Day: July 9, 2021

Hayley’s first class response to cancer diagnosis

MSc is the next challenge for inspirational student 

A student who was diagnosed with a rare cancer at a key point in her studies has successfully graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a first class honours degree.

Hayley Kane recovered from the devastating news, and two operations, to complete her BSc (Hons) in Animal and Conservation Biology – even though at times she had to leave lectures to change her dressing following radiotherapy treatment.

Now the brave 24-year-old is set to continue her studies in September with an MSc in Statistical Ecology at St Andrews University. 

Hayley said: “I’m thrilled to have completed my degree and I hope my experience will serve as inspiration to other students who may be struggling due to external factors.  It is possible to overcome hardships and achieve your goals as long as you are willing to work for it.”

Hayley, of Fairmilehead, Edinburgh, was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma shortly before her third year assessments started – although she only learned about it after it had been removed. The rare form of cancer develops in cells around joints and tendons, often near the knee, and is most commonly associated with young adults.

Hayley had had issues with her knee for almost a decade, which worsened to a point where she was in constant pain and struggling to walk without crutches.  

An x-ray picked up what was initially presumed to be a benign tumour but after an op to remove it she was told it had been synovial sarcoma, and was likely to have become cancerous fairly recently.

Hayley said: “I opted not to have chemotherapy due to the potential long-term effects on my health, and went on to have 12 weeks of radiotherapy to my knee.  I underwent treatment throughout my third year assessments and over Christmas, with it ending shortly before the next trimester began.

“There were times when I had to excuse myself from lectures to change the dressings on my knee due to the excessive fluid leaking from the burns on my leg, but thankfully my friends were always happy to help fill me in on anything I had missed.

“Since my treatment finished I have thankfully remained cancer-free and look forward to resuming my studies at St Andrews.”

Dr Gavin Ballantyne, lecturer in Edinburgh Napier’s School of Applied Sciences, said: “Hayley has done brilliantly at Edinburgh Napier.

“Not only has she overcome serious health issues, but she’s also remained engaged, motivated and has produced an excellent final year project. We’re so pleased to see her graduate with a first-class degree and now go on to start an MSc at St Andrews.”

Meadows disorder: vast majority of key troublemakers traced

Here’s the latest Capital Cops column from Chief Inspector Sam Ainslie, Local Area Commander for South East Edinburgh:

The city centre and South East of Edinburgh is a diverse locality, incorporating homes, businesses and a large number of leisure facilities and visitor attractions, ranging from easily accessible green spaces to the vast majority of the city’s night-time economy.

Local Edinburgh residents welcome the responsible use of our fantastic green spaces and amenities. However, disappointingly, these areas can experience incidences of antisocial behaviour and even disorder, particularly during periods of good weather, where excessive drinking has been a contributory factor.

You may be aware of some issues within the Meadows area during the Easter weekend, and I raise it here, for a number of reasons.

First to provide reassurance, that it was obvious that a small group of individuals attended with the express purpose of causing disorder.

Second, being acutely aware of the negative impact on local communities, South East Community Improvement Partnership developed a comprehensive action plan, calling on expertise and resource from across a range of Police, voluntary organisations, and City of Edinburgh Council functions.

This multi-agency response was then utilised successfully over a number of subsequent weekends.

Third, I wish to highlight the success of our dedicated investigation team, formed to specifically target those responsible for the pockets of disorder that weekend, and I am delighted to report that 14 of 17 key individual have been traced, arrested and reported to the Procurator Fiscal and suffice to say efforts will continue to hold the remainder to account.

Please continue to use these spaces respectfully.

While Edinburgh is a safe city, we are never complacent in respect of violence or anti-social behaviour in any of its forms, and as the night-time economy gradually returns, officers are once again providing a high visibility policing presence within the city centre during weekend periods, providing reassurance to our local communities, preventing issues and robustly dealing with incidents, should they occur.

Keeping with prevention, we have started to see a rise in thefts from vehicles, homes, sheds and businesses, and as a recurring theme, these are often opportunistic in nature, with thieves capitalising on a door or window being left unlocked.

Items of choice include, purses, handbags, laptops and bikes. Police Scotland’s website www.scotland.police.uk provides lots of great security advice, so please give it a visit.

Road safety matters remain an area of focus, and with Police Scotland’s Summer Drink/ Drug Drive Campaign having started on Monday – please follow us on our social media channels for information and updates.

