Day: August 15, 2023

Sight Scotland: Volunteer Befrienders held battle loneliness and isolation

Sight Scotland, Scotland’s largest sight loss organisation, is appealing for more volunteer befrienders to help battle loneliness and isolation. The charity says that a regular visit to a vulnerable person can be life changing.

A volunteer befriender is someone who provides trained support and companionship to a lonely, or emotionally distressed, person. Befriending is proven to battle seclusion and self-isolation while increasing self-esteem and confidence.

Tamas Danyi-Nagy, a 31-year-old Hungarian who moved to Scotland eight years ago, is a Sight Scotland befriender. Tam visits Freda Steel, 67, from Musselburgh, every week and says the friendship they have built up has been life changing for both of them.

He explains: “Loneliness affects us all, whether that is directly or through someone close to us. Befriending offers supportive, reliable relationships, through volunteers to people who would otherwise be socially isolated. Befriending often provides people with a new direction in life and can unlock a range of activities that a person would struggle to do on their own.

“I visit Freda every Tuesday and help her with whatever she needs to do. Whether that’s a coffee and a chat, going shopping, or going for a walk. When I was a teenager, I had a friend who was blind, we were quite close, and I used to help him a lot. I found this very inspiring and felt I had a real instinct for helping, so I decided I wanted to help others in a similar way if I could.

“I started at the beginning of January 2023 and have found it just so rewarding. Freda and I have built up a strong friendship and we both get a lot out of the experience; I find it very humbling. I know I am really helping her, but in many ways, she is helping me just as much.

“When I first started it was like meeting anyone new, it was a little awkward as we were both trying to get to know each other. But we soon started to click, and Freda could see I was there to try and help her, and gradually she started to open up and tell me about what help she needed, and what struggles she was having. We had to build up trust with each other and it has now developed into a real friendship, where we both look forward to spending time in each other’s company.

“I try to explain everything to her when we are together, whether that is in the house, at a café, or out for a walk. She is a real inspiration, and so knowledgeable on many subjects. Freda is about the same age as my Mum, so I feel a real connection. She has made me appreciate everything I have and has made me listen to the beauty we hear every day around us.

“It is amazing to see how Freda’s life has changed through the befriending programme, she has become so much more confident and outgoing. During Covid, Freda was stuck in her house with no one to talk to, or help her, and this really affected her mental health. The difference I have seen in Freda since I started has been incredible, she has become so much chattier with me, and with others when we are out, I could see her confidence returning and growing week by week.

“She used to get all her food delivered, but now she looks forward to going out to local her local butcher for example, or local grocer. They all know her and treat her like a long-lost friend, it is so nice to see, and you can tell she is really enjoying it. We meet up every Tuesday and every week she is making more plans and has more appointments. I am just so happy I could help her.”

Tam adds: “If anyone is considering becoming a volunteer befriender my advice would be just go for it, it really is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. You are making such a difference to a person’s life; it is incredible to have the ability to do this for someone.”

James Whyte, Volunteer Development Manager for Sight Scotland comments: “Befriending is often transformational to a person with sight loss and can open a whole new world to someone who lives alone.

“We are currently looking for more volunteers like Tam, who are willing to give up their time to help others. Just doing the simplest things like having a coffee and a chat can make such a difference to someone who is isolated and lonely. A regular visit can be quite literally life changing.” 

If you are interested in becoming a Sight Scotland Befriender or finding out about the many other ways you can volunteer with the charity, please visit:

sightscotland.org.uk/volunteer.

Alternatively, you can contact James Whyte, Volunteer Development Manager at james.whyte@sightscotland.org.uk or call 0131 446 3154.

Edinburgh Art Festival in North Edinburgh

At Collective, on Calton Hill, and coinciding with their EAF performance, Tarek Lakhrissi presents I wear my wounds on my tongue (II), exploring desire, language and queerness.

