Local youth agencies are currently looking for young Youth Work Volunteers, offering some great opportunities for local young people.
Interested? Get in touch with the organisation via email.
Youth Volunteering opportunities in North Edinburgh
Day: October 27, 2021
Seagrass meadows and oysters being restored in major Firth of Forth marine restoration project
Seagrass meadows and oysters are being put on the path to recovery in the Firth of Forth in a major marine restoration project – supported by the ScottishPower Foundation – that will enhance the local environment and help tackle climate change.
Announced days before the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference gets underway in Glasgow, ‘Restoration Forth’ will see up to £600,000 awarded over three years from the Foundation’s Marine Biodiversity Fund, which was created to mark the year of COP.
The first award from the fund – and the biggest-ever grant provided by the Foundation – Restoration Forth will be managed by WWF, the leading independent conservation organisation, in partnership with scientists, charities and local community groups. They will work together to design a blueprint to restore and sustainably manage seagrass and oyster habitats for a thriving Firth of Forth.
Often described as the ocean’s unsung hero, seagrass provides important habitat for marine life and is an incredible tool in the fight against climate change. Oyster reefs – which once flourished in the Forth – remove pollutants and provide sanctuary for a vast array of marine life.
Working closely with local communities, the restoration of these two species will enhance the coastal and marine environment of the Forth, support nature-based solutions to address climate change, and create opportunities for local people to reconnect with the sea.
ScottishPower Foundation’s grant is the first funding contribution towards the £2.4 million total cost of the project, which aims to restore up to four hectares of seagrass and 10,000 oysters per year by the end of 2024.
Ricardo Zanre, WWF’s Ocean Restoration Programme Manager said: “Coastal habitats like seagrass meadows and oyster reefs are vital to a thriving marine environment but across the UK we’ve seen their steep decline over the last century.
“This is a concerning loss in so many ways – for the homes they provide for marine life, their value in absorbing carbon dioxide and improving water quality and their importance as heritage for coastal communities.
“The Forth is an amazing example of a place where local communities working to restore coastal habitats can not only help to bring back these benefits, but also to strengthen the connection between nature and community. We’re hugely grateful to the ScottishPower Foundation for sharing this vision and their support in helping to achieve it”
Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee of the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “We’re really excited that Restoration Forth is the first project supported by our Marine Biodiversity Fund. With COP26 about to get underway, the climate emergency is very much at the forefront of all our thoughts and there is no time to waste.
“This project – supported by the biggest-ever grant awarded by the Foundation – is a great example of how we can take action now to restore our coastal habitats. Thriving marine environments are crucial if we are to tackle the biodiversity and climate crises and Restoration Forth will allow us to make a positive impact in partnership with local people and communities, who are at the heart of the Foundation’s work.
“A large part of our funding will go towards developing a skills development programme for local communities to protect their restored coastal environment. This incredible work in the Firth of Forth will provide a blueprint for restoring ecosystems through a collaborative community approach.
“It has the potential to be used as a model for marine biodiversity restoration projects across Scotland and around the world, ensuring the Foundation will help create a positive climate legacy for years to come. That’s exactly what we wanted to achieve when we created our new fund and why we’re so proud to work with so many esteemed partners to help turn this project from a vision into a reality.”
Partners supporting WWF to deliver Restoration Forth include Edinburgh Shoreline Project, Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, Heriot Watt University, Marine Conservation Society, Project Seagrass, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scottish Seabird Centre, The Ecology Centre, The Heart of Newhaven Community and Wardie Bay Beachwatch.
The ScottishPower Foundation was established in 2013 to make a significant and lasting contribution to society, enhancing the lives of people living in communities throughout the UK. It provides funding to help support the advancement of education, environmental protection, arts and culture and citizenship. It also supports charities who aim to provide relief from poverty, disability, or other disadvantages.
Local patients can access new cancer treatment
New prostate cancer treatment available at Edinburgh Cancer Centre is first in Scotland
Men in the South East of Scotland may now be able to access a new treatment for prostate cancer, which is available at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, Western General Hospital.
The Edinburgh Cancer Centre (ECC) is the first in Scotland to offer High–dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) for treatment of prostate cancer.
It was successfully introduced by NHS Lothian earlier this year and is now being made available to suitable patients across the South East of Scotland.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Scottish males affecting 1 in 10 men. With more than 3,000 men diagnosed every year this figure is only expected to increase.
But, with early detection and improved treatments, survival rates are also increasing. Radiotherapy is commonly used to cure prostate cancers and increasing the radiation dose in treatments has shown to improve long-term cancer control.
The HDR-BT service at the ECC offers an additional treatment approach to deal with aggressive but localised prostate cancer. It allows a higher dose of radiation to be targeted directly into the prostate gland in a safe and controlled way. This minimises radiation exposure to surrounding normal tissue and thereby reduces potential side effects.
The new treatment is being offered alongside existing radiotherapy treatments at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, expanding the range of treatment options on offer.
Dr Aravindhan Sundaramurthy, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre explains: “We have been successfully delivering low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) for prostate cancer with over 1000 men throughout Scotland benefitting from the service. However, men with more advanced or aggressive disease would not be eligible for LDR-BT on its own.”
“The start of the new HDR-BT service opens a very important therapeutic option for men with high-risk prostate cancer features. It brings together the skills and expertise of staff across our radiotherapy, oncology and anaesthetic teams to deliver another treatment option.”
He said: “I would strongly encourage anyone who is offered this treatment to go for it. It was a very smooth process and the care I received from the NHS was absolutely first class. I was looked after every step of the way and I knew that I was in the best possible hands for my treatment.”
This HDR-BT service is a collaborative effort involving radiotherapy nursing, prostate clinical oncologists, anaesthetics, therapeutic radiographers and oncology physicists. It is currently being offered at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre for suitable patients within the South-east Scotland Cancer Network with an aim to expand the service to other patients across Scotland.
Anyone looking for more information about prostate cancer including details of common symptoms and testing can visit NHS Inform: www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/cancer/cancer-types-in-adults/prostate-cancer
Witness appeal following Maybury collision
Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious collision involving two vehicles at the Maybury junction last night.
The incident happened at around 6.50pm on the A8 Glasgow Road at the Maybury junction.
A blue BMW 3 Series driving east was involved in a collision with a double decker bus on the opposite side of the road just before the Maybury junction, near the Marriott Hotel.
The 52-year-old male driver of the BMW was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and is in a serious condition with potentially life changing injuries.
The 44-year-old male bus driver was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with minor injuries. There were six passengers on board and one suffered minor injuries.
Inspector Roger Park, of the Road Policing Unit, said: “We’re appealing to anyone who witnessed this collision or has dash cam footage to contact us.”
Those with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 3048 of 26 October.
Additional £482 million funding to tackle COVID-19 in Scotland
The Scottish Government is allocating a further £482 million to NHS Boards and Integration Authorities to meet costs of the pandemic and remobilising health services.
This includes funding for Test and Protect and to support the progress of the vaccination programme.
It comes on top of £2.1 billion provided to date to NHS Boards and Integration Authorities to support additional Covid-19 costs. Further funding will be provided as necessary over the course of the year.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Our frontline health and care workers have been remarkable throughout the pandemic, and we continue to support NHS Boards and Integration Authorities to deliver and remobilise vital services as we approach the toughest winter the system has potentially ever experienced.
“This £482 million includes just over £121 million for Test and Protect and a further £136 million for the vaccination programme. The rest of the funding will cover costs including additional staffing to support hospital scale-up, equipment, maintenance and IT.”