Month: May 2020

Scottish Book Trust launch online celebrations for Bookbug Week

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing, will host online celebrations this year for Bookbug Week​, which runs from Monday 18 May – Sunday 24 May.

As the Bookbug programme has been running since 2010, the charity will mark the ten year milestone with #HappyBirthdayBookbug, encouraging families across Scotland to send Bookbug their birthday wishes.

Bookbug Week is an annual celebration of Scotland’s national book-gifting programme and Song and Rhyme Sessions. There will be many ways for families to join in the fun at home, such as a daily drawalong with Bookbug’s creator Debi Gliori, to learn how to draw Bookbug and friends.

There will also be a special film with Debi, which explains how she created Bookbug ten years ago.

The popular live Bookbug Session on Facebook will run on Friday 22 May at 10am, for everyone to join in and sing happy birthday to Bookbug.

The first live Bookbug Session was a great success with over 20,000 views. For those that cannot join the live session, there will be an option to watch later, or the option of acelebratory Bookbug Session for families to try at home themselves.

Scottish Book Trust’s home activities hub will be packed with more themed ideas to try at home, from making a party hat to colouring in sheets of Bookbug. 

All through the week, there will also be competitions on the charity’s website and social media. Scottish Book Trust will also be asking for families’ memories of their child’s Bookbug Bags and Bookbug Sessions with their little ones.

As always, families can access Bookbug’s Song and Rhyme library, via Scottish Book Trust’s website, or on the free Bookbug app.

Building on the increasing demand for modern nursery rhymes, Scottish Book Trust commissioned Sprog Rock to develop a brand new birthday song, which will launch on Wednesday 20 May.

The new song was created through interactive nursery workshops earlier this year with Bucklyvie Nursery in Glasgow. The song centres around the theme of being ten years old, with nursery children contributing their imaginative thoughts about what that age means to them.

Minister for Children and Young People, Maree Todd said: “I am delighted that we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Bookbug programme in Scotland.

“To date, Bookbug has provided well over 6 million books to children and helped families across Scotland to take part in Bookbug activities and enjoy precious moments of reading, story-telling and singing together.

“We know these are challenging times for families so it is heartening to see that the Bookbug online sessions are proving to be such a success. I am also pleased to see that this year’s celebrations will be packed with themed activity ideas for families to try at home.

“I would like to thank Scottish Book Trust and everyone involved in delivering this wonderful programme and I hope that many families can join in the exciting virtual events and resources during the Bookbug week.” 

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “Scottish Book Trust is looking forward to celebrating Bookbug’s tenth birthday with families across Scotland through our website, social media channels and Bookbug app.

“We are extremely proud of the impact that the Bookbug programme has made in the last decade: from delivering free bags of books, to bringing communities together through Bookbug Sessions, to working with families at home who need our support to get started sharing stories and songs together.

“We’d like to thank all our colleagues from libraries, health, education, social care and the third sector for building Bookbug with us – it truly is a national partnership that shows how much we value books, and value children. We look forward to receiving everyone’s birthday messages for Bookbug and hope that families can join us to celebrate.”

Funded by the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland, Bookbug is Scottish Book Trust’s Early Years Programme.

The Bookbug programme encourages mums, dads and carers to sing and share stories with their children from birth. It gives every child in Scotland four free bags of books in their first 5 years, gifting over 885,000 books every year.

Bookbug also runs regular free story, song and rhyme events in libraries, shopping centres and other community venues which attracted audiences of over 720,000 parents and children in 2018-19.

Happy Birthday, Bookbug!

Mental Health Awareness Week: A Time for Kindness

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week (18-24 May 2020) and this year the topic is kindness.

  • Almost three-quarters of UK adults (72 per cent) say it is important we learn from the coronavirus pandemic to be more kind as a society.
  • Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of UK adults say that when people are kind to them, it has a positive impact on their mental health.
  • Almost two-thirds of UK adults (63 per cent) say that being kind to others has a positive impact on their mental health.
  • Charity recommends targeted “kindness tests”, including equality, dignity and respect to be applied in creating and reviewing public policy.

Almost three-quarters of UK adults say it is important that we learn from the coronavirus pandemic to be more kind as a society, according to a new survey.

The survey was published by the Mental Health Foundation to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, which this year has the theme of Kindness.

Two-thirds of people say that when others are kind to them, it has a positive impact on their mental health, according to the survey of 4,256 UK adults aged 18 and above.

