IT’S TIME TO START PLANNING THE 2024 FESTIVAL!
Please come along on the 23rd November to West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre and help us make next year’s festival the best one yet!
Time to start planning North Edinburgh Community Festival 2024
Day: October 30, 2023
Dispersal Zones information
Dispersal Zones for #OpCrackle have been set up across Edinburgh and will be enforceable from 3rd – 5th November.
These zones are set up to help prevent anti-social behaviour and to keep the community safe.
Additional officers will be deployed over the weekend across the city and they have the grounds to take action should people be involved in such conduct, as detailed in the below poster.
Keep yourself and others safe by attending organised events only, which can be found here:
https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/…/organised…/…
“I’m a vet and these 5 tips will keep pets stress-free during firework season”
One unusual household item can work wonders in desensitising your pet
With almost half (5.4 million) of dogs in the UK scared of fireworks, according to the RSPCA, Bonfire Night on 5 November is not always a cause for celebration for pet owners. Firework season can be filled with anxiety as people struggle to keep their beloved pets feeling safe and secure.
Pets can develop a negative association with loud noises at any time, so it’s essential to be aware of the signs of firework anxiety. If your pet is acting unusual, being disruptive, hiding, excessively licking their lips or pacing, this could signify they’re feeling stressed about Bonfire Night.
To help anxious pet owners this firework season, experts at TrustedHousesitters have teamed up with Veterinary Surgeon Dr Lily Richards to share the best advice they’ve learnt over the years.
You can keep your furry friends feeling safe and sound during firework season with these five top tips:
- Use spaghetti to desensitise your pets to firework sounds
Dr Richards explains, “If your pet is anxious or noise-phobic and historically gets stressed at fireworks, consider starting desensitisation training as soon as possible. Desensitisation audio is available online for free. Initially, the sound is barely audible background noise, and gradually increases in volume to reduce your pet’s reaction to anxious stimuli over time”.
Alternatively, look for items you have around the house to stimulate the sudden pop of fireworks. Snapping spaghetti is a good place to start if your pet is extremely anxious. You can then build up to louder noises, such as popping bubble wrap. Positive reinforcement is key here, so make sure you’re rewarding your pet with pats and treats after each loud noise. Soon, they’ll stop associating sudden noises with fear (and probably start sniffing around you for treats instead!).
2. Consider swaddling
If your dog is experiencing firework anxiety, swaddling can help. Dr Richards says, “Anti-anxiety wraps (Thunder shirts/ tightly fitting T-shirts) can be considered. They’re designed to touch pressure points and calm your pet in the same way as swaddling a baby. However, some pets may not tolerate this, so try it out ahead of bonfire night to see whether it’ll work for your pet.”
You can buy purpose-made swaddles online or in pet shops, but you can also make a DIY swaddle with a tea towel, scarf, or other fabric secured with an elastic band or hair tie. Make sure there’s not too much pressure, and you’re not tightly fastening anything close to your pet’s neck, as this could be dangerous. If you make a DIY swaddle, monitor your pet at all times to make sure they’re safe and comfortable.
3. Adjust your walk and meal times
While routines are great for pets, consider altering your walk and meal times during firework season. Dr Richards suggests you “Walk dogs and feed them earlier in the evening, bringing them into the house before fireworks are expected to start. Keep cats inside and consider bringing outdoor hutched animals inside or covering the hutch with a thick blanket if this isn’t possible.”
Amending your walk and meal times ensures your pet is home, fed, walked and settled before fireworks begin, and their anxiety won’t negatively affect their appetite.
If you have no choice but to be outdoors with your dog whilst there are fireworks, make sure they stay on a short lead and that their tag and microchip are up to date in case they panic and bolt.
4. Create a safe space
Dr Richards explains, “Create a calm, quiet environment for your pet to relax in. Include toys, a comfy bed, and their favourite treat in their “safe space”. Consider closing the curtains to limit any flashes that may startle them and reduce stimulation. Familiar background noise such as the TV or radio can be useful in disguising the unfamiliar pops, bangs and whizzes that overstimulate and upset our pets.”
Crate training can be useful for dogs – for many, the space becomes their own safe haven, especially if covered by a blanket to make it feel even more private.
