Day: May 8, 2020

RNLI plans to provide reduced lifeguard service on beaches this summer

Despite the challenges of the coronavirus outbreak, the RNLI hopes to provide a lifeguard service on around 30% of the beaches the charity usually covers this summer, if government guidance allows. 

Rollout of the normal seasonal lifeguard service was paused at the end of March due to the measures put in place by the UK Government to control the spread of Coronavirus.

In the anticipation that there may be changes to the lockdown restrictions in the coming weeks and months allowing the public to visit beaches around the UK and Channel Islands, the RNLI has been looking at plans to resume a lifeguard service where possible.

This needs to be consistent with government guidance but the plan is for the service to build in time so that lifeguard patrols reach 70 beaches by peak season. Beaches will be chosen based on risk and popularity. The RNLI will also look to achieve a geographical spread while making sure the service provided is flexible and sustainable enough to respond to what may be an ever-changing environment.

RNLI Chief Executive, Mark Dowie, said: ‘The RNLI is incredibly proud of its highly skilled lifeguards who work alongside the charity’s volunteer lifeboat crews, HM Coastguard and other emergency services.

“RNLI lifeguards are professional lifesavers and will be essential when the lockdown is lifted and people head to our coastlines and enjoy our beautiful beaches.

‘The current situation means that the operational logistics and training behind setting up a lifeguard service – normally in full swing at the moment – have had to stop. Re-establishing this infrastructure and distributing equipment to beaches will take time. And we must also make sure that conditions are safe for our lifeguards to provide an effective service – our priority remains the safety of our people and the public.

‘But despite these challenges, and given enough notice of lockdown lifting, we’re hoping to put lifeguard patrols on around 70 beaches across the UK and Channel Islands.

‘We are planning for a service that we can adapt to changes in Government guidelines and restrictions. We don’t know whether people will be allowed to visit beaches, what social distancing restrictions will be in place, or whether we’ll have periods where restrictions are relaxed and then reintroduced.

“We’re also looking at how we provide our lifeguard service – we may have a more agile service that can adapt to changing circumstances – so it may look a little different to previous years. And we’re working with local councils, landowners and partners to make sure the environment lifeguards return to is safe and appropriate precautions are in place.

‘While the main challenge of rolling out a lifeguard service will be logistical, as a charity we do also need to consider the financial challenge we currently face and our fall in income due to restrictions on how we can fundraise.

‘The reduced lifeguard service will continue to be supported by our lifeboat stations around the coast. Our lifeboat volunteers have been on call 24/7 to help those in trouble at sea throughout the coronavirus outbreak – and will continue to be so this summer.

“We will also be giving water safety advice throughout the summer. During the coronavirus outbreak we have seen great examples of people coming together, so our focus is to work with the public to succeed in ensuring the coast is a safe place to visit when restrictions are lifted.’

The RNLI is urging everyone to follow current Government instructions until these restrictions are lifted. The guidance is clear: stay home, protect frontline workers and save lives. While you are allowed outside for daily exercise, we do not recommend that this exercise is on or in the sea.

If you are able to visit the coast for your daily exercise, while adhering to Government advice, we urge you to remember the following RNLI safety advice:

  • Take care near cliffs – know your route and your limitations
  • Check the weather forecast and tide times
  • If you fall into the water unexpectedly, FLOAT TO LIVE. Fight your instinct to thrash around, lean back, extend your arms and legs, and float
  • In any coastal emergency dial 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard

Heart Research UK Healthy Tip – Physical activity for children and young people

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Physical activity for children and young people while staying at home

Regular physical activity in children and young people is associated with improved learning, better mental health, healthier weight status and better cardiovascular fitness.

At a time when the population is being asked to stay at home, finding ways to keep children physically active can be challenging. Heart Research UK have some tips to help children and young people meet the recommended amount of physical activity while staying at home.

How much physical activity is recommended?

The Government recommends that children and young people aged 5 to 18 years engage in two types of physical activity every week: aerobic exercises and activities that strengthen muscles and bones. Children and young people should aim to do at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily.

Aerobic Exercises

Your heart will beat faster, you will breathe harder, you will get warmer and you can probably maintain a conversation

E.g. Brisk Walking, running, cycling, skateboarding or riding a scooter

Activities to strengthen muscles and bones

E.g. Skipping, sit-ups, press-ups, dance & games such as tug-of-war

Avoid too much time sitting in front of a screen

It is common for children and young people to spend too much time sitting in front of a screen. Why not limit this to a set amount of time each day/week and schedule in some time for getting active and away from the screen.