Inspired by the work of the late poet, essayist and performance artist Justin Chin, the installation features newly commissioned sculptures and sound work. Also at Collective, Rabindranath X Bhose’s installation work, DANCE IN THE SACRED DOMAIN, is a bog made up of sculpture, poetry, performance and drawing, emerging from time spent meditating on bogland in Scotland.

Further into Leith, at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, a new presentation, tense, by Glasgow based Adam Lewis Jacob will be displayed alongside A New Face in Hell, in which Sebastian Thomas draws inspiration from the mythological fable of the Golem, a being constructed of inanimate material that often ends up becoming uncontrollable.

Travelling Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in a bus, presents a new exhibition by Gabecare, a collaborative art project between Rachel Adams and Tessa Lynch investigating the domestic mess of 21st century living, which will travel across the city for the duration of the festival.

Sierra Metro presents an exhibition of new work by award winning Australia-based artist, illustrator and animator, Haein Kim. For Kim’s first solo show PAIN2POWER the artist presents a series of prints exploring the modern woman’s psyche, materialism and puppies for a show that captures her unique use of colour, humour and honesty.

Initiated by The Common Guild, Edinburgh Art Festival will co-present an illuminated artwork by Rabiya Choudhry at Leith Library.

The design is based on a painting by Choudhry, part of the artist’s ongoing project Lost Lighting – a series of lighting artworks for public places intended to ‘act like a vigil in the dark’ Taking shape as illuminated signs, they repurpose Andrew Carnegie’s flaming torch motif; a feature found on many Carnegie library buildings

In Choudhry’s work, the torch is encircled with the words of African-American civil rights activist Ella Baker (1903–1986) who worked to instigate societal change. Baker’s words ‘give light and people will find the way’, are a manifestation of power for ordinary people. The public artwork runs across the full festival dates, visible 24 hours a day.

Initiated by The Common Guild, EAF will co-present an illuminated artwork by Rabiya Choudhry at Leith Library. The design is based on a painting by Choudhry, part of the artist’s ongoing project Lost Lighting – a series of lighting artworks for public places intended to ‘act like a vigil in the dark’ Taking shape as illuminated signs, they repurpose Andrew Carnegie’s flaming torch motif; a feature found on many Carnegie library buildings In Choudhry’s work, the torch is encircled with the words of African-American civil rights activist Ella Baker (1903–1986) who worked to instigate societal change. Baker’s words ‘give light and people will find the way’, are a manifestation of power for ordinary people.

The public artwork runs across the full festival dates, visible 24 hours a day. 

BELOW: Edinburgh Art Festival – Full Programme

Openingrelease_10Aug2023final-2Download

Witness appeal following Restalrig knife incidents

Police are appealing for witnesses following an attempted robbery and a robbery in the Restalrig area on Saturday (12 August 2023).

Around 5.45 am, a 33-year-old woman was threatened by a man armed with a weapon as she was just about to get on a bus on Restalrig Road South. The man attempted to grab her bag but she managed to get on to the bus which drove off.

Around 6.30 am, a man threatened shop staff at a convenience store on Restalrig Road South with what was believed to be a bladed weapon. He demanded cash but only managed to grab other items as he was chased from the store.

The suspect for both incidents is described as white, 30-40 years of age, has a long and pointed nose which may have been broken previously, dark brown hair. He was wearing a black hooded long-sleeve jumper with a gold metallic North Face logo, grey jogging bottoms with the Adidas logo on left-hand side pocket and black trainers.

Detective Sergeant Steven Gray said: “Although thankfully, no one was injured, this was very frightening and distressing for those involved.

“Officers are checking CCTV in the area and making local enquiries however, we are keen to hear from anyone who may have been in the area between 5.30 am and 6.45 am that morning and who saw the man.

“It may be that he has either approached or threatened others in the area, or may have been hanging about the street, which we can see from CCTV was quite busy at that time.

