Month: January 2024

Rangers Women’s Players learn CPR with the British Heart Foundation

It took just 15 minutes for Victoria Esson, Libby Bance, and Sarah Ewens to learn CPR using the British Heart Foundation’s free online RevivR training tool.

Rangers Charity Foundation has partnered with British Heart Foundation and pledged to raise £25,000 and to encourage as many people as possible to learn CPR.

For Victoria Esson, 32, the New Zealand-born goalkeeper who joined Rangers in 2022, it is a particularly personal cause as she was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, a condition which causes the heart to beat abnormally fast.

“It can beat up to 200-300 BMP and in the worst-case scenario, it can lead to a heart attack,” she explains.

“I could feel it happening, but I didn’t know any different as I’d always had them as a kid. When you say to someone my heart is beating fast, it doesn’t always flag up an issue. I remember trying to explain that I’ve got a stitch in my heart, but I didn’t really know how to explain it as a child.

“It was picked up at some pre-World Cup screening back in 2010, so I was lucky. It made sense and became clear when they identified it, and I finally knew. 

“It was told it was inherited but no-one else in the family had it. I had surgery within a couple of days and again six months later, and I’m all clear now.”

Victoria believes that learning CPR is a vital lifesaving tool that everyone should know: “You may need it when you are least expecting it.

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Above: Victoria Esson

“It’s not something that you can plan for, whether it’s a loved one or a family or a friend or just a person that is sitting beside you in the stand here at Ibrox – it could save someone’s life.”

Libby Bance, 20, who joined the team in September 2023 on loan from Brighton, agreed: “My grandad had a heart attack a few years ago. You hope you never have to use CPR but I’m glad I know how to do it should I ever have to. I like to think I could help someone now. Knowing how to do it is important.

“It only took 15 minutes and that can give someone their whole entire life back, so it’s definitely worth it.”

Striker Sarah Ewens, 31, also welcomed the chance to learn the vital skills: “Before today I would not have had the confidence, but the training means I’d now definitely step in and help someone if they needed it.”

Over 700,000 people in Scotland have heart and circulatory diseases, which also cause the deaths of nearly 50 people in Scotland every day.

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L-R Sarah Ewens, Libby Bance, Victoria Esson

Less than 1 in 10 people will survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest and performing the emergency lifesaving procedure can more than double their chance of survival.

RevivR allows people to learn CPR in just 15 minutes and aims to give people the skills and confidence to save a life. It teaches people how to recognise a cardiac arrest, gives feedback on chest compressions and outlines the correct steps in using a defibrillator. All people need is a mobile phone and a firm cushion. 

David McColgan, head of BHF Scotland, said: “Heart and circulatory diseases are some of Scotland’s biggest killers and we hope this partnership will help us raise awareness in Scotland’s footballing community about the importance of looking after your heart health, while also enabling more people to learn lifesaving CPR skills.”

It couldn’t be simpler – you just need your mobile phone or tablet and a cushion to practise on.

You can access RevivR here – revivr.bhf.org.uk/

New Year, new career? Scottish foster dads needed

Fosterplus is encouraging more men in the Edinburgh area to become foster carers.

Sadly, there are more than 80,000 children and young people in care, and that number is set to rise to more than 100,000 by 2025. Thousands more foster parents are needed throughout the country to keep up with demand.

“At first, it didn’t matter to me that I was going to be a male foster carer, I was just going to be a foster carer but now I understand just how important it is.”

Steven is an electrical engineering lecturer and has been fostering with his partner, Jill, since September 2022.

The Scottish foster carers now look after one little boy, a ‘curious and cheeky’ 10-year-old and are based in Bathgate. He’s the first foster child that they have looked after, and they both balance his care between working full time at a local college. 

So, why foster? Steven said: “We talked about fostering for quite a number of years and then we just took the plunge and went for it. We just wanted to try and give someone a better start in life or to change their circumstances.”

Why male foster carers are so important

For Steven, giving someone a better start isn’t limited to their physical needs but also extends to being a positive male role model for his foster child.

Male foster carers are incredibly important for a variety of reasons, but especially with the decrease in Scottish foster care households (down 4.8% in December 2022 from 2021). 

Boys and young men in the foster system may not have any good male influences in their lives, and this can prove to be pivotal for young people who may identify more with and learn from male role models. The diversity that male foster carers can bring to the role can also help provide different and balanced perspectives for young people needing guidance and support.