5. Try natural remedies
“Natural remedies, such as Zylkene or Calmaid containing natural biological products like L-tryptophan (a precursor to the mood stabilising hormone serotonin) can be helpful if started a few days before the stressful event and continued until a few days after”, explains Dr Richards. These can be bought from online retailers such as Amazon, at Pets at Home, or local pet stores.
Pheromones can also work wonders: “Calming Pheromone plug-ins such as Adaptil for dogs or Feliway for cats, which contain a synthetic copy of the natural appeasing pheromone created by a lactating mother to calm their young, can be comforting and reassuring during stressful times, such as Bonfire Night.”
For more top tips for pet owners to help keep pets stress free this Bonfire Night, visit https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/blog/owners/top-tips-to-keep-your-pet-stress-free-during-firework-season
Warm Up for Winter event
4th NOVEMBER from 1 – 4pm at McDONALD ROAD LIBRARY
Don’t miss out on our Warm Up for Winter event where energy-saving hacks and money-saving tips will be provided.
We will share advice on housing and benefits too.
Best part? It’s a totally free event, and everyone’s invited!
Save the Date: November 4, 2023
Where: McDonald Library, The Nelson Hall
Address: 2-8 McDonald Rd, Edinburgh EH7 4LU
This is a joint event delivered by Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC), The Welcoming Edinburgh, Home Energy Scotland, Changeworks, Citizens Advice Scotland, VoiceAbility and Right There
See you there!
Holyrood launches inquiry into Additional Support for Learning
The services that schools and local authorities provide to children and young people with additional support needs will be scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee.
More than a third of children and young people in Scotland’s public and grant-maintained schools have an identified additional support need. Working under the direction of the Scottish Government’s policies, local authorities are responsible for identifying, providing and reviewing the additional support needs of children and young people.
The Committee is launching its inquiry with a call for people to share their experiences of how services are provided to people with additional support needs. The Committee is keen to hear from parents, teachers, support staff, carers, pupils themselves and support organisations.
The inquiry will consider how Scottish legislation that aimed to support children and young people, including 2004’s Additional Support for Learning Act, has been implemented and is working in practice.
The Committee is particularly interested in hearing views about the presumption that children and young people should receive a ‘mainstream education’, which aims to ensure they could be included alongside their peers; the impact of COVID-19 on the availability of additional support; and what happens when people are in dispute with their local authority over the services provided to a child or young person.
Sue Webber MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, said: “Earlier this year, the Additional Support for Learning Project Board told us about its role in improving the support that is available for children with additional support needs, but it acknowledged that there is not a quick fix to the recommendations laid out by the Morgan Review.
“We would like to hear what people with additional support needs, parents and carers, teachers and support organisations make of the current system and the services that local authorities and schools provide.
“If you have experience of accessing additional support for learning in mainstream education or a specialist unit, views on the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of additional support for learning, or have been involved in discussions about the support a child or young person receives, please get in touch.”
The Committee’s call for views, which is now open, will close on 31 December 2023. Variations of the call for views are available in an Easy Read format and British Sign Language.
Boyack slams Government over Eye Pavilion ‘flip-flop’
A meeting organised by Sarah Boyack MSP with the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Michael Matheson, to discuss the delayed Edinburgh Eye Pavilion has left patients and campaigners even more concerned about its future.
At the meeting it was confirmed that all previous work on designing and building the Edinburgh Eye Pavilion will be wasted as a new full business case will have to be written, costing many more millions of pounds.
Michael Matheson also failed to provide clarity on the timescales expected for the new building, confirming it may not even come in this funding cycle.
Commenting Scottish Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said, “This flip flopping has been going on for too long. One minute the Scottish Government are committed to a new Eye Pavilion, next they are not.
“Michael Matheson’s failure to provide clarity today will leave patients worried, confused and angry.
“It did not have to be this way, if it had been built on time we would have saved many millions of pounds and patients would not be left in the dark.”
Also commenting Sylvia Paton, chair of KEEP said, “While Mr Matheson assured us that a new Eye Hospital would be built at some point, we are very disappointed about the lack of clarity over when.
“The prospect of further delays raise serious concerns about the Scottish Government’s future commitment to the project.”