Make physical activity fun with

Look online for inspiration for getting kids and young people active and having some fun. Change 4 Life provide some good tips https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/activities/indoor-activities and there are also some online Physical Activity coaches who run free online sessions for kids.

Work out together

Try exercising as a family as this can be motivating for children and young people. Going for a family bike ride/walk or dancing around the house to your favourite songs can be a fun way to get moving together. You could also inspire others by posting videos of your activities on social media.

MSP calls for community support to clamp down on ‘dumb dumpers’

Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, has called on the support of the local community to crackdown on illegal fly tipping in the area during lockdown. 

Councils across Scotland have temporarily closed waste and recycling centres to help them prioritise the collection of general refuse and protect public health during the coronavirus outbreak – a course of action described as ‘necessary’ by Zero Waste Scotland. 

However, while those maintaining essential waste services in Scotland work hard in difficult circumstances,  reports of fly tipping across the country have increased. This has led to calls for local residents to keep a watchful eye out in Edinburgh and report anyone dumping rubbish illegally to the ‘Dumb Dumpers’ website online.

 Responsibility for recycling centres lies with councils but the Scottish Government is working closely with COSLA and its partners in local authorities on the prioritisation of waste services and on what further guidance and practical steps may be required on recycling centres. 

The MSP has also echoed calls from Zero Waste Scotland and SEPA for the public to act responsibly with their waste until recycling centres re-open – stressing that now is not the time for large-scale clear-outs. 

Gordon MacDonald MSP, said: “This is a difficult time for all of us, but we owe a huge thank you to those in the waste industry who are working to keep as many services running as possible. 

“The safety of these workers and the general public has to be the priority, and councils also need to consider staffing shortages and physical distancing before our local recycling centres can re-open. 

“While these workers do their best for us, it’s important that we continue to do what we can to help them by pitching in to crack down on illegal fly tippers across Edinburgh. 

“Now more than ever, we also have to responsibility for managing our waste during this period – that means keeping larger items at home until the centres re-open.”

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Refuse collectors are working in exceptional conditions to maintain as many essential services as they can. Now is a good time to avoid wasting so much as this is ultimately the best way to help councils cope. 

“Zero Waste Scotland is working with key partners to communicate changes to householders and businesses in Scotland in the meantime. We’d encourage everyone to visit the campaign website to find out how they can best manage their waste.”

Lothian Conservative MSP Miles Briggs has called for local recycling facilities to be reopened as soon as possible. He said: “It’s clear households across Scotland have significant amounts of waste and recycling built up over the lockdown.

“After seven weeks of closed local dumps and greater levels of household waste, we are now seeing a perfect storm which is driving a fly-tipping surge.

“This week the UK Government outlined how recycling centres in England can reopen with social distancing measures in place.

“It is clear that we need to see progress to safely lift the restrictions on recycling centres in Scotland and for SNP Ministers to outline how this can be achieved as soon as is safely possible.”

Car use is rising despite the lockdown

  • Figures show a steady increase breakdowns and average miles driven per day
  • More than a third of drivers say they are using their vehicles more for food shopping as well as trips to DIY stores

Ahead of this weekend’s announcement on how the UK might begin to ease the current lockdown restrictions, an RAC study confirms drivers are already using their cars more than they were earlier in the coronavirus lockdown.

The study analysed RAC ‘black box’ driving data, breakdown numbers and route planning figures since the lockdown began. Comparing the second week of lockdown with last week, 11% more cars were on the road and 23% more daily miles were driven, based on analysis of hundreds of thousands of trips taken by RAC Black Box Insurance customers with telematics units fitted.

Vehicle breakdowns are also up, with those attended by RAC patrols up by nearly a fifth (18%) across the same period.

The number of routes planned via the RAC Routeplanner is also increasing, suggesting a rise in trips being taken by drivers. More routes were planned on Monday 5 May 2020 than on any other day during the lockdown, with 16% more planned on this day than just a week earlier.

Comparing lockdown week two (w/c 30/3/20) with lockdown week six (w/c 27/4/20), there were:

11% more cars on the road

23% more daily miles driven

18% more RAC breakdowns

The data is supported by the findings of a new survey by the RAC which suggests that four-in-10 drivers (41%) admit they are now using their vehicles more frequently than earlier in the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.

The survey of 1,500 drivers found that the top reason for using a car more was for food and grocery shopping (almost a quarter, 23% of drivers), while 9% said that they were doing so to pick up essential supplies or for trips to a pharmacy.

