Month: May 2023

Local funding available for Book Week Scotland

Book Week Scotland has opened a fund for community groups to help them take part in the annual celebration with grants of £500 available to apply for. It is open to any local community group interested in taking part, from local colleges and charities to community radio and care homes.

Book Week Scotland (13–19 November 2023) is a week-long celebration of books and reading, with hundreds of events taking place online and in communities all over Scotland. This year’s theme is ‘adventure’.

The deadline to apply for the Book Week Scotland Fund is Friday 9 June at 5pm, and further info and the application form can be foundat bookweekscotland.com.

Examples of how the funding has been used previously include:

  • Sunny Govan Community Radio ran a series of in-person writing workshops with Scottish author Victoria McNulty in 2021. The workshops were designed to bolster the confidence of people within the community, after the pandemic increased the strain on those socially isolated. They attracted a range of participants, from people who had experience of writing, and were much more confident, to those who had never written before.
  • Orkney College placed 20 texts by Orcadian writers on to signs along the iconic St Magnus Way in 2020, and encouraged the local community to share creative responses to the pieces in purpose-built boxes along the route. The community responses were then used to inspire a new poem by local writer Yvonne Gray, who read the piece on BBC Radio Orkney during Book Week Scotland.
  • In 2022, Women’s Aid East and Midlothian ran a writing workshop for sufferers of domestic abuse who were living in refuge accommodation. Together with workshop facilitator and storyteller, Lorna Hill, Women’s Aid introduced the participants to creative writing processes that allowed them to produce their own work. They also curated a selection of books, short stories and poetry that the participants could enjoy in their own time. The response to the workshop was fantastic, with participants praising the supportive environment and how encouraging it was to have produced their own stories. 

HMRC: Help to Save extended to April 2025

Help to Save – the UK Government savings scheme for low-income earners, which offers a 50% bonus payment worth up to £1,200 over 4 years – has been extended to April 2025, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed. 

More than 359,200 customers have opened savings accounts since its launch in September 2018 and an additional 3 million individuals could still benefit from the savings scheme as a result of the extension.

Help to Save is a savings scheme for low-income earners. Savers can deposit between £1 and £50 a month into their account and will receive a government bonus– even if money has been withdrawn.

Savers will earn a 50 pence bonus for every £1 saved and the bonus payments are paid in the second and fourth years. This means that someone saving £2,400 – the maximum amount they could deposit over four years – would receive a £1,200 bonus from the government, paid directly into their bank account.

Setting up a Help to Save account online is quick and easy to do, and takes less than 5 minutes to sign up.

Eligible individuals can find out more and how to apply on GOV.UK or via the HMRC app.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Help to Save can encourage positive saving habits – no matter what you can afford to save – and the 50% government bonus payment can help savers when they need it most.

“It is quick and easy to apply online or via the HMRC app, just search ‘help to save’ on GOV.UK to find out more.”

Andrew Griffith, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said: “Millions of people could benefit from a boost to their savings through Help to Save and thanks to our Spring Budget reforms the scheme has been extended until 2025.

“Whatever amount you can save will trigger a top up from the Government, so take advantage and apply today.”

Individuals can open a Help to Save account if, when they apply, they are receiving:

  • Working Tax Credit
  • Child Tax Credit  and are entitled to Working Tax Credit
  • Universal Credit and they (with their partner, if it is a joint claim) had take-home pay of £722.45 or more in their last monthly assessment period.

HMRC has prepared a video on YouTube to help customers find out more about Help to Save.

Accounts are open for a maximum of 4 years and individuals can make deposits as many times as they like by debit card, bank transfer or standing order, without going over the monthly saving limit of £50. Individuals can also withdraw money at any time, although this may affect their 50% bonus payments.

The UK Government  published a consultation on the Help to Save scheme on 27 April 2023, seeking views on how the scheme can be reformed and simplified.

The government is offering Help for Households. Check GOV.UK to find out what cost of living support individuals could be eligible for.

Gail’s sights firmly set on her home city Marathon

A woman who has had two emergency eye operations is aiming to run her first 26.2 miles at the Edinburgh Marathon on May 28th.

Gail Burns, from Edinburgh, is running to fundraise for sight loss charity, RNIB Scotland, who supported her father in his diagnosis of Age-Related Macular Degeneration just two years ago. The condition, which affects over 300,000 people in Scotland, leaves him with limited central vision.

Gail was initially offered a charity place in the London Marathon in 2022, but was unaware that she faced sight issues herself:

“I had to have an emergency eye operation for a detached retina and then a second operation in 2023,” she says. “I sadly had to pull out of the London Marathon twice due to these operations and recovery.”