“So, if you have any information about the incidents or recognise the description of the man, then call police at Gayfield Police Station via 101. Please quote reference number 0930 of Saturday, 12 August 2023. Alternatively, details can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

UPDATE

A 33-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with two robberies on Restalrig Road South, Edinburgh which took place on Saturday, 12 August, 2023.

They are expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday, 18 August, 2023

A Police Scotland Spokesperson said: “We would like to thank the public for their assistance with our inquiries following our earlier appeal.”

Planning gets underway for North Edinburgh Community Festival 2024

It feels like the North Edinburgh Community Festival was held merely a few weeks ago when in fact it’s been nearly 3 months and we are already starting to plan the festival for 2024!

So get this date in your diary – SATURDAY 11TH MAY 2024

I’m sure it’s a busy Summer for you all but we hope to grab some of your time!

We want to make the North Edinburgh Community Festival better but in order to do that we need your feedback. We’d really appreciate it, if you could complete this Google form and tell us what was good, what was bad and what was amazing!

Here is the link – https://forms.gle/n6eCwdX7RQbU6au99

Secondly, we are hosting a Festival Gathering and invite you to come along and share your thoughts.

This will take place on THURSDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER 2023 AT 6PM at the West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre. We’d love to see you there. Please do RSVP to northedinfest@gmail.com to let us know you will be attending.

And thirdly, we now have a Ko-Fi account. A Ko-Fi account lets anyone donate a minimum of £3 to the festival which will go towards providing free meals at the festival next year. We have lost some funding for next year, so any contributions to this festival cause are most welcome. Here is the link – https://ko-fi.com/northedinfest

Please do feel free to circulate or forward this onto others that might want to be part of the festival next year.

Best wishes and hopefully see you at the Festival Gathering!

Back to School: 87% of parents in Edinburgh are spending less on themselves to save for school uniform

The back-to-school period can be a stressful time for parents and carers, and the current cost-of-living crisis is only set to add to this stress.

Looking to understand the situation parents face this month, UK affordable footwear retailer, Wynsors, has used the rate of inflation to estimate that families face paying 20% more for school uniform than they did back in 2018.

With that in mind, Wynsors has carried out a new survey of more than 1,000 UK parents to understand exactly how much this increased cost of school uniform is affecting their finances.

The results do not paint a positive picture for households across Edinburgh:

  • Over 3 in 5 parents (70%) in Edinburgh agree that the cost of buying school uniform and supplies puts a strain on their household budget.
  • Nearly half of parents in Edinburgh (45%) agree that abolishing school uniforms would help to save money.
  • 76% of parents in Edinburgh do not receive any financial support with the cost of new school uniform, and are the least likely to receive any financial help from family members.

With parents spending an estimated £230.40 on average to buy a full set of new school uniform in 2023, households across Edinburgh are having to make cutbacks elsewhere to afford the cost.

More than 3 in 4 parents in Edinburgh (87%) are spending less on new things for themselves (such as clothing) so they can stretch their household budget to cover the cost of buying new school uniform, the highest when compared with other cities in the UK, and 1 in 4 (26%) only buy school supplies and uniform when discounted to do so.

Adam Foster, Retail Director from Wynsors, comments: “As highlighted by this research, the back-to-school period is often a stressful time, but as the UK’s most affordable family footwear retailer, we want to take the stress out of the shopping experience by making school uniform accessible to all.

“From our low prices to our friendly in-store staff, we pride ourselves on helping parents over the last 50 years to get their kids equipped and ready for school.”

The full study, including more information on parents’ attitudes to school uniform and tips for saving money on the back-to-school shop, can be found on-site here: 

https://www.wynsors.com/blog/true-cost-of-school-uniform/

Kimpton Charlotte Square launches free exhibition

Local artists work on display during the Edinburgh Festival

The award-winning five-star Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel is celebrating this year’s Edinburgh Festival by launching a new exhibition in partnership with &Gallery.