NSPCC staff join vital discussion at Scottish Games Week on how to keep children safe in gaming
NSPCC staff will join a panel of experts for a crucial conversation today in a Roundtable discussion at the start of Scottish Games Week.
Patrick Weaver, NSPCC Assistant Director of Fundraising and Engagement (Communities), and NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Officer Euan Graham will join Simon Monkman, the Lead for Gaming and Extremism at Ofcom, and lawyer Kirk Dailly to talk about child protection in the gaming industry.
The discussion will cover the legal frameworks now in place following the Online Safety Act receiving Royal Assent last week and ethical considerations for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of young players.
They will also discuss potential opportunities to collaborate with some of the key players within the gaming industry to fundraise for the charity.
Patrick Weaver, Assistant Director of Fundraising and Engagement (Communities) at NSPCC, said: “We’re delighted to be joining this very important discussion about how we can help to keep young players safe in the gaming industry.
“We are also very excited about potential collaboration with some of the key players in the industry to help raise funds for the charity in the future.
“The NSPCC has a wealth of insight, knowledge and expertise on safeguarding children and suggestions for ways to keep young people safe online, and we are excited to get the opportunity to share this with the gaming world.
“In the long run we’d love to support companies to incorporate safeguarding when they design games and help to build a safer industry for children and young people.”
Using voluntary donations, which make up around 90 per cent of its funding, the NSPCC works tirelessly to protect children and prevent abuse from happening and to help children who have been abused, including online, to rebuild their lives.
The NSPCC’s free Childline counselling service provides a safe, confidential place for children when they have nowhere else to turn, whatever their worry, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The charity also has a helpline open every day of the year for any adult who is worried about a child. The helpline has trained practitioners who provide advice and support, listen to concerns about a child, and offer general information about child protection.
Our Helpline responded to over 59,000 contacts last year from adults who were concerned about a child, with the most common reasons concerns about neglect, physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse and/or exploitation. *
Since 2018 the NSPCC has also campaigned for a robust Online Safety Bill to be introduced, working closely with four different prime ministers, ministers, MPs and members of the House of Lords to make the Bill stronger for children. The charity also continues to call on tech companies to take the necessary action to ensure children are safe on their platforms.
NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Officer Euan Graham, who leads a campaign called ‘Let’s Chat Online Safety’ in Moray, said: “Childline hears from many young people who have been bullied or experienced abuse online. For example, more than 3,500 online grooming crimes have been reported in Scotland since 2017, with under-13s representing over half of those affected.*.
“Our ‘Let’s Chat Online Safety’ campaign helps keep children safe by providing useful tips and resources to parents, carers and teachers to make it easier for them to talk about this topic with young people.
“Many parents and carers worry about their child’s safety online, whether they are playing games, browsing the internet or on social media. And it can be quite daunting for those who aren’t particularly tech savvy, because they may not know how to put parental controls in place or how to talk about it without causing hostility, especially with teenagers who don’t want their privacy to be invaded.
“We encourage families to have regular, positive conversations about their children’s experience being online and make sure children know they can talk to them, another trusted adult or Childline if anything is worrying them.”
Patrick Weaver and Euan Graham will join the Roundtable discussion on Monday, October 30 at 2.30pm in the Salisbury Suite at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh.
Scottish Games Week, which runs from Monday, October 30, to Friday, November 3, is a Scotland-wide series of events creating a global platform for Scotland’s rapidly evolving games ecosystem.
‘Look at what your mum did!’: Nursing graduate completes degree after having baby daughter
Christina Finlayson has collected her degree with little Ember
A new mum, who wanted to prove to her baby daughter that she could complete her studies, has celebrated collecting her nursing degree from Edinburgh Napier University.
Christina Finlayson was out on placement during her second year of studying for a BN in Adult Nursing when she discovered she was pregnant.
Fast forward to last Wednesday and the 33-year-old, from Rosewell, picked up her degree from the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, with one-year-old Ember watching on.
Reflecting on her journey, Christina said: “When you find out you’re pregnant, it’s amazing, but then there’s that next thought of ‘what am I going to do?’ I was like ‘that’s it, that’s the end of my career!’
“I told my personal development tutor, Emma Trotter, about the situation. She was really helpful and explained everything to me. I was quite surprised that there was so much support in place to help me through pregnancy.
