Lifecare Edinburgh Limitedreceives £79,990 to continue its Vintage Vibes service across the city for the next two years.
Andrew Ainsworth, Service Co-ordinator, Vintage Vibes, said: “Vintage Vibes tackles isolation and loneliness in over 60s (VIPs) across Edinburgh through one to one friendships with local volunteers, based on shared interests.
“Edinburgh is the loneliest city in the UK for older people – something we know has only been exacerbated through the current pandemic. This grant will allow us to continue to support our current VIPs and many more over the next couple of years as we move through and beyond COVID-19.
“We know what a difference their friendships make to our VIPs – one VIP, Norma told us that for her ‘it’s essential to have something like Vintage Vibes’. Thank you to The National Lottery Community Fund and to all National Lottery players for making it possible for us to continue to make a difference to our VIPs.”
Thistle Health and Wellbeing receives £120,000 to deliver a programme which will support people who have been severely impacted by long term physical and mental health conditions. The support will also help clients who are living with the longer term effects of COVIVD-19, including Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome.
The project will help many more people like Rafit Khan, aged 41, from Edinburgh.
Rafit said: ““I met different people which has made me feel good about myself, more confident to approach people. I think groups like this are very beneficial for people with mental or physical problems or with chronic illness. It gives them skills/tools to manage it throughout their life.”
Welcoming the funding, Mark Hoolahan, CEO, Thistle Health and Wellbeing, said: “We are delighted to receive this funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. The grant will enable Thistle to support more people living with long term health conditions to live a life free of isolation and loneliness.
“Thistle supports people to feel more in control, ensuring that a health crisis does not become a life crisis, and so this funding will have a significant positive impact on the wellbeing of people in Edinburgh and the Lothians.”
National Lottery players raise £30 million every week for good causes in the UK. The National Lottery Community Fund in Scotland is currently focusing its funding on those projects that supporting organisations and communities to respond to the challenge of COVID-19.
Historic Drylaw House has applied for Change of use from Class 9 (domestic) to Class 7 (hotel and hostel) including short-term self catering accommodation.
20/04410/FUL | Change of use from Class 9 (domestic) to Class 7 (hotel and hostel) including short-term self catering accommodation. | Drylaw House 32 Groathill Road North Edinburgh EH4 2SL
Comments can be submitted at the link below by Friday 20 November:
Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a hit and run yesterday ( Friday, 6 November, 2020).
At around 4:40pm, a six-year-old boy was struck by a grey Skoda Fabia car while crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing on the West Approach Road: the driver failed to stop.
Emergency services attended and the boy was taken to hospital, where he is being treated for facial injuries.
Sergeant Peter Scott, of Edinburgh Road Policing Unit, said: “We’re appealing to anyone who witnessed this incident, or has relevant dash cam footage, to get in touch.
“I would also appeal directly to the driver of the car involved, to come forward.
“The grey Skoda Fabia sustained damage to the nearside fog lamp and nearside mirror. If anyone has information which could help to identify this car, then please get in touch.”
Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2629 of 6 November, 2020.
Investigations are under way following a number of serious incidents across Scotland on Bonfire Night.
Police officers and firefighters were attacked with fireworks and other objects being thrown at them. On other occasions, groups caused damage to cars and properties.
In Edinburgh police received reports of anti-social behaviour in Pennywell Place. Officers attended and a 16-year-old male youth was arrested and is subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal.
In Hay Avenue, officers had to deal with a large group of youths throwing fireworks and bricks at them. A police vehicle was also damaged in this incident. Officers also attended Arthur’s Seat where groups of youths had gathered with fireworks and a bonfire was alight.
In Glasgow, officers came under attack in Dale Street with youths throwing fireworks at them. In Glenisla Street, a police officer was struck on the head with a firework. He was treated at the scene and continued his shift.
In Kendoon Avenue, police received a report of a vehicle on fire. Officers attended and the police car’s windscreen was smashed, resulting in an officer washing glass from his eye. He continued on duty and one man was arrested.
In Auchmead Road, Greenock, an unauthorised bonfire event resulted in firefighters and officers being attacked as youths threw fireworks and bottles. Public order officers were deployed to deal with the incident. A 15-year old male youth was arrested and charged. He is subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said: “As the Chief Constable has said, it is disgraceful and deplorable when officers and staff are subjected to violence during the course of their duties.