“I thought I could be someone to look up to. At first, it didn’t matter to me that I was going to be a male foster carer, I was just going to be a foster carer but now I understand just how important it is. Not just for a child that might be in your care, but also for the entire fostering community.

“The sooner we can normalise men fostering, the sooner we can be rid of stigma and the sooner we can get more positive father figures for vulnerable young people.”

Small Acorns grow to mighty oaks

Steven is also part of a group, Acorns, where male foster carers and their foster children gather to socialise. Thanks to Steven’s help, the group now meets at one of the local colleges to take part in activities that require more specialist equipment. It gives them the opportunity to do things like cooking, joinery, motor vehicle maintenance and repair and beauty therapy. 

He described Acorns as being a safe place for carers and foster children.

“Sometimes people see fostering as a ‘woman’s job’, and it can be a difficult thing to do, even without all of the stigma. For me, one of the best parts of Acorns is that a group of men, all foster carers, can meet up, have a chat, and even rant if they need to, to people that ‘get it’.

“All while enjoying really valuable bonding time with their foster child. We have something really special and I feel grateful to be a part of it.”

National Museum of Scotland: Cold War Scotland exhibition

13 July 2024 to 26 January 2025
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh
Admission: Free

nms.ac.uk/ColdWarScotland 
#ColdWarScot 

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland will explore Scotland’s critical position on the frontline of the Cold War.

Over 190 objects, many on display for the first time, will be brought together in Cold War Scotland (13 Jul 2024 – 26 Jan 2025) to tell the stories of the Scots at the centre of this global conflict.

Scotland’s unique geography and topography provided a useful base for Allied military preparations and research during the Cold War, a 40-year nuclear stand-off between the USA and the Soviet Union following the end of the Second World War.

ERKM4Y Polaris Demonstration at Holy Loch, 3rd Feb 1961

Atomic power brought jobs and investment to some of the country’s most remote areas, but as global tensions mounted the threat of attack or nuclear disaster became part of everyday life. Opening on 13 July 2024, Cold War Scotland will explore both the visible and invisible legacies of the war in Scotland.

The impact of the war still lingers in Scottish politics, culture and memory. Scots played an active role in the global conflict as soldiers, for example, within intelligence services and as part of voluntary civil defences.

The exhibition will also draw on Scotland’s rich history of Cold War-era protest and activism. Firsthand accounts include a young mother who decorated her daughter’s pram with Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) badges. A rattle made from an old laundry detergent bottle emblazoned with the CND logo was given to her baby during the Peace Marches of the early 1980s and will go on display in the exhibition.

The exhibition will also reveal the physical remains of the Cold War; the ruined bases, forgotten bunkers and decommissioned nuclear power stations still evident across the Scottish landscape. This infrastructure became part of the fabric of local communities, none more so than the US-controlled radar base at Edzell in Angus, now commemorated with its own bespoke tartan.

Meredith Greiling, Principal Curator of Technology at National Museums Scotland, said: “From nuclear submarines to lively peace protests and observation stations perpetually monitoring for devastating attack, the Cold War permeated every aspect of life in Scotland for decades.

“This conflict is so often remembered on a global scale, but this thought-provoking exhibition will offer a Scottish perspective of the period, allowing Scots from all walks of life to tell their remarkable stories for the first time.”

Further highlights of the exhibition include artwork from Glasgow’s 1951 Exhibition of Industrial Power and a toy nuclear power station, operated by steam and hot to the touch when played with.

Both these examples highlight the spirit of optimism, progress and modernity associated with atomic energy in postwar Britain. In contrast, a Geiger counter used by farmers in East Ayrshire to test for radiation in sheep following the Chernobyl Disaster illustrates the enduring but unseen impact of the Cold War on Scotland’s landscape.

Cold War Scotland is an output of Materialising the Cold War, a collaborative research project between National Museums Scotland and the University of Stirling.

The project explores how the Cold War heritage is represented and how museums can adapt to tell this story in future. Materialising the Cold War is funded by a major grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council. 

Revitalise Your Fitness Journey: Edinburgh Leisure unleashes innovative New Year workouts

New Year, new workouts! If you’re craving something different in 2024, Edinburgh Leisure is introducing two new limited edition Les Mills classes in January.

