Pioneering mental health charity, Penumbra, has welcomed the announcement from the Scottish Government to introduce a national strategy on self-harm.
Penumbra is a leading mental health charity which supports 2500 adults and young people each week across Scotland through a range of compassionate, recovery focussed support services including in the areas of self-harm, distress support and suicide prevention.
The charity’s pioneering non-medical approach to mental health recovery support has seen it become the leading employer of peer support colleagues within the mental health field: 20% of the charity’s colleagues are employed in peer support roles.
Penumbra has dedicated self-harm support services across Scotland: Aberdeen; Edinburgh; Dundee; South Ayrshire; North Ayrshire; Fife, and operates the Edinburgh Crisis Centre.
Stephen Finlayson is the Head of Innovation and Improvement for Penumbra and has welcomed the news: “This is a welcome announcement from the Scottish Government on plans for Scotland to become the first country in the world with a dedicated strategy to supporting people who experience self-harm.
“Currently the national picture remains fragmented and many people continue to experience stigmatised attitudes. In addition to support, there’s an urgent need for more research to really understand the factors that lead people to feel the only way to manage their emotional distress is by causing harm to themselves.
“A coherent national approach will take this a long way forward. Key to this process will be listening to and working alongside people with lived and living experience of self-harm.
“At Penumbra, we support many people who self-harm in locations across Scotland each year and we know that with good, compassionate support, there is real hope for people who self-harm. Accessing the right support at the right time is critical.”
Pilton Community Health Project’s Women Supporting Women programme offers different groups and activities to women in Muirhouse, Wester Drylaw, West Pilton, Granton, Royston and Wardieburn.
Get in touch with Sally or Carla if you’d like to sign up or if you’d like to know more.
In response to the immediate pressures on the NHS because of COVID-19 and the backlog in care caused by the pandemic, military assistance has been requested for NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Borders.
Acute services in both health board areas are operating at capacity because of workforce shortages associated with the virus.
A total of 63 military personnel will be deployed to NHS Lanarkshire – this includes three nurses, 45 military medics, 12 General Duties Troops and three drivers who will be working in acute settings.
In NHS Borders, 14 military medics, two nurses and four additional military personnel will provide assistance in acute settings. A military driver will provide transport. Two military medics will oversee operations from the army’s headquarters in Scotland.
Military support within the two health board areas is due to start on 19 October and continue initially until 10 November 2021 though this will be kept under constant review.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The NHS is experiencing significant pressure at the moment because of COVID-19 admissions and the backlog in care built up during the pandemic and we are taking a range of steps to introduce additional capacity in order to help with the unprecedented pressures on the health and care system.
“Earlier this month we announced a record winter package funding of £300 million to support a range of measures to maximise capacity in our hospitals and primary care, reduce delayed discharges, improve pay for social care staff, and ensure those in the community who need support receive effective and responsive care.
“In the NHS Borders and NHS Lanarkshire areas, staff shortages because of COVID-19 are affecting bed capacity and temporary military assistance has been requested to support the boards at this time.
“With increasing levels of social mixing and close social contact it is expected that this winter COVID-19 will circulate alongside respiratory viruses, such as flu, adding to the winter pressures usually faced by the NHS.
“This military support will allow both boards to support existing staff to reduce waiting times, enhance care and provide a better experience for our patients.
“As always I would like to thank all those involved in our healthcare systems for their continuing hard work and dedication over this particularly busy time.”
Congratulations to pupils at Craigroyston Community High School, who have produced the first edition of a new school magazine.
It’s good to see the school magazine make a welcome return: way back in the mists of time the School’s ‘Commune’ newsletter was the forerunner of what became the NEN, your very own North Edinburgh News!
The Metropolitan Police issued a statement shortly after midnight:
The fatal stabbing in Leigh-on-Sea has tonight been declared as a terrorist incident, with the investigation being led by Counter Terrorism Policing.
The investigation is being led by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command who are working closely with colleagues from the Eastern Region Specialist Operations Unit (ERSOU) and Essex Police.
Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon formally declared the incident as terrorism. The early investigation has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism.
Essex Police responded to an incident at an address in Eastwood Road North, Essex, shortly after 12:05hrs on Friday, 15 October.
At the scene, officers found a man with multiple stab wounds. He was given emergency medical treatment by emergency services, but sadly died at the scene.
The man was identified as Sir David Amess, Member of Parliament for Southend West. Specialist officers are supporting his family.
A 25-year-old British man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. He is currently in custody at a police station in Essex.
As part of the investigation, officers are currently carrying out searches at two addresses in the London area and these are ongoing.
It is believed that he acted alone, and we are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident at this time. However, enquiries into the circumstances continue.
Detectives would urge any witnesses or anyone with information about this incident to contact police.
If you have any information that could assist the investigation, then please call police in confidence on 0800 789 321. Anyone with moving footage or pictures is asked to submit them via this link
Opportunities to meet world leaders and climate activists
More children and young people will have the chance to get involved in COP26.A further £35,000 funding from the Scottish Government will increase the reach of initiatives from ReNew the World and Campaign Collective who organise events to meet world leaders and climate activists.
The funding will also support the Climate Changemakers programme from the Children’s Parliament, which will provide opportunities for children up to 14-years-old to share their ideas for tackling the climate crisis.
In July the Scottish Government announced £450,000 to support COP26’s Youth Climate Programme and a further £300,000 in September to fund the Conference of Youth.
Minister for Children and Young People Clare Haughey said: “Children and young people in Scotland are driving forward the cause for climate action and it is vital we listen to their views and harness their passion as part of COP26 and its legacy.