As the city welcomes visitors from around the globe for the world-famous Edinburgh Festival which celebrate arts and culture, the design-led hotel has unveiled a free art exhibition showcasing work from two local artists, Anna Somerville and Emily Moore.

Passionate about paint, mark making and colour, Anna Somerville creates expressive, painterly landscapes that conjure up hazy memories of places that she has visited. Her pieces on display at Kimpton Charlotte Square include ‘Highland Scape’, ‘Rapolano Neon Scape’ and ‘Tuscan Scape’.

Emily Moore’s paintings focus on the stark facades of modern tower blocks, inspired in part by a trip to Berlin, and latterly, places closer to home. The sharp lines of these modernist forms are overlaid with intricate patterns of leaves and tree branches.

Established in 2017, &Gallery is a contemporary visual art gallery located in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town and the well-known art gallery district. &Gallery curates a specialist programme of solo exhibitions of represented artists along with curated group shows.

Its emphasis is on abstract and minimal painting, drawing and sculpture, by artists at various stages of their career who are located in Scotland, as well as throughout the UK and worldwide.

Both artists are graduates from Edinburgh College of Art and regularly exhibit with &Gallery. The new exhibition will be displayed throughout the ground floor of the hotel including the lobby, The Garden as well as the bar and restaurant area. All work is available to purchase through the &Gallery.

Avril Nicol, owner of &Gallery said: “We have really enjoyed collaborating with the Kimpton for our exhibition taking place during the renowned Edinburgh Festival and following months. I

“t was a pleasure curating a selection of work to compliment Charlotte Square’s unique interior, and a great opportunity to highlight the work of two talented local artists.”

Kieran Quinn, general manager at Kimpton Charlotte Square said: “The Edinburgh Festival is a time for the world to celebrate our city, its culture, and the arts.

“It’s important for us to make the most of this special time, giving local artists access to our guests and ensuring our guests are surrounded by wonderful talent.”

Guests and members of the public are invited to see Emily and Anna’s work on display at Kimpton Charlotte Square from today (Monday 14 August) until November.

For artwork purchasing queries, please contact: info@andgallery.co.uk

RAF Typhoon jets intercept Russian bombers flying north of Scotland

Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots launched Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoon fighters to intercept two Russian long-range maritime patrol bombers yesterday as they transited north of the Shetland Islands within NATO’s northern air policing area.

The Typhoon jets launched from RAF Lossiemouth, one of the RAF’s two QRA stations, where RAF fighters are constantly available to respond to threats at a moment’s notice in order to defend UK airspace.

The Russian Tu-142 Bear-F and Tu-142 Bear-J maritime patrol aircraft, used for reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare, were monitored by RAF Typhoons in international airspace as they passed north of the UK.

Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, said: “RAF crews at Lossiemouth maintain a constant watch over UK airspace and are always ready to take action at a moment’s notice to keep our country safe.

“Pilots launched in their Typhoon jets to intercept two Russian long-range bombers this morning, monitoring them as they passed north of the Shetland Islands, ready to counter any potential threat to UK territory.”

A Voyager tanker was also scrambled and remained airborne for the duration of the mission to offer air-to-air refueling, ensuring the Typhoons could remain in the air for the extended period necessary to complete their mission.

The lead RAF Typhoon pilot said: “It’s really satisfying to know we’ve been able to make a successful intercept, maintaining the integrity of UK and NATO airspace.

“When the alarm for a scramble happened in the early hours of the morning, the adrenaline kicked in. Working in tandem with ground control operators, and with air-to-air refueling from an RAF Voyager, we were able to stay on task until the mission was complete, and the target aircraft departed the UK’s area of interest.”

RAF Typhoons are scrambled during these incidents to secure and safeguard the skies of the UK. RAF pilots from Lossiemouth recently completed a four-month deployment to lead NATO’s air policing mission in Estonia, where more than 50 air intercepts of this kind were carried out.

