Day: October 6, 2021

Calls for compulsory Sudden Cardiac Arrest training to all involved in sport

Leading organisations have come together to call for compulsory sudden cardiac arrest training for all involved in the delivery of sport, during SADS (Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome) Awareness Week (4-10 October).

The campaign is spearheaded by UK Coaching, Resuscitation Council UK and the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT) – a charity set up after the tragic loss of Joe Humphries, who died while out jogging with his friend nine years ago this week.

Every week in the UK twelve people under the age of 35 die of sudden cardiac arrest and, of those who experience sudden cardiac arrest outside of hospital, only one in ten survive. If effective action is taken within the first minute, it can treble chances of survival.

The organisations, alongside influential figures which include one of Britain’s greatest Paralympic athletes, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and former England rugby captain and Patron of JHMT, Martin Johnson, are urging everybody who actively delivers sport to undertake sudden cardiac arrest training.

UK Coaching offers a free eLearning course which provides the knowledge and confidence to respond quickly and appropriately in the event of sudden cardiac arrest. The toolkit, funded by Sport England, has been created by UK Coaching in collaboration with Resuscitation Council UK, St John Ambulance and the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust.

Martin Johnson said: “It is so important that everybody who leads or participates in sport knows what to do in cases of sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrests kill 60,000 people outside of hospital in the UK every year and in lots of cases, this could be avoided.

“However, it’s no use people having the skills and knowledge to act if there isn’t a defibrillator nearby. Immediate access to an AED along with CPR gives that person the best possible chance of survival. AEDs need to be as commonplace as fire extinguishers.”

The organisations have also written an open letter to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Nadine Dorries, to urge her to mandate sudden cardiac arrest training, as well as ensuring every sporting venue has a defibrillator on site.

UK Coaching’s Chief Executive, Mark Gannon, added: “There have been numerous high-profile instances of sudden cardiac arrest this year and it’s left many questioning if they would know what to do, where the nearest defib is, and most importantly the need to give everyone, from coaches to players, facility staff, parents and spectators, the knowledge and confidence to act fast – because every second really does count. 

“It shouldn’t be down to luck – every sporting venue must have an AED on site and sports should be making the course mandatory. I hope we can start a dialogue with Government because every person trained could be another life saved. All it takes is 30 minutes.

“Where we can start to make real strides is by working with National Governing Bodies and sporting organisations to implement the training internally, but our ultimate goal is to make this law.”

To access and complete the free course, go to www.ukcoaching.org/sca

Clifton Hall’s Isabella wins Aldi’s Design A Lorry competition

A pupil from Clifton Hall School in Newbridge has been awarded the top prize in a nationwide lorry design competition hosted by Aldi, as part of its long-standing partnership with Team GB.

Isabella, aged five, was voted the winner of the Design a Lorry competition, which asked young people across the country to hand draw a lorry design celebrating fresh, healthy food.

She impressed the judges, including Team GB athletes Jack Carlin and Max Whitlock with her colourful pictures which showcase fresh Aldi fruit and vegetables.

An Aldi lorry with Isabella’s winning design parked up at Clifton Hall School last week, while Team GB athlete Jack Carlin also paid the school a visit to mark the occasion.

When visiting the school, Jack held a Q&A with the children and took part in an assembly on what it’s like to be a Team GB athlete, their training regime and what Jack eats to stay healthy.

The supermarket has also rewarded the young artist with Aldi vouchers and an exclusive Team GB goody bag. Isabella’s school will also receive £1,000 in Aldi vouchers, which they plan to put towards healthy goodies for the students.

Max Whitlock, triple Olympic champion who was on the judging panel, said: “It was great to see so many children across the country get involved in the competition.

“Selecting a winner from a pool of more than 24,500 entries wasn’t easy, but Isabella’s design really stood out to us due to the bright, colourful and beautifully drawn fruit and vegetables.”

Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi, said: “The Design a Lorry competition is just one of the initiatives we’ve created to encourage young people to think about and engage with healthy eating.

“Our judges were really impressed with Isabella’s submission, and we hope that winning this will inspire her to continue learning more about the benefits of healthy eating.

“Drivers in Edinburgh and across the country should keep an eye out for the lorry when they’re out and about.”

Tim Ellerton, Commercial Director at Team GB, said:“Throughout our partnership with Aldi on the Get Set to Eat Fresh programme they have continuously created new and innovative ideas to engage and inspire young people around the topic of eating fresh and healthy food.