“Across the country, the overwhelming majority of the public enjoyed Bonfire Night safely and responsibly and I want to thank them for heeding our advice. However, I am disappointed at the level of disorder and anti-social behaviour seen last night. A minority of people’s behaviour has once again put lives at risk. It also places intense pressure on the emergency services and impacts severely on local communities.
“The evening of Thursday, 5 November, 2020, saw a number of serious incidents arising throughout Scotland that required Operation Moonbeam resources to support local policing colleagues.
“The majority of these incidents involved young people. To be absolutely clear, such actions are dangerous and cause harm to the public and emergency service workers.
“We will not tolerate such acts and you may not have been arrested last night but rest assured, officers are carrying out follow-up investigations to identify those involved and responsible. Additional officers will continue to be deployed over the coming days to support local divisions.”
Dispersal Zones remain in place until midnight tonight.
Students across Scotland will have access to more support to help them deal with the mental health impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Additional Scottish Government funding will allow support staff to carry out more frequent checks to identify potential mental health issues, as well as wider welfare concerns, such as access to food deliveries and other necessities.
The funding will also help to increase the number of drop-in chats for students, which will offer counselling on a digital platform.
Staff will also be able to direct students to the appropriate services, including referring them to a clinician, if appropriate.
Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey said: “We want students and their families to feel reassured that practical and welfare support is in place, particularly given current circumstances.
“This extra funding will build on the support already in place, including the additional counsellors provided by our recent investment of £3.64 million.
“During the pandemic we have committed £6 million of funding to improve mental health throughout Scotland. And on Monday, we announced £15 million to respond to the mental health issues of children and young people. Students have access to all services available to the general population, including the Clear Your Head campaign to support people to take care of their mental health and wellbeing.
“We have also expanded the NHS24 Mental Health Hub so that it is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and increased the capacity of the Breathing Space telephone helpline and web support service.”
NUS Scotland President Matt Crilly said: “We warmly welcome today’s additional funding which will help to support students’ mental health and wellbeing after a tough start to the academic year.
“The impact of COVID-19 on students has undoubtedly taken its toll – academically, financially and socially. Now more than ever we need to ensure that their mental health and wellbeing is looked after, and this funding is a welcome start to ensuring that every student who needs support, has access to it. We look forward to further details of how the funding will be allocated and spent.”
Director of Access, Learning and Outcomes at the Scottish Funding Council, James Dunphy said: “Positive mental health is fundamental to students’ ability to progress and make the most of their education experience.
“We know the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental and emotional health of many students, both new and returning, and so we welcome this additional funding.
“Colleges and universities have made great progress with the funding they have already received, employing additional counsellors to support students in need, and this additional funding will enable them to target their support in more flexible ways, including increased access to online services, crisis intervention, and wellbeing support for those in isolation.”
Universities will have accessible wellbeing services, with details on their websites.
The Student Information Scotland website has the student support pages of every institution to signpost students to the support which is available.
‘This is about protecting both people and wild places’
Wild swimmers and environmental campaigners are leading an appeal, which includes a campaign film, song and petition, for Wardie Beach to be included in Scotland’s list of designated bathing waters.
In 2019, the Wardie Bay Wild Ones and Wardie Bay Beachwatch came together to make an application to SEPA for designated Bathing Water status for north Edinburgh’s much-loved and increasingly popular bathing site, Wardie Beach, situated between Granton and Newhaven Harbours.
Evidence of over 150 beach users across the bathing season, from 1st June to 15th September, was provided. The decision not to designate was made, not by the review panel, but by the Scottish Government. Feedback cited issues relating to a lack of appropriate infrastructure and facilities.
On 28th August 2020, SEPA offered the group the opportunity to appeal the decision, and the #WardieBay4BathingWater campaign was born.
A petition launched on 25th September received over 1000 signatures in four days. The appeal document was submitted on Friday 30th October. The review panel meets to confirm 2021 Bathing Waters in December, and a decision will be made by the government early next year.
Karen Bates, volunteer organiser of Wardie Bay Beachwatch said: “The community works so hard to look after Wardie Beach, which receives marine litter and sewage related debris on every tide.
“We don’t believe we should be penalised for a lack of existing infrastructure and protection from these harms. We believe people need water quality monitoring and deserve the same safety protections in Granton that other similar local beaches are afforded.