Russian military aircraft entering the UK Flight Information Region, the UK’s controlled zone of international airspace, can pose a hazard to other aircraft. These Russian aircraft often do not talk to air traffic control or ‘squawk’, broadcasting a code ensuring they are visible to other air users and air traffic controllers on the ground.

The Typhoons and Voyager subsequently returned to their base and the aircraft have been refueled to remain ready to respond to any future potential threats.

National Trust for Scotland secures £1 million funding to aid conservation work

Scotland’s largest conservation charity, the National Trust for Scotland, has been awarded £1,062,000 from Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) Partnership Fund to allow it to conduct vital conservation work across its built heritage properties, while gaining a deeper understanding of the structures and their requirements.

With over 100 places across Scotland, through the support of the funding the charity will undertake a programme of conservation maintenance at numerous sites around the country, utilise technology to delve more deeply into its built structures, and invest in further training and skills development.  

This will include a variety of work throughout Scotland – from thatch repairs at Culloden, through to repairing glasshouses and garden structures, property maintenance, structure repair works, such as the tower at the House of the Binns, repairs to garden walls and structures, and more.

The funding will cover works up to a value of £75,000, focussing on the most urgent repairs and conservation of the Trust’s buildings, and will contribute to larger projects, for instance, the conservation of inset carved stonework at Fyvie Castle. 

Over the past year, the buildings team at the Trust has undertaken a range of work to conserve and protect its built heritage, in part funded through a £250,000 Annual Repair Grant secured from HES last year.

This included replacing the lead flat roof covering on the House of the Binns, as part of a wider project team working to reopen the property to the public earlier this year, for the first time since before the Covid 19 pandemic; an investment of over £100,000 in a number of projects at Falkland Palace to restore the stunning Renaissance building’s stonework and undertake decorative conservation work; careful conservation of 17th century painted ceilings at Crathes Castle; and limewashing the exterior of Balnain House.

The buildings team not only focus on the castles, houses and palaces in the Trust’s care, but also the built structures in the many gardens it looks after.

In the last year the charity has invested over £57,000 in a major refurbishment of the large glasshouse at Malleny Garden, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, with further investment planned through the Partnership Fund grant to restore the second glasshouse within the grounds.  

The Partnership Fund will also provide support for a training programme that the National Trust for Scotland will deliver to upskill members of staff across the Trust, providing a wider understanding of how the team can contribute to the conservation and maintenance of the charity’s buildings.

Sarah MacKinnon, Head of Building Conservation at the National Trust for Scotland, (above, left)said: “As set out in the Trust’s 10-year strategy, Nature, Beauty and Heritage for Everyone, we are committed to the conservation, repair and maintenance of our historic buildings.

“Through funding from organisations like HES we can continue to carry out the vital work we do and invest the time, care and expertise required in our buildings. Looking after over 100 places throughout the country means there’s no shortage of work to be done to care for and preserve the assets in our care.

“We are incredibly grateful to our supporters, donors, volunteers and members, who allow us to carry out our vital work and ensure we can continue to safeguard some of Scotland’s most important and valued historic buildings for generations to come.”

Susan O’Connor, Head of Grants at HES, (above, right)said: “I am delighted that our Partnership Fund will help to support the Trust’s ambitions.

“Scotland is home to a vast amount of heritage assets – from castles and palaces to historic houses – which are hugely important to communities up and down the country. We welcome the Trust’s efforts to explore new ways to understand and care for these places and I very much look forward to seeing the work unfold as the project progresses.”

For more information on the National Trust for Scotland, please visit:

 www.nts.org.uk.

More than 3,500 online grooming crimes against children recorded by Police Scotland while safety laws discussed

  • NSPCC urges tech companies and MPs to back Online Safety Bill following new research on scale of online grooming
  • Primary school children targeted in more than half of online grooming crimes in Scotland since social media regulation was first demanded

More than 3,500 online grooming crimes have been recorded by Police Scotland while children have been waiting for online safety laws, new figures published by the NSPCC reveal today.

