@CHSScotland have launched an advice line with trained healthcare professionals to listen and help you process what you’ve experienced and provide advice, support and a friendly, listening ear.
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland has partnered with the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Resuscitation Research Group at the University of Edinburgh (RRG) to launch a pilot service to support those who witness or provide CPR to someone who experiences cardiac arrest at home or in the community.
The Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OCHA) Aftercare project is funded by the Scottish Government and will provide access to support for anyone participating in CPR or witnessing CPR outwith a hospital setting.
It is estimated that between 3,000 and 6,000 Scots are involved in providing CPR after cardiac arrest to members of the public each year. This can be a traumatic experience, which can impact on their wellbeing and result in emotional and social challenges.
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland has produced wallet-sized cards promoting the service for paramedics, police, and firefighters to give directly to members of the public at the scene of the incident. Each card includes the Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Advice Line number, so people can immediately call an advisor to talk through what happened.
Speaking at the launch of the OHCA service, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Chief Executive, Jane-Claire Judson, said: “Every year, thousands of Scots carry out CPR or witness CPR being performed on someone at home or in a public place. This can be a traumatic experience, and until now there has been little support available.
“We are delighted to be launching this pilot service in partnership with the Scottish Ambulance Service and funded by the Scottish Government. Emergency services staff giving out our advice line cards at the scene of the incident means people can get help immediately, or at whatever point afterwards they feel they need it.”
Steven Short, Programme Lead for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest for The Scottish Ambulance Service said: “Performing or witnessing potentially life-saving CPR can be a difficult experience to process. The launch of this innovative pilot service means that all individuals who are affected by out-of-hospital cardiac arrest can easily and quickly access support and, if needed, further aftercare.
“Ambulance service clinicians who respond to these cardiac arrests will have the wallet cards to give out on scene. The details on the cards will enable those who need it to access the advice line to talk through what has happened with an advisor and help them process the events.”
Dr Gareth Clegg, Principal Investigator, RRG, University of Edinburgh commented: “Attempting to help save the life of a loved one or neighbour by performing CPR or using a public access defibrillator is the right thing to do, but helping out can leave bystanders with questions, and sometimes a need to talk things through.
“This groundbreaking initiative signals a commitment to caring for those who have been willing to step up when someone in their community has suffered an OHCA.”
Lived Experience – Lynsey Duncan
Lynsey Duncan is the Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Deputy Head of Clinical Services. A registered nurse, she lives in Buckie with her husband and two daughters.
In November 2021, Lynsey’s father-in-law John collapsed at home after a cardiac arrest. Lynsey battled for 20 minutes to save his life, performing CPR, before paramedics arrived. Sadly, their efforts were in vain and John, 70, passed away.
As a nurse, Lynsey had been involved in CPR before, but the aftermath of John’s death was different because she’d never had to administer the treatment to a member of her own family. The experience left her upset but she didn’t want to share her feelings with her grieving loved ones.
That’s why Lynsey fully supports the Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Aftercare project. Here she explains why.
“My father-in-law John was a farmer and he’d been diagnosed with farmer’s lung – that’s a respiratory disease caused by exposure to dust from hay, straw and grain. We’d seen a deterioration in his health over a few years, and he and my mother-in-law, Pat, moved from the farm into Buckie, near to where my husband Steven and I and our two girls live.
“We’d been on a family holiday with them two weeks’ earlier, and I noticed John was quite unwell and struggling to breathe. About a week later, he was given oxygen to have at home to help his breathing.
“On that day – it was November 5, 2021 – my girls had friends over for tea. I was busy making food and Steven had taken the dogs for a walk. He called me and told me to get to his mum and dad’s immediately. I knew something was seriously wrong, so I jumped in the car and headed over.
“Pat met me at the front door and told me John had fallen. He was in the bathroom. As soon as I saw him, I knew he hadn’t fallen. I knew he’d collapsed. Pat was on the phone to 999, telling them John had fallen, but I took the phone and explained he had arrested, and we needed help right away.
“I started to perform CPR. I’m a nurse. I’ve done this before. But it’s very different to be doing this to someone you know, someone you’re close to.
“He had been propped up against the toilet. I got him on to the floor and started chest compressions. I spent 20 minutes doing this. And throughout all of this, my mother-in-law was standing watching. It was an awful experience.
“We live in Buckie, which is fairly rural, so the first people to come were the wildcat responders. They are volunteers who are trained to provide early CPR and defibrillation. One of them took over from me as I was exhausted. Then the paramedics arrived and took control.