Gail has previously run a half marathon but due to pain in her hamstrings, was advised to stop running nine years ago. However, on finding a motivating Physio and Personal Trainer, Gail started training for her first marathon.

“I’ve met a lot of people with sight impairments- all very resilient and inspiring – from my Dad, other runners, to RNIB staff and advocates raising awareness of sight issues. I’m pleased to finally be running the Edinburgh Marathon on 28 May for RNIB and I also to have a place in London for April 2024!

“By the time May 28th comes around, I will have been marathon training for 1 year. This is due to stopping and starting during my training plan due to the eye issues and operation recovery times. Training has been tough at times but as it’s my first marathon, my goal is just to get around injury-free!”

* You can support Gail by donating via her JustGiving web-page at:

  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gailmburns

Public to help shape plans for a National Care Service

People across Scotland are being invited to have a say on how a new National Care Service should work.

A programme of meetings will take place over the summer, stretching from Dumfries and Galloway to Shetland. There will also be online meetings for anyone who would prefer to join discussions remotely.

There are NO events in Edinburgh or the Lothians.

During a visit to the Allied Health Professionals in Bonnyrigg, which includes the 14 health professions that make up the third largest workforce in the NHS Scotland, Social Care Minister Maree Todd spoke with staff about what they want to see from the co-design of the new national approach.

Details for all events are now available on the online booking page. The first event will take place in Stirling on 20 June.

Ms Todd said: “There are unique demands across the country, which is why we’re going to different areas, ensuring communities the length and breadth of Scotland are represented in designing a National Care Service tailored to local needs.

“Having listened to care providers, unions and the third sector during the Bill scrutiny process, these meetings will allow anyone who uses care services, has a loved one that relies on care or has worked in the sector to have their say. This will help inform future stages of the Bill as it progresses through the Parliamentary process. 

“There is general agreement that social care transformation will be of great benefit. This needs us all to have a shared understanding of what is working well and really focus on what’s needed to support people to thrive with the most suitable care for them. I would encourage everyone to be part of this conversation.

“To do this you can look to attend an event near you or join online, and be part of what will be the biggest social reform of our lifetimes.”

Alison Keir, Chair of the Allied Health Professions Federation Scotland said: “Rehabilitation is central to improving health and social care services in Scotland. Rehabilitation services are vital to people recovering from injury or supported through illness.

“When people get the rehabilitative care they need, they can be discharged from hospital sooner. Then they will need less health and social care, avoid being readmitted to hospital, and be able to regain their quality of life and their role as active citizens in Scotland.

“Allied Health Professionals, such as occupational therapists and physiotherapists, are experts in delivering rehabilitation. It is vital we improve community provision. We will fully engage with the national care service process to ensure we have the right services and systems in place.”

To register online:

  • 20 June – Albert Halls, Stirling
  • 28 June – William Quarrier Conference Centre, Glasgow
  • 14 July – Hilltown Community Centre, Dundee
  • 18 July – Stranraer Millennium Centre, Dumfries and Galloway
  • 26 July – The Corran Hall, Oban
  • 1 August – An Crùbh Community Centre, Skye
  • 8 August – Strathpeffer Community Centre, Highland
  • 17 August – Isleburgh Community Centre, Shetland
  • 22 August – The Inkwell, Elgin
  • 24 August – National online event
  • 29 August – National online event
co-design-national-care-serviceDownload

Living Wage conference to call for ‘fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work’

MAKING LIVING WAGE THE NORM

Advocates for the real living wage will gather in Edinburgh today as the City Chambers hosts Scotland’s first Living Wage Places Network event.

Over 70 delegates from 16 UK towns, boroughs and cities will join the City of Edinburgh Council to call for employers to offer “a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work”.

Together, they hope to work towards making the Living Wage the norm in each of their local areas as part of the inaugural conference organised by the Living Wage Foundation and Living Wage Scotland.

Edinburgh’s selection as host city follows the Scottish Capital’s recognition as a Living Wage City in 2020. Over 630 Edinburgh-based employers have signed up to pay the living wage, building on a commitment made by the city to continue to boost the number of businesses which become accredited.

Councillor Jane Meagher, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, is Co-Chair of the Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group and will open the event. She said: “We’ve had a record-breaking couple of years in Edinburgh for Living Wage sign ups and it feels like we’re witnessing a real movement.

“Edinburgh-based businesses want to help tackle low pay and insecure work, but we know that employers are under increasing pressure too. They are facing recruitment challenges and high energy bills.

“With the cost of living crisis serving as a stark reminder of what life on low pay means for workers, tackling in-work poverty together has never been more vital. We must work together to break down barriers and champion the true value of people’s jobs. Everyone deserves a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. 