“We have now invested £950,000 to involve our children and young people in COP26 and the ongoing climate conversation. This will ensure they not only have a strong voice during the event, but also have a say in what should happen after.”
Director of ReNew the World Ewan Hunter said: “COP26 provides the opportunity for the world to look at the challenges we face on climate in a rational, but optimistic, positive, way. One based upon renewal, innovation and opportunity.
“By creating the opportunities for engagement, we can give these young people the chance to write a very different story for their generation’s future and their vision of our collective journey to net zero.”
Last month the Scottish Government announced £160,000 of funding for Local Authority Climate Champions. The programme is being delivered in partnership with Young Scot, YouthLink Scotland and Keep Scotland Beautiful.
Two major retailers have been announced for DunBear Pak, Dunbar today (14th October).
Detailed planning applications have been submitted to East Lothian Council for Lidl (1996 sq. m.) and B&M (2218 sq. m.) stores, as well as essential road infrastructure. These are set to create up to 80 jobs for Dunbar should planning consent be given. With site infrastructure this is set to deliver £30 million of investment in the development (images attached).
The joint application by Hallhill Developments Limited, Lidl and B&M follows planning applications for roads, footpaths and essential infrastructure submitted last year, together with renewable energy proposals for the site.
The 54.3-acre development is designed around The DunBear, the five-metre high steel sculpture of a brown bear which pays tribute to Dunbar-born naturalist, John Muir, credited with playing a key role in the establishment of National Parks in the USA. DunBear Park is part of the Hallhill development.
The exciting mixed-use development, which aims to include office, industrial, retail, leisure, extra care facilities, community and residential uses, will adopt the latest low carbon technology.
One of the key outcomes of the community consultation event for the DunBear Park development was a clear desire by the community for a far greater retail offering in Dunbar, serving to address increased demand and providing greater competition.
There are discount retailers in all the major towns in East Lothian, except Dunbar and unsustainable travel is therefore occurring, with residents of the town going to other towns.
By preventing expenditure leakage outwith the town to other parts of East Lothian and Edinburgh, it will also keep money in the community. Hallhill Developments have committed to work with local community groups, including the Dunbar Traders Association, to deliver onsite signage, pushing people to visit the town centre.
Development onsite also serves to financially pump prime infrastructure to deliver further employment uses on the site. New infrastructure has to be installed at significant costs and this early phase of development on the DunBear site makes it more likely that future employment-generating development will occur.
The proposed road layout for the development provides a through route east to west across the site. Safe and direct pedestrian and cycle routes are included within the scheme and will continue to be refined.
DunBear Park aims to be a highly sustainable development, adopting the latest low carbon technology to generate renewable heat and power on site. This approach will ensure minimal impact on the environment and assist in tackling climate change, as well as supporting the green recovery from Covid-19.
Heating is planned to be delivered onsite via a highly innovative district heating network, including the use of modern, low carbon electric heat pumps. The pumps will be powered by their own green electricity supply fed from a series of photovoltaic and battery arrays, which will also deliver green energy to the whole site.
Ken Ross from Hallhill Developments Limited commented: “At a time when retailers are scaling back due to the pandemic, it is great to be able to announce that these operators will be coming to DunBear Park. This will address the increased demand and provide greater competition, key themes that came from the community consultation exercise we undertook.
“This £30 million investment will deliver up to 80 much-needed new jobs for the local community, which is a clear vote of confidence in this location and will also serve to deliver the necessary infrastructure to allow us to bring forward further investment into Dunbar.”
Philip Mellor from the Dunbar Traders’ Association commented: “Developments such as this complement Dunbar town centre, and through preventing retail leakage to elsewhere in East Lothian and Edinburgh will keep more money in the town.
“In order to maximise the potential of these exciting developments we will be working with the developer to establish ways to promote and use appropriate signage. This will attract people who are visiting these outlets and/or the fantastic DunBear sculpture to the town centre.
GMB Scotland members employed by Glasgow City Council have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action over their pay, which would see strikes across the city’s cleansing service and schools during the International Climate Conference, COP 26.
Pay talks with COSLA, the umbrella body that represents each of Scotland’s local authorities, have stalled, with the employer refusing to budge from an £850 flat rate offer to all local government workers – far short of the £2,000 pay claim that was submitted by the joint trade unions GMB, Unison & Unite.
Following a ballot of cleansing workers and school support staff across the country, Glasgow is the largest of 5 councils in Scotland that could see strike action as soon as November 1st.
96.9% of returned ballots in Glasgow were in favour of strike action.
GMB Scotland represents close to 900 workers in Glasgow’s refuse & cleansing service and a further 600 across Glasgow schools providing cleaning, janitorial and catering services.
GMB Glasgow Cleansing Convenor Chris Mitchell said:“Over the past 18 months throughout this awful pandemic, essential services across Scotland have been held together by an army of low paid workers.
“We were called key workers, even Covid heroes, but while politicians were happy to applaud us on Thursday nights, they’ve never put their hands in their pockets to pay us properly.
“The eyes of the world will be on Glasgow during COP 26, and our politicians now have a choice – will they fairly reward the frontline workers who got the country through the pandemic, or will they risk embarrassing the city and the country on an international stage?
“The message that our members have sent with this ballot result is clear. We are taking a stand for what we deserve, and we believe the people will stand with us.”
Scotland’s rail network will also be hit by strikes during the UN climate summit in Glasgow, the RMT union confirmed yesterday.