“Large numbers of people come to Wardie Bay anyway, because of the semi-wild nature of this place not despite it. We saw a huge rise in the number of bathers in 2020 due to the pandemic. We don’t want the unintended consequence that Wardie Bay loses its special character and precious wildlife because of a perceived need to develop it.”
The group’s campaign film, shot by Carlos Hernan in recent weeks, includes interviews with swimmers, swim safety coach Colin Campbell, health and ecotoxicology experts Kate Swaine and Professor Alex Ford, and illustrator Alice Melvin who recently published her ‘Book of Swims’. Alice Caldwell also created a beautiful song for the campaign.
Kate Swaine, local wild swimmer and nutritionist, said: “One of my big concerns, when I’m swimming all the time is, what exactly is in the water? We know that when there’s been lots of rainfall, there will be an increase in the number of parasites, viruses, bacteria that can get into the water through sewage, and some of these have the potential to cause sometimes severe symptoms …
“I would like for Wardie Bay to be monitored as other beaches are in Scotland, so that the swimmers who choose to swim here, the paddleboarders and other people that use the water, have an idea of whether the water quality is rated poor, average, good.
“That would be really useful for people so that we can just enjoy being in the water and getting all the benefits from it: the mental health benefits, the physical benefits and just knowing that we’re not possibly putting ourselves at any risk.”
A spokesperson for the Wardie Bay Wild Ones said: “It is a frequent occurrence that swimmers will ask one another in the group for advice or thoughts on water quality, either generally, or on a given day. At present the only thing anyone can do is guess.
“Even people who’ve been in the water that day have no way of actually knowing what the water quality is like, and how safe it is to swim. Having some kind of testing, or even informed estimates of water quality available publicly would make a huge difference to swimmers.”
Karen added: “There is remarkable biodiversity and natural history at Wardie Bay, especially for such a city location.
“Environmental monitoring isn’t just for the many children and adults that use the water for swimming or playing, vital though that is. It is also an indicator of the environmental harm that untreated sewage does to our coastal ecology.”
Dr Alex Ford, Professor of marine biology, ecotoxicology and parasitology at the University of Portsmouth, who took his PhD at Napier University, said, “The general public have been very good at adjusting their behaviours to how damaging plastic pollution can be.
“But one of the problems we have with the chemicals coming out through our storm water overflows is that they can’t be seen and they don’t need to be there in very high concentrations to damage wildlife and the many species we use for food.
“Within that effluent, you’ve got fertilisers, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals as well as the organic matter from faeces. With that pollution comes disease but also abnormalities in those coastal organisms’ development. There are also suggestions that us humans are suffering as well.
“During Covid-19, there’s been an extraordinary number of people to have taken up water sports which is absolutely fantastic for health and wellbeing, but that combined with this increase in sewage going into the water; it may have detrimental effects on our health as well.”
A designated bathing water profile would be a holistic investment for both our environment and society. It would result in Wardie Beach visitors receiving water quality monitoring across the bathing season, daily water quality predictions, information on the potential pollution sources and risks to water quality as well as feedback on the measures being taken to improve water quality at the site.
Karen added: “If the issue is under-resourcing of our Environmental Protection Agencies, we must emphasise that we need them now more than ever. Rainfall is going to intensify with climate change and consequently, damage to our oceans due to infrastructure that is increasingly unfit for purpose.
“Unless we monitor, record and report on environmental issues we can’t do anything to protect ourselves and perhaps more importantly, marine habitats.”
“What we are looking for is environmental protection, not just for swimmers, but for everything else that lives in these waters and might be affected by pollutants”, says swimmer Vicky Allan, member of the Wild Ones, and co-author of Taking the Plunge.
“Many of us swimmers love this bay not just for its access to water, but for its wildlife. This is about protecting both people and wild places.”
PICTURES: Karen Bates, Dr Mark Hartl, Carlos Hernan
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has called on residents in Edinburgh and the Lothians to back this years poppy appeal.
Charities across Scotland and the UK have been facing an unprecedented challenge this year in much needed fundraising efforts, with social distancing restriction limiting physical fundraising events.
The Scottish Poppy Appeal is no different as thousands of their volunteers are forced to stay at home because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The demand on Poppy Scotland’s vital, life changing services for the arms forces community is increasing rapidly and fundraising is crucial to providing these services.