Les Mills Shapes and Strength Development are being launched at Edinburgh Leisure’s most popular fitness class venues, Meadowbank, Leith Victoria, and the Royal Commonwealth Pool.

Shapes is a Mind and Body class that mixes elements of Power Yoga, Pilates, and Barre, while Strength Development is a sequence of 12 progressive workouts that are designed to build muscle and improve lifting techniques.

Alex Smith, Fitness Manager at Edinburgh Leisure explained: “Studio strength and toning based products is a big growing area within group exercise. If you’re not into using the free weights areas within a gym, then a studio strength and toning session will appeal to you. You get all the benefits of group-based training and still get to develop a sweat.

“The classes have been developed as something different from Les Mills regular-based workouts, and we’re aiming to capture the Gen Z market, a group historically underrepresented in group fitness.  However, we see them appealing to our current fitness class customer too who may wish to try something new – especially our Mind/Body customers and those who are fans of weight training in classes such as Body Pump.”

“Both workouts are suitable for people of any fitness level so don’t worry if you’re a beginner. Even if you’re new to fitness classes, these new classes lower the intimidation barrier. Our instructors will invite you to work at your own pace and effort level within timed intervals of work.

“You also have the option to lose any equipment being used throughout the workout at any time you need to press pause. We want you to have full autonomy of your workout – not feeling tied to match the level of the person next to you who might have been doing classes for 10 years.

“The great thing about group fitness is that no matter your fitness level, everyone works to their personal best, and there’s a great sense of group and individual achievement within that training on your own in the gym can’t capture.”

Classes are available to book online and on the Edinburgh Leisure app from 4 January 2024.

Launch Weekend

To celebrate the new classes, Edinburgh Leisure will be holding a launch weekend on 13th and 14th January at 2024 at The Royal Commonwealth Pool, Leith Victoria Swim Centre, and Meadowbank Sports Centre, with new music releases of the classes customers know and love, which include BodyPump 127, BodyCombat 97, BodyBalance 102, RPM 100 and a special focus on the new products, Les Mills Shapes and Strength Development.

Meadowbank will host two one-off Les Mills Shapes classes delivered by Les Mills master trainer Holly Mason on Saturday, 13th.

RPM release 100 will also be hosted at Edinburgh Leisure’s cycle venues, which includes Ainslie Park Leisure Centre, Craiglockhart Leisure Centre, Drumbrae Leisure Centre, Leith Victoria Swim Centre, the Royal Commonwealth Pool, and Meadowbank Sports Centre, celebrating 25 years of RPM and 20 years of RPM at Edinburgh Leisure.

To find out more and to book, go to the Edinburgh Leisure website and the Edinburgh Leisure app.

With unlimited access to their 12 pools,17 gyms, indoor climbing and over 750+ fitness classes each week, Edinburgh Leisure has a new membership promotion that runs from 1st – 31st January 2024 and offers new members joining in January a no-joining-fee offer.

As we step into 2024, wherever you’re at on the map or in life, Edinburgh Leisure provides a diverse array of fitness options, catering to individual preferences and goals.

Whether you’re a tech-savvy tracker, a studio enthusiast, or someone embracing a holistic wellness approach, embrace the New Year and let your fitness journey unfold with the guidance and support of Edinburgh Leisure.

#januREADY.

More information:  www.edinburghleisure.co.uk

Granton shootings: Two Arrested

Two people have been arrested in connection with the death of a 38-year-old man in West Granton. A 32-year-old man and 25-year-old woman have been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Emergency services were called around 11.50pm on Sunday, 31 December, 2023, after a firearm was discharged in West Granton Road, seriously injuring two men.

Both men, aged 38 and 39, were taken to hospital, where the 38-year-old man was pronounced dead a short time later. The dead man has been named locally as Marc Webley.

Enquiries are ongoing and police continue to appeal for information.

Detective Superintendent Graham Grant, Major Investigation Team, said: “We’d like to thank the local community for their support and patience while enquiries are ongoing.

“There will continue to be an increased police presence in the area and anyone with further concerns should speak to officers, call 101, or in the case of an emergency, 999.”

Eight organisations share Victim Surcharge Fund backing

Organisations that support victims of crime have been awarded a total of £405,451 from a fund financed by penalties imposed on offenders who received a court fine.