But worryingly, a small but appreciable 5% said they were using their vehicle more now to specifically purchase alcohol, while the same proportion (5%) said they were going out in the car specifically to visit DIY stores as Britons look to make home improvements while spending more time at home.

A slightly smaller proportion of drivers (4%) said they were using their car more to drive somewhere to do exercise, and the same percentage said they were using their vehicle more for work purposes.

A fraction of drivers (1%) said they were taking their car solely to give it a run, with the same proportion citing the reason as driving to a beauty spot. The same percentage (1%) said they driving to see relatives or friends though it is unclear whether these relatives are vulnerable and require assistance.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “There is now mounting evidence that people are venturing back out in their vehicles for more essential, as well as arguably non-essential journeys.

“This perhaps is being driven by lockdown fatigue and boredom while the sunny spring weather might also be enticing drivers back into their vehicles. Additionally, some who are indoors might have chosen to carry out home maintenance and DIY, so have taken an opportunity to visit DIY stores that are now open.

“Our own data clearly shows a slight, but nonetheless steady, rise in the number of drivers using their vehicles, and the distances they are travelling in them on a daily basis, compared with earlier in the lockdown. As we near the end of the seventh week of the lockdown, all eyes are on what the Government announces this weekend in terms of how and when movement restrictions might be lifted.

“Until anything concrete is confirmed, the current advice remains to only go out when necessary for essential purposes, or where you cannot work from home. Even where drivers need to head out to pick up food shopping, this should be done as infrequently as possible to help stop the spread of the virus. The question drivers should ask themselves before venturing out is ‘do I really need to?’

“By only using the car for essential journeys at this time, we’re not only helping prevent the virus spreading, but are also reducing the risk of being involved in a road collision and avoiding putting any further pressure on the NHS.”

Arrests following city road policing operations

On Wednesday (6 May 2020), road policing officers stopped a vehicle on Ellersly Road in Murrayfield. Officers searched the car and discovered a quantity of drugs and an offensive weapon.

Two men, aged 18, and one man aged 20, were arrested and charged in connection with the incident. All three men are subject of a report of the Procurator Fiscal.

A further operation at 10:30pm that night resulted in a 19-year-old man being arrested and charged in connection with road traffic offences in Duddingston Row, Bingham where officers responded to a white Vauxhall Van being driven dangerously.

Officers stopped the car and a 19-year-old man was arrested and charged.

Inspector Roger Park of Edinburgh City Road Policing said: “We will always target road users who are a hazard on our roads and put other road users at risk. Members of the public can be assured we will continue to patrol our roads night and day to ensure they are safe for us all to use.”

Connecting Scotland initiative to get vulnerable people online

A new £5 million programme is to offer an internet connection, training and support, and a laptop or tablet to vulnerable people who are not already online during the response to coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Connecting Scotland programme will connect 9,000 more people who are considered at clinically high risk themselves so they can access services and support and connect with friends and family during the pandemic.

Those who take part in the programme will be paired with a ‘digital champion’ to support them for six months while they get connected and find the information they need.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “Access to the internet is a real lifeline during these difficult times, so we want to support people to get online and stay connected through this project.

“The advice is clear that we need to stay at home, but for those shielding and in a high risk group, and not online, we know this is difficult and can increase isolation and loneliness at a time they already feel vulnerable and might be missing other support.

“The internet helps us to keep in touch with friends and family and is an important way to find information on support services during this challenging time. This £5 million investment will bring 9,000 more people online over the coming months, and help people best manage the impact that coronavirus is having on their lives.”

Local authorities and the third sector will lead on identifying people to receive devices, distributing them and providing training and support.

SCVO Chief Executive Anna Fowlie said: “For most of us, technology has played a crucial role in keeping us connected to friends and family, informed and entertained, and able to continue with learning and work.

“However, there are people that can’t access the benefits of being online because of the affordability of kit and connectivity, or the confidence and skills to be able to use technology effectively. This additional investment will go a long way towards reducing that digital divide and ensuring everyone can benefit from being online.”

Councillor Gail Macgregor, COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson said: “Ensuring that our communities are connected is essential to our response to tackling coronavirus, and COSLA welcomes the positive role that this programme will have in getting people online in the coming weeks and months.”

“Local Government has been at the forefront of efforts to tackle digital exclusion and is ideally placed to understand the significant challenges that it presents, particularly to the most vulnerable. That is why we are working closely with Scottish Government and third sector partners to deliver on this programme.”

