Day: July 27, 2020

Next Chapter Award opens for submissions

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing, has announced today that the Next Chapter Award 2021 is open for applications. Now in its seventh year, the award seeks submissions from talented yet unpublished writers over the age of 40.

Previous winners include Gail Honeyman, author of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, which was named book of the year at the British Book Awards in 2018. It was also the most borrowed e-book of last year. Ryan O’Connor, who won the Next Chapter Award two years ago, recently signed a two-book deal with Scribe. His debut novel The Voids will be published in 2022.

The Next Chapter Award supports an emerging writer for whom finding time and space to write has proved especially challenging. Developing a specific piece of work to publication standard will be the central aim of the award and applicants must demonstrate genuine potential for publication.

Run by Scottish Book Trust, the award provides a £2000 bursary; nine months of mentoring from a writer or industry professional; a two-week retreat at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre; training in PR, social media and performance and the opportunity to showcase work to publishers and agents.

The winner of last year’s Next Chapter Award, Olive M. Ritch, is currently working on a poetry collection, inspired by her career in social work and her home town of Orkney.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “The Next Chapter Award proves that it’s never too late to start writing, as seen from the success of Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

“The award gives the gift of time and support to write, something that many struggle to fit around their daily lives. We look forward to finding new, exciting talent within Scotland’s literary scene.”

Olive M. Ritche said: “Being the recipient of this year’s Next Chapter Award has given me a tremendous boost. As a poet of a certain age, I much appreciate the Next Chapter Award’s support for a writer over the age of forty as it is an implicit acknowledgement of the fact that age does not diminish ambition.

“I am currently working on a collection of poetry with the support of an inspiring mentor. I am also enjoying being part of a writing community. Do apply for the Next Chapter Award – it is a life-changing experience.”

The award is open to poets, novelists, authors of narrative non-fiction and children’s authors who are 40 years of age or above. The closing date is Wednesday 2 September at midday. 

Visit Scottish Book Trust’s website for more information.

Walk the Walk’s SunWalk Festival: Real fun in the virtual world!

Grant-making breast cancer charity Walk the Walk has announced a week long Virtual SunWalk Festival to be held from 8th – 15th August.

This really is a virtual event with a difference, there is a walking challenge to suit everybody of any ability or age, tips and advice on how to achieve the goal and a DIY Festival Kit to download … not to mention lots of inspiration and motivation!

The charity will provide those signing up with lots of downloadable fun ideas, recipes for healthy snacks, including delicious lollies and smoothies, bunting and games to play.

Everybody can start planning and getting creative, maybe taking part in one of the shorter distances and finishing with a romantic picnic for two, a BBQ with family or friends or involving young children in the activities, following government guidelines, of course.

Women, men and children are being encouraged to sign up and make the SunWalk Festival Experience a special date in their summer diaries. What a wonderful way to get fitter and get rid of lockdown fatigue plus have fun and at the same time raise money to help cancer charities working on the front line – every mile walked and every penny raised will make a difference.

Walk the Walk has committed to making £20,000 Emergency Grants every month until the end of the year to charities who are struggling to keep going.

Walkers can choose between a 5k,10k, Half Marathon (13.1 miles, 21k) and a Full Marathon (26.2 miles, 42k) or for those that want an extra bite … a 100k challenge to walk in one go or over the 7 days. As a reward for completing the challenge, walkers will receive a downloadable certificate and a fantastic medal.

With experts predicting the return of COVID-19 in the autumn, there is no better time to get fit and healthy. By taking part in the Virtual SunWalk Festival, not only will people be improving their physical health but their mental health too.

Nina Barough CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk said: “Walk the Walk is famous for not just organising events, but experiences, so we wanted our Virtual Challenges to have that same unique flavour.

“Raising money at this time is vital for us, but after months of self-isolating and social distancing, this is an opportunity for families and friends to come together and have fun, whilst doing so much good for those with cancer.

“By having an event that has 5 different challenges, there really is something for every age and ability. I hope that we can inspire many people to get back into shape by walking. The SunWalk Festival really is where virtual meets reality, people can let their imaginations run wild, come together and share a new positive experience whilst getting fitter!”

