal youth-friendly community look like – and how do we get there?

Once participants got into the swing of things, the conversation – and the ideas – began to flow. Some of the ideas generated – for example a common social media address for local youth groups to share information, and an annual celebration of young people’s achievements – proved very popular and could be acted on almost immediately. Others, however, may take longer – you did ask the young people to think BIG, Mike!

All of the ideas generated – big and small – will be recorded and a report of the YouthTalk event will be circulated in due course. It will make interesting reading!

And finally, thanks so much for the warm words and that round of applause for the NEN – it was really touching and much appreciated!

Scotland’s first community-based self-harm skin camouflage clinic opens

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Mental health charity Penumbra has opened Scotland’s first community-based skin camouflage clinic for people who have scars as a result of self-harm. The clinic is based at Penumbra’s Self-Harm Project in Leith and offers free advice and specialist cream formulated to reduce the visibility of scarring.

Although similar clinics exist in a number of Scottish hospitals, this is the first time a community-based service focusing on self-harm will be available in Scotland.

The service has been created in partnership with Changing Faces – the UK charity that supports, represents and campaigns for people who have disfigurements of the face or body.

Penumbra Development Worker Tammy Kirk, who runs the new clinic, said: “Across all ages and backgrounds self-harm remains a big issue. This new service in Edinburgh will allow people to reduce the visibility of scars caused by self-harm, if they wish to.

“Everyone referred to the service will have an appointment with specially trained staff who will match their natural skin tone with camouflage cream. Staff can then provide a prescription request for the products through a GP and it can be picked up from a local pharmacy.

“We hope these appointments will provide a vital opportunity for people who self-harm to speak confidentially about their concerns.”

The new clinic will be part of Penumbra’s wider Self-Harm Project in Edinburgh, which recently received a Bronze Cosla award in the category Tackling Inequalities and Improving Health.

The Cosla awards recognise innovative approaches that improve pathways into, through, between and out of a range of local public services, particularly for people who are most at risk of poor health and wellbeing.

Anyone who would like a skin camouflage appointment or wishes to enquire about the service can email skincamouflage.edin@penumbra.org.uk.

Referral forms can also be downloaded from the Penumbra website: www.penumbra.org.uk.

Greens on Greece: ‘a crisis caused by the rich’

Greens stand with people of Greece as economic crisis deepens

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The Scottish Greens have pledged to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Greek people in their fight against austerity. They have also urged both the UK and Scottish governments to put pressure on financial institutions to negotiate a fair debt restructure for Greece. 

City councillor Maggie Chapman, Co-Convenor of the Scottish Green Party, said:
“We are in the midst of a crisis caused by the rich. The great economic challenge of our time is ending their power to punish the rest of us for a crisis we did not cause. Austerity is the mechanism they use and the place that has borne the brunt of austerity more than anywhere is Greece.

“We know austerity is doomed to fail, but in that failure it will only extend the economic pain felt by the most vulnerable people in society. All around Europe we must stand with the people of Greece in their stand against austerity, for a decent future and for democracy.

“The election of an anti-austerity SYRIZA led government in January was a clear signal that the people of Greece have rejected austerity. Greece’s creditors, represented by the so-called Institutions – the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund – are trying to subvert that democracy. Their actions have been counterproductive and destructive.

“After five and a half years of brutal austerity Greek debt is higher, while the Greek people have suffered untold harm.

“As a democratic party and a party opposed to austerity the Scottish Greens stand with the people of Greece. As Co-Convener of the Scottish Greens I stand in solidarity with my SYRIZA & Ecologist Greens comrades in the the Greek Government as they lead Europe’s opposition to austerity. We call on the Scottish and UK Governments to intervene with the Institutions to secure the substantial restructuring of Greece’s debts and an end to austerity.”

Holiday health advice from NHS24

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WITH the start of the school summer break, people in Scotland are being urged to prepare ahead to ensure they have a safe and healthy holiday, whether at home or abroad.

Scotland’s national telehealth and telecare service, NHS 24, is advising people to visit www.nhsinform.co.uk to get helpful tips and advice on summer holiday health issues, from sunburn and stings to travel sickness and heat exhaustion.

The online health resource includes a section dedicated to a ‘Safe Summer in Scotland’ providing information on how to stay safe in the heat and sun, as well as travel tips and advice about the safe preparation of food.

NHS 24 Medical Director Professor George Crooks said: “It is always a good idea to be prepared whether on holiday at home or abroad and the wide range of information available at www.nhsinform.co.uk can help you do just that. Whether it is finding out what vaccinations to have before travelling, what to do when an upset tummy strikes or how to deal with insect bites, the information is readily available.

“If you take regular medication, make sure you have enough to last for your whole trip. Remember to order and pick up your repeat prescription in plenty of time before your departure to prevent any last minute delays or unnecessary panic.

“It is essential to always wear sunscreen when out in the sun, even in the UK.  I would urge everyone to use a high factor sunscreen to protect themselves against the sun’s harmful rays. And if you are planning any picnics or barbecues in the coming weeks, it is important to keep food refrigerated until you leave home and use a cool box or bag to transport fresh food, particularly if you are taking meats or dairy products.

“For people planning to holiday in Europe, they should make sure they have a European Health Insurance Card. Information on where to apply is available at NHS inform.