“My husband had arrived by then, too. I just ran to him and had a bit of a meltdown. I told him not to go through to the bathroom and kept saying to him ‘I tried, I tried’ because I knew John was gone.
“The paramedics worked on John for another 30 minutes, but it was too late. It was horrific for all of us, especially Pat. She kept saying ‘John wouldn’t want this’. She’d said that to me, but I’m a nurse – once I’d started the compressions, I couldn’t stop. And the paramedics were the same. They had to do everything possible.
“We then had to wait for the police to come because obviously this was a sudden death. And it was only when I was speaking to the police about what had happened that the enormity of it hit me.
“I kept going over it in my head, thinking ‘what just happened?’ I had bruises on my hands and cuts on my knees from the force of sitting on the bathroom floor doing CPR for so long. I even lost a toenail because I’d been leaning so heavily on my toes.
“But I couldn’t share any of this with my family because they were grieving. I didn’t want to tell them I was worried I hadn’t done enough. I felt guilty even though I had no reason to.
“That’s why I think this initiative is so important. I’m a trained medical professional, but when a nurse friend called me the next day, I broke down when I told her what had happened. What I really needed was to talk to someone who wasn’t emotionally attached who could reassure me I’d done what I could. And that is hopefully what the Advice Line will be able to do for anyone involved in an out of hospital cardiac arrest.
“I’ll never underestimate what my mother-in-law went through. She wasn’t only witnessing the death of her husband but her daughter-in-law trying to save him. I can only imagine the emotions she was feeling. If the emergency services had been able to give us both a card that said the Advice Line was there for support, I think she might have made that call. That might have been further down the line for Pat, but for me, it would have been immediately.
“Pat and my husband and my sister-in-law are fully supportive of me telling John’s story like this. They had no idea how this had affected me until they watched the video I made. They want to make sure everyone is supported when they need it after an incident like this.”
Anyone wishing to contact the CHSS Advice Line can do so on 0808 801 0899 or at adviceline@chss.org.uk
Scotland does not support ‘Not for EU’ food labelling proposals
Concerns about “arbitrarily adding costs to businesses” at a time when consumers are already facing a cost of living crisis have been raised by Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon.
The UK Government has proposed a roll out of ‘not for EU’ labelling on food and drink products across the whole of the UK from October, despite the fact that food labelling is a devolved matter.
The Food and Drink Federation Scotland has called for a proportionate alternative and Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Mairi Gougeon has sought further clarification from the UK Government given “the information that has been provided to us so far is limited and does not currently represent a convincing argument or provide any real evidence… why this blanket measure is considered a proportionate approach.”
In a letter to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Barclay, Ms Gougeon said: “As labelling is a wholly devolved matter, the policy decision on whether to place this additional burden on Scottish businesses should rest with the Scottish Ministers.
“On the face of it, your proposals would impact a large number of businesses in Scotland who do not sell goods to Northern Ireland but would be required to change their labelling, or who sell into Europe and would be required to set up separate labelling streams.
“I do not support this GB-wide labelling proposal as it stands, and I am not persuaded on the information provided so far that there is a case to introduce it in Scotland. I look forward to meeting with you and discussing this issue in due course.”
EDINBURGH residents and visitors have less than one week left to take part in a survey about the city’s plans to introduce a charge on all overnight stays.
With over 2,600 responses already received over the past six weeks, final feedback is being called for before the survey closes on Friday 19 January. The results will be used to inform formal public consultation this spring.
The questionnaire follows the same format to market research carried out back in 2018 which showed strong support (85% backing) for the introduction of a levy in the city.
Since then, Edinburgh’s proposals have been developed further alongside the long-awaited Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, which was introduced to Parliament in May.
The Bill means Scotland may be the first place in the UK to legislate for a visitor levy this year, giving local authorities the ability to introduce charges such as those already widespread across Europe.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “We’ve had a fantastic response so far and I’d like to thank everyone who has taken the time to share their views with us. Clearly this is a subject residents and visitors feel strongly about and we’re keen to make sure their views shape the proposals and largescale consultation we bring forward in just a few months time.
“We’ve been seeing visitor numbers edge back up towards pre-pandemic levels and new figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium show footfall in Edinburgh has risen 6.4%, bucking a national decline. The Winter Festivals have also proved hugely successful and Edinburgh continues to top charts as one of the best places to visit in the world.
“A levy presents a major opportunity for us to generate millions of pounds in additional revenue to support, sustain and develop the city and this visitor economy – just as so many other major cities do so successfully. It is a way of trying to rebalance the debate and make sure positives are brought back to the industry, to the city, and to our local communities.
“Please take this chance to have your say.”