Due to the coronavirus, Walk the Walk have sadly postponed some of their events including The MoonWalk London, The MoonWalk Scotland and The MoonWalk Iceland.

Visit www.walkthewalk.org for updates and to find out more about the charity.

New outdoor café with space for 100 now open in city centre

A CITY café is opening a new outdoor seating area this week to give diners a place to relax in the centre of Edinburgh.

Café 1505 on Nicolson Street is extending its outdoor seating into the courtyard of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, which will be able to accommodate up to 100 guests for food and drinks.

Café 1505 “Al Fresco” will open to the public between 12pm and 8pm, from Friday 24 July until Monday 31st August.

The venture is bringing life back to the courtyard which is normally used as a venue for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – The Space @ Surgeons Hall.

Chris Wallace, Café Manager at Café 1505, said: “Given everything that’s happened in the city recently, we are so excited to be bringing a new outdoor café to Edinburgh.

“From Friday, visitors can enjoy food and drinks from our café and fully stocked bar, in a safe outdoor space. There’s a large marquee which hopefully will keep any turbulent Scottish weather from dampening spirits!

“We’ll be serving everything from pizza and nachos to tapas boxes. The team is really looking forward to recreating some of the magic we experience every year as a Fringe venue – albeit on a smaller scale.

“After 8pm, visitors are free to visit the bar and restaurant at our other venue, Ten Hill Place Hotel.”

Visitors will not be required to book ahead but will be asked to leave their contact details as part of the Scottish Government’s Test and Protect programme. In line with current guidance, groups will be limited to a maximum of eight people.

All staff have received full health and safety training and social distancing will be fully observed throughout the venue.

Café 1505 is owned and managed by Surgeons Quarter, the commercial arm of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Profits from the café go towards the College’s charitable objectives of improving access to surgery and saving lives worldwide.

The café uses seasonal produce and serves what it claims to be one of the most ethical cups of coffee in Edinburgh – Coffee Grown by Women, a fair-trade product which empowers female farmers in Mexico and Peru.

Ten Hill Place Hotel gave 2,137 free room nights to NHS staff working in Edinburgh’s hospitals between March-May this year.

Trussel Trust food banks thank Tesco for support

Back at the start of April, as the full effects of the pandemic were unfolding across the UK, more and more people were needing support from food banks.

In the previous two weeks, there had already been a 81% surge in need for emergency food parcels compared to March 2019 – and as April wore on, this increased need for help would continue, with double the number of families needing help compared to the same month in 2019.

We were working closely with food banks to ensure people who couldn’t afford essentials were able to get an emergency parcel – but food banks could only continue to provide that vital lifeline if there was enough food for parcels.

It made such a difference that at the start of April Tesco pledged to support food banks in our network, independent food banks and food redistribution charity FareShare, with £15 million worth of food to ensure support could be there for people.

The £500,000 of funding and support with Bags for Life also came at exactly the right time to help us support food banks during this challenging time.

During the past 12 weeks, these donations have been critical for food banks across the country, ensuring emergency support was there for anyone unable to afford food.

Tesco’s support made all the difference during the crisis – as Jon from Brixton Foodbank explains: “We don’t think this support should have been needed. Everyone should be able to afford their own food and we’re stepping up our work to end the need for food banks.

“But while we do that longer-term work, we need to make sure help is available for people in crisis right now.

“We are so grateful for Tesco’s support during the past 12 weeks – it was absolutely critical to making sure food banks were able to be there for people as the impact of Covid-19 first unfolded.”

Letters: Lifeline

Dear Editor

May I express my thanks to the organisers and volunteers in setting up the outstanding work by so many local people in providing over a long period the delivery of meals and other supplies throughout North Edinburgh.

These have been gratefully received and have been a lifeline.

It has been successful and I feel it is an indicator of the possibilities of future activity and working together.

Tony Delahoy

Illegal Channel crossings: eleven arrests

Eleven people have been arrested in relation to illegally facilitating migrant crossings of the Channel

Eleven people have been arrested in relation to illegally facilitating migrant crossings of the Channel.

