Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS)’s 2024 Rocking Horse Ball, sponsored by Thorntons Solicitors, has raised £95,000 (after costs) to help support children with life-shortening conditions and their families.
The annual event, which had an Aladdin ’Whole New World’ theme this year, took place at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh on Friday 7 June.
Guests at the event, which is recognised as one of the capital’s most-loved charity dinners, enjoyed a night of wonder with Aladdin-themed games amongst a backdrop of flying carpets and magic lamps.
Comedian and singer Jess Robinson hosted the event, supported by compere Alex Fleming, who entertained guests throughout evening, including during the live auction, while music was provided by Edinburgh band duo BLEEKER.
Guest of honour at the event was CHAS parent speaker, Andy White from Fife who spoke about the care and support he received from Rachel House hospice in Kinross when his son Leo died in March 2022, aged just six years old.
Leading full-service law firm Thorntons offers a full range of legal services to businesses and private clients across the country, with partners regularly volunteering and raising money for CHAS. Lead partner at the firm’s Edinburgh office, Clare Macpherson, is also a member of the Rocking Horse Ball’s event committee.
Diane Alton, CHAS’s high-profile events manager, said: “We are proud and privileged to have the continued support from Thorntons for a third year for our seventh Rocking Horse Ball.
“With their very generous sponsorship, we were able to wow our guests from start to finish, creating an incredible and memorable event that raised an incredible £95,000 after costs for CHAS.”
Clare Macpherson said: “It’s remarkable and humbling to witness the difference CHAS makes to families across Scotland.
“We’ve long supported the CHAS Rocking Horse Ball and this year’s event was yet another success, entertaining all who attended and raising funds for a very important cause. We look forward to continuing our partnership with CHAS and supporting its life-changing work.”
To celebrate some of the sporting events taking place this summer, including the Euro’s, Scottish Golf Open and the Olympics, The Centre, Livingston has invited three charities and a social enterprise to take part in its ‘Jump into Summer’ sports themed events programme, which includes a ‘Beat the Goalie’ challenge in a Euro’s football pop up, basketball and table tennis ‘try outs’ and 44 free daily workshops.
The action-packed event is designed to give visitors the chance to try out a new sport or improve their skills and join in the various free sessions for kids of all ages, running from Saturday, 29th June until Monday, 12th August, from 11am – 4pm each day.
In partnership with West Lothian Community Foundation, a Euro’s football pop up will be located at the activity hub near Waterstones from the 4th – 8th July where shoppers can take part in a ‘Beat the Goalie’ challenge and get help from the coaches on how to improve their technique.
Newly signed players from Livingston FC will also be joining in the fun on Friday, 5th at 1.30pm.
To tie in with the Scottish Golf Open, a golf simulator will also be in situ at the activity hub to encourage people to try their hand at the sport or improve their speed and swing from Friday 12th – 14th July.
Lothian Phoenix Wheelchair Basketball Club will also be taking part in the event with various demonstrations and opportunities for shoppers to see how many hoops they can shoot, from Friday 26th – Sunday, 28th July.
On the 3rd and 4th of August West Lothian Community Table Tennis Club, which is a charity based at The Centre, Livingston will also be providing taster and mini coaching sessions.
Leaderboards will chart the best results on the day at the sports pop ups with lucky shoppers being in with a chance of winning £25 Gift Cards.
To highlight the benefits of cycling, Livingston based social enterprise, West Lothian Bike Library, will be taking up residency next to Car Park 1 on Wednesday, 7th August from 11 – 2pm, where they will also be carrying out bike safety checks.
From the 29th June until the 12th August, on all 44 days, families can take part in a wide variety of free workshops with activity leaders from workouts and storytelling sessions to painting classes and a one mile lap of the shopping centre on Saturday, 10th August at 11am, with kids receiving a wooden keepsake medal at the end for taking part.
There will also be a ‘Spot the Sport’ trail to find pictures in 10 shop windows and on completion, families can enter a weekly prize draw to win a £50 Gift Card every week. All activities are free with the option to donate to any of the four summer charity partners.
Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “Our ‘Jump into Summer’ sports themed programme, which links into some brilliant events this summer, is packed with lots of free fun-filled activities for kids of all ages.
“This is a great opportunity for us to give visitors the chance to either try out a new sport or improve their skills with the help of some fantastic coaches.
“The event also gives us another opportunity to support and shine a light on the great work that our summer charity partners are doing in the local community, including West Lothian Community Foundation, Lothian Phoenix Wheelchair Basketball Club, West Lothian Community Table Tennis Club and West Lothian Bike Library.”