The council says the Winter Festival programme alone generates £48 million for the city’s economy.
The survey forms part of ongoing engagement work with industry and stakeholders, with officers seeking views on the shape and size of the levy, who it should apply to, and how the funds raised should be invested.
Further industry engagement includes meetings with the Edinburgh Hotels Association (EHA) and Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG). A series of one-to-one and group meetings with local and national tourism groups and other local government officials is also continuing to take place.
With crossings opened for longer, water supplies restored and UN staff able to safely distribute food, we can limit the scale of this catastrophe, says DAVID CAMERON.
It was heartbreaking to read the latest independent assessment of hunger in Gaza. The situation is desperate – and projected to get worse. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 9 out of every 10 Palestinians in northern Gaza may be eating less than 1 meal a day.
With families displaced and sanitation close to non-existent, disease and illness will spread. Almost 40% of Gaza’s population is aged under 15. Death and despair haunt these children’s lives. We all know we must act. The question is how.
Some say we must have an immediate ceasefire. I do not want to see this conflict go on a moment longer than necessary. But this means achieving a sustainable ceasefire, one that will last and prevent another generation of children living under the constant threat of war. That means no more Hamas, and its rocket attacks and commitment to terror.
Given that, I have argued for further humanitarian pauses, to get more hostages out of and more aid in to Gaza.
But what if neither of these things happens soon? How do we avoid hunger turning into famine? How can we alleviate suffering while supporting Israel’s right to self-defence?
We need more aid – and fast. In recent days, the Royal Navy made its first maritime shipment of aid into Egypt, sending in more than 80 tonnes of blankets and life-saving medical supplies. And France and Jordan have dropped some aid by air into Gaza.
The British government and our partners are committed to being as creative as possible in getting life-saving assistance to those in need. But the fact is the need is too great for direct delivery via air and sea to make a significant difference in the short term. What matters is simpler: more aid delivered by land, more quickly and more effectively.
Last week, about 131 trucks were entering Gaza each day via the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings. The figure is creeping towards 200 daily. But even this is nowhere near enough – the number should be close to 500.
We recognise Israel’s own pain and anger after the horrors of 7 October, and with hostages still held in appalling conditions. Two British citizens are among them. Of course, Hamas shows no regard for the lives of civilians, Israeli or Palestinian. The situation on the ground is complex, and no one country can resolve it alone.
Yet it will do nothing for those hostages or Israel’s war aims if the situation turns into an even greater catastrophe. And I believe there is much more we can do that will make an immediate difference.
As I saw in al-Arish in Egypt, too much aid is presently piled up, unable to enter Gaza. I have appointed a representative for humanitarian affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Based on their intensive work, we have identified the bottlenecks and how to unblock them.
Take crossing points. With extended opening hours and capacity at the Nitzana screening facility and Kerem Shalom checkpoint, much more aid could enter Gaza. Opening Kerem Shalom in December helped – opening it 7 days a week would help even more.
Opening more routes for aid to come in and be loaded on to trucks would also be transformative. Ashdod port in Israel is much closer to Gaza than Port Said in Egypt. The facilities for mass delivery are there now, ready to be used.
The new land corridor from Jordan into Gaza – run by WFP, with British backing – has made a first delivery of 750 tonnes of food aid. Both these options could deliver enormous quantities of aid, especially if the Erez crossing at the north end of Gaza was open.
Greater consistency of the goods allowed in is vital. More rational and transparent explanations of what is restricted by Israel, and why, will allow governments, aid organisations and the private sector to scale up aid considerably.
Israel could also restore water supply lines, reconnect electricity supplies and let in sufficient fuel to power critical infrastructure such as bakeries.
Finally – and perhaps most importantly of all – we need to help the United Nations, whose brave staff are trying to manage distribution in desperate circumstances inside the Gaza Strip.
It is no good getting aid in if it cannot be safely and effectively distributed. More visas and imports of vehicles for them will mean their staff can enter Gaza, enhancing our confidence that aid will reach those in genuine need.
These steps may seem technical, at odds with the scale of the human tragedy unfolding in Gaza. But our focus must be practical solutions that save lives, not empty slogans that make no difference on the ground. Such solutions exist.
The time to act is now.
This article was originally published in The Guardian and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Local MSP slams ‘drastic and nonsensical cut in funding’
Funding award grants for voluntary sector organisations is invariably difficult – for cash-strapped councils there is never enough money available to meet ever-growing demands.
There are winners and losers, but the latest round of funding decisions has caused particular anguish for Leith’s Citadel Youth Centre, who have learned that their annual award will by slashed by a swingeing £125,000.
