Day: September 9, 2021

Crimestoppers launches appeal for anonymous information on the 1994 unsolved murder of Shona Stevens

The charity offers a reward of up to £10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for Shona’s murder as appeal features on BBC1’s Crimewatch Live programme

Crimestoppers Scotland is offering a reward and appealing for anonymous information in connection with the historic case of the murder of Shona Stevens.

Shona was brutally attacked on 10th November 1994 near her home at Irvine, in North Ayrshire. She was aged 31 at the time and died three days later as a result of severe head injuries.

The mother of one had left the Co-op store at Bourtreehill Shopping Centre at lunchtime. She was last seen at around 1. 10pm on Towerlands Road. Her body was sadly found nearby in a wooded area around ten minutes later.

The charity is supporting police by encouraging anyone who prefers to stay anonymous to contact us with information.

***Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £10,000 for anonymous information the charity exclusively receives – via its website Crimestoppers-uk.org or by phone on 0800 555 111 – that leads to the conviction of the person or people responsible for Shona Stevens’ murder ***

Mick Duthie, Director of Operations at the charity Crimestoppers, said: “This is such a sad case of the brutal murder of a young mum who was making her way home from a local store.

“The motive is still unknown. It may be that you had suspicions or even knew what happened all those years ago, but were either too scared or for other reasons, failed to come forward.

“Our charity supports police by passing on anonymous information we receive that helps keep people and communities safe from harm. We are urgently appealing for anyone who knows or suspects who was behind this truly awful murder to do the right thing. We are offering £10,000 for information given exclusively and anonymously to us that leads to the conviction of whoever was responsible.

“Shona’s murder left a daughter without a mother – her family and friends are still waiting and deserve to see justice happen. We know it’s difficult to speak up about crime, especially if it’s about someone close to home. Since we began in the late 1980s, our charity has always kept its cast-iron guarantee to the hundreds of thousands of Scots who have trusted us with their anonymous information over the decades.

“Please help us to protect the community and see justice served by telling us completely anonymously what you know. You can talk to us by calling our UK Contact Centre which is open 24/7 on freephone 0800 555 111 or you can use our easy and secure anonymous online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.

*** Information passed directly to police will not qualify. The reward will only qualify for information given exclusively to the charity Crimestoppers’ 0800 555 111 number or via the simple and secure anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org ***

Please note: Computer IP addresses are never traced and no-one will ever know you contacted us. For telephone calls, we have no caller line display, no 1471 facility and have never traced a call.

Thorntons Solicitors join Sir Chris Hoy and Social Bite to Break the Cycle of homelessness

Colleagues from leading Scottish law firm Thorntons took part in the organised cycle from Glasgow to Edinburgh on Sunday to raise funds for Social Bite’s new villages, which will house and provide support to people affected by homelessness.

Olympic hero Sir Chris Hoy backed the ‘Break the Cycle’ campaign to raise £1 million to help fund two new villages in Glasgow and London. Sir Chris also cycled the 60-mile route from Glasgow to Edinburgh, with Thorntons associates Joanne Clancy and Neil Falconer saddling up for the cause. Fellow legal director Sue Arrowsmith Rodgers also took part in the challenge virtually by walking, cycling and horse riding.

Social Bite has already built a village and community in Edinburgh to support up to 20 people affected by homelessness at any one time.  The purpose of the project is to use vacant land to build a village with beautiful prefabricated housing and a community hub.  They also provide tailored support, skill-building and opportunities that enable residents to move on from their situation of homelessness and hopefully sustain their own tenancies and build positive lives for themselves.

Joanne Clancy, a personal injury associate based in Thorntons’ Edinburgh office, said: ”We’re very proud to have completed the 60-mile journey and more importantly raise money and awareness for this amazing project.

“The Social Bite villages will make an immeasurable impact on the lives of so many in our communities, and it was an honour to cycle alongside Sir Chris Hoy!”

The cycle started at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow and finished 60 miles later in Edinburgh at the proposed site of the new village.

10% of funds raised from the event will also be donated to SAMH, the Scottish Association for Mental Health and further funds will be invested in Social Bite’s mission to Break the Cycle of homelessness by providing food, employment opportunities and housing projects.

Cook and Share to tackle loneliness in Scotland

Brand new campaign from Soil Association Food for Life

A brand new campaign from the Soil Association aims to tackle food insecurity and loneliness, starting this World Food Day on 16th October.