For more information on all free activities, check out www.thecentrelivingston.com.
Amendment will align Act with Court of Session ruling
Legislation to amend the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 has been passed by the Scottish Parliament.
The Act, which was passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2018, sets an objective that 50% of a public board’s non-executive members should be women.
The Gender Representation on Public Boards (Amendment) Bill– will align the 2018 Act with a Court of Session ruling in 2022, which found that the Act’s definition of “woman” was not within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament. Therefore, that definition will be removed from the statute book.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Gender equality is at the heart of our vision for a fairer Scotland and making sure women’s voices are heard across society is an important part of that.
“The Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act continues to set the objective for 50% of non-executive public board members to be women, helping ensure greater equality at the highest levels of public life.
“The Bill passed today will amend the Act in line with the Court of Session ruling to ensure the statute book is accurate. This amendment does not change the purpose or objectives of the Act, and the Scottish Government remains committed to improving gender equality and representation of women across all areas of society.”
This Clean Air Day, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are supporting a day of learning where young people will be encouraged to lead change, tackle air pollution and protect the future of our environment through science.
Over 300 pupils were invited to a special event at the Glasgow Science Centre yesterday (Thursday, 20th June 2024) to celebrate the schools that have taken part in the “Our Amazing Air” Learning Lab programme run by the science centre in partnership with SEPA.
Young people visiting the centre on Clean Air Day enjoyed a range of themed activities including interactive exhibits and experiments, talks with experts from SEPA, University of Strathclyde and Nooku, and a brand new Our Amazing Air science show, which will run to the end of August as part of the centre’s public programme.
Launched in 2022, the Our Amazing Air programme is a STEM learning initiative aimed at P5 – P7 pupils that teaches young people about the importance of clean air, how the air environment functions, and the effects of air pollution on our health and the environment.
The programme includes training sessions and free lesson plans for teachers so they can support their learners to explore the air around us and investigate how it supports life through hands-on activities, group discussions and experiments. A total of 1200 pupils from 50 classes are taking part in the learning lab this term.
Dr Colin Gillespie, SEPA’s Air Modelling Unit Manager, said: “Good air quality is essential for a good quality of life, helping maintain our health and wellbeing and our climate and habitats. Everyone has a part to play in helping to improve air quality and tackle pollution – and education is a vital part of this.
“It’s fantastic to see so many young people engaging with issues surrounding air quality and inspiring to see them turn these learnings into positive actions that will make a real difference to communities and our environment.
“Clean Air Day gives everyone an important opportunity to consider how we can change or adapt our behaviour to improve the quality of our air and spread the positive message about the benefits of clean air.”
Tara Gibson, Senior Learning Coordinator at Glasgow Science Centre, said: “Our Clear Air Day activities have been made possible thanks to our partners ICLEI, University of Strathclyde and SEPA, resulting in us delivering a great programme of workshops and shows for hundreds of school pupils to take part in.
“The day’s events also allow us to showcase the wide range of engaging and accessible resources and experiences available to schools through our Learning Lab programmes.”
Tackling air pollution and raising awareness
While air quality in Scotland has significantly improved over the past three decades, air pollution still poses a significant risk to our environment and wellbeing.
Air pollution is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the biggest environmental threat to our health, with recent scientific evidence from the WHO supporting the development of more stringent guidelines for air pollutants due to the impacts on human health.
Children are particularly at risk due to their developing lungs, brains and immune systems, yet millions across the UK are still exposed to dangerously high levels of air pollution at home and at school, where traffic and idle vehicles at the school gates can be a real concern.
Coordinated by environmental charity Global Action Plan, Clean Air Day is a national air quality campaign that brings together communities, schools, businesses, local authorities and other organisations across the UK to address the issue and build awareness of the impact of air pollution.
Now in its eighth year, this year’s campaign is focused on promoting greener travel to reduce localised air pollution and ensure people have the option to travel in ways that are better for our health and the planet.
Clear Science for Clean Air
Alongside the Our Amazing Air event, SEPA’s air quality scientists also visited a school in North Lanarkshire this week to celebrate Clean Air Day with pupils and share the results from monitoring air quality around the school gates.
Working together with East Renfrewshire and North Lanarkshire local authorities, SEPA have issued sensors to eight primary schools over the past few months to monitor the air quality, investigate the data produced and support teachers and pupils with initiatives such as encouraging active travel on the school run.
SEPA staff returned to St Brendan’s Primary School in Motherwell on Wednesday, 19th June to present pupils with their findings, which revealed elevated levels of air pollution in the area, particularly at drop off and pick up times.