Citadel’s Willy Barr (above) explained: “The city council’s Education, Children and Families meeting that took place on Monday 18th December to recommend grant awards to third sector organisations across the city.
“In the lead up to their meeting the Committee had not published a table of grant awards as they normally do, instead they contacted us on the Monday afternoon to inform us we had been recommended for a “partial award” of 50% of what we applied for, equating to £50,000 per year. We had applied for the maximum capped amount of £100k to fund our work with children and young people.
“This news has come as a huge disappointment, as although we expected a cut from our current annual grant of £175,000 per year, this reduction of £125,000 has been way more than we anticipated and will now seriously impact on the services and supports we offer to the local community, many of whom are already impacted by poverty and related issues affecting their mental health and well-being.”
In an appeal for their support, Willie Barr raised his concerns over the scale of the cut with local MSP Ben Macpherson, MP Deidre Brock and Leith councillors, making them aware of the size of the disinvestment in the Citadel, and the potential implications this could have on local services for local children, young people and their families.
As well as contacting Citadel’s local Leith politicians Willy will also be pressing Council Leader Cammy Day – who was himself once a youth participation worker in North Edinburgh – to rethink the scale of the cut, which is due to come into effect from 1st April.
Organisations were invited to apply for a grant of £10k minimum and £100k maximum per year to one of three funding strands – Learning Outcomes, Health and Wellbeing and Youth Work.
Both NHS Lothian and Police Scotland also contributed funding to the awards.
Eighty nine applications were assessed with total bids totalling £16.7m over three years for an available budget of £10m.
This was carried out by trained assessors before going to a moderation panel consisting of the Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC), Lothian Association of Youth Clubs (LAYC) and an independent chair.
Sixty eight organisations had their bids approved either in full or partially with the new grants programme running from 1 April 2024 through to 31 March 2027.
Councillor Joan Griffiths, Convener for the Education, Children and Families Committee, said when the awards were announced: “The Connected Communities Edinburgh grants programme aims to support vulnerable and disadvantaged young people and their families right across Edinburgh.
“The three different funding strands mean we can direct resources to deliver outcomes that best support those most impacted by poverty.
“This new programme is a really good example of partnership working at its best. We listened to third sector and voluntary organisations about their first-hand knowledge of what the need was in our communities and where funding should be directed.
“Getting to today’s decision has involved a lengthy and really robust assessment process and I want to thank everyone who has contributed. We will of course continue to monitor the progress of the funding over the coming three years to ensure the outcomes promised for our communities are being delivered.”
‘A really good example of partnership working at it’s best? Willie has pointed out concerns over the funding process:
Lack of Transparency:
“In the first instance, the whole process of applying for our grant has been suffered from a lack of transparency and has had a feeling of secrecy about it.
“There has been no consultation with us or the wider sector, similar to what has happened in previous years. Instead, there has been a short briefing opportunity for organisations to attend, facilitated by L.A.Y.C. and E.V.O.C. who have both been paid £120,000 and £100,000 respectively from the grant fund. (No application from them required!)
“Although this is public funds, there is still a refusal to share information about who has been awarded a grant and how much they are recommended to receive. This veil of secrecy surrounding this committee’s business doesn’t feel like an open democratic process.
“If you check the practice of other committees, such as the 5th December Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, which published a full list of agencies recommended (and not) for No One Left Behind funding prior to the meeting (pp106-107)
“By the Committee’s own admission, there has been no impact assessment carried out on their decisions relating to these grant proposals.
Apparently, any impact assessment process will take place once organisations are told the level of their award which seems a bit late to me. What is really lacking is asking for an impact assessment specifically focusing on the implications of withdrawing financial support from organisations in a sudden manner.
“There may be ways the city council could support organisations in a way to avoid drastic service cuts, or even closure, by a graded reduction in funds.
(note that this goes against one of the central recommendations from the Lessons Learned from previous third-party grant processes that “An Equalities and Rights Impact Assessment should be completed prior to the report going to Committee so that Members are able to make decisions that take account of that information and recommendations for action.” (3.26)
Willie concluded: “Our normal activity for everyone at the Citadel at the start of any new year is around planning and positive thoughts about what opportunities lie ahead, but to be honest, I anticipate this decision will have a huge impact on current morale.”
Urging a rethink, local MSP Ben Macpherson appealed to funders ‘to reconsider this drastic and nonsensical sudden cut in funding, which will negatively affect a well-known respected and impactful organisation’.
Leith MP Deidre Brock said: ““I’m very concerned by this news. A funding cut of this size will have profound effects on the ability of the Citadel Youth Centre to continue to provide anything like the level of amazing services and support to vulnerable individuals and families in Leith they provide now.
