Month: March 2020

Play Another Day: CBeebies star calls on Scots to help the planet

Get on board with The Great Toy Rescue!

The star of children’s TV show Molly and Mack is urging Scots to hand their old toys on to be enjoyed once again as part of Zero Waste Scotland’s Pass it on Week. 

Joshua Haynes, who plays Mack in the hit CBeebies show, says it is more important than ever that we make better use of our resources to protect the planet. 

Taking place from 7 – 15 March, Pass it on Week, with support from the European Regional Development Fund, is the national celebration of reuse. This year, the theme ‘The Great Toy Rescue’ encourages Scots to pass on items on so they can play another day. 

Passing on toys that are in a good condition, or just need a little fixing up, benefits the environment by avoiding the need to buy new and also diverts existing valuable materials from potentially ending up in landfill or incineration. 

People can do their bit by simply passing on the toys their children no longer play with. 

There will be plenty of opportunities to get involved as events are set to take place across Scotland over the week. Local schools and community groups are encouraged to visit the Pass it on Week website to sign up their event. 

Joshua Haynes said: “It’s more important than ever to be making better use of our resources. The effects of global warming are now here for everyone to see and it’s not a debatable possibility, it’s a very real and tangible thing. 

“We’ve got to do whatever we can to help retain the natural beauty and wonder of our world and finding out how to better use what resources and materials we already have is one of the biggest steps to achieving that goal.” 

Joshua has shared his own story of his favourite childhood toy ‘Pal’ to highlight why it’s so important to value what we already have and how passing on can make someone else’s day. 

He said: “My favourite toy as a kid was this kind of bean-bag, kind of plush puppy who I called Pal. I used to keep Pal by my side at all times whenever I was in the house – and whenever I’d go on holiday, I’d be making sure to take Pal with me.

“When I first got Pal I noticed he had some kind of damage on his front left paw. Instead of asking my mum for a new toy I saw this as something that made him really special, unique. My special dog with his hurt paw. So, because of that I wanted to take extra special care of him – which he definitely got. 

“Unfortunately, one day when going to visit my family in Liverpool, I lost Pal while on the train and never saw him again. Obviously, I was incredibly upset and a lot of phone calls were made to try and find him but with no luck. 

“Although the thing I was so upset about wasn’t the fact that I had lost my favourite toy but that I was actually more concerned that someone wasn’t going to look after him properly. In the end my mum helped me get over it by telling me that some other kid will have found him and that he would be making them happy now.” 

He continued: “Pal taught me a lot of different things growing up, for example, don’t leave your favourite toy on a train!

“But the most important thing I learned from my favourite toy was that sharing something, even if it means the world to you, can help make the biggest of impacts on someone else.” 

A study by Zero Waste Scotland found that 85% of parents say they mainly pass on the toys that their children no longer play with. Meanwhile, 81% say they would give their children a toy previously used by a friend or family member. At least 58% would give them one from a second hand shop or a resale site like eBay or Gumtree.

 Four fifths of Scotland’s carbon footprint is caused by the goods and materials that we consume, whether it is food, clothes, toys or electrical equipment. Maximising use of the materials we have will reduce the level of greenhouse gases produced. It will also protect habitats and biodiversity by reducing the demand to find and extract new materials. 

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Every aspect of our lives touches on the climate emergency in some way. Conserving existing resources is one of the most powerful and easiest ways to make a difference.

“Passing on old toys is a great way to share happiness, plus buying and wasting less will protect the environment and reduce Scotland’s carbon footprint. Never think you are too small to make a difference.” 

The Revolve certification, run by Zero Waste Scotland, is the national reuse quality standard given to shops selling second hand goods. Shops must meet high standards in cleanliness, safety, service and value for money to gain the Revolve certification. When customers see the logo in-store, they can be assured they are buying high quality goods. 

There are currently more than 140 shops in Scotland that carry the Revolve certification. 

For more details and to register your Pass it on Week event, visit passitonweek.com.

 Pass it on Week is part of Zero Waste Scotland’s Resource Efficient Circular Economy Accelerator Programme, which will invest £73m in circular economy and resource efficiency projects, thanks to support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Celebrations as LOVE Gorgie Farm opens its doors

LOVE Gorgie Farm, formerly Gorgie City Farm, opened its doors yesterday with a huge celebration and range of family-friendly activities.

Depute Lord Provost, Cllr Joan Griffiths, joined with a number of local celebrities including radio presenter Grant Stott, Hearts CEO Ann Budge and Hibs footballer Ryan Porteous, as well as Edinburgh and Scotland rugby players, politicians and council representatives.

Children (and adults too!) got the chance to feed the animals on the farm, which included pigs, sheep and goats, and took some newly arrived alpacas for a stroll.

There was also face-painting and a henna tattooist on hand, as well as entertainment for all, including tombola, music, a photo booth and much more.

Education and social care charity, LOVE Learning, took over the site of the former Gorgie City Farm in January after it went into liquidation in November last year.

LOVE Learning also organised a community consultation event, where visitors had the opportunity to tell the new operators about their hopes for the future of the urban farm.

The farm had been opened earlier than expected thanks to the assistance of hundreds of volunteers who assisted in the two weeks running up to the reopening.

The farm remains open seven days a week and will be free for visitors. LOVE Learning will keep using the site as an urban farm as part of its portfolio of environmental projects.

In addition, LOVE Gorgie Farm provides educational services to children through animal and forest therapy. It also provides a range of professional apprenticeships and Scottish Qualifications Authority awarded qualifications, as well as looking to be involved in organising social prescribing and wellbeing therapies in partnership with the NHS in the future.