The joint operation took place in a number of locations last week (Tuesday 21 July) and was led by Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigations. The operation, which was conducted in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police, the National Crime Agency (NCA), Border Force and French law enforcement counterparts, was into organised immigration crime.

During the searches £150,000 cash was discovered and 2 vehicles were seized from the premises.

Those arrested are suspected of being members of an organised crime group that are enabling the facilitation of illegal migrants using small boats between France and the UK.

They were allegedly engaged in the movement of funds to support the illegal crossings and promoting the illegal entry of migrants into the UK, these arrests will significantly disrupt this activity.

Ten individuals arrested on Tuesday 21 July were taken to Wembley Police Station and released under investigation pending further enquiries. Another individual was arrested on Thursday 23 July. 12 properties were raided, 11 of which were in London and one in Sheffield.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “I will not tolerate ruthless criminals looking to break to law by smuggling people into the UK illegally.

“I will put whatever resource is necessary to dismantle these gangs and stop these dangerous crossings, including going after the groups financing these criminal operations.

“This is a clear message to those behind these reckless crossings. We will find you and we will stop at nothing to put you behind bars and strip you of your ill-gotten gains”.

Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts Chris Philp, who attended the raid, said: “This action shows that we have the intelligence and capability to track down anyone involved in people trafficking. Through this operation we have hit them where it hurts – their pockets.

“We will stop at nothing to stop these dangerous and illegal Channel crossings and to make sure the criminals behind them are locked up and their assets are stripped.”

The arrests mark the culmination of months of intelligence sharing and collaborative working between UK and French law enforcement agencies into the organised criminal gangs facilitating immigration crime.

Matthew Long, NCA Deputy Director, said: “People smuggling gangs treat migrants as a commodity to be profited from, with no thought for their safety and security. This can have tragic consequences as we’ve sadly seen.

“Tackling this crime type and protecting life are priorities for us. We are working as one team with partners such as Immigration Enforcement, Border Force and policing. NCA officers in the UK deployed on this operation and our teams based in France also contributed. This is how we need to tackle this threat, using our international network, day in, day out.

“We have a shared determination to disrupt and dismantle organised immigration crime networks, and this operation is an example of that co-operation in action. Those who profit from misery should be ready to be brought to justice.”

Priti Patel met the new French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on Sunday 12 July to discuss how the French and UK governments can do more to tackle illegally-facilitated Channel crossings by small boats.

Through a Declaration of Intent, it was agreed that a Franco-British Operational Research Unit to combat migrant smuggling will be established.

The new unit will collate, centralise and analyse operational intelligence to prevent crossings from taking place and to dismantle the gangs behind them.

A new kind of Festival for Scottish young carers

The Scottish Young Carers Festival has sadly been cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 would have been the Festival’s 13th year, providing young carers with a much needed break from their caring responsibilities. 

Young carers provide unpaid care for a family member or a friend, who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.

The Festival provided the opportunity for young carers to meet other young people in similar situations, share new experiences and of course, have fun!  The event also provided a national celebration for young carers to share their experiences, the impact that caring has on them and to suggest changes that could make their lives better.

Carers Trust Scotland and the Scottish Government have been working with young carers and their services to plan a new kind of Festival this year!

Scottish Government funding is providing over £100,000 for Carers Trust Scotland to administer a small-grant scheme to eligible young carer services.  These services will be able to apply for funding to provide fun and respite to the young carers they support.  The outcomes of this scheme are broad to ensure that services can take a local, tailor-made approach in supporting their young people and provide meaningful respite in a safe way.

Furthermore, Carers Trust Scotland will bring Festival fun to young people through our first ever virtual Festival, “Best of the Fest!” On Wednesday 5 August to Friday 7 August, there will be the opportunity for young carers to take part in dozens of activities and events including; mindfullness, yoga, magic shows, paint a-longs and live music! 

Resources will also be shared on our website for young people to access at any time after the virtual Festival has taken place.

Our traditional marketplace at the Festival, which invites organisations to promote their services and resources to young carers and their services, will also be found online this year! Organisations such as Young Scot and the Scottish Youth Parliament will host live workshops for young carers and youth workers to find out more about the opportunities available.

