Do you enjoy driving? Have you got access to a car? Sacro are currently recruiting volunteer drivers for the Sacro Travel Service. The Travel Service transports people to the State Hospital at Carstairs and prisons predominately throughout the central belt of Scotland. Full training is given and expenses are paid.
For more information please contact Joan Alexander, Travel Service Coordinator, Sacro: email JAlexander@sacro.org.uk or telephone 0131 622 7500.
Making a song and dance at community event!
Around fifty local people took part in the latest ‘Getting Together, Making a Difference’ event at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre last week. Taking place on ‘Living Life’ Day, the gathering offered an opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to get to know their neighbours better, make new friends, learn new skills and create new artworks.
Workshop sessions followed introductions and the official opening of the Getting Together, Making a Difference’ photography exhibition.
The event proved to be a great success and a lot of fun: creating new friendships, developing relationships, fostering greater understanding and producing some impressive artwork, a poem and a brand new song, too!
The poem:
And the song? Well, It goes something like this … :
PICTURES: Lynn McCabe
Older people could benefit from ‘green’ prescriptions
Green prescribing by doctors and other health professionals could be a valuable way of helping older people reap the benefits of outdoor recreation, according to new research. The idea is among a number of recommendations contained in a new report commissioned by the Scottish Government to examine the barriers older people face getting out and about.
Outdoor activity has been shown to be beneficial for physical and mental health and wellbeing, but older people are less likely to take part. Continue reading Getting out and about: a Natural Health Service?
A pilot scheme to ban parking outside city primary schools has led to an increase in the number of pupils walking to school, according to a report to the city council’s Transport & Environment Committee. The evaluation of the School Streets scheme also showed lower vehicle speeds on surrounding roads and a reduction in the number of cars around schools. Continue reading School run no more?
The UK is a nation of charity shop lovers with more than eight out of ten of us (86%) having bought an item from a charity shop, according to the latest research by the Charities Aid Foundation.
Older people, women and people living in more affluent areas are the most likely to have bought something from a charity shop. People living in rural areas are also more likely to have bought something from a charity shop than their urban counterparts.
The research reveals that those in the East of England are the biggest charity shoppers with Londoners being the least likely to have ever bought something.
The figures form part of a wide-reaching report, Charity Street II, which examines the way people use charitable services and their awareness of the scope of charitable services.
The figures show that nearly every household (98 %) in the UK has used a charity at some point and on average people have used about six charitable services in the past year.
But awareness of which services are provided by charities is surprisingly poor.
Around a quarter (23%) of the population are unaware that the charity services that they or someone in their household used were, in fact, run by charities. Given a list of 16 services provided by charities, less than one in ten people were aware they were all provided by the voluntary sector.
The report shows:
Susan Pinkney, Head of Research at the Charities Aid Foundation, said: “Gone are the days when there was a stigma attached to charity shopping with our figures showing that people in more affluent areas are on average more likely to be charity shoppers.
“Charity shops can be high street treasure troves, selling cheaper, second hand goods and often promoting ethically produced and ‘fair trade’ items.
“But crucially, charity shops do not just rely on the shoppers. Their success is built on many different acts of altruism, from those who donate goods to the tens of thousands of volunteers who help to work to run them.
“Our research also highlighted how much we all rely on charities without necessarily realising it. A huge amount of British public life is supported by generosity. And a lot of us are unaware of the scope of charities in the UK.”
The UK has more than 10,200 charity shops and 85% of goods sold in charity shops are from donations, according to the Charity Retail Association.
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) is one of Europe’s largest charitable foundations, providing advice, financial services and research to help people and companies give to causes they care about.
Cables Wynd cordoned off
A man is being treated in the Royal Infirmary for serious leg injuries following a shooting in Leith late last night. Police found the victim when they responded to a report of a disturbance in Cables Wynd just after 11pm.
Police believe this was an isolated attack and that there is no ongoing threat to the public. Detectives are currently pursuing various lines of inquiry and have appealed for information.
Detective Inspector Alan O’Brien told the BBC: “An extensive investigation is now under way into this incident. Although this is at an early stage I’m satisfied this was an isolated attack and there is no ongoing threat to the wider public.
“An area of Cables Wynd is presently cordoned off as our investigation progresses and I thank the local community for their patience and co-operation. I can also reassure local residents that we will use every resource at our disposal to trace and arrest anyone involved in this crime as quickly as possible.”
If you have any information contact Police Scotland on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
It’s been a record-breaking year for Edinburgh’s theatres with venues breaking footfall and income targets across the city. Annual reports from some of Edinburgh’s key cultural venues were hailed by councillors at a meeting of the Culture & Sport Committee earlier this week. Continue reading Encore, encore: record-breaking year for city venues
The Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) has received £74,300.00 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the Routes to Roots: Adopting Scotland as a Homeland project, it was announced yesterday. The two year project aims to mainstream the heritage of minority ethnic communities and explore the intertwining histories of Scottish and diverse communities in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Continue reading Lottery funding for ELREC’s Routes to Roots project
Edinburgh Leisure has unveiled their September offer, designed to help thousands of new customers to try new activities and get more active this autumn. With recent research highlighting the dangers of inactivity, the not-for-profit company which manages City of Edinburgh’s Council leisure services is offering new members joining in September a free month in October.