“I find it shocking there has been no dialogue with any of the organisations involved, no impact assessment of the consequences of this cut in funding and by the wholesale lack of transparency throughout the grant process.
“This will, I greatly fear, have long term impacts and consequences wider than the organisations involved, impacting communities already reeling from Westminster Tory cuts.”
The Spirit of Leithers Facebook page also commented: “We try not to do current affairs too much on the Spirit of Leithers page, but come on CEC – the Citadel Youth Centre has been a Leith institution for decades.
“It is a shocking blow for Leith and many individuals and groups in the community. This project has supported so many Leithers over decades by delivering a superb service and saving the Council significant funding as a result of its preventative and direct work.
“I hope we will hear much more about the thinking behind this and a change of heart from City of Edinburgh Council.”
POLICE are appealing for the assistance of the public in tracing 35-year-old Daniel Fraser who is missing from the Drylaw area.
Daniel was last seen around 1.30am on Sunday, 7 January, walking on Musselburgh High Street.
He is described as white, 5ft 8ins in height and of slim build with short, light-brown hair. When he was last seen he was wearing a grey, long-sleeved jumper with a white t-shirt underneath, dark-coloured jeans and black trainers with blue detailing.
Enquiries are ongoing to trace Daniel as soon as possible to ensure that he is safe and well.
Anyone who may have seen him, or who has any information on his whereabouts, is urged to contact 101 quoting incident number 3723 of 11 January.
The Prime Minister’s remarks at a joint press conference with President Zelenskyy yesterday:
Volodymyr, thank you for the very kind honour you’ve just bestowed on me and for inviting me here today.
It is an honour to stand with you and to send a message on behalf of the United Kingdom and indeed your allies around the world: Ukraine is not alone. And Ukraine will never be alone.
Putin might think he can outlast us – but he is wrong. We stand with you today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes.
Because this war is about Ukraine’s right to defend itself and determine your own future.
And the Ukrainian people’s historic choice to be an independent democracy at the heart of Europe.
Your quest for freedom has inspired and moved the British people. And for the free nations of the world, aid to Ukraine is also an investment in our own collective security.
Because if Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there. And our opponents around the world believe that we have neither the patience nor resources for long wars.
So waver now, and we embolden not just Putin but his allies in North Korea, Iran, and elsewhere.
That’s why the United Kingdom – and the free world – will continue to stand with Ukraine as we have since the very beginning of this war.
Judge our commitment to Ukraine’s freedom not by our words, but by our actions.
The UK was the first to train Ukrainian troops.
First in Europe to provide lethal weapons.
First to commit western battle tanks.
First to provide long-range weapons.
But we need to do more. Our actions right now will determine the path of the war.
So, far from our resolve faltering, the United Kingdom is announcing today the biggest single package of defence aid to Ukraine since the war began, worth £2.5bn.
This will include:
More air defence equipment…
More anti-tank weapons…
More long-range missiles…
Thousands of rounds more ammunition and artillery shells…
Training for thousands more Ukrainian servicemen and women.
And £200m to build thousands more drones…
…the single largest package of drones given to Ukraine by any nation.
In total, since the war began, the UK will have provided almost £12bn of aid to Ukraine.
And I’m proud that today, President Zelensky and I have signed a new security agreement that will form the core of a partnership between our two countries that will last a hundred years or more.
This is the first in a series of new, bilateral security assurances promised to Ukraine by 30 countries at last year’s Vilnius Summit.
And it says that if Russia ever invades Ukraine again the UK will come to your aid with swift and sustained security assistance.
We will provide modern equipment across land, sea, and sky.
Sanction Russia’s economy
And work closely with allies to do so.
You will not have to ask.
You will not have to argue for what you need.
The UK will be there from the first moment to the last.
And of course, we continue to support Ukraine’s journey to NATO membership.
You belong in NATO and NATO will be stronger with you.
I pay tribute to all those whose significant efforts made today’s agreement happen…
…from the Office of the President, to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence, and many others besides.
President Zelensky and his team serve not only their country but the cause of peace and justice.
The UK Parliament applauded your courage, resilience, and sincere love of for your country.
Even at a time of war, you are reforming Ukraine for the better.
And with your leadership, Ukraine will prevail.
Volodymyr, the UK stands with you.
I believe this is the greatest moment in the history of our relationship.
It extends security guarantees from the UK to Ukraine that are unprecedented.
It defines our future as allies, working together for the security of Europe.
And it says that Ukraine’s place is, without doubt, among the free nations of the world.