“By taking these simple steps, you can help minimise or even prevent minor health problems from ruining your holiday.”

For more information, visit:

http://www.nhsinform.co.uk/health-in-focus/campaigns/safe-summer-in-scotland/

Follow us at @NHS24 and @NHSinform and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nhs24

Be part of sporting history!

Volunteers needed to aid local world record attempt 

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The Sick Kids Friends Foundation (SKFF) and Craig Gowans Memorial Fund are recruiting hundreds of volunteers to get the ball rolling at an upcoming World Record attempt for the longest 11-a-side football match of all time.

Friends, family and teammates of the late Falkirk defender Craig Gowans are hosting the Guinness World Record attempt in memory of the young football star, and require the help of a vast range of volunteers to help make the event a success.

The Memorial Fund was set up by Craig’s family and friends following his tragic death to ensure that his memory is used as a driving force for good.

This four day mega-match will take place at Ainslie Park, Home of Spartans FC, from 4 – 8 July, with all proceeds going to the SKFF.

The participating players aim to complete at least 103 hours of football in order to beat the current World Record which was recently set in Southampton. In order to complete this mammoth football challenge the charity are calling for people of all skills to support the fundraising efforts.

Volunteers needed include referees, stewards, physiotherapists, general helpers, as well as people to assist with the event setup and tidy up.

The Craig Gowans Guinness World Record Football Match is expected to raise more than £37,000 for the Foundation. The money will be used to open a state-of-the-art Snoezelen Room in Craig’s name at the new Sick Kids Hospital in Little France. This calming space will use cutting edge multi-sensory equipment to provide a vital, stimulating area for young patients with sensory impairments.

Jonny Wallace, one of Craig’s closest school friends and an advocate of the Craig Gowans Memorial Fund said: “We have organised many fundraisers in the past in memory of Craig but this epic match will be one of our biggest challenges to date and we need help from lots of volunteers for the event to run smoothly.

“Volunteers make all the difference to the success of our events and we would really appreciate any level of help for our upcoming World Record attempt whether it is for one day or all four.”

Rachel McKenzie, Head of Voluntary Fundraising at the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, said: “We’re extremely grateful that the Craig Gowans Memorial Fund has chosen to raise funds for the Foundation. Their upcoming world record football match looks set to be a very demanding challenge and we urge anyone that can help them during the event to show their support and sign up for a volunteer’s role online.”

To register as a volunteer at the Craig Gowans Memorial Fund World Record Breaking Football Match

visit www.tcggwrm.org/volunteer

or email Jonny Wallace at TCGGWRM37@gmail.com.

MP ‘distressed’ by report on impact of benefits sanctions

‘It is time to make this system fit for purpose – and that should be to help people recover to better mental health.’ – Jo Anderson, SAMH

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Scotland’s leading mental health charity, SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) welcomed Joanna Cherry MP to their Redhall service to help launch a new report last week.

The ‘Fir for Purpose’ report documents the negative impact the welfare system has had on 15 people participating in SAMH’s therapeutic gardening programme. The report calls for an end to benefit sanctions which put undue stress on people with mental health problems.

Last year, one of the participants highlighted the negative impact this had on their health:

‘Well, last year my psychiatrist was reducing my medication. When I got this letter from the DWP… I had to stop that and increase my medication again… Suicidal thoughts are massively increased. Urges for self-harm massively increased. Basically, when it comes to getting reassessed, every other part of my life kind of shuts down because it just has a really bad effect on me. It’s almost as if they were to design a process to make it as difficult as possible to stay alive, this is exactly how they would do it.’

The key findings of the report are:

  • There was a lack of understanding about mental health throughout the assessment process, with those responsible appearing not to be well trained or experienced in mental health.
  • Those who experienced repeated reassessments or challenging a poor decision found the experience very stressful, which can have an adverse effect of an individual’s recovery.
  • SAMH is calling for the Scottish Government to ensure that when it takes over the Work Choice programme for disabled people in 2017, it also takes the opportunity to incorporate tailored support for individuals in order to help more people into work and stay mentally well.

Joanna Cherry MP was elected to represent Edinburgh South West in May. She is a QC and recently co-authored the textbook “Mental Health and Scots Law in Practice’. The new local MP said: “The findings from SAMH’s Fit for Purpose report are quite distressing and highlight the real need for a review of how Work Capability Assessments are conducted and monitored effectively.

“The Redhall service offers a great environment for people to receive training and learn to cope with challenges while recovering from enduring mental health problems. I have met some very inspirational people who have overcome huge obstacles in their life and it is important that both the UK and Scottish Government work together and ensure nothing stands in the way of each person’s recovery.”

Jo Anderson, Director for External Affairs at SAMH said: “We are very grateful to Joanna Cherry for supporting our calls for a review to the Work Capability Assessment, with many of those interviewed stating that their mental health had deteriorated as a result of these changes.

“The majority of people with mental health problems continue to be placed on the Work Programme as opposed to the more successful Work Choice, which offers specialised employment support to people with disabilities and other health issues.

“It is time to make this system fit for purpose – and that should be to help people recover to better mental health.”

If you would like to download a copy of SAMH’s Fit for Purpose report, please visit: www.samh.org.uk/our-work/public-affairs/financewelfare

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