VE DAY 75: Time to Remember

As the nation falls silent, some time for reflection …

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack pays tribute to the country’s wartime generation:

Today, the nation will unite to mark 75 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe, and the thoughts of people across Scotland will be with our wartime generation.

Victory in Europe is one of the most significant moments in Britain’s long history, a crucial milestone on the road to peace.

By 8 May 1945, Britain had lived through six years of global conflict. We had seen terrible losses, and huge sacrifices made at home and abroad. So many lives lost, so much suffering, so many families torn apart.

But we also saw huge courage and unbelievable fortitude. People made enormous sacrifices – that to most of us today seem unimaginable – all to put King and country first.

Those years of courage, pain and loss secured the freedoms and way of life we enjoy today. We would be living very different lives if we had not liberated Europe from fascism.

It is only right that today we take time to honour those who served, including those who continued to fight in the Far East until the August of 1945. In due course we will mark VJ day, of course, and thank them again for their service.

We must also remember those – including so many from Scottish regiments – who continued to fight in the Far East until the August of 1945. In due course we will mark VJ day, and thank them again for their service.

Scottish regiments fought bravely throughout the conflict, including in the D-Day landings. We must also thank all those who fought on the home front.

Communities faced onslaughts by the Luftwaffe as they tried to destroy our shipbuilding and munitions capacity. Clydebank was almost destroyed, and thousands of its citizens killed. But the Scottish people refused to be bowed, instead strengthening their resolve to defeat the enemy and fight for our country’s freedom.

Hundreds of Scottish children were evacuated to live with families in the countryside. They were kept safe, and many made lifelong attachments to their foster families. But they dearly missed, and were dearly missed by, their own families.

We are, of course, in the middle of a current, unprecedented, battle to control coronavirus. NHS staff, care teams and a vast army of key workers and volunteers have gone above and beyond for the common good. , and I believe we now feel a greater empathy than ever with the generations who witnessed VE Day in May 1945.

Unfortunately, due to the current emergency, communities across the UK will no longer be able to mark this important anniversary in quite the same way as we initially planned.

I know the British people will mark this historic occasion in new ways, to show our deepest gratitude and respect for those that gave so much to bring peace, freedom and prosperity to Europe. So, throughout today, there will be a thoughtful programme of events in which people can safely become involved while staying at home.

The official commemorations will begin at 11am when his Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will lead the nation in a two minute silence.

We will remember the fallen, and give thanks for those who came home to friends and family. People can join this national moment of reflection in whatever way is right for them – that might be sitting quietly inside, standing at your window or stepping outside your front door.

At 3pm, extracts from Sir Winston Churchill’s victory speech will be broadcast across national television and radio, to recreate the moment the end of the war in Europe officially was announced on 8 May 1945.

The Prime Minister will read the recently discovered Edmund Blunden poem ‘VE Day’.

Later in the day, there will be a broadcast of The Prince of Wales reading extracts from King George VI’s diary, relating the experiences of his grandfather on VE Day in 1945, including the King’s relief that the war in Europe was over.

In an uplifting aerial display, the Royal Air Force will provide breath-taking flypasts across the UK’s capital cities – modern RAF Typhoon jets fly over Edinburgh. People are encouraged not to gather to watch the flypast but continue to follow public health guidelines and enjoy the coverage from home.

We are all encouraged to join in a nationwide rendition of Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’. Open your windows or front doors and sing along with your neighbours.

Then, as a fitting finale, Her Majesty The Queen will send a special message to the nation at 9pm, the exact moment her father, King George VI, gave a radio address in 1945.

We are living through difficult times just now, of course we are. But we will get through them. We will get though them together. Now, more than ever, we can all learn from the bravery, the resilience and the optimism of our wartime generation.

Port of Leith’s Covid Response Fund supports local community organisations

Port of Leith Housing Association’s (PoLHA) £50,000 Covid Response Fund has provided 18 awards of between £500 and £2,500 to local charities and social enterprises that are rising to the challenge of alleviating the effects of the coronavirus epidemic on people living in the community.

Grants to six additional organisations are also being processed.

With a remit to fast track flexible access to grants where they will have the quickest benefits, the Fund has already helped provide emergency food provision for isolated or vulnerable people, purchased vital equipment to allow third sector staff to carry on supporting service users from home and helped a wide range of people (from older adults to school-age children) access vital online services and education during lock down.