Anyone can take part in Cook and Share Month and hundreds of events are expected to take place across the UK. From Edinburgh to Inverclyde, people will be cooking and, you guessed it, sharing food in their local communities between 16th October and 16th November 2021.

Preparing and eating food is a great way to bring down barriers, so the organisers are encouraging people from all walks of life to take part.

Community groups, schools, children’s centres, faith groups and more will be getting busy in the kitchen and making food to share with each other, and with their local area, both remotely and in person where it’s safe to do so.

Need funding? Grants of £150 are available to help people get their cooking events off the ground, provided by Food for Life Get Togethers (FFLGT), a Soil Association programme funded by the National Lottery.

More details are below.

So why should we share our food?

Research has revealed that the more often people eat with others the more likely they are to feel happy and satisfied with their lives. Yet this year we have seen loneliness rise, exacerbating social problems that were already there.

The Office of National Statistics has published a report saying that loneliness in adults has increased during the pandemic by almost a third. From October 2020 to February 2021, results from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) showed that 7.2% of the adult population (about 3.7 million adults) felt lonely ‘often’ or ‘always’. This is an increase of 1.1 million people since the first UK lockdown in 2020.

Many people have become more isolated as a result of social distancing measures, which can have negative effects on mental and physical wellbeing. Holding a Food for Life ‘Get Together’ is a tried and tested way for people to connect with others in their local communities, through good food, safely.

In a recent survey of Get Together organisers, nearly 90% either agreed or strongly agreed that their activities created new friendships or developed friendships. More than 90% of Get Together organisers also agreed or strongly agreed that these activities supported people’s health and wellbeing.

Helen Browning, CEO of the Soil Association says: “The month is about using the power of great food to bring us together. At the Soil Association, we know that food has got to be good for us, and good for nature and the climate too.

“It has never been more important to create meaningful connections. We have seen over the past year that feeling connected to others is absolutely essential to good health and wellbeing. Food is one of our best ways to unite across barriers – whether that’s the garden fence, cultural or generational divides.”

Dale Cranshaw, Head of Food for Life Get Togethers adds: “Half of the UK population feel that Britain is more divided than ever before. To build stronger communities that can stand up to some of the urgent health, climate and nature crises of our time we need to get together.

“Cooking and sharing food is one of the best tools you have to bring people from different backgrounds or generations together. If you want to bring your community together you can do something about it this month by cooking, and sharing food that’s good for people and planet with your community.”

How can people take part?

Anyone can sign up for free on the website.

There are a range of resources available, helping organisers to cook easy, healthy recipes from scratch. Choose your favourite, from an Eritrean Daal to a simple, home-made bread roll. 

Find the perfect recipe.

The charity are also providing grants of £150 to help people get their cooking events off the ground. 

Find out more here. 

An important part of Cook and Share month is helping people to cook from scratch, which has health benefits and often has a lower carbon footprint than alternative ultra-processed foods.

For more information, read the Soil Association Report on Ultra-processed Foods.

After a year of isolation and worry, it is more important than ever that we connect with the people around us. Whether you’re dishing up daal, sharing a sarnie or passing round the pasta, food is a great way to break down barriers and bring people together.

Barnardo’s Scotland appeals for more foster carers with focus on keeping siblings in care together

Barnardo’s Scotland is appealing for more people to consider becoming foster carers and in particular, for people who would consider caring for siblings.

A new YouGov survey for Barnardo’s encouragingly shows that 15% of adults in Scotland would consider fostering a child aged 18 or under in the next five years. However, that figure drops to just 8% when asked the same question about fostering siblings. 

The survey also shows respondents feelings on how vital they believe it is for siblings to remain together – 66% of adults said it was important that they and their sibling/s were together in the same household when they grew up, with 55% of respondents who had a sibling saying it would have had a negative personal impact on them if they had been separated while growing up. 

Barnardo’s Scotland is looking for more foster carers to ensure that when a child needs a loving, stable and safe family, there are local carers available. 

The appeal comes as part of Barnardo’s Fostering Focus Month, and the charity hopes to hear from people from all backgrounds across Scotland, including BAME and LGBT communities. It is vital to increase the numbers of foster carers to ensure that when a child needs a family, the right carer is available to meet their needs and give them the care, stability and happiness they deserve. 