“Hosting Living Wage Places in Edinburgh is our opportunity to showcase how far we’ve come, learn from each other and work towards a future where the Living Wage is the norm. Thank you to everybody who is coming to join us.”

Kat Brogan, Managing Director of Mercat Tours and Co-Chair of the Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group said: “The Real Living Wage is a crucial element of ‘Real Living’ – a happy, healthy, fulfilling life. 

“Our Action Group serves our LW aims in 3 ways. We celebrate LW employers who pay RLW and choose to go beyond, supporting Real Living more broadly in creative and practical ways that has real impact on their teams’ lives. 

“Where employers want to reach this goal, we’ll provide advice and guide them to becoming LW employers. This will benefit their team, their business and Edinburgh as a thriving city which offers a quality experience for all.

“As members of the LW community, employers’ views are presented to local and national Government by the Action Group, a powerful advocate on behalf of LW businesses.”

Clare Goff, Senior Project Manager, Living Wage Places for the Living Wage Foundation, said: “We’re delighted to hold our inaugural Living Wage Places Network event in Edinburgh.

“Scotland is the birthplace of the Living Wage Places movement, with Dundee the first city to receive recognition in 2019. Since then, the Living Wage Foundation has recognised a further 15 cities, boroughs and city-regions for Making Living Wage Places.

“The Living Wage Places movement brings together the public sector, businesses and civil society to tackle in-work poverty and make the real Living Wage the norm in their place.  This event will bring our network together for the first time to share learning and expand our impact.”

Edinburgh writers receive New Writers Award

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives with reading and writing, has today announced the 2023 New Writers Awardees – recipients of a prestigious year-long writer development programme which includes mentorship, a bursary, and opportunities to showcase work to publishing industry professionals.

Four Edinburgh-based writers are in this year’s cohort: young adult fiction writer Sonali Misra; children’s writer Henry Coles; Gaelic poet Robbie MacLeòid and poet Medha Singh.

There are in total 11 writers on this year’s programme, including two writing in the Scots language and two in Gaelic. This year also marks the tenth anniversary of the Callan Gordon Award, a place on the programme which is awarded in memory of Callan Gordon, a young Scottish writer, and funded by the Gordon family.

Previous awardees include Booker Prize winner Graeme Macrae Burnet; bestselling author of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Gail Honeyman; and acclaimed writers Kirstin Innes, Rachelle Atella and Sarah Smith.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘This year’s cohort of New Writers Awardees showcase some of the best new writing talent in Scotland.

“We’re excited to support them on the next stage of their writing journeys to help them develop and hone their skills further.’

Alan Bett, Head of Literature & Publishing at Creative Scotland, said: ‘Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Awards continues to launch fresh and inspiring voices into professional writing, supporting them every step of the way.

‘We’re excited to see the future of Scottish literature emerge from this list and, eventually, onto bookshop shelves. The list of successful authors and poets to have come through New Writers is testament to the success of the programme, helping them develop their creative work and navigate the professional challenges of these early career stages. We wish them all success.’

Alison Lang, Director of Gaelic Books Council, said: “Tha sinn toilichte a bhith ag obair còmhla ri Urras Leabhraichean na h-Alba a-rithist airson an cothrom luachmhor seo a thabhann do dhithis sgrìobhadairean a bhith a’ leasachadh an cuid obrach. Tha Duaisean nan Sgrìobhadairean Ùra air cuideachadh mòr a thoirt do dh’iomadh sgrìobhadair aig toiseach nan dreuchdan aca, agus tha sinn an dòchas nach bi e fada mus faic sinn bàrdachd Robbie MhicLeòid agus sgeulachdan goirid Dhòmhnaill Eòghainn MhicFhionghain ann an clò.’

‘We are pleased to be working with Scottish Book Trust once again to offer this valuable opportunity to two writers to develop their work.

The New Writers Award has given many writers a head start in their careers, and we hope it won’t be long before we see Robbie MacLeòid’s poetry and Dòmhnall Eòghainn MacKinnon’s short stories in print.’

PICTURE: Rob McDougall

Care home provides peace of mind with healthcare initiative

Cramond care home committed to improving the lives of elderly residents


A TOP Edinburgh care home has ensured the wellbeing of its elderly residents by organising visits from a local GP twice weekly.

The initiative has ensured that residents at Cramond Residence have access to healthcare on a private basis to help them with accessibility and to prevent potential issues before they occur.

The GP visits are included within the home’s current rates and have been designed to complement each resident’s personal care plans, bringing together all aspects of a person’s wellbeing – from nutritional advice and emotional welfare to physiotherapy and organised activities.