Be in no doubt: We are not walking away.
Ours is the unbreakable alliance. The nezlamni allianz.
And just as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine so those same principles guide our actions around the world.
Let me say a brief word about the situation in the Red Sea. Overnight, the Royal Air Force carried out strikes against two Houthi military facilities in Yemen.
I want to be very clear that these were limited strikes, carefully targeted at launch sites for drones and ballistic missiles.
Over recent months, the Houthi militia have repeatedly attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea… risking innocent lives and causing huge economic disruption.
In December, we launched Operation Prosperity Guardian with our allies to bolster maritime security.
On 3 January, 14 counties issued a clear warning that attacks must cease.
On 10 January, the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning the attacks… and highlighting the right of nations to defend their vessels and preserve the freedom of navigation.
Yet the attacks have continued.
British and American warships have been targeted.
That’s why we’ve taken this further, limited action today… in self defence, consistent with the UN Charter.
In the face of this aggression, we will always stand up for the rule of law.
Thank you.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s speech at Ukraine’s Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada
Mr President, Mr Prime Minister, Mr Chairman, Honourable Members of the Rada, I come from the world’s oldest Parliament to address the world’s bravest.And it is an honour to do so.
Every Parliamentarian serving in a democratically elected chamber treasures the ideal of freedom.
Your courage is defending it.
Even as the enemy came within 20 kilometres of this Chamber…
…with many of you personally targeted…
…you refused to be daunted.
You continued to sit and do your duty – as you have throughout this war.
Because this is where you express the sovereignty and independence…
…for which your people are prepared to sacrifice everything.
This is where you are keeping alive the cause of democracy…
…in defiance of the gravest threat we have faced this century.
So on behalf of Britain and all your allies:
Thank you.
Slava Ukraini.
President Zelensky, you are an inspiration, and, Volodymyr, I am proud to call you a friend.
President John F Kennedy said of the great Winston Churchill that he:
“Mobilised the English language and sent it into battle.”
Volodymyr, you have done the same…
…and English isn’t even your first language!
No leader this century has done more to unite liberal democracies in the defence of our values.
Thank you.
Above all, let me pay tribute to the people of Ukraine.
I first came to Ukraine ten years ago, in the year of the Maidan protests.
I remember the sense of nervous hope…
…as Ukraine looked towards a future as a sovereign European democracy.
And in each of my visits since this war began…
…even amidst all the rubble and destruction…
…the people I’ve met are more determined than ever to realise that dream.
The soldiers who even now fight to the last breath for every inch of ground.
The pilots making stunning blows against Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
The gunners beating impossible odds to defend your skies.
The engineers who defeated darkness during the most difficult winter in your history.
And the ordinary people of Ukraine, who have endured…
…more than anyone should ever have to bear.
Rockets and bombs deliberately aimed at homes and hospitals, shelters, and schools.
Torture, rape, children kidnapped.
You have met this depravity with bravery and defiance.
With your unique, unbreakable Ukrainian spirit.
And all of us in the free world, salute you.
We meet today at a difficult moment in the struggle for Ukraine’s freedom.
As always during conflict, there will be difficult moments.
But we must prepare for this to be a long war.
But I believe there is hope for us in the echoes of Britain’s own history.
If 1940 was our finest hour…
….and Ukraine’s was two years ago as you resisted the Russian invasion…
…then perhaps today is more like 1942.
That was a point in the middle of the war…
…when progress on the battlefield was hard…
…the defence industry was under severe strain…
…and populations were becoming weary.
It must have been hard to see the light ahead.
But they stood firm.
And although they did not know it then…
…for all the setbacks and difficulties that still lay before them…
…that was the moment the tide began to turn, and victory became assured.
I believe that the same will be true of this moment.
In the end, history tells us that democracies who endure will always prevail.
Putin cannot understand…
…that while you can kill individuals and destroy buildings…
…no army can ever defeat the will of a free people.
And that is why Ukraine will win.
Think of what you have already achieved.
Putin believed he could subjugate Ukraine by force in a matter of weeks.
Instead, with every rocket he fires the Ukrainian people become ever more determined…
…and their sense of nationhood becomes stronger still.
Russia’s military vastly outnumbers Ukrainian forces.
Yet you have already regained half of the occupied territory.
You have held the East, reopened vital shipping lanes to help feed the world…
…and increasingly made Crimea a vulnerability for Russia, not a strength.
These victories show: Russia can be beaten in its war of aggression.
It’s on track to lose nearly half a million men.