Data from Police Scotland shows 593 Communicating Indecently with a Child offences were recorded last year (2022/23).

The new research shows that in Scotland, 1,873 offences took place against primary school children, with under-13s making up more than half of victims.

The new analysis of the scale of child sexual abuse taking place on social media comes ahead of MPs and Lords making final decisions on the Online Safety Bill next month.

The NSPCC first called for social media regulation to protect children from sexual abuse in 2017 and has been campaigning for robust legislation ever since.

The charity said the number of offences is likely to be far higher than those known to police. In response, they are urging politicians on all sides to support the Bill in its final stages and pass this vital legislation.

Aoife (19) from East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, was exploited online when she was 15 by an adult male who pretended to be a teenager.

The man convinced her to send him images of herself and blackmailed her with these to control her behaviour. When his demands became increasingly intense and frightening, Aoife plucked up the courage to tell her mum and teachers, who helped them to report it to the police.

Aoife said: “When I found out I’d been talking to an older man I was petrified. I remember it was 3am and I was sitting in my room, just shaking. I felt like I was the only person in the world and started crying.

“I wanted my mum, and while she was just in the room next door I thought I couldn’t tell her because it’s so embarrassing, but all I wanted was a hug from her.”

A draft Online Safety Bill was published over two years ago but regulation was first promised by Government in 2018 following the NSPCC’s call for action and the launch of its Wild West Web campaign.

The charity has been campaigning for strong legislation ever since, working closely with survivors, Government, Parliamentarians, and other civil society groups to ensure it effectively tackles the way social media and gaming sites contribute to child sexual abuse.

The legislation will mean tech companies have a legal duty of care for young users and must assess their products for child abuse risks and put mitigations in place to protect children.

It will give the regulator Ofcom powers to address significant abuse taking place in private messaging and require companies to put safeguards in place to identify and disrupt abuse in end-to-end encrypted environments.

The NSPCC said these measures are vital to effectively protect children from the most insidious abuse and recent polling shows they are backed by more than seven in ten voters.

Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive said: “Today’s research highlights the sheer scale of child abuse happening on social media and the human cost of fundamentally unsafe products.

“The number of offences must serve as a reminder of why the Online Safety Bill is so important and why the ground-breaking protections it will give children are desperately needed.

“We’re pleased the Government has listened and strengthened the legislation so companies must tackle how their sites contribute to child sexual abuse in a tough but proportionate way, including in private messaging.

“It’s now up to tech firms, including those highlighted by these stark figures today, to make sure their current sites and future services do not put children at unacceptable risk of abuse.”

As well as winning the commitment to legislate, the NSPCC has helped shape significant gains for children in the Online Safety Bill as it has passed through Parliament, including:

  • Senior tech bosses will be held criminally liable for significant failures that put children at risk of sexual abuse and other harm.
  • Girls will be given specific protections as Ofcom will produce guidance on tackling Violence Against Women and Girls for companies to follow.
  • Companies will have to crack down on so-called tribute pages and breadcrumbing that use legal but often stolen images of children and child accounts to form networks of offenders to facilitate child sexual abuse.
  • Sites will have to consider how grooming pathways travel across various social media apps and games and work together to prevent abuse spreading across different platforms.

The NSPCC is still seeking assurances that the legislation will effectively regulate AI and immersive technology and wants an online child safety advocacy body specifically to speak with and for children as part of the day-to-day regulatory regime. They argue that this will help spot emerging risks and fight for the interests and safety of children before tragedies arise.

The charity are asking campaigners to reach out to MPs with personal messages about why they should act to make the online world safer for children and pass a robust Online Safety Bill in the coming weeks.

TONY DELAHOY

‘Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away’

I am so sad to report that NEN’s dear old friend TONY DELAHOY has passed away.

Tony died ‘peaceful and calm’ at his Silverknowes home at 12:35am yesterday. He was 100.

Family will be in touch with details of funeral arrangements when they have them, and NEN will run a celebration of a remarkable life at that point.