Two-thirds of UK adults also say that being kind to others has a positive impact on their mental health.

The charity has launched a report showing the evidence base for the impact of kindness on mental health and a policy paper making recommendations on how kindness can be turned into action.

Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation Mark Rowland said: “The evidence for the positive impact of kindness on protecting and improving mental health has always been clear. Our own survey has shown there is powerful support from the UK public for a kinder approach.

“At one level, kindness can be as simple as phoning a friend who is lonely or thanking a colleague for something they have done. However, to have a major impact on improving our mental health, we need to take kindness seriously as a society. In particular, we need to make kindness an important part of public policy.

“The pandemic is an opportunity to do that. Kindness can play an essential role in reducing the social, economic and mental health consequences of the crisis, that could last for years to come.”

The survey also found that almost half of UK adults (48 per cent) said being kind “to myself” had a positive impact on their mental health.

The charity is making a series of recommendations on kindness. They include recommending that all Government departments apply a measurable, values-based kindness test to current and new policies. This is to ensure they are informed by kindness, equality, dignity and respect.

Mr Rowland added: “We need to challenge the idea that kindness has no relevance to government and public policy. Instead, we want to start taking kindness seriously in how we shape political decision-making at all levels.

“Kindness has a role to play in how we run our welfare services, our justice system and our health system. To achieve this, we need to include a fundamental test for all existing and new policies – are they kind?

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-imagine a kinder society – one that protects all our mental health and especially that of the most vulnerable.”

The Mental Health Foundation organises and hosts Mental Health Awareness Week every year. The week runs from 18th to 24th May and is now in its 20th year.

Mental Health Awareness Week is marked in different ways by organisations and individuals.

This year, the Foundation is asking people to share their stories of kindness during the Week on social media and also their ideas for how we can build a kinder society, using #KindnessMatters and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek.

Visit mentalhealth.org.uk/mhaw for more information.

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Jeane Freeman: ‘We are getting a bit closer to the day when we can relax some more of these restrictions’

Statement given by the Health Secretary Jeane Freeman at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Sunday 17 May).

Good afternoon. Thank you for joining us for today’s briefing. I want to start – as I always do – by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 14,537 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 90 from yesterday.

A total of 1,308 patients are in hospital with the virus – 1,007 who have been confirmed as having Covid, and 301 who are suspected of having Covid. That represents a total decline of 108 from yesterday, including a decrease of 4 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 59 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is the same number as reported yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,354 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital. I wish all of them well.

Regrettably, I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 9 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having COVID-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,103.

It is worth bearing in mind that fewer deaths tend to be registered at the weekend than on other days of the week – that is almost certainly part of the reason why today’s figure is significantly lower than yesterday’s.

As always, I want to stress that these numbers are much more than statistics. They represent individuals whose loss is a source of grief to many. I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

As Health Secretary, I also want to once again thank those working in our health and care sector.  That thanks is due to every single person – doctors and nurses; paramedics; care home staff; healthcare assistants; porters, cooks, and cleaners and many, many more.

Everything you do is essential to the health and well being of our country. And all of us owe you a great debt of gratitude.

I have three areas which I want to update you on today.

The first relates to care homes. All care workers demonstrate everyday commitment and compassion in their work and in incredibly difficult circumstances. We will continue to do everything we can to support you, while you provide care and support for those who most need it.

On Friday we published detailed clinical and practice guidance for care homes. Today we have published details of arrangements that take effect from tomorrow to ensure enhanced professional clinical and care oversight.

The publication today sets out a very clear role for the NHS, in partnership with the relevant Local Authority and Local Health & Social Care Partnership to actively and proactively ensure that every care home has the additional support and if necessary intervention, to make sure that clinical care, infection prevention and control, PPE and testing arrangements are what we need them to be.

Accountability for this sits at the most senior levels of our Health Boards and of course through them, to me as Health Secretary.

These additional arrangements build on current support and ensure that care homes benefit from the vital contribution of Nurse Directors, Chief Social Work Officers and Chief Officers of Health and Social Care Partnerships.

The Scottish Government has also added new measures to the Coronavirus Bill, which will receive Stage 2 consideration in Parliament next week.

These make it clear that – if a provider is unable to continue to deliver care, or if there is a significant risk to residents – Scottish Ministers can ensure continuity of care and support.

These powers would only be exercised as a last resort. There is a range of guidance available for care providers on how to manage the current situation, which we expect to be followed.