Eight organisations – including Victim Support Scotland, Dumbarton District Women’s Aid, Migrant Help, The  Moira Fund, The Manda Centre, Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland (SOHTiS), Action Against Stalking and Dundee Women’s Aid – will share the funding to provide practical help directly to victims.

This is the fourth round of payments from the Victim Surcharge Fund, which was established in November 2019, and takes the latest funding to £1,322,437.

Victims and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said:  “I am pleased the fund has provided support to so many people.

“Since financial awards were first made in January 2021, 14 different victim support organisations have benefited from this fund –  all of which have used the money to help people impacted by crime.

“It is only right that the people who commit crimes should pay towards helping those impacted to recover from the trauma and move on with their lives.”

Kate Wallace, Chief Executive of Victim Support Scotland, said: “Funding to VSS Emergency Assistance Fund made it possible to reach more than 1,400 victims of crime and their families with awards last year totalling over £400,000.

“Too many people face financial hardship as a result of crime, and this funding allows us to cover the costs of essential items such as food vouchers, rent, property repairs, alarms and funeral costs.”

The following organisations are set to benefit from the Victim Surcharge Fund in this round:

Victim Support Scotland (VSS)                                                           £300,000

Dumbarton District Women’s Aid                                                          £11,750

Migrant Help                                                                                         £28,540

The Moira Fund                                                                                    £14,500

The Manda Centre                                                                                £10,000

Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland (SOHTIS)                         £20,661

Action Against Stalking                                                                         £15,000

Dundee Women’s Aid                                                                           £5,000

Lindsays’ Edinburgh homes sale values hit record £106m

Hopes for a more stable 2024 as value of capital firm’s deals reach new high

A firm of solicitors and estate agents hailed a strong bounceback from political unrest as its home sales in Edinburgh reached a record £106m during 2023.

The new high was hit by capital-headquartered Lindsays despite the impact of economic turbulence and rising interest rates which hit the market.

It is the second successive year that the total value of homes sold by the firm in Edinburgh has topped £100m – having been £102m in 2022.

The total has been hailed a significant success for the firm in the face of what they describe as a “long hangover” from former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s emergency budget of 2022 and of the nervousness caused by rising interest rates and the cost of living.

Lindsays also warned that politicians north and south of the border should be aware of the impact their decisions have on people and property.

Maurice Allan, Managing Director of Lindsays’ Residential Property team, said: “These figures are a significant success for us, especially given the turbulence we saw in the market during the first half of the year. When you consider all of that, Edinburgh has really held its own.

“The consequences of political decisions have a real impact on peoples’ lives and can be long-lasting. We saw that with the emergency budget and the long hangover which followed for the property sector.

“It took time for people to work out what the impact of all of that was on their finances – and many delayed making offers on properties as a result, practically shutting down the market.

“Yet, over the course of the rest of the year, the market has proven to be fairly resilient. Supply has improved – and good houses continue to sell well. People have adapted to the financial circumstances and regained the confidence to get back into the market.

“We’re not seeing the huge offer prices over valuation that we were post-lockdown, but what we have essentially seen over the past 12 months is a market which has returned to pre-pandemic levels, which is not a bad place to be.”

Lindsays’ Edinburgh-based estate agency team operates mainly throughout the city and the Lothians.

The total number of property sales during the year was also broadly in line with the previous 12 months – with the average price of homes sold through the firm up in Edinburgh up by about 1.5% to £330,000.

And, looking forward, there are hopes of a more stable market during the next 12 months.

Mr Allan added: “While it’s always difficult to predict what might lie ahead, there are genuine signs of positivity.

“The conversations we are having signal a growing belief that interest rates have peaked. With things more stable, many of those who have been sitting on their hands because interest rates were going up and up are now starting to think seriously about doing something in 2024.”

House sales throughout the wider Lindsays group totalled £174m – with £67.9m sold through its estate agency team in Dundee.

Aldi donates over 25,000 meals to Edinburgh and Lothians charities over Christmas and New Year

Aldi donates surplus food from all its stores to local charities and foodbanks when stores close early on Christmas Eve. Aldi’s staff L-R Emily Sutton, Carla Louise Gospel and Tamara Mawson-Phipps 24/12/2022

Aldi donated 25,691 meals to those in need in Edinburgh and The Lothians over the festive period.

The supermarket paired up its stores with local charities, community groups and food banks in the area to collect unsold fresh and chilled food when stores closed their doors early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Charities that benefitted from the donations in Edinburgh and The Lothians include The Pennypit Trust, Tummies Not Trash and Winchburgh Food Store.