The charity particularly hopes to hear from people willing to foster siblings, to enable Barnardo’s to continue supporting The Promise Scotland’s commitment to stop the practice of separating brothers and sisters in care, unless for reasons of safety.

Sue Brunton, Assistant Director for Barnardo’s Scotland Family Placement Services said: “We are asking for people to please give serious consideration as to whether they could give a home to a child when they need it most. Your love and support can allow brothers and sisters to stay together and make a huge difference to their life – and to yours. 

“Research into outcomes for children has found that when we separate siblings it is much harder for them to settle, and they have poorer wellbeing. Our survey shows that many people would consider fostering and we urge people to come forward to find out more about what being a foster carer involves – there’s no obligation.  

“We welcome passionate individuals from all walks of life. If you are over 21, have a spare room, are a UK resident and most importantly have the time and commitment to support a child – you could be the special person they need.” 

Barnardo’s has 100 years of experience in fostering. Experts provide all the training needed, which is ongoing, and offer support 24/7. Foster carers will also get financial support, including a carer’s allowance to help make a positive difference to a child’s life. 

For further information about fostering with Barnardo’s Scotland, please contact your local fostering team:

Barnardo’s Fostering Edinburgh and South East Scotland / Tel: 07717 807403.

Community Planning: Edinburgh Association of Community Councils meets tonight

The Edinburgh Asociation of Community Councils (EACC) meets online tonight at 7pm.

Up for discussion is the Edinburgh Partnership’s draft Community Council Reform Implementation Plan (below)

In an email to community councils before the meeting EACC Chair Stve Kerr said: “I attach a draft implementation table which includes issues that have been covered in the initial discussion between the EACC Steering Group and senior City of Edinburgh Council officers. 

“The list is not exhaustive, and I would welcome your thoughts on whether the areas covered are appropriate and additional issues that you wish to see addressed.

“I hope that as many of you as possible can participate in the discussion to ensure that the views of all 44-member Community Councils are represented.”

EP-Community-Council-Reform-Plan-09.09.21Download

***Agenda for 9 September***

1. Steve Kerr, Chair of EACC, will give an update on the Edinburgh Partnership Improvement Plan’s Community Council Reform Programme.

2. Daisy Narayanan, Senior Manager, Place Making and Mobility for the City of Edinburgh Council, will introduce her new job, with a remit that includes ‘20-minute neighbourhoods’, City Centre Transformation, City Mobility Plan, and the Low Emission Zone (LEZ).

3. An LEZ team member will introduce the project and the current consultation which lasts until 20 September (to be confirmed).

4. Discussion about the National Care Service.

5. Any other business.

This meeting is open to the public, but priority will be given to questions from community councillors. The meeting will be recorded.

Please note that by joining the meeting you are giving your consent for the meeting to be recorded.

Musselburgh: Scotland’s first mentally healthy golf club

An inaugural wellbeing tournament on Saturday 11th September will mark Musselburgh Golf Club’s first steps to becoming a mentally healthy golf club.

Teaming up with two mental health organisations, NHS 24’s Breathing Space service and the charity Samaritans, alongside partners Network Rail, the Club aims to drive conversations to support better mental health locally.

Stuart Wright, Captain of Musselburgh Golf Club, said: “Just as we have physical health, we all have mental health too. As a club we recognise that golf can connect people and have tremendous benefits to our wellbeing.

This past year has been a challenging time for so many – we want to ensure our club members and the wider community feel supported. By developing a Wellbeing Strategy and hosting a series of events, training and other activities over the year we hope to make mental health a priority at the club. We’re looking forward to hosting our very first Wellbeing Tournament.”

The Wellbeing Tournament takes a three ball format and will raise awareness of the support provided by mental health services such as Breathing Space and Samaritans. The Tournament coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day on 10th September. 

Tony McLaren, Breathing Space National Coordinator, said: “Musselburgh Golf Club is doing a tremendous job in taking forward this mental wellbeing agenda.

“The Wellbeing Tournament will provide an opportunity to unveil a special ‘Take some Breathing Space’ bench at the clubhouse, offering members and the wider community a place to connect and reflect. We hope that the important work they are doing can be replicated by other clubs in the future.”

Over the coming months, ‘Learn to Listen’ workshops will be delivered by Samaritans’ Edinburgh branch to club staff and members to improve listening skills and develop SHUSH listening tips to listen effectively to others.