This year’s alternative Scottish Young Carers Festival takes place during a challenging time for many young carers. A new Carers Trust Scotland survey shows the pandemic’s dramatic impact on the wider wellbeing of young carers in Scotland. 

Meaningful respite for these young people is more important than ever, with 42% of young adult carers in Scotland stating they are unable to take a break from caring as a result of Coronavirus. 

Furthermore, 69% of young carers and 76% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey felt less able to stay in touch with friends since coronavirus.74% of young carers and 73% of young adult carers in Scotland also said they are feeling less connected to others since coronavirus.

The results point to a steep decline in the mental health and wellbeing of young people across Scotland who provide unpaid care for family members or friends.

These results highlight the need for continued support to young carers and the opportunity for meaningful respite and engagement opportunities throughout the year.  Despite the cancellation of our Scottish Young Carers Festival, our small-grant scheme and online activities aim to provide fun and respite to these young people in alternative, safe ways.

Minister for Public Health, Joe FitzPatrick said: “Young carers make a vitally important contribution to our society. Often though, because of their responsibilities, they haven’t got the same amount of free time and opportunities as their peers.

“Although the Festival cannot take place this year, I hope young carers across the country will be able to benefit from the Scottish Government funded small grant scheme which will enable local services to provide them with some much deserved respite and extra support.”

Paul Traynor, Policy and External Affairs Manager of Carers Trust Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be working with Scottish Government to deliver these new kind of Festival activities for young carers across Scotland for 2020.

“The pandemic has been difficult for a lot of young carers and many have reported taking on additional caring responsibilities, feeling isolated, and feeling disconnected to their friends and wider communities.

“Although some young carers may be disappointed that the annual Scottish Young Carers Festival event has been cancelled, the small-grant scheme provides new opportunities for local young carer services to plan and deliver activities to ensure young carers still have an opportunity to get a break from caring and have fun.

“We also hope that our ‘Best of the Fest’ virtual events will provide that Festival feeling that gives young carers the opportunity to be children and young people first.”

Campaign against ‘alarming’ cuts to health and social care

Edinburgh residents are being asked to write to their councillors and MSPs to stop devastating reductions in vital services.

Sexual health, support and rehabilitation for substance abuse, support for independent living and an improved quality of life for people with disabilities will all be affected by a £8.95m budget cut.

“These cuts to services go against the expressed desire of citizens and the Council to tackle poverty in our city”, says Lorna Frost of Edinburgh East Save Our Services. “It’s time to make sure our elected representatives really listen to us. 

“We have already emailed our councillors and MSPs and hope others will join us in doing this. An email that people can use or adapt is included below and the email addresses for councillors can be found here:

https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/mgFindMember.aspx) 

and MSPs here

https://beta.parliament.scot/msps/current-and-previous-msps)”.

“The pandemic has shown how much we depend on good health care, good education & good services. Coming at any time these cuts would have a terrible impact on some of the most vulnerable people in our city.

“In the wake of lockdown and with the prospect of a winter second wave of Covid19, the effect will be devastating.

“What’s more, these cuts and any short term savings are false economies. Reducing services which ensure sexual health, support and rehabilitation for substance abuse, support for independent living and an improved quality of life for people with disabilities is inefficient economically. 

“We know we need each other and care for each other. Our elected representatives must concentrate on ensuring integrated, properly funded services to tackle the hardship and suffering many people face. 

“This may mean borrowing and putting pressure on the Scottish government to provide sufficient funding. But in every consultation Edinburgh folk have said that this support is more important than creating a playground for visitors.”  

Email below. Change it or send your own. For more information on campaigning go to EESOS Facebook page – all ideas welcome:

Dear …………….

We are alarmed at the current measures to reduce health and social care services in the city. (We refer to the Phase Zero cuts agreed by the EIJB (Edinburgh Integration Joint Board).

The expressed desire of citizens and the Council is to tackle poverty in Edinburgh. This is wanted for humanitarian reasons.

We are also certain that these cuts and any short term savings are false economies. Reducing services which ensure sexual health, support and rehabilitation for substance abuse, support for independent living and an improved quality of  life for people with disabilities is inefficient economically. 