Of course there are many positive examples across Scotland of highly effective management of care homes.

But there have also been instances where care standards during this pandemic have fallen short. We are already taking action to address these, with the support of the Care Inspectorate.

If passed, the new measures we are proposing will provide additional assurance – to staff; to people who live in care homes, to their residents and to their families – that further action will be taken to address any failings that arise and will be taken quickly.

The Coronavirus Bill provisions – together with the guidance we have published – reinforce our determination to ensure that care in every residential setting is as safe as possible.

The second issue I want to talk about is a further development of our growing capacity to test, trace, isolate and support.

That process – which involves identifying cases of COVID-19, finding the people they have been in close contact with, and then asking those close-contacts to self-isolate for 14 days is crucial as we start to emerge from the lock down. It will help us to quickly break the chains of transmission, and therefore stop any new outbreaks of Covid from growing.

Currently Health Boards across Scotland do some contact tracing, based on risk assessments. And as part of our build-up of contact-tracing staff, an open recruitment process is underway to supplement the increase in contract tracing teams Boards are currently working on. We now have 600 additional staff across our NHS boards who are ready to start and more are being trained as contact tracers.

From tomorrow, NHS Fife, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Highland will test the contact tracing technology that health boards will use. This builds on existing tried and tested technology, and is designed to support staff to collect and record information, and to trace more contacts more quickly.

Together with the growing number of contact tracers the technology allows us to carry out contact tracing on the much larger scale that will be needed.

The software which is being tested next week, will be used in all health boards by the end of May and will continue to be refined and improved during June. It will play a valuable role in improving the speed and effectiveness of our work to test, trace, isolate and support.

The final issue I want to talk to you about is the appointment of an additional deputy Chief Medical Officer.  The First Minister has appointed Professor Marion Bain to that role on an interim basis.

Professor Bain is the Scottish Government’s former Senior Medical Advisor for Public Health Reform. Most recently, she has been working as the Director of Infection Prevention and Control in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.  She is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh, and has a particular research expertise in the use of routine health information for public health and clinical research.

Professor Bain will work alongside our other interim Deputy CMO, Dr Nicola Steedman.  And she will support our Chief Medical Officer, Dr Gregor Smith,

Her appointment will provide additional capacity in that key role and further ensure that we benefit from the very best public health expertise available.

I’m now going to pass you on to Fiona McQueen, our Chief Nursing Officer but before I do, however, I’d like to emphasise once again our key public health guidance.

Please stay at home except for essential purposes- such as daily exercise, or to buy essential items.

You can now exercise more than once a day – but when you do leave the house, stay local, stay more than 2 metres apart from other people. And do not meet up with people from households other than your own.

You should wear a face covering if you are in a shop or on public transport and physical distancing is difficult to achieve. And wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

Finally, if you or someone else in your household has symptoms of COVID-19, then you should stay at home completely.

I do know how difficult these restrictions are. And I also know they get harder as time passes. But they are necessary – and they are making a difference.

By staying at home, we, you, are slowing the spread of the virus, protecting the NHS and saving lives.

And we are getting a bit closer to the day, when we can relax some more of these restrictions.

So thank you once again to all of you, for doing the right thing, and sticking to the guidance.

Its May, it’s spring and it should be the start of MoonWalk Season!

Whilst the iconic MoonWalks are on hold, organisers breast cancer charity Walk the Walk are inviting people from all over the U.K. to put on their walking shoes and join them on a virtual MoonWalk Celebration Road Trip.  

To mark the dates of The MoonWalk London on 16th May, The MoonWalk Scotland on 6th June and The MoonWalk Iceland on 13th June, this virtual road trip is a 29 day journey. It will start at Clapham Common in London, continuing via Holyrood Park in Edinburgh and finishing with a grand celebration at Lake Myvatn in Iceland.

The virtual route is 1,190 miles, as the crow flies and people wanting to support the charity can choose how many miles that they want to walk. The aim is to get as many people to Iceland as possible on 13th June, observing social distancing guidelines, of course.

Walkers can choose to take on 2 miles each day, 3 miles a day or 5 miles each day for 29 days or pick ‘n’ mix their own distance and time.

There is no cost for joining and fundraising is optional, but should they want to, those taking part can open a fundraising page and anyone can show their support by making a donation.

The entire Walk the Walk Team is setting off on the road trip and walking at least 2 miles a day for the 29 days.

Nina Barough CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk said; “With our 3 MoonWalks sadly on hold, we just could not let the days pass without some kind of celebration.