This will be complemented by wellbeing talks from Breathing Space with the aim of removing the stigma sometimes associated with mental ill-health.

Rachel Cackett, Executive Director of Samaritans Scotland, said: “Musselburgh Golf Club’s commitment to supporting and promoting mental and emotional wellbeing is a fantastic example of how sports and community groups can play a leading role in supporting open conversations about mental health and fostering meaningful connections.

“The Wellbeing Tournament and wider activity at the club is one of many examples where Samaritans, supported by Network Rail and a range of partners like Breathing Space, are working with local communities to champion mental health & wellbeing and ensure that more people know they don’t have to face difficult times alone.

“We’re are delighted to be able to support Musselburgh in their journey towards becoming a mentally health golf club through initiatives like our Learn to Listen workshops and we hope that their commitment will inspire other clubs across Scotland to consider how they can champion mental health and wellbeing within their communities.”

Minister for Mental Wellbeing & Social Care Kevin Stewart said: “Mental health and wellbeing is everyone’s business, so I welcome the partnership approach being taken by Breathing Space, Musselburgh Golf Club, Samaritans and Network Rail in running this wellbeing golfing event and installing the Breathing Space bench.

“This helps remind us all of the value of looking after our own wellbeing and caring for family, friends and colleagues. My message is simple – we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about how we are feeling.

“This event is an excellent way to combine sport and improving mental wellbeing. I hope that, over the coming years, many members and visitors to the club will find the Breathing Space bench a useful place to gather their thoughts, and to take time to reflect.”  

Meet the Squirrels!

Scouts annnounce exciting new programme for 4 and 5 year olds

We couldn’t be prouder to announce Squirrels: our new programme for 4 and 5 year olds. It’s also a historic milestone for the UK Scout movement. As the first new age range in Scouts for 35 years, we’re helping young people gain skills for life where and when it matters most.

Following two years of pilots and pioneering work in Northern Ireland, 200 Squirrel Dreys have opened in locations across the UK. We’re prioritising communities most affected by the pandemic, and supporting families and young people who’ve fallen behind.

We’re particularly proud to welcome those young people from underrepresented communities, including those who haven’t tried Scouts before.

Promoting key skills when it matters

Research from Ofsted tells us that children hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking basic skills and learning. We know that what happens in these critical early years, when vital connections are being made in the brain will fundamentally shape their future.

Our programme’s therefore designed to support informal learning and help 4–5 year-olds catch up. It’s about promoting key skills like working together, communication, and language, as well as creativity and community awareness.

Squirrels get active, explore nature and have fun learning with friends, all while earning badges – just like other Scouts. New badges include Feel Good, Be Active, Explore Outdoors, Brilliant Builder and Exciting Experiments.

It’s a positive, safe environment for young children to develop essential skills for life, starting them on a journey to become the active citizens and leaders of the future.

Matt Hyde, Scouts’ CEO, said: “Squirrels is part of our commitment to help young people, families and communities come back stronger from the pandemic. Our mission is to equip young people with skills for life.

“What we learn up to the age of 5 lays the building blocks for everything that follows. If you’re 4, you’ve spent a third of your life in lockdowns. That’s why we’re opening the first Squirrel Dreys in those communities that need it most.

“But to scale up this new programme, we need support from volunteers, partners, donors and MPs, to help us reach even more young people.”

To support the roll out of Squirrels, we’re now calling for adults, including parents and carers to step forward as part of our #GoodForYou campaign, designed to recruit over 5,000 new volunteers.

We’re showing adults how volunteering for Scouts not only helps young people, but is good for them too, supporting wellbeing and building skills for employment and education.

Bear Grylls, Chief Scout, is helping launch the new age range: ‘I’m so glad that younger children no2w have the chance to join our family of Scouts,’ he said, ‘and develop skills for life.

“‘We know from our pilot programme that 4–5-year-olds can really benefit from the activities that we offer. We believe that by offering opportunities at this early age, inspiring a sense of wonder, fun and curiosity, we can have a long-lasting, positive impact on young people’s lives.”

Charmaine, the mother of Alexia, a 5-year-old in an early years’ pilot group, shared the positive impact being in Scouts has had.

“Alexia has loved coming to the meetings. She’s learnt so many skills, like confidence, independence, and learning to tidy up after herself. During lockdown, she set up a tent in the living room and camped there for two nights. The socialising has also helped her. She doesn’t go to school with the children here, so it’s good for her to meet other children.”