PoLHA Group Chief Executive, Heather Kiteley, said: “Organisations across Leith and North Edinburgh seem to have adjusted to the new challenges created by lockdown astonishingly quickly. 

“They’ve been able to change both the ways they are working as well as the nature of the services they deliver in a few short weeks or even days.

“We’re thrilled to be able to support the life-changing work of community organisations through our Covid Response Fund which is helping organisations to create and develop crucial new services, from emergency food packages for vulnerable people isolating at home, to helping older adults bridge the digital divide and keep in touch with people.

“We hope to secure more funding to support even more organisations in the weeks ahead.”

Elaine Brown from the Edinburgh Remakery, which received a £2,000 grant from the Fund to provide refurbished laptop computers for vulnerable people in Leith to help them access digital services and keep in touch with loved ones, said: “Thank you so much for supporting the Edinburgh Remakery.

“This grant will not only support us in these challenging times, it will allow us to help vulnerable people within Leith and north Edinburgh to stay connected.”

The Milan Senior Welfare Organisation, which provides a range of services for older people from South Asian communities in Edinburgh and Lothian to meet their social, cultural, recreational, language and care needs, received a grant to buy laptops and phones to help staff work remotely, issue newsletters to keep in touch with service users and also buy bags and containers for hot food deliveries.

Sophia Latif from Milan Senior Welfare Organisation commented: “Funding like this is a lifeline to charities like us, especially when processed in such a timely manner.” 

West Pilton-based Fresh Start, which helps people who have been homeless to get set up in their new homes and settle in their community, received funding to support the most vulnerable individuals and families across Edinburgh by providing them with emergency packs of essential food, toiletries and cleaning products.

Freh Start’s Jen McQuistan said: “This funding will make a big difference to the people we are supporting, especially during these challenging times.”

All funds have now been allocated but PoLHA are very hopeful of securing more funding to distribute soon – keep an eye on www.polha.co.uk and on Twitter @PortofLeithHA /Facebook

Letter: Commemorating VE Day and Europe Day this weekend

Dear Editor, 

This weekend we commemorate two truly historic events: On Friday the 75th anniversary of VE day marking the liberation of Europe from fascism and war and on Saturday Europe Day, celebrating the foundation of a united Europe that would make another war among our nations unthinkable. 

On Saturday the European Movement in Scotland will mark the anniversary of the 1950 signing of the Schuman Declaration. At its core is the recognition that the way forward must reflect an unyielding willingness to live together peacefully and cooperate to bring to fruition the aspirations of all Europeans. Freedom of movement – allowing EU citizens to work, learn, travel and make friends without restrictions – grew out of this. 

We know there is much to be done to continue to realise the vision of founders of the Council of Europe and European Union, including Winston Churchill.

However, we take hope from the European Commission’s global pledging event this week #UnitedAgainstCoronavirus. World leaders came together – including Boris Johnson – to raise €7.4bn to support the ongoing research and development of treatments and vaccines for all, leaving nobody behind. 

The European Movement believes only countries working together can defeat this common threat. This co- operative effort will develop solutions that will be critical to fully restoring our way of life, just as it did in the dark days of the War. 

Yours sincerely, 

Edinburgh4Europe,

affiliated to the European Movement in Scotland 

 

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day

Today, the nation will join together to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.

The special day will evoke memories of the jubilant scenes on the streets as Britons cast off the shackles of war – but the service and sacrifice of the WW2 generation will not be forgotten.

At 11am there will be a national two-minute silence, which will also honour those so devastatingly affected by the coronavirus crisis, and DBS staff are invited to participate from their homes. There is no right or wrong way to take part – some may wish to stand at their windows, step outside while remaining socially distanced, watch the broadcast on TV or simply sit in quiet reflection.

Whilst the UK is unable to celebrate this day as originally planned, it is important that we do everything we can to virtually mark the 75th Anniversary of VE Day on Friday 8 May.

You can tune into TV coverage on the day to pay tribute and respect to the Second World War Generation. There will be various dedicated shows across radio stations and TV channels.

Timeline of events

What’s on …

Just because we can’t all be together right now, doesn’t mean we can’t all be involved. There is something for everyone to try whilst you’re at home…

Looking for some home-schooling inspiration? Look no further…with teaching remembrance with the British Legion

Have your VE Day plans been cancelled? Not to worry…

Join the RBL for a VE Day Singalong

Why not get involved on Twitter with the hashtag #ThisIsYourVictory to share with us what you’re doing to spend VE Day at home.