“So, all of us at Walk the Walk along with as many people as we can get to join us, are very excited to be setting off … virtually of course on ‘The MoonWalk Celebration Road Trip’.

“In these unsettled times we all need a bit of fun, and this really is fun for everyone. It is free to enter and a great incentive for women, men and children to get out into the fresh air with a fun goal … meanwhile, Walk the Walk hope to raise some much needed funds for those living with cancer who need it now more than ever, so a great exchange.

“After all, how often can you say that you are walking from London to Scotland and then onto Iceland … Join this magical journey now and expect a few surprises along the way!”

Mental Health in Lockdown: The World From My Window

This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (18 – 24th May) comes at an unprecedented time of global change.

As nations all across the planet slowly unfurl the restrictions of lockdown and societies begin to take small steps back to a version of ‘normal’ life, the lack of certainty over what will happen next continues to cause anxiety and distress to many.

During the lockdown, The World From My Window (TWFMW) has shone a spotlight on the stories of the individuals who are living through this difficult, shared experience. So far, hundreds of personal accounts and stories have been collected from 40 different countries across the globe; including, Pakistan, Uganda, North America, Sudan, the UK, Belarus, New Zealand and Palestine.

Everyone has a different story to tell. We have heard from patients in the throes of recovery, parents at home – struggling to balance demands of children and work and popstars – including Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne, who is finding hope in the opportunity to stay still.

What has been the common thread in all the submissions and stories received, is that making the time to write down your anxieties and emotions can bring comfort during a period of crisis.

You can add your voice to the growing digital anthology of stories told by all these global citizens by writing a short story or letter to describe what your world looks like right now. The goal is to gather stories from as many countries and societal perspectives as possible and to build a varied and holistic picture of this moment in our shared history.

Here are some extracts from the stories we have received so far:

“Loneliness is nothing to do with distance. It can happen anywhere, because it’s something we carry inside us, like a pain in our heart. We can be alone in a crowded room, even when people we love are right beside us.” – Paul, London

“Could you ever imagine, even in your wildest dreams, that a pandemic will bring the entire world to a halt? The world so preoccupied that it whooshes by those who take a moment to catch a breath.” – Atif, Islamabad.

“I hear cars and trucks, delivering important things, I hear possums and birds, wandering around, I hear neighbors and pets, living their lives, I hear silence most often and that’s a lovely sound.” – Rebecca, Australia

“I’m grateful for this moment of calm. The pressures of having to be the smartest, the most successful, the prettiest, the thinnest have disappeared and I am now free.” Sophie, West Sussex.

“…what I miss the most? It’s the ritual we were doing to increase our neurotransmitters – oxycontin, dopamine, serotonin and endorphins. The simple ritual of a Hug. – Subhan, Baku.

‘They remind me that outside my little mansion there are other stories, other entities and matter, and everything in our little world will pass, one day at a time. It’s a strange comfort’ – Aurora, Barcelona

During Mental Health Awareness Week, TWFMW is encouraging more submissions through a partnership with Centrepoint and a series of interactive Instagram live workshops and discussions.

Isolation is especially hard on vulnerable young people and TWFMW is feeding into the Centrepoint, #ChallengeAccepted, arts initiative by giving young people an opportunity to share their story via social channels in a series of different tasks and focuses to keep active and engaged during the lockdown.

To tell your story visit http://theworldfrommywindow / Instagram @the.world.from.my.window to find out more about this week’s activities and to share your view from isolation in less than 300 words.

All stories will be read with as many as possible being shared across our The World From My Window platforms.

NHS Scotland to pilot contact tracing technology

NHS Scotland Contact tracing technology will be tested in NHS Fife, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Highland from tomorrow (Monday 18 May).

The pilot, which is expected to last two weeks, will allow the health boards to test out the software which contact tracers will use to collect the information that they need digitally. This builds on existing contact tracing technology in place across the NHS and will allow health boards to trace more contacts faster.

This is the first step in moving towards an extended test, trace, isolate and support (TTIS) approach which will be used to keep transmission in communities low as the country moves out of lockdown.

Over 600 additional staff from the NHS are ready to begin this work, as part of the process of recruiting up to 2000 staff.

The software will be rolled out to all health boards by the end of May and then further enhanced during June.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Technology will be an important tool to help us move towards the test, trace, isolate and support approach and safely exit lockdown.   