The food donations are part of Aldi’s successful partnership with Neighbourly, a community giving platform that links businesses to charitable organisations.  

Aldi’s UK stores donate surplus food to good causes each and every day, with over 40 million meals donated to good causes since its partnership with Neighbourly began back in 2019.  

Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket also worked in partnership with Company Shop Group this Christmas to provide around 2,000 meals at its Community Kitchens across the UK in the run up to Christmas.

Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “We are so proud to work with such amazing charity partners throughout the UK and the impact they have cannot be underestimated, especially during the winter months when their services are needed more than ever.

“We are pleased that through our partnership with both Neighbourly and Company Shop we have been able to give back to the communities we serve by providing more donations than ever this Christmas.”

Steve Butterworth, Chief Executive Officer at Neighbourly, added: “We’re pleased to have supported Aldi once again during what is often one of the busiest periods for our charities.

“Large donations like Aldi’s allow us to provide vital support to communities across the country who would otherwise miss out.”

COSLA: ‘Poverty gap in Scotland will continue to grow’

‘A BUDGET OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES ON TACKLING POVERTY AND LITTLE FOCUS ON PREVENTION’

COSLA has described the Scottish Government’s Draft Budget as a missed opportunity for the communities of Scotland in relation to tackling poverty.

COSLA also added that Scotland’s Council Leaders, Councillors, the Local Government Workforce and communities should be treated with the respect they deserve demonstrated through investment, not cuts.

COSLA said:  “At a special meeting just before Christmas, there was dismay and frustration from Scotland’s Council Leaders about the way Local Government and the communities we represent had been treated in the Scottish Government’s Draft Budget.  As the Budget currently stands, communities will see and feel a range of negative impacts.

“COSLA’s ‘Councils are Key’ budget lobbying campaign set out the case for fair funding that would allow Local Government to deliver for the people of Scotland, particularly around tackling poverty, one of the three shared priorities laid out in the Verity House Agreement.

“The response from the Scottish Government to our Budget ask is disappointing and will mean that the potential that councils have to prevent problems occurring will be limited severely.

“Specifically on poverty, the Budget should have had a focus on tackling the root causes of poverty, particularly its impacts on children. This would have needed a greater prioritisation of the work councils do in prevention and early support.

“The essential social supports councils provide in homes, schools, hubs and communities that aim to support and empower people will be further eroded – this has been the case for a number of years now, due to poor Local Government settlements that cut core funding.

“Services that support Local Government to Keep the Promise made to Scotland’s care experienced children and young people like family support and youth work, are under threat as a result of the proposed Scottish budget. 

“Tackling poverty in Scotland will continue to be a significant challenge when councils do not have the resources they need to support communities.

“This year’s Budget presented the opportunity prioritise prevention and tackle inequity, to invest in communities and realise our ambitions to end poverty in Scotland.

“It did not deliver. Without a fair settlement for Councils, the poverty gap in Scotland will continue to grow. Investing in Local Government is key to a fairer Scotland.”

“The proposed Council Tax Freeze means that money which could have been invested in tackling poverty upstream – in families, communities and schools – is lost, missing a real opportunity to unlock Councils’ potential.

“COSLA’s President, Vice President and political Group Leaders from all parties have written to the Deputy First Minister and are seeking an urgent meeting.  

“Council Leaders will not let this lie, they simply cannot afford to because it will have such a detrimental impact on the communities they represent.”

Serious assaults in Frederick Street on New Years Day

POLICE APPEAL FOR WITNESSES TO DOUBLE ASSAULT

Detectives are appealing for information following a serious assault in Edinburgh city centre.

About 3.30am on Monday, 1 January, 2024 two men were seriously assaulted in Rose Street, Edinburgh at it’s junction with Frederick Street by a group of men and women.

The men who suffered head and facial injuries were taken to hospital for treatment.

Detective Constable Gary Lipscombe from Edinburgh CID said “This was a brutal attack and it is imperative that we trace the people responsible and are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time.

“We know there was a pedestrian who would have witnessed this assault and may have information that can help us. I would also appeal to the people who stopped and provided first aid to the two injured men.”

Anyone with any information, or footage of the incident, should contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 1142 of Monday, 1 January 2024. Alternatively, a call can be made anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.