Christian Daraio, Client Liaison Manager at the 74-bedroom home, said: “Some of our residents are frail and lack mobility, making getting to the doctor’s a stressful and daunting experience.

“That is why we were exceptionally keen to offer our residents access to a GP without having to leave the comfort of their own homes.

“We set up a special clinic in the home where our visiting GP holds twice weekly private consultations for routine check-ups and residents can advise our onsite care team if they would like an appointment.

“The collaborative approach has been offered since we first opened in 2018 and is a unique feature that is much appreciated by residents and their family members. It gives peace of mind that a loved one has direct access to expert health professionals – on top of our day-to-day care.”

This feature is provided alongside the home’s exclusive partnership with Balanced, Edinburgh’s leading team of physiotherapists, who work with residents individually to improve mobility and increase activity.

Cramond Residence is located to the north of the city and adopts a small-group living philosophy spread across three floors. That means groups of eight rooms form distinct “houses”, where residents are encouraged to eat and socialise together.

The home provides a range of activities specially designed to give residents a richer and more satisfying life, with specialist facilities and trained staff on hand to provide support & relief.

To find out more about Cramond Residence, visit: cramondresidence.co.uk/ or contact enquiries@cramondresidence.co.uk.

Majority of Scots will take COVID-19 vaccines in the future

A report published yesterday by Healthcare Improvement Scotland finds that the majority of Scots will take COVID-19 vaccines in the future, based on their experiences with COVID-19.

The survey, commissioned by the Scottish Government, asked questions about people’s motivations around vaccination as we move away from the pandemic.

Uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine has been high and the survey asked people if they would take up new offers of COVID-19 vaccination, or, if not, to understand their reasons why.

The Citizens’ Panel survey, which ran between November 2022 and February 2023, found that of the 667 people who responded to the survey, the majority of respondents (72%) said they would take up the offer of the COVID-19 vaccine in the future. The survey also found that of those who will take up the offer of the COVID-19 vaccine in future, their main reasons were to protect themselves (88%) and to protect others (82%).

One respondent said: “If I can do this to help myself and others, and know the vigorous testing the vaccines have gone through, then why wouldn’t I accept the vaccine?”

Some 12% said they would decline the offer and 17% were not sure. Where respondents did not want it, the most common reason given was concern over possible long-term side effects of the vaccine.

In addition, all respondents were asked if their decision about getting the COVID-19 vaccine has changed over time. The majority said that their decision has not changed (82%). Some 16% said they wanted it at first, but now they don’t, and just 2% said that they didn’t want it at first but now they do.

The survey asks if people are more or less likely to take up the offer of other vaccines, such as flu or childhood vaccines, based on their COVID-19 vaccine experiences, with 36% saying  more likely, 56% saying it’s made no difference, and just 7% saying they are less likely.

Simon Watson, Medical Director at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: “Vaccination is an absolutely essential element of our response to COVID-19 including future variants. It is vital to protect individuals, their families and the wider population of Scotland.”

Clare Morrison, Director of Community Engagement at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: “The findings around vaccination motivations highlight the positive public attitudes towards vaccination, as well as potential areas for improvement, mainly around the need to develop clear and accessible information about vaccine side effects and the benefits of vaccination including their effectiveness against serious illness.”

The report recommends the Scottish Government should continue to consider how to ensure positive and accessible vaccination experiences for all.

It also notes the Government should consider exploring people’s concerns further and their experiences around side effects. Developing further clear and accessible messaging around side effects, and the benefits and effectiveness of vaccination against serious illness may help address this.

Visit our Community Engagement website to access the full report.

Missing girl: Have you seen Angel?

POLICE in Edinburgh are appealing for information to help trace Angel McDaid who has been reported missing from the Drylaw area.

The 13 year old was last seen on Princes Street around 1pm on Monday 22nd May 2023.

Angel is described as being a white female, around 4ft 10in, of medium build, with shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes.

When last seen she was wearing a black jumper, black trousers, a thin black faux leather gilet, white trainers and grey tote bag.

Sergeant Alison Lawrie said: ‘Our enquiries are ongoing to trace Angel and I am appealing for anyone who has any information on her whereabouts to contact us. I would also appeal to Angel directly to get in touch with local officers’.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101, quoting incident number 3921 of 21 May 2023.

Tai Chi at Fresh Start

We will be running Tai Chi classes in the Hub space at Ferry Road Drive from Wednesday 7th June from 1.30 – 2.30pm. This is a very relaxing form of light exercise, good for the mind and body!

We have spaces for 10 and people don’t have to come every week, if they prefer to drop in week to week as it suits them, they can.

Please share with your networks and ask people to sign up by emailing me if they are interested: Abigail@freshstartweb.org.uk

Tai-Chi-flierDownload

Abi