Putin has faced an attempted coup…
…been indicted as an international war criminal…
… presides over an economy severely weakened by sanctions…
…and has succeeded in persuading countries across Europe…
…to significantly increase their defence spending.
He is now reduced to begging Iran and North Korea for weapons…
…and desperately sacrificing hundreds of thousands more men…
…in the hope that Ukraine will yield, or its friends might walk away.
Well, Ukraine will not yield.
And the United Kingdom will never walk away.
From the very beginning…
…the British people spontaneously flew the Ukrainian flag – and I tell you that it flies still.
They felt moved to show solidarity with people they’ve never met…
In a country most have never visited…
Because of our shared faith in freedom, fairness and democracy.
We welcomed Ukrainian refugees with open hearts.
We trained tens of thousands of their Ukrainian comrades in arms.
we led the way in delivering…
Helicopters, ships, tanks, and armoured vehicles…
Air defences and electronic weapons systems…
Planeloads of anti-tank missiles like the NLAWs and Javelins…
Storm Shadows to reach behind enemy lines and defend against aggression in the Black Sea.
Humanitarian and economic support.
And the strongest set of sanctions ever to debilitate Russia’s economy.
I’m proud that we’ve provided over £9bn of support so far.
But I want to go further still.
Today, President Zelensky and I agreed a new partnership between our two countries…
…designed to last a hundred years or more.
Our partnership is about defence and security.
It is about the unique ties between our people and cultures.
It will build back a better and brighter future for Ukraine.
To attract new investment in jobs and homes…
To fund English language training for the Ukrainian people…
…as you make English the language of business and diplomacy.
And it will hold Russia accountable for their war crimes.
Because Russia must pay to rebuild what they have destroyed.
Perhaps above all, it will support Ukraine to complete the historic journey you have chosen…
…to becoming a free, independent democracy at the heart of Europe.
Ours is the unbreakable alliance:
The nezlamni allianz.
First, we will help you win the war.
Russia thinks that they will outlast us; that our resolve is faltering.
It is not.
In each of the last two years, we sent you £2.3bn of military aid.
This year, we are going to increase that…
…with the biggest single defence package so far…
…worth £2.5bn.
This package will include:
More air defence equipment, more anti-tank weapons, more long-range missiles…
Thousands of rounds more ammunition and artillery shells…
And training for thousands more soldiers…
Now in total, the UK will have provided almost £12bn of aid to Ukraine.
So be in no doubt:
We are not walking away.
Putin will never outlast us.
We are here for Ukraine –as long as it takes.
But the best way to make sure Ukraine has the weapons it needs…
…is to help Ukraine to produce those weapons themselves.
So our second action is to work with you to massively increase defence industrial production.
I believe this will be a source of huge economic strength and value for Ukraine in the future.
So even as the UK donates more equipment…
…we will help make you the armoury of the free world.
British companies like BAE Systems and AMS are already supporting your armed forces from within Ukraine.
And we will go further.
Starting today with £200m to manufacture thousands of new drones…
…both here in Ukraine and in the UK.
This is the single largest package of drones given to Ukraine by any nation.
Thirdly, today’s agreement supports your historic choice to join NATO.
Because I believe that Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO.
But this isn’t just about how NATO benefits Ukraine.
It’s about how Ukraine benefits NATO.
Your understanding of modern war comes not from a textbook but the battlefield.
Your armed forces are experienced, innovative, and brave.
Ukraine belongs in NATO and NATO will be stronger with Ukraine.
Last year’s Vilnius Summit made important steps towards membership.
And I want us to be even more ambitious at the Washington Summit this June.
And we made you a solemn promise…
…along with 30 other countries…
…to provide new, bilateral security assurances.
Today, the UK is the first to deliver on that promise.
President Zelensky and I have just signed a new security agreement.
If Russia ever again invades Ukraine, the UK will come to your aid with swift and sustained security assistance.
We will provide modern equipment across land, sea, and sky…
Sanction Russia’s economy…
And work closely with allies to do so.
You will not have to ask.
You will not have to argue for what you need.
The UK will be there from the first moment to the last.
I believe this is the greatest moment in the history of our relationship.
With unprecedented security guarantees…
…it defines our future as allies, working together for the security of Europe…
…and sitting side by side among the free countries of the world.
In the words of the great Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko…
…you have broken your heavy chains and joined…
The family of the free
Because in the end, this is about even more than security.
It is about Ukraine’s right as an independent nation to determine your own future.
And it is about the right of all nations – enshrined in the UN Charter – to determine their own future.
As Churchill said, there are two kinds of nationalism:
“The craze for supreme domination by weight or force” – which he called “a danger and a vice”.