With 30+ venues offering 9 swimming pools, 14 gyms and 700+ fitness classes per week, Edinburgh Leisure is the ‘biggest club in town’ providing the widest range of fitness classes, state of the art facilities and community based programmes across the capital, creating opportunities for everyone to get active, stay active and achieve more.
Catherine Wilson, Marketing Officer at Edinburgh Leisure said: “With the Paralympics just around the corner and with the Olympics recently finished, we hope it’s inspired people to sit less and move more. We’re passionate about providing opportunities and support for people to participate in physical activities and sport, whatever their age and stage.
“And for those joining in September, they’re going to be so busy with all the wonderful facilities that Edinburgh Leisure has on offer across the city centre that we’re urging them to keep October free, as well as giving them that month for free.”
From 26 August, new joiners will get one month free (October) when they join before the end of September. Existing members who refer a friend, who then joins, will receive £30 cash back.
With adult memberships starting from as little as £29.90, there is a range of packages, including swim, fitness, gym and climbing.
Many of Edinburgh Leisure’s gyms have had a recent refurbishment including Glenogle, Portobello, Craiglockhart, and The Royal Commonwealth Pool. Drumbrae Leisure Centre is also undergoing a major refurbishment, and is due for completion in October 2016. At the end of last year, Edinburgh Leisure had invested £1 million in fitness equipment in five of its 15 gyms.
Edinburgh Leisure gyms have the latest state of the art equipment including some of the newest cardiovascular machines; offer over 750 fitness classes per week including Les Mills Programmes; and have five modernised Victorian pools and the Royal Commonwealth Pool in their portfolio. They also recently launched Clip ‘n Climb at Edinburgh’s International Climbing Centre at Ratho, the first of its kind in Scotland.
Edinburgh Leisure is also running a weekly competition on their Facebook page to win one of five ‘My Zone’ belts. Visitors will be encouraged to tell Edinburgh Leisure what they are going to do to #SitLessMoveMore and #KeepOctoberFree. Winners will be picked at random on 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 September.
My Zone uses new technology and is a motivational belt which straps to the chest during exercise and tracks physical activity in real time and online.
The device measures the customer’s My Zone Effort Points (MEPs), a unique way of measuring activity and the results of exercise. It calculates calories burned, duration and time of activity, as well as factors including weight, muscle mass, body fat and heart rate.
For further information about the offer and to be inspired with hundreds of ways to get active, visit www.edinburghleisure.co.uk, like Edinburgh Leisure on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EdinburghLeisure/) or follow on Twitter (@Ed_Leisure)
City police are distributing posters to festival visitors and rail users in an effort to uncover fresh information into the death of a London woman whose body was found on the outskirts of the city earlier this year.
Saima Ahmed was discovered on the afternoon of Saturday, January 9th, off Gogarstone Road. It is believed the 36-year-old had travelled by rail from her home in Wembley to the Scottish Capital a year ago this month.
Detectives from Edinburgh CID are continuing with their investigation regarding Saima’s death and are hoping to gather new information from rail passengers who might have seen or spoken to her.
Police will be distributing posters and leaflets to visitors to the Unofficial Fringe Venue 999 in East Princes Street Gardens until the end of the festival next week. In addition, officers from Police Scotland, assisted by officers from British Transport Police and the Metropolitan Police Service will be handing out posters on Tuesday 30th August in the Wembley area of London, train stations in Hemel Hempsted and Birmingham as well as Waverley station and elsewhere in Edinburgh.
Detective Chief Inspector Martin MacLean, Head of Crime Operations for Edinburgh CID, said: “There are several outstanding lines of enquiry in what has been a painstaking investigation. We still need to establish why Saima came to Scotland and Edinburgh and the circumstances that led to her death.
“The information gathered thus far certainly indicates that Saima left her home on Sunday, August 30th, last year and travelled by train to Edinburgh. Now, almost one year on, Edinburgh is again in the midst of hosting the International Festival and there will be a number of people returning to the city who may remember Saima. It’s my hope that these posters might help jog some memories and we can gain vital information to assist with our investigation.”
He added: “We continue to provide Saima’s family with regular updates and I again thank them for their patience and assistance in helping us keep Saima’s case in the public eye.”
Saima Ahmed’s exact movements as she journeyed to Scotland remain unconfirmed however detectives believe she bought a Birmingham to Edinburgh rail ticket at Birmingham New Street Station at around 5pm on Sunday, August 30th, 2015.
Thereafter, there is a strong possibility that she boarded one of two Edinburgh bound services scheduled for later the same day:
– Either the 5:15pm Virgin service due to arrive at Edinburgh Waverley at 10:22pm
This stopped at the following locations: Sandwell & Dudley, Wolverhampton, Crewe, Warrington, Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster. Passengers travelling onto Edinburgh then switched services and boarded the 7:14pm stopping at Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Haymarket and Waverley.
OR
– The 5:30pm Virgin Cross Country Network (via York), which was due to arrive at 10:21pm.
This service stopped at: Derby, Sheffield, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle and Waverley. Continue reading One year on: did you see Saima Ahmed?