Charmaine agrees that parents and carers get actively involved too: “If the children are making something then the parents can make something as well, so they know how to do similar activities at home.

“The leaders are very encouraging and very child focused. During lockdown they kept in touch and dropped off packs of activities for Alexia to do. The best thing coming to Scouts is the skills they learn, the discipline it gives them, and the chance to get outside, play and interact with other children.”

Alexia said: ‘I’ve been to every single meeting and I love everything. I like being outside, going to the park and playing.”

Get involved

If you’d like to volunteer, find our more, or support the roll out of Squirrels, we’d love to hear from you. Join us as we start this exciting new journey, on the newest branch on Scouts’ family tree.

Find an opportunity that’s #GoodForYou >

“Millions more people now have a better chance to live happy, healthy and dignified lives”

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid justifies the Health and Care levy

This past year has been the most difficult in living memory for our country – and we have faced those difficulties together. The British people have made unprecedented sacrifices to our freedoms and our way of life to keep each other safe.

Whilst staff in the NHS and across social care have moved mountains to help those who needed care. They have treated over half a million patients with COVID-19, administered over 90 million life-saving vaccines, and cared for the elderly and most vulnerable in our society.

Despite these efforts, it was inevitable that this global pandemic would take its toll on a system that was already in need of reform. We now have a backlog of 5.5 million people waiting for treatment – and if we were to continue with business as usual this could rise in the coming years to as high as 13 million. Before the pandemic, we treated nine in 10 people within 24 weeks. That has now risen to 45 weeks.

The pressures of the pandemic have also been stark in social care, adding to the burdens of an unfair system in crisis. Around one in seven people end up paying over £100,000 for care, and often the heaviest burden falls on those least able to bear it. Meanwhile, staff in social care have worked tirelessly, even when we know they could have benefitted from better support and training.

No responsible government – especially a Conservative one – can bury its head in the sand and pass these problems onto the next one.

The Health and Care Levy announced yesterday will be a direct investment into the NHS and social care. But I appreciate it does not sit easily with everyone. No government would ever wish to go back on a promise it has made to the people – and I’ve always believed in making sure the tax burden is as low as possible.

Yet no government since the Second World War has faced unprecedented challenges of such magnitude. Last week I met health ministers from the world’s biggest economies at the G20: we are all having to deal with the consequences of this global pandemic. I am determined we face up to them.

We want the NHS to be a world-class service, and we need to put social care on the strongest possible foundation for the future. But we have to do that in a responsible way. That means spreading the burden across the broadest shoulders, and not simply borrowing in the short-term to pay for the long-term. That is what our levy does: it shares the burden across employers, employees and pensioners alike. The highest-earning 14 per cent in the country will pay over half the levy.

Together, we are making a critical investment in our country’s future. This will be the biggest catch-up plan in NHS history – delivering nine million more checks, scans, and treatments. We all know someone who has been waiting to long for such procedures.

We are going to ensure the vital work of routine operations, meaning things like hip replacements and cataract surgery do not stop. We are also investing in the next generation of scanners and screening equipment, so we are even quicker at finding and treating diseases like cancer.

The levy is also a vital first step for the reform of our broken care system. No one will have to pay more than £86,000 in care costs over their lifetime. That cap will apply to everyone – it will not matter what condition you have, where you live, how old you are or how much you earn.

We are also casting out the safety net further by expanding means-tested support, so many more people can benefit from having the costs of their care covered. In addition, care staff will now benefit from half a billion pounds of funding to deliver new qualifications, better career routes and much-needed mental health and wellbeing support.

Through these historic investments we are meeting the scale of the challenges we face together, just as we have done throughout this pandemic. In making these difficult decisions we are stepping up as a country to end the cruel care lottery and tackle the backlog. As a result, millions more people now have a better chance to live happy, healthy and dignified lives.

MPs voted through the NHS and Social Care tax rise last night

Music For Bridges

Victoria Park & North Edinburgh Cycle Paths
Sunday 12th September, 1pm – 6pm

A full afternoon of music outdoors, along and nearby the cycle paths in North Edinburgh. Join us along the trail for any or all of the following events!

See the map for details of where we’ll be playing.

Note: the event & times are dependent on the weather – if it’s dry we’ll be there, if not we may have to cancel.

Keep an eye on our facebook & twitter for details.

Supported by Sustrans ArtRoots Community Fund