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE Learning said: “We are incredibly excited to be opening LOVE Gorgie Farm much earlier than we anticipated, would like to thank those who came today and look forward to welcoming many more visitors through our doors.

“I would like to thank the hundreds of volunteers who have given up their valuable time to help get the farm up and running earlier than anticipated. We could not have done it without their crucial role.

“Not only will the farm remain open seven days a week and remain free, but we will provide a range of exciting education, environmental and social care programmes supporting vulnerable individuals.”

Depute Lord Provost, Cllr Joan Griffiths, said: “I was delighted to attend the opening and see the fantastic work that is going on, including a range of environmental and educational programmes.

“As a Council we look forward to working in partnership with LOVE Gorgie Farm going forward.”

Ann Budge, owner of Heart of Midlothian Football Club which has worked closely with the farm over the years said: “We are delighted to see the farm reopening as LOVE Gorgie Farm and look forward to establishing a positive relationship with LOVE Learning as the new operators.

“Like Hearts, the farm is at the very heart of the local community and we look forward to working with them.”

Sandy McCall Smith, author of the No. 1 Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street books, among others, said: “I am aware of the major role that Gorgie City Farm, now LOVE Gorgie Farm, plays in the local community.

“It is wonderful news that it has been rescued. It brings animals and the countryside into the lives of so many children, young people and adults, who might otherwise feel cut off from such things. Put simply, LOVE Gorgie Farm does a great deal of good.”

Coronavirus: ‘Drive through’ testing introduced

Testing arrangements for coronavirus are being expanded across Scotland. 

Health boards are implementing a range of different methods for people in their areas to access testing. This ranges from testing in contained areas at local health centres, to community testing in the home, and ‘drive-through’ testing in some areas.

NHS Lothian is the latest health board to introduce ‘drive through’ testing, where patients with mild symptoms drive themselves to a contained area of the Western General hospital for testing, enabling them to avoid public transport or walking.

However the drive-in initiaitve is NOT for self-referalls.

Dr Tracey Gillies, medical director at NHS Lothian, stressed: “This service is for patients who have been assessed by the specialist team so it is an appointment-only service. It is not a drop-in clinic and it is important to stress that patients cannot be seen without an appointment.

“The drive-through facility and the community testing teams allow us to test patients without them coming into healthcare facilities. Patients will be referred on by their GP or NHS 24 if they are at risk of the virus and meet the clinical criteria.

“They will then be referred on to our teams, who will decide whether they need to be tested in their own homes or if they are well enough and can use their own transport to drive to the Western General Hospital.”

Other boards are running community testing, which allows people to be tested in their own home where appropriate. This involves staff from public health teams attending people’s homes in protective suits to provide testing, and offer advice to anyone displaying symptoms.

It follows the introduction of specialised coronavirus screening laboratories in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood said: “Although all test results have come back negative so far, it is only a matter of time before there is a positive case in Scotland. 

“Our priority is to ensure testing facilities are available across Scotland, so we have asked health boards to explore options for people in their area depending on their needs. Methods of testing will be different depending on factors like population and geography.

“Scotland is well-prepared to deal with coronavirus. We need the public to help contain spread by keeping themselves informed of the latest health and travel advice, and taking basic hygiene precautions such as hand-washing, not touching their face and covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and binning the tissue straight away.”

NHS England news release on drive through testing

The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland are well-prepared to deal with a potential coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and are working with the UK Government, Wales and Northern Ireland to publish a coordinated response.

In the coming days the four nations will jointly publish an updated action plan on the response of the health care system and the public to coronavirus. The document will outline the steps that will be taken to manage coronavirus if there is a sustained epidemic.

The Scottish Government is also participating in the UK wide launch of an updated public information campaign this week. It will feature posters and social media adverts to reinforce the importance of hand-washing, for 20 seconds or more with water and soap, to prevent the spread of the virus.

In addition, the Scottish Government has:

• stood up its Resilience Room (SGoRR) with both Ministers and officials meeting regularly to ensure the country is prepared
• participated and engaged in UK Government COBR activity
• developed emergency regulations to ensure coronavirus is a notifiable disease
• implemented a training programme and trained Scottish Ambulance Service staff to support the transport of patients that may be infectious
• established two laboratories in Scotland (Glasgow and Edinburgh) to manage an increase in testing
• delivered face masks to GP practices as a precautionary measure
• developed and issued guidance to clinicians as well as sector specific information to schools, universities, ports and airports to ensure members of the public are alerted to the latest clinical information
• established a dedicated helpline within NHS 24 to provide members of the public with the opportunity to receive information and discuss concerns
• developed an online resource via NHS Inform that can be accessed 24/7

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “In Scotland we have a proven track record of dealing with challenging health issues and while all tests have so far come back negative, it is highly likely that we will see a positive case soon as coronavirus continues to spread around the world.

“As part of our efforts we are working with the UK Government, Wales and Northern Ireland to publish a coordinated response in the coming days.

“Staff across the Scottish Government, its agencies and key partners are stepping up work to deal with the potential consequences of a coronavirus outbreak. This includes prioritising key activity to keep Scotland running should the situation change, but also to ensure that all sectors can play their part in managing the response.

“Led by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, our clinicians and Health Protection Scotland are working closely with their counterparts across the UK to guarantee a consistent and joined up approach.

“We will continue to ensure we are as prepared as possible for the likelihood of coronavirus cases in Scotland and will continue to work with health boards, local authorities and other governments across the UK in ensuring that plans and preparations are in place to respond.”

The UK has 23 confirmed cases – none so far in Scotland – but there are warnings more will inevitably follow.