“The software we are developing in Scotland is built on a tried and trusted platform and will allow us to carry out contact tracing on a much larger scale than has been necessary until now. It will also focus on supporting public health teams identify outbreaks and reduce transmission in high risk groups and settings by making it easier for staff to collect and record information.

“The test, trace, isolate and support approach is about breaking the chain of transmission of the virus but it remains vital that alongside this people continue to follow physical distancing advice and practise good hand and cough hygiene.”

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Letters: Covid-19 and the potential risk of increase in M.E.

Dear Editor

As the nation gets to grips with containing the Coronavirus pandemic, attention must be given to the possible impact on long-term health.

Some of your readers will have personal experience – or know someone who has – of the serious neurological condition, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), or seen stories being shared to mark May’s M.E. Awareness Month.

We know that many of 250,000 men, women and children in the UK with M.E. became ill following an infection or virus. This means we face the possibility, being raised by our medical advisors, researchers we work with and international experts, of a spike in post-Covid illnesses – including M.E.

Already some people who have contracted Covid-19 are reporting lingering dizziness, nausea and crippling fatigue – all common symptoms of M.E.

We know that it is sensible for anyone with a virus to take proper time to recover. They should not push themselves, but instead listen to their body and rest as much as needed, to give themselves the best chance of making a full recovery.

Action must now be taken to investigate the long-term post-viral effects of Covid-19, and put appropriate support in place for those whose health is affected beyond initial viral infection.

To those reading this who already live with M.E., we know that living under “lockdown” thanks to chronic and often disabling symptoms is nothing new.

Action for M.E.’s Crisis, Advocacy and Support Service can help source practical local assistance, and advocate for health and social care needs, as well as offering comprehensive information and support to manage M.E.

Please call on 0117 927 9551 or email questions@actionforme.org.uk and we will do what we can.

Sonya Chowdhury

Chief Executive, Action for M.E.

NSPCC Scotland fears child abuse could go unreported during lockdown

  • New survey reveals public concerns about child abuse during crisis but 20% of adults in Scotland are unsure where to go for advice about suspected incidents
  • Survivors speak out to urge anyone with worries about a child’s welfare to contact the NSPCC’s Helpline

One in five adults in Scotland are unsure where to seek help about suspected child abuse despite worries about the heightened risks to young people during the lockdown.

The NSPCC surveyed over 2,000 adults in Britain, which included 179 in Scotland, and found that north of the border 20% were not confident they would know where to get advice if they thought a child or young person was being abused or neglected.

The findings also revealed that more adults in Scotland were worried about the impact of the lockdown on children suffering domestic abuse than any other type of harm, with 81% reporting they were ‘fairly’ or ‘very’ concerned, compared to 79% for emotional abuse and 77% for neglect.

There is growing concern for the safety of vulnerable children during the coronavirus crisis, particularly as teachers and social workers have limited access to them with most not taking up the places at school allocated to them.

The Scottish Government’s update last month on supporting vulnerable children during the pandemic reported a reduction in child protection and domestic abuse referrals in Scotland.

That is why the NSPCC has launched a nationwide campaign, backed by survivors and £1.6million of UK Government funding, to ensure more people know they can raise concerns about child safety and wellbeing to its Helpline. People can also contact the police or their local social work department.

Jess, 29, was emotionally abused by her father who beat her mother throughout her childhood. He was later jailed for an attack on his new partner after Jess and her mother gave evidence against him in court:

“Our lives could have been completely changed. If there had been an intervention earlier on, then we perhaps would have been able to escape sooner. He may not have gone on to carry out the same abuse on his next partner and her son. 

“Even if your concern turns out to be something that was misheard or misinterpreted, make the call because it is always better to be safe rather than sorry. One phone call and you have the potential to change a child’s life, to save them.”

 Ian, 51, was aged 6 when his father returned from hospital after suffering a heart attack and started becoming violent towards Ian’s mum and later Ian as well:

“Please report anything that’s wrong, or if you suspect someone else might be going through this, then make sure that’s reported also. The long-term effects are lifelong potentially.

I still have regular nightmares now, I always will, but by dealing with the situation as soon as it happens a victim gets that support and help much quicker and a perpetrator is dealt with much sooner. Although I will live with this forever, we can easily prevent someone else from having to.” 

Kam Thandi, Head of NSPCC Helpline, said: “It is terrible to think that cases of child abuse and neglect may be going unreported because people don’t know where to go to for help and advice.