Austerity policies and the current pandemic have shown up the lack of resilience in our public services. 

We call on you as our representatives to take a stand.  This may mean borrowing and putting pressure on the Scottish government for sufficient funding.

Please assure us that we can rely on you to commit to integrated, properly funded services to tackle the hardship and suffering many people face.

Regards

———————————————————————————————————-

Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership launches consultation on ‘Edinburgh Pact‘

Fill in our short survey and tell us what health and social care means to you.

What is the Edinburgh pact?

We want to build thriving communities in Edinburgh and embrace the opportunity to create a different type of relationship with residents, communities and organisations across the city. 

We are starting a conversation to build the Edinburgh Pact. The Edinburgh Pact will be an agreement between the Partnership and everyone who lives and works in Edinburgh. Our first step is to listen and learn what health and social care means to you. 

Judith Proctor, Chief Officer, explains why your ideas and comments are so important:

Why are we developing this now?  

During the pandemic we have seen people and communities across Edinburgh rally together to support one another, helping and caring for people who might be struggling.  We have also seen organisations and charities work together and produce solutions to support communities during this difficult time. We want to build on this.   

We know that we face some real challenges for our health and social care system. The population is ageing, demand for services is increasing and our funding is not expected to grow at the same rate as the population. We need to think boldly about what can be different. 

How do I get involved?  

Take a few minutes to fill in our short survey 

Parents under pressure as virus limits childcare options

  • More than one in four parents feel unable to ask for childcare help from loved ones as a result of pandemic
  • 15% of parents require additional childcare help from friends and family this year as they continue to juggle parenting and work responsibilities
  • Grandparents now providing £3,770 worth of childcare a year

While more than two-fifths (44%) of parents rely on grandparents for childcare support, more than a quarter (27%) feel they can no longer be as dependent on family and friends, due to ongoing health and safety concerns around the pandemic.

New How Scotland Lives research from Bank of Scotland revealed that whilst some parents are considering keeping their children away from their grandparents through the summer months in order to keep them safe from the virus, grandparents themselves seem less concerned, with just one in 10 (10%) expecting to do less childcare, and almost half (46%) expecting their usual school holiday childcare duties to stay the same.

In fact, 12% of grandparents who do not usually take on childcare, have offered to do so in order to support their own children.

Staying indoors

Despite ongoing concerns, the circumstances of 15% of parents mean they are having to be more reliant than they would usually be on friends and family this summer, as they continue to balance work and home life commitments.

Parents who are allowing grandparents to take on childcare responsibilities this summer have shown real concern around how time together should be spent, which has led to the ruling out of several of the typical summer activities, in light of ongoing social distancing restrictions.

There has been a significant reduction in the number of parents allowing trips to the cinema (-26%), holidays (-21%), theme parks (-7%), and swimming (-4%) due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Instead, they are more encouraging of activities that keep everyone in open spaces, such as picnics (+6%).

Tara Foley, Managing Director, Bank of Scotland, said: “For many parents, the challenge of conflicting work and childcare commitments continues this summer, with some facing difficult decisions around who is best to take care of their children.

“Whilst some parents remain worried about relying on loved ones for support during the ongoing pandemic, not all families can rely on holiday clubs and professional childcare. These will likely be a stretch too far for some budgets where paying for additional childcare wasn’t part of the plan.”

Regional variations

There are significant regional differences when it comes to the number of parents who rely on their own parents for childcare support (see table 1).

More than half (52%) of mums and dads in the West of Scotland receive regular help with childcare, which is more than in any other region, and 8% more than the Scottish average. Likewise, parents in Mid-Scotland, which includes Stirlingshire, Fife, Perth and Kinross, (48%), and Central Scotland (45%), are also more reliant on their parents for help with the kids.  At the other end of the spectrum is the Highlands and Islands, where just over a third (35%) of parents, receive support from grandparents.  

On average, grandparents report spending nine hours a week caring for their grandchildren, up from eight hours in 2019. Given the UK average pay for professional childcare is just over £8 per hour, this means grandparents are providing the equivalent of over £3,770 worth of childcare throughout the year, or at least £432 for the six weeks of the summer holidays.