This year Poppy Scotland have changed the way they are fundraising, with a number of initiatives, including donating and downloading a photo of a poppy, or a poppy to colour in and display in your window to show your support, a virtual Field of Remembrance and a pop up shop on Waverly Bridge by Princess St. Gardens.
The Poppy Appeal is Poppyscotland’s most significant fundraising initiative, aimed at generating more than £2 million, which accounts for over half of the charity’s annual income.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“This year the Scottish Poppy Appeal is different to normal, with social distancing restrictions and not being able to go out and fundraise as normal.
“Poppy Scotland have created a number of other ways that people can show their support for our armed forces community and honour those servicemen and servicewomen who have given their lives for their country.
“I would encourage residents in Edinburgh and the Lothians to donate virtually and display a poppy in their window to show their support for the armed forces this Remembrance day.”
The countdown is on to #GivingTuesday 2020 – the global day of generosity is happening on 1 December
For this extraordinary year, #GivingTuesday is encouraging people to #GiveBack2020 – be it through a charity donation, a continued commitment to a cause close to their hearts, volunteering time or simply helping a friend, neighbour or family member.
#GivingTuesday and #GiveBack2020 offers all of us a chance to head towards the end of this most challenging of years by taking a positive step and knowing that we’ve once again come together to make a difference.
The global pandemic’s repercussions are being felt by charities around the world. Research by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), the organisation leading #GivingTuesday in the UK, found that charities face a significant increase in demand for their services while more than half (53%) have suffered a drop in donations.
It is estimated that charities face a £10bn funding gap and CAF’s latest research found that without help, a quarter of charities in the UK said they would not survive a year.
The call to #GiveBack2020 is supported by JustGiving, Virgin Money Giving, PayPal and many more. It encourages people to do what they can to support good causes.
It could be donating the cost of your normal commute, giving spare change while you are Christmas shopping, rounding up your purchases and donating those extra pennies or even turning what would have been money spent on a work Christmas night out into a much-needed donation instead.
Gráinne Mathews, #GivingTuesday UK Lead at CAF said: “In this unprecedented year, we have all seen the amazing things that charities have done in the hardest and darkest of times.
“They have been there for us, our families, and our communities and have come up with new ways to help the people most in need. At CAF, we have been inspired to see so many charities striving to do more with less after fundraisers were cancelled and charity shops closed.
“This #GivingTuesday, the charities that have been there for us need us to be there for them. It is time to #GiveBack2020.”
To find out more about #GivingTuesday, and how you can get involved, visit:
As autumn continues and winter approaches, our gardens may be starting to suffer from less TLC than during the summer months.
Toro, a global leader in turf and landscape equipment and Hayter, a premium British lawnmower manufacturer, have got some great tips to keep your garden looking lush this autumn:
Time for a tidy up
Now is the perfect time to tidy up the garden and prepare it for the colder weather, while also giving the lawn, plants and soil a head start for spring. Start by raking away dead grass and leaves from the lawn so that a thick blanket isn’t created, blocking out any sunlight or air as this can damage the grass underneath and create bare patches on the lawn, requiring reseeding or resodding in the spring.
Get the job done quicker by using Toro’s Flex-Force Power System® Leaf Blower with 2.5Ah 60V battery, especially if the weather isn’t great and the temptation to leave it a day is strong. NOTE: Other excellent leaf blowers are also available!
Keep your borders clear too, as too many dead leaves can encourage snails and slugs to gather, and in turn can begin to rot many of the plants in your borders. Also consider pulling up any annual plants that have had their time, and replant with varieties that will start to flower in spring, such as wallflowers or pansies.
Next, trim the edges of your borders to finish tidying them and be sure to use the Toro Flex-Force Power System® Cordless String Trimmer with a 2.5Ah 60V battery. Battery-powered and easy to use, the Flex-Force Power System® String Trimmer is the ideal option for a quick and easy tidy up of the border edges. NOTE: Other good strimmers are available!
Don’t forget wildlife
While you may not be in the garden as much over the autumn months, don’t forget about any wildlife that may still be visiting your garden. Leave out seeds, nuts and water for birds to enjoy, which can also be lifesaving during winter when food can be much more scarce. You could also try creating bug homes and leaving out suitable leftovers for wildlife you want to encourage to visit your outdoor space.