“Looking back, it’s definitely an achievement, especially when I was going out to 12-hour shifts with a baby at home.
“It was really hard, but I’m proud and glad that I got through it, because I can say to Ember when she’s older: ‘look at what your mum did’!”
Christina began her studies in 2019, meaning she had to adjust to changes brought about by the pandemic, as well as the arrival of Ember.
Since completing her studies, Christina has started working with East Lothian’s Community Treatment and Care Service, providing a range of services to patients across the region.
And she has this advice to anyone who receives similar news while studying: “Don’t worry too much! I was always worrying, thinking what if, what if. But if you just take each day as it comes and do a little bit at a time, it’s possible.
“I found that when Ember was napping, I’d get some work done – or when she was at nursery and I wasn’t on placement. It was all just about finding that balance.”
Edinburgh Napier’s autumn graduation ceremonies were held between 24-26 October at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall. Once again the nearby Shakespeare’s pub, on Lothian Road, was renamed The Napier Graduate for the occasion.
Holyrood seeks views on Abortion Safe Access Zone Bill
The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is seeking views on a new Bill which would establish ‘safe access zones’ around locations where abortion services are provided, what it calls ‘protected premises’.
If passed, the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Scotland Bill, introduced by Gillian Mackay MSP, would make it an offence to behave in certain ways within a safe access zone.
Examples of behaviour that could be considered an offence include influencing a person’s decision to access services, preventing them from accessing those services, or causing harassment or distress while doing so.
The Bill also makes it an offence for someone within 200 metres of protected premises but not on public land (and so not within the safe access zone) to act in a way that might result in pressure or distress for someone within a safe access zone who is accessing abortion services.
Fines of up to £10,000 could be issued for those convicted of disrupting people within safe access zones attempting to access abortion services. However, in very serious cases, there would be no limit on the fine.
The Bill also creates provision for future protected premises to be created, and for the safe access zone radius surrounding a protected premises to be extended or reduced, if appropriate.
Speaking as the call for views was launched, Clare Haughey MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said: “We recognise the strength of feeling about this Bill. As a Committee we always aim to consider any Bill or issue in a careful, balanced and thorough way.
“We are committed to ensuring we scrutinise this Bill in detail so that we can hear and consider all views.
“The Bill’s stated aim is to ensure that people can access abortion services without fear of, and free from, intimidation, harassment or public judgement.
“We want to hear views from individuals and organisations on whether they agree with the proposals within this Bill and if they would welcome the changes it would bring about.”
Give your views to the Committee using the online survey
The call for views closes on 20th December.
Scottish Fire and Rescue: Edinburgh Operations Control recruitment
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is recruiting for the next generation of 999 call handlers at its Operations Control site in Edinburgh.
The role of Firefighter Control is the first point of contact for members of the public who dial 999 to report an emergency. It’s a vital role in keeping Scotland’s communities safe and ensuring that emergency incidents are dealt with effectively and efficiently.
Group Commander Marie Clare Coyle said: “Our Firefighter Control staff provide a vital service to Scotland’s communities. Our teams are trained to an extremely high standard to enable them to provide emergency help where required.
“It is a varied and hugely rewarding career, we deal with a range of calls from house fires and road traffic collisions, to major incidents and severe weather-related flooding, keeping people calm in times of distress and concentrating resources where they’re most required. “
SFRS is recruiting for Firefighter Control staff to be based at its city-centre site in the Scottish capital, which is located adjacent to Tollcross Community Fire Station.
Applicants for must be aged 18 or over, with the ability to work rotating shifts.
Successful applicants will join fellow Operations Control staff upon completion of a 14-week training period – learning how to co-ordinate emergency fire and rescue response and give potentially life-saving advice.
Group Commander Coyle, who has worked for the service for 24 years, added: “Our Edinburgh control room primarily provides a response to incidents in the East Service Delivery Area and, where required, can support our other control rooms in Johnstone and Dundee.
“We are looking for people who are motivated, have a willingness to learn, a strong team ethic and the ability to form relationships to take up these roles on Scotland’s unseen frontline.
“We are a team and we work collectively to respond to each, and every emergency call across Scotland.”
Find out more about the role and apply at:
www.firescotland.gov.uk/careers/firefighter-control/ or via My Job Scotland.