“This was yet another fun opportunity for school pupils to see their creativity rewarded and for their schools to benefit also.”

The Design a Lorry competition was launched as part of Aldi’s Get Set To Eat Fresh initiative that aims to inspire students aged five to 14-years-old to cook and eat healthy, fresh food. Over the past five years, the programme has reached more than 2 million children across the UK.

Climate emergency to dominate debate at Festival of Politics

George Monbiot, author and environmentalist, is to appear at the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics with the climate emergency dominating this year’s event.

Running from Wednesday 20th to Sunday 24th of October, every event at the Festival is free to attend. The Festival will take place virtually and you can book your ticket now.

As COP26 takes place in Glasgow in early November and the climate emergency is at the top of every nation’s agenda; it has never been more important for the Festival to bring together global thinkers, writers, academics, and experts to inform, inspire and empower people with the knowledge to make a difference.

The programme, in partnership with Scotland’s Future’s Forum, takes inspiration from the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, exploring the synergy between them, including climate action; sustainable cities; poverty and inequalities.

 Speaking as the Festival was launched, the Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone MSP, said: “The climate emergency, poverty, inequality and a global pandemic have created an unprecedented set of challenges for our society.  

“It is the job of this Parliament to provide a platform to debate some of the most pertinent issues for our country and globally, and I am delighted to announce this programme today, which does just that.

“This year’s Festival is packed with brilliant panellists and thought-provoking events, and I feel certain festivalgoers will leave better informed, challenged and inspired. I have no doubt that these thought-provoking discussions will promote the understanding that is key to change.”

Events include:

  • Is the North to blame for the climate crisis? Asking should the North pay reparations to the climate vulnerable countries for decades of the developed world’s over-consumption?  In partnership with the Royal Scottish Geographical Society;
  • Greenwashing – can planet and profit work together? which will cover how consumers can see through the practice of Greenwashing;
  • Fast Fashion in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, which will debate how fashion is one of the world’s largest polluters and why it’s time to make radical changes in our clothing manufacturing and buying habits;
  • Violence against women in partnership with Scottish Women’s Aid, looking at why the responsibility for dealing with this public health issue is still seemingly up to women; and
  • Black history month – political representation in partnership with the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights, which will debate progress in relation to the election of 6 ethnic minority MSPs, in a political world that needs to be representative of a Scotland with a 4% ethnic minority population.

You can find out more and book now on our website: www.festivalofpolitics.scot

Morrisons to recruit 3,000 extra colleagues this Christmas

– £10 per hour starting salary* – 

– Full training provided – 

– Permanent and temporary opportunities available –

– Roles in distribution centres and manufacturing sites nationwide –

Morrisons is looking to recruit 3,000 new colleagues ahead of the festive season in order to meet increased demand at Christmas.  

This year’s holiday season is anticipated to be even busier than usual as customers try to make up for last year’s restricted celebrations and hold multiple gatherings with their friends and family.

To help prepare, Morrisons is looking to recruit colleagues for its distribution centres and manufacturing sites across the country.  The roles available range from warehouse and production operatives, to pickers and packers as well as other skilled roles such as fork lift truck drivers.  Full training will be provided for all positions and so no prior experience is required.

Morrisons has also joined the Kickstart scheme meaning it welcomes applications from 16-24 year olds who are receiving universal credit.

Earlier this year, Morrisons became the first UK supermarket to guarantee pay of at least £10 per hour* and colleagues also benefit from a 10% staff discount as well as flexible hours and shift patterns to suit.

Clare Grainger, Morrisons People Director, said: “Customers have told us that they want to make up for last year’s low-key festive season and so we are working hard to make sure that our shelves are stocked with everything they need to help them celebrate. 

“We are looking for 3,000 Christmas helpers to come and join our busy, fast-moving and exciting team on a temporary or permanent basis and help make good things happen this Christmas.”

Anyone wishing to apply should visit www.morrisons.jobs or call 0345 6116111

Great Scott! LifeCare’s monthly history talk

LifeCare, the older person’s charity based in Stockbridge, is pleased to announce October’s installment of its very popular monthly History Talks which cover local history and are delivered by local people and organisations.

In the year that we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott, October’s topic is “The Building of the Scott Monument”.

This talk will be delivered by Jackie Sangster, Learning Manager at Historic Environment Scotland and it will take place online using Zoom on Tuesday 26th October from 15.00 till 16.00.

Spaces are limited so to reserve a place please contact LifeCare’s Community Engagement Facilitator, Aleks Pacula alekspacula@lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk or call LifeCare on 0131 343 0940

A Just Capital? End Poverty in Edinburgh first annual report

Poverty Week

The first annual report of how Edinburgh is progressing in its aim to end poverty by 2030 has detailed significant positive developments taking place in the Capital.

It is a year since the Edinburgh Poverty Commission, an independent group sponsored by the City of Edinburgh Council in 2018 to define the steps the city needed to take to end poverty, published its final report.

A Just Capital: Actions to End Poverty in Edinburgh concluded that poverty in Edinburgh is real and damaging, but it is not inevitable and set seven calls to action needed to end poverty within a decade. 

In the first 12 months following publication of that call to action, the work of the Council and partners has involved building a strong foundation for the long-term actions needed to change ways of working and prevent poverty in Edinburgh, as well as providing immediate improvement and upscaling of support for people experiencing poverty in the city.

The latest data on poverty rates in the city show that an estimated 78,900 people in Edinburgh were living in relative poverty after housing costs in the period to 2020, including 16,100 children.  Most commentators project a risk of significant rising poverty across the UK during the next 12 months, driven by rising living costs, energy costs, slow wage growth and benefits changes.

In response to this challenge, the commitment to end poverty in Scotland’s Capital is now one of three strategic priorities embedded in the new Council Business Plan approved earlier in the year.

The plan outlines actions to ensure that the Council is on track to end poverty by 2030 by meeting targets set by the Commission and deliver the End Poverty Plan 2030.

This first annual progress report was discussed by Councillors on the Policy and Sustainability Committee yesterday (Tuesday 5 October) with the debate taking place during the nationwide Challenge Poverty Week.

The report outlines key actions delivered in 2021 for providing immediate crisis support to people in need, expanding income maximisation services, promoting fair work, improving access to employability support, helping those at risk of homelessness and improving prospects, opportunities, health and wellbeing.

Specific outcomes described in the report include:

  • Over 44,000 crisis and community care grants delivered in the past year (more than double the previous year) alongside 8,800 Free School Meal payments and 8,300 School Uniform Grant payments (a 50% increase in take up). In addition, led by the third sector, partners across the city provided 45,864 meals as food parcels and 3,654 pre-prepared meals during the first half of 2021 alone for people in food crisis
  • Investment in advice and income maximisation services across the city. Council and third sector work in this area has secured a total of £22m of financial gains for Edinburgh citizens through improved access to entitlements and reduced costs
  • Expansion of the successful the Discover! programme to help 671 families and 1,346 children with support to reduce and prevent food and financial insecurity, doubling the number of families supported this year
  • Delivering £41.5m of Council investment in building new homes and through partnership working, reducing the number of people sleeping rough in Edinburgh to 10 or less on any given night, down from 80-120 before the pandemic
  • Supporting 3,800 people in Edinburgh through Council funded employability programmes
  • Committing to pay all Council staff the Scottish Local Government Living Wage, changing the pay structure so that 4,400 employees in grades 1 to 3 received a pay uplift

Leading a new action group of employers committed to making Edinburgh a Living Wage City, with a goal to encourage 500 new living wage accredited employers in the city in the next five years.

These outcomes have been given additional financial support thanks to an extra budget investment of over £2.5m earlier in the Spring directly focused on meeting the Edinburgh Poverty Commission actions.

Last year’s report marked the end of the work of the Edinburgh Poverty Commission and the start of a movement that needs to take root to create an Edinburgh without poverty.

As a legacy, Commissioners helped to develop End Poverty Edinburgh – a new independent group of residents with first-hand experience of living on a low income and their allies who want to be part of shaping the solutions.  With the support of the Poverty Alliance, End Poverty Edinburgh has been meeting regularly throughout 2021 and aim to raise awareness of poverty in Edinburgh, influence decision-making and hold the city to account.

Councillor Cammy Day, Depute Chair of the Edinburgh Poverty Commission and Depute Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Whilst there has been positive progress made in the first year since the Commission’s call to action no one is underestimating the scale of the challenge we face.

“Tackling poverty is one of our key priorities as a Council and our 2030 target is ambitious but one I’m convinced can be achieved.

“There’s no doubting the enormous impact the pandemic has had on families in this city especially those on the lowest incomes. However our work to limit this impact has seen 44,000 crisis and community care grants issued, over 8,000 free school meal payments and an action group of employers set up to make Edinburgh a living wage city to help lift 40,000 city workers out of low pay.

“We are one year into a long and difficult journey, but if all our partners, communities and residents work together, along with support from the UK and Scottish Governments, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a real difference to those most in need.”

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “As a city, we’re trying to eradicate poverty by the end of the decade and we’re the first local authority in the UK to set such a target. Tackling poverty and inequality in our city drives the choices we are making as a Council such as our new business plan which has ending poverty by 2030 as one of its three core priorities.

“Additional investment is also required and this Spring we agreed a budget package of £2.5m specifically targeted at poverty. This is expanding our money advice and income maximisation services, providing new resources to help those at risk of homelessness, increasing our Discover! programme to help families reduce and prevent food and financial insecurity and the relaunch of the Edinburgh Guarantee to help people of all ages into work or learning. Last year we spent or administered over £100m in core anti-poverty measures to support our citizens.”

“We have made an encouraging start but these are just the first steps and it’s critical the positive work of the past year continues. This isn’t something the Council can achieve in isolation, however, and we need a Team Edinburgh effort and Governments supporting our efforts through housing and welfare policies if we’re going to succeed in meeting the call to action the Commission has set for us all to end poverty in Edinburgh.”

Edinburgh Leisure making aquatic activity more accessible

Funding from Swim England has enabled Edinburgh Leisure’s Royal Commonwealth Pool to install ‘a Poolpod’, a submersible lift, creating inclusive swimming environments for people with long-term health conditions, disabilities and rehabilitation needs.

The London Marathon Charitable Trust (LMCT) provided a £750,000 grant in 2020 to allow Swim England and its partners, the Activity Alliance, Community Leisure UK and GLL – to enhance swimming provisions at selected venues across the UK. The Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh is the only Scottish recipient, out of 20 sites across the UK, to receive the funding.

With one in five people in our population disabled or living with a long-term health condition, ‘the Poolpod’ gives dignified and independent access to the water for swimmers.

Lynne Bauba, Manager at Edinburgh Leisure explained: “The Poolpod was installed just before the lockdown in March 2020, and with the reduced capacity in our pool when we reopened due to the pandemic, we haven’t been able to shout about the Poolpod until now.

“However, regular customers with long-term health conditions, disabilities and rehabilitation needs, have been delighted with this new facility.”

One such customer, Alison Malcolm, who became paralysed from the waist down aged 50, explains how she has benefitted from using the new Poolpod and why she loves swimming.

“When I got back in the pool for the first time, my body confidence was low, and I was concerned I wouldn’t float. It sounds daft but after five months in bed, it took a long time for my body to reset.

“However, the staff were great about encouraging me to swim.  I’ve never met a member of staff who didn’t want to help.

“Swimming is one of the most accessible ways for people with disabilities to incorporate physical activity into their lives. One of the things I like most about it is that once you’re in the water, you’re the same as everyone else.  It has been a great way for me to get active again and using the Poolpod to get in and out of the pool has made the whole experience more enjoyable.

“Now I tend to swim 24 lengths at the Commie three mornings a week. I enjoy the 50m lengths because I can get in the zone and give myself a cardio workout without putting too much strain on my body.”

Edinburgh Leisure boasts 18 swimming pools across the city, including their stunning Victorian swimming baths and pools within the secondary schools.

They offer a variety of pool-based activities to suit all abilities and while the Royal Commonwealth Pool is the only one to boast a Poolpod, most of them have hoists, which the leisure attendants are trained on, to assist people less able to access the pools.

Sir Rodney Walker, Chairperson of The London Marathon Charitable Trust, said: “The Trust funds work which challenges inequality of access to physical activity. We want to help create a society in which everyone is physically active, contributing to their health and wellbeing.

“We know that people who benefit most from aquatic activity – including disabled people, people with long-term health conditions, older people, people with mobility issues and pregnant women – often face the biggest barriers to accessing a swimming pool.”

This exciting initiative is making swimming pools across the UK more accessible and ensuring a more inclusive customer experience for all.

The substantial grant from the LMCT has boosted Swim England’s Water Wellbeing model, which aims to help leisure centres remove barriers to accessing the water.

Water Wellbeing’s ‘whole facility’ approach encourages centres to understand and improve the customer experience, through a wide range of resources available on the Swim England website.

Remembering a wondeful summer: PYCP newsletter

📢 Our Summer newsletter is out!🎉

Even if the weather outside is telling us that winter is coming, we don’t want to forget how much fun we had last summer during those wonderful sunny days! ☀😍

That’s why we are celebrating the time spent together with this fantastic newsletter.

Click it out at the link below!

➡https://pycp.co.uk/…/10/Newsletter-Summer-2021-PYCP.pdf

Summer-Newsletter-2021-PYCPDownload

A Fairer Future?

Recovery strategy to help those hardest hit by Covid

People who have suffered the most as a result of the pandemic will be at the heart of Scotland’s Covid recovery strategy, the Scottish Government says.

For a fairer future sets out the next steps in Scotland’s recovery from the pandemic, recognising that while the pandemic has affected every area of life in Scotland, those who were already struggling have been hardest hit by its effects.

The strategy aims to address systemic inequalities made worse by Covid, improve people’s wellbeing, and remobilise public services to be more focused on people’s needs, building on lessons learned during the pandemic.

Actions to achieve this will include upskilling and retraining opportunities for workers impacted by the pandemic and the transition to net zero, help for low income families most at risk of poverty, and locally-based mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people.

While the strategy is focused over the next 18 months, it includes a series of actions over the course of this Parliament to deliver substantial improvements in child poverty, make significant progress towards net zero, and secure an economic recovery that is fair and green.

Deputy First Minister and Covid Recovery Secretary John Swinney said: “The impacts of this pandemic have not been felt evenly with the most disadvantaged suffering disproportionately from the virus, and the social and economic effects of lockdown restrictions.

“For that reason, our recovery must go further than how life was before Covid. This strategy sets out how we will do that, working with local government, the third sector, and businesses large and small.

“It is the product of months of engagement with a variety of individuals and organisations representing sectors across the country, including the Citizen’s Assembly and the Social Renewal Advisory Board.

“The experience of the past 18 months has shown us what can be achieved when we look past traditional barriers to get the right service or support to people when they need it.

“By working together with the same energy, imagination, and urgency as we approached the pandemic, we can drive a recovery that delivers more for all of Scotland.”

COSLA President Councillor Alison Evison said: “I welcome the publication of this strategy and its vision, which has many parallels with the COSLA Blueprint.

“Covid-19 has had an immeasurable impact on communities across Scotland and although we continue to respond to the many challenges it presents, we must also take the necessary action to address inequalities in our society that have only worsened as a result of the pandemic.

“Local Government will be at the heart of recovery, just as we were in response to the pandemic.  Recovery is a shared endeavour that requires us all to work together to address the areas of greatest harm resulting from the pandemic, and deliver an inclusive and green recovery for all of Scotland. 

“We look forward to working with the Scottish Government to deliver on a collaborative approach to recovery that is at all times rooted in the needs of the people that we serve.”

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “The levels of poverty and inequality in Scotland made the impact of the pandemic so much worse than it might otherwise have been. Insecure and undervalued employment, social security benefits that were inadequate and ingrained inequality all meant that some communities bore the brunt of Covid.

“As we look towards the end of the pandemic, it is right that the Scottish Government prioritises a recovery that addresses these underlying inequalities. Focusing on the creation of a wellbeing economy, tackling poverty and investment in social security, housing and decent public services is to be welcomed. Delivering on these priorities and retaining this focus ​on addressing inequalities must drive our recovery to Covid.”  

Louise Macdonald OBE, National Director of the Institute of Directors Scotland said: “A strong, sustainable wellbeing economy and a fair, equal society are interdependent. We welcome the clarity in this strategy that a thriving economy underpins a successful recovery, especially in making the difference for those greatest affected by poverty and inequality.

“Leaders from business and cross-sector organisations in communities in every part of Scotland have played a vital part in the response to the pandemic in a myriad of ways and it is that spirit of collaboration, innovation and purpose – through collective effort and shared vision – which will deliver this ambitions of this strategy.”

Andrew McRae, Policy Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland said: “Scotland’s recovery from the Covid crisis won’t be possible without economic recovery.

“Smaller businesses have an impressive track record of creating jobs and healing communities after economic shocks – so they must be at the heart of implementing this welcome recovery plan.

“We’re looking forward to working with the Scottish Government to ensure delivery of these plans is designed with small and new start businesses, as well as the self-employed, front and centre.”

Covid Recovery Strategy: For a fairer future – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)