Take care of the lawn
Give your lawn a good cut before the cold and wet weather really begins to set in. When mowing in autumn, consider raising the mower blades a little, as slightly longer grass copes better with cooler conditions. Also, be sure to keep the mower blades sharp, as a clean cut to a blade of grass will help it heal quicker and prevent disease spores from infecting the grass.
Consider using the Hayter® Osprey 46 Cordless mower to help tidy up the lawn this autumn. Part of the Hayter GreenSeries® Power System, this mower provides the same power and convenience as your petrol mower, without emitting any exhaust fumes by running on a battery. Sharing the same battery as Toro’s Flex-Force Power System® String Trimmer, both ranges provide ultimate flexibility when it comes to tending to the garden. NOTE: Other good mowers are available!
Protect your plants
Autumn is the perfect time to start prepping your plants for winter and making sure they are protected from water logging and the cold.
If you have plants that are more susceptible to the cold weather, be sure to store then in the greenhouse or even a conservatory.
For those planted in the garden, try covering them with fleece or hessian to keep their temperature up. The first frost of the year can arrive during the coming months without warning and kill off your favourite plants, so be sure to get prepared now to keep your plants healthy and safe.
Anti-Bullying Awareness Week runs from the 11-15 November 2020. In this article Need2Know Books looks at the effects that social distancing and lockdown measures have had on children as social media dependency and online screen time increases, creating more opportunities for cyberbullying.
Enhanced anxiety and stress are not the only conditions parents and caregivers need to be careful of in this world of ‘new normal.’ Arecent multidisciplinary research report found that the consequences of quarantine and social distancing measures are themselves key risk factors for mental health issues which includes cyberbullying among children.
There is no question that bullying numbers will rise in 2020 as many school’s moved classes online during the Spring and Summer months.
This Increase in online screen time has created more opportunities for cyberbullying and harassment. Unfortunately, one of the darker sides of COVID-19 is the rise of racial issues and cyberbullying among children.
Recent research has found that because the virus originated from Wuhan, China and has largely been referred to as the “Chinese virus”, this has increased bullying among children of Asian descent who are at a greater risk of racial bullying than their classmates. Bullying has largely been done through private and text messaging in a ‘virtual’ environment.
More than 1.5 billion children worldwide have been affected by school closures. As a result, children have been forced to go online for learning as well as for hobbies and social activities.
It has been reported that 82% of parents said that their children’s screen time has increased during lockdown
30% said that their children were having an extra four hours or more of non-school related screen time per day
Children, especially adolescents and teens, are spending a greater amount of time on apps such as such as Zoom, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook.
Prior to the pandemic parents have been extremely concerned about their children’s screen time and have struggled to limit this. The problem that has always faced parents is that they cannot always protect their children from cyberbullying, grooming and inappropriate messages online.
Cyberbullying in the virtual world
Despite some of the positive benefits of online learning research has found that the darker elements of school life transitioned online.
Cyberbullying has been on the rise before lockdown – some reports suggest that just 20% of bullying takes place at school now.
Cyberbullying incidents increased by 70% between March and April this year when lock down was at its peak.
The strain placed on mental health caused by being confined to the home for weeks at a time could be making matters worse.
The UK government has published guidelines online titled “Coronavirus (Covid-19): support for parents and carers to keep children safe online” which is available to view.
Tips and Advice
Have the ‘talk’ open the lines of communication between yourself and your child. Discuss what cyberbullying is and what to do when it happens.
Don’t be afraid to set guidelines and take control of what your children see and do online.
The applications used by schools all have tools for reporting abuse. Show your kids where to find the abuse reporting tools and how to fill in the forms.
Keep any evidence of inappropriate messages and report it to a school official ie. teacher, headteacher or school nurse.
Use your parental controls. Androids, Apple and Windows all have built in parental controls These allow parents to block inappropriate content, control access to apps, and limit screen time.
We enter an uncertain future with lockdown restrictions continuing into the winter months. It is important that parents find positive ways to curtail the ‘pandemic effect’ and find a balance with online screen time to help avoid cyberbullying. If you are concerned about a child’s mental welfare or notice worrying behaviour, please seek professional advice.
For more information and advice on cyberbullying visit:
