Local MSP pledges support on World Aids Day

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Every year on 1st December people across the globe mark World AIDS Day: the international day to remember the 35 million people who have died worldwide from AIDS-related illnesses, to prevent new cases of HIV and to stand in solidarity with people living with the virus. Continue reading Local MSP pledges support on World Aids Day

World Aids day: PM’s message

In her message for World Aids Day, Prime Minister Theresa May spoke about the importance of tackling HIV stigma.

The Prime Minister said:

As Prime Minister, I am proud to wear a red ribbon on World Aids Day, to show my support for people living with HIV in the UK and all across the world.

I am proud too of the role that the UK has played in driving advances in the treatment and prevention of HIV, including of course through the brilliant care and support of our NHS which makes such a difference in the lives of people living with HIV.

But for all the progress in treatment and prevention, public attitudes have not progressed as far or as fast.

The latest UK HIV Stigma Index found that almost 1 in 5 respondents living with HIV in the UK have had suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months. While around half reported feelings such as shame, guilt and low self-esteem in relation to their HIV status.

This stigma is an unacceptable stain on our society and we have to wipe it out.

Stigma is not just profoundly wrong. It also prevents many of those affected from accessing the testing, treatment and support that they need.

Today around 2 in 5 people are diagnosed late – after the point at which treatment should have begun, with a significant impact on their long-term prognosis.

Tackling stigma is one of the ways that we can change this.

So I am proud to support this year’s campaign. HIV stigma is not retro, just wrong.

I urge you to join me in taking a stand and leaving this stigma where it belongs: in the past.

Garden plant of the month: Spruce

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We have long known the Spruce is the most popular Christmas tree. With its fine, slightly prickly needles it takes pride of place in many a living room. But the Spruce is also a popular evergreen conifer in the garden. Its attractive shape means that the Garden Plant of the Month for December can shape the whole look of the garden combined with other shrubs and conifers.

From big to small! 
The Spruce (Picea) is a hardy needle conifer that ranges in size from 50cm up to 50m. For those that produce cones, these will hang at the ends of the branches. This garden plant is often supplied without roots, and therefore needs to be placed on a wooden cross or metal stand. Increasingly we are seeing Christmas trees with rootballs and even miniature Spruces with an attractive conical form – Picea glauca ‘Conica’. The decorative value is determined by the arrangement of the branches bearing the needles (actually the leaves) and the tree’s shape. By placing the spruce in water, you can help prevent needle shed. The Spruce definitely shapes the look of a garden so it’s a good idea to plant a solitary tree which has room to grow.

Caring for the Spruce
Follow a couple of simple tips to keep the Spruce healthy and looking its best. Plant in a damp, moderately nutrient-rich, somewhat acidic soil –  the Spruce can tolerate both shade and full sun.

Replanting a Spruce with roots in the garden requires some care. When buying the Spruce, check that there is a sufficiently large rootball at the bottom of the tree, and preferably place the tree on a Christmas tree stand containing water and shrub food. Because the plants have been standing indoors in the warmth for three weeks, the transition outdoors is not always easy. A frost-free period is therefore important in order to allow the plant to root properly in the garden. Caring for miniature Christmas trees in the home is often much easier as long as you water the plant regularly and place it in a light spot. The cooler the spot, the longer the plant will continue to flourish.

Spruce pruning tips
With most Spruces, particularly the dwarf varieties, there’s no need to prune. If a larger Spruce is getting too big or too bare, prune the plant ideally in spring (April, May). Use ordinary hedge clippers for this and snip a few centimetres off the ends of the branches. This will keep the shape nicely symmetrical and bulk out the spindles.

More information about Spruce and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk.

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Garry Fraser to open photography exhibition

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Muirhouse film maker Garry Fraser, whose film Everybody’s Child about his journey from addiction to recovery won a Bafta in 2014, is to open an exhibition of photographs by photographer Patrick Keast on 2nd December at 4pm in the My Front Room Café on Sallisbury Place. Continue reading Garry Fraser to open photography exhibition

SUSE Peer Support for Work Facebook Group launch today

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Scottish Union of Supported Employment (SUSE) is delighted to announce that our local MP Tommy Sheppard is helping us launch our brand new ‘Peer Support for Work’ Facebook Group to coincide with the ‘United Nations International Day of People with Disabilities’.  Continue reading SUSE Peer Support for Work Facebook Group launch today