“At the moment, we’re increasingly reliant on the public to come forward with their concerns and if reports drop we fear abusers will have free reign to harm children, both physically and emotionally.

“Even if you are not 100% sure, we urge any adult who is worried for the safety or wellbeing of a child to contact our helpline. We can answer any questions and concerns, provide reassurance or importantly take quick action if we feel a child is in danger.”

Spotting the signs of abuse or neglect may be more difficult in the present climate, but indicators can include:

  • aggressive or repeated shouting
  • hearing hitting or things being broken
  • children crying for long periods of time
  • very young children left alone or are outdoors by themselves
  • children looking dirty or not changing their clothes
  • children being withdrawn or anxious.

To help workers who regularly visit homes, such as postal workers and delivery drivers, spot safeguarding concerns the NSPCC has made a 15-minute safeguarding course free.

The NSPCC Helpline is available for advice and support on 0808 800 5000 or via help@nspcc.org.uk. The trained helpline staff can offer advice and make informed decisions about whether further support is potentially needed for a child and their family.

If you suspect a child or young person is in immediate danger call the police immediately on 999. Alternatively, contact the children’s social care team at your local council.

Sight loss choir sings the coronavirus blues away

A choir of blind and partially sighted people that first got together at the start of the year in Edinburgh is now harmonising over the phone-line.

Launched by sight loss charity RNIB Scotland in January, its members continue to sing defiance to the coronavirus blues.

Hazel Kelly (76) from Corstorphine, has experienced two degenerative corneal eye conditions which significantly affected her sight.

“I haven’t sung in a choir since I was a teenager in my church choir,” she said, “but I really fancied getting involved in some way and when I heard about this one I thought I would give it a go!

“It was originally held at the RNIB Scotland offices at Hillside Crescent in Edinburgh every second Tuesday with just four of us and a piano to start with. The numbers attending gradually increased and we all suggested a song we could potentially work on, which has included ‘Will ye go Lassie Go (The Wild Mountain Thyme)’, ‘Wind in the Willows’ and ‘Mull of Kintyre’.

“Of course, everybody has to memorise the words as, having sight loss, we can’t always read them, which is fine for the chorus but not so easy with a lot of verses! Our organiser Mike makes us work hard, including special singing warm-ups, and we had started to harmonise a bit, although this is more difficult now we’re all at home.

“We tried to all get together with Zoom while not particularly ideal , Mike is still working on the best solution for us. However, the good news is, that with the lockdown, more people have joined from other parts of Scotland, and I am now chatting and singing with a lady from Glasgow and another from Stirling among others.

“I don’t think we are quite ready to perform anywhere yet, but never say never is my motto! And it is good fun to find yourself at home singing the songs in the bathroom and while pottering around the house.”

The choir’s organiser Mike Holroyd, a community co-ordinator with RNIB Scotland, is a guide-dog user himself.

“I used to lead a choir of blind and partially sighted people for about 17 years when I lived in Bristol,” said Mike. “One or two people had been asking about starting a connect singing group in Scotland so we did.

“We started face-to-face in January, but when lockdown started folk were keen to continue – and in fact instead of every two weeks, we now get together every week.

“The emphasis at the moment is not so much on the sound we produce but on the learning and the fun of getting together. I’ve started encouraging people to sing solo verses – this helps to reinforce learning, but also works much better on the phone, and assists with building confidence.”

The RNIB Helpline is available to help blind and partially sighted people and their families and carers on 0303 123 9999.

Regular care home testing essential, say Scottish Greens

Scottish Greens Lothian MSP Alison Johnstone has called on the Scottish Government to urgently introduce regular testing for staff in care homes in a bid to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

The party published proposals (see below) calling for the regular testing of frontline care workers and NHS staff in April, in a bid to ease the anxiety of staff and reduce the spread of the virus, yet the Scottish Government has resisted repeated requests to do so.

This refusal comes despite the proposal receiving the backing of influential organisations like the Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Emergency Medicine.

Alison Johnstone MSP said: “It’s beyond doubt that regular testing is needed both to protect frontline staff and to get control of this virus.

“A growing list of experts and organisations have backed Scottish Green proposals for regular testing, so it is difficult to understand why the Scottish Government hasn’t made this a priority.

“Staff may be unknowingly spreading the virus in care homes, so it’s vital that the government uses the significant spare testing capacity it has available and introduces regular testing at once.”

https://greens.scot/sites/default/files/COVID-19%20Testing%20