I want to thank you for your ongoing support and ask that you continue to contact us to report suspected criminality and relevant concerns.

Information can also be passed to local officers, 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, and as ever, we will continue to post policing updates via @EdinPolSE Twitter account.

If you haven’t already done so, please follow us to receive regular information on what’s happening in your local area.

Chief Inspector Sam Ainslie is Local Area Commander, South East Edinburgh

Event to highlight LGBTQ+ visibility and acceptance in rural communities

The Rural Youth Project, in partnership with LGBT Youth Scotland and AgRespect, is hosting an event on Tuesday 13 July to focus on LGBT+ visibility and acceptance in rural communities with four inspirational speakers joining to share their experiences and advice.

Hosted via Zoom, Rebecca Dawes, Rural Youth Project Director, said that the event will be a safe and inclusive place for young people to come together.

“We spent Pride Month, which is celebrated each June, researching and understanding the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth in Scotland. We realised young people in rural areas, who already face greater social and digital isolation. In addition, rural young people may not have the same opportunities to hear and show how far LGBTQ+ rights have come, and how in some places there is still work to be done.

“Whether it’s in-person or virtual, core to any Rural Youth Project event is that young people feel included, welcome and safe. We’re really excited to host this event and I would strongly encourage any young person who would like to attend to register as soon as possible.”

Speakers include Matthew Naylor, Founder of AgRespect; Paula Manners from LGBT Youth Scotland; and, Kieran Sinclair, a Rural Youth Project Digital Champion from Orkney, who recently authored the blog ‘Queering in Rural Scotland’ located on the recently launched Rural Youth Project Smart Village.

Kieran said: “Growing up on the Orkney Isles, I feel I have a hopeful story to tell. My home island has a community of about 350 folks. Everyone is a neighbour, friend, or relative of sorts. The island is small in population, but huge in community.

“My experience as a gay dude is really rather a happy one. From what I can remember, the island embraced that part of me. There were questions about sexuality, but those who were asking, did so from a point of curiosity to learn, I felt. Because I knew most islanders, there was an established relationship, from which promising conversation evolved.”

The Rural Youth Project is funded by the LEADER Programme 2014-2020: The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas.

Through the project’s new Smart Village, leadership programmes and other online activities, it aims to reach out to all areas of Scotland and enable all young people to participate and become the next generation of rural leaders. 

The event will be held on Tuesday 13 July from 6:00pm and people interested in attending can secure their spot via the Rural Youth Project’s website – www.ruralyouthproject.com.

£1.6 million to support community-based drugs projects

 Grants worth a total of £1.61 million have been allocated to community-based drugs organisations and support services providing access to treatment and residential rehabilitation.

The Local Support Fund – for groups with an annual income of under £1 million – issued 24 awards. Recipients included the Navigator project, run by Medics Against Violence, which will get £37,256 to help patients who attend Emergency Departments access appropriate local services after  discharge.

Grants of up to £100,000 were awarded to 17 organisations under the Improvement Fund which supports services leading to fast access to treatment, residential rehabilitation and initiatives which help drug users address the underlying challenges they face.

This round of funding is from the £18 million package announced in March to support the national mission to reduce drug related deaths and improve lives.

Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance said: “I am pleased we have been able to support these organisations to improve and extend their services.

“The Local Support Fund will help community based projects increase their capacity so they can reach more people who experience problem drug use and offer increased support to them and their families.

“The Improvement Fund supports initiatives which lead to quick access to treatment and help for families. It can also be used for residential rehabilitation and to provide access to additional support, such as mental health services, to enable people to address any underlying challenges they face.

“Over the next five years we will spend £250 million on addressing the drug deaths crisis, £100 million of which will go on improving the provision of residential rehabilitation and I will update Parliament on progress in this area after the summer recess.

“As I have said before, I am determined that every penny of this additional funding will make a difference to all those affected by drug use in Scotland.”

Director of Medics Against Violence Christine Goodall said: “Medics Against Violence are absolutely delighted to have been given the opportunity to expand the capacity of the Navigator Project. 

“This project provides relational and responsive support for people who are at risk or in crisis, so this expansion will play an important role in keeping even more people safe and connected.  We hope that by continuing to working together with partners we can support people towards safer and healthier lives.” 

Full list of funding recipients