Or the nationalism that comes from “love of country and readiness to die for country…
…love of tradition and culture…
…and the gradual building up…of a social entity dignified by nationhood”.
He called this: “the first of virtues”.
I can think of no better description of the two sides of this war.
Or a better description of the battle that will define our age.
Because while this war may have begun in the deluded mind…
…of a man in thrall to the mirage of a long-dead empire…
…if Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop here.
That’s why President Biden, the EU, allies in NATO, the G7 and beyond…
…have seen the century-defining importance of this fight and they have rallied to your cause.
And we cannot – and will not – falter now.
Because aid to Ukraine is an investment in our own collective security.
Only a Ukrainian victory will deter Putin from attacking others in the future…
…and prove our enemies wrong…
…when they say that democracies have neither the patience nor resources for long wars.
This is the choice before us.
These are the stakes.
Waver now – and we embolden not just Putin, but his allies in North Korea, Iran, and elsewhere.
Or rally to Ukraine’s side and defend our common cause…
…of democracy over dictatorship, freedom over tyranny, the rule of law over anarchy.
That is what you are fighting for.
And to echo Churchill:
We must give you the tools – and I know that you will finish the job.
Let me conclude with this final thought.
On one of the earliest days of the invasion…
In the darkness just before the dawn…
As Russian bombs fell on Kyiv…
President Zelensky stood outside the House with Chimaeras…
…and sent a simple, defiant message to the world:
Miy tut.
We are here.
Today, as the world asks will your allies waver…
Will our resolve weaken…
Will our belief in your success falter…
My reply is the same:
Miy tut.
We are here.
As a symbol of our nezlamni allianz…
…I bring you today the United Kingdom’s flag…
…signed by our country’s entire Cabinet…
…to stand here until the day of your victory and beyond…
A programme supporting young people with complex social issues attending A&E is to be expanded.The Youth Navigators programme, delivered by Medics Against Violence, supports young people aged 12-16 arriving at Emergency Departments who are in distress.
The service provides trained youth workers – Youth Navigators – to identify the help young people need and provide practical support so they can access relevant longer-term support.
The initiative has supported more than 600 young people since 2021 – most had experienced issues with their mental health and wellbeing; some on a chronic basis related to issues at home, with friend groups or bullying, and some more acutely experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings and who may have caused harm to themselves.
Scottish Government funding of £64,000 will allow the expansion of the service to University Hospital Wishaw and a pilot of the Youth Navigator programme in schools.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “I am pleased to announce additional funding to pilot the expansion of the Youth Navigator programme to University Hospital Wishaw and to pilot a new Youth Navigator approach by partnering with Taylor High in New Stevenson in Lanarkshire to place Youth Navigators in their school.
“Since the Youth Navigator programme started in mid-2021 it has supported over 600 young people.
“This additional support for the programme is in addition to the substantial investment we are already making to improve the mental health and wellbeing support provided to children, young people and their families in Scotland.
“This funding is the result of the Scottish Government listening to children, young people and families and taking direct action in the areas where they have told us more support is needed. Ensuring that all children and young people can get the right mental health and wellbeing support at the right time is a key priority for this government as our continued record investment in this area goes to show.”
Co-Director and founder of Medics Against Violence, Professor Christine Goodall said: “We are delighted to receive funding from the Scottish Government to pilot the expansion of the Youth Navigator programme.
“The youth work approach that the Youth Navigators take provides young people with a trusted adult with whom they can discuss their feelings and through discussing what is most important to them, put plans in place to support a safer future.
“The expansion of the programme in the hospital setting is much needed and often requested by hospitals, the new approach of placing Youth Navigators in the school setting helps to take prevention further upstream to try and support young people with any issues they are facing before they get to the crisis point where they require medical intervention.”
A young person who received support from the Youth Navigator programme said: “I appreciate what the Youth Navigator programme has done for me – giving me someone to talk to who won’t invalidate my feelings and genuinely help me is something I’ve always wanted.
“I am so grateful to those involved – they really made a difference in my life.”
Police in Edinburgh have released CCTV images of three women who they believe may be able to assist them in relation to a missing defibrillator.
The defibrillator was taken from St Leonard’s Police Station, 14 St Leonard’s Street, Edinburgh around 7pm on Monday, 30 October, 2023.
Police Constable Stephen Neilson, Howdenhall Police Station, said: “We believe these women may have information that could assist our enquiries. I would ask anyone who recognises them or has any information to come forward.
“You can contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3168 of 30 October, 2023. Alternatively Crime stoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
MYDG PROGRAMME 2024