The information gathered will support the ongoing anti-idling campaign championed by pupils at both St Brendan’s and Muirhouse Primary Schools, with youngsters aiming to reduce the number of vehicles at the school gates to cut down on localised air pollution.
Dr Colin Gillespie added: “It is encouraging to see young children keen to see the data produced from the air pollution monitors outside their schools and proactively lead change in their local communities.
“Making this information transparent and available to all allows young people and their families to make decisions on their behaviours and day-to-day activities which can have a positive impact on air quality, the wider environment and their health.
“With a long history of supporting air quality around schools in Scotland, we really recognise the importance of clean air, especially on young lungs, and promoting the fact that we’ve all got a part to play in protecting and inspiring the next generation of citizen scientists.”
SCOTLAND star Scott McTominay paid a surprise visit to a Glasgow primary school prior to starring in the Tartan Army’s Euro 2024 adventure to send an important message about contact lenses.
The Manchester United midfielder, who is currently in action for his country in Germany and scored in Scotland’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland, visited Riverbank Primary School in Glasgow’s East End to spread awareness about the benefits and safe use of contact lenses.
A contact lens user himself, Scott enjoyed the special day, arranged by Specsavers as a part of their sponsorship of the Scotland National Team, joining in with fun sports day activities, including races and a football egg and spoon race, to show how lenses helped him on his journey to become a professional footballer.
Discussing his own need for contacts, Scott says: ‘I wore glasses at school but didn’t wear them as much as I should. Then at 15, I switched to contact lenses, and it truly transformed my life—especially on the pitch.
‘If I did try to play sports in them I did sometimes find it a little bit difficult. That’s why the contact lenses have made a huge difference – as soon as I got used to putting them in it did genuinely change my life.
‘I had a great day with the kids, sharing my experiences. It’s important for me to do what I can to help younger generations.’
Scott’s need for contacts is well documented – during a recent Champions League match, McTominay faced an unusual challenge. After an accidental collision with Neymar, he lost a lens, leaving him partially sighted. Needing a clean face and hands to safely put in a fresh contact lens, Scott had to see out the first half using just one eye.
Speaking about the experience, he adds: ‘I panicked a bit and I didn’t know what to do. To change them, you need clean hands and a clean face, so I rushed in during half-time to wash.
“It’s probably the craziest experience I’ve had on a football field. We’ll have to review the footage to see if there were any wayward passes!
‘Genuinely, having contact lenses is my superpower because if I didn’t have them, and playing at the elite standard of football that I play in, I wouldn’t be able to play.
‘Glasses are amazing and I love winding down in the evening in them, but the contact lenses are a game changer. They open so many doors in my life and I wouldn’t be in this position today if I didn’t have them.
‘Your eyesight should never hold you back from doing anything that you love.’
Delighted to have Scott visit the school, head teacher Tommy Hynes says: ‘Having such an inspirational figure and leader as Scott visit the school was a special moment for the pupils.
‘It was heartening to hear his tales of overcoming his eyesight to become a professional footballer and he was fantastic with the children on the day as we conducted a mini sports day.
‘We wish Scott and the rest of the Scotland team all the very best at the Euros.’
Vue sites in Edinburgh has announced the latest set of family-friendly blockbusters set to hit the big screen this summer, as well as a number of new ways for families and kids of all ages to enjoy time together at the big screen.
For the youngest film fans enjoying some of their favourite their very first outings to the big screen, Vue has introduced Big Shorts screenings, bringing some favourite children’s characters from television shows and web series such as The Gruffalo’s Child and Zog and the Flying Doctors to the big screen.
These short and sweets screenings offer a relaxed big screen environment with dimmed lights and reduced sound, tailor-made for younger film fans aged 1 to 4, allowing them to fall in love with the big screen in their very first trips.
Meanwhile, families looking for a value big screen experience can avail of the brand-new Mighty Mornings offering. This will see films such as Kung Fu Panda 4 and The Present shown across weekends and school holidays this summer from just £2.49 when tickets are purchased online.
It’s also set to be a summer of big screen, with blockbusters such as Pixar’s Inside Out 2 and Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 leading the bill.
Almost nine years since its enormously emotional debut warmed hearts and mini minds across the world, on 14 June Inside Out 2 invites us back to the wonderful world of Riley’s mind and Emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust.
Now, as Riley reaches her teenage years, our cast meets a whole new cast of unfamiliar emotions which set them off on another marvellous adventure across the teenager’s mind.
Joining Joy and friends, this summer sees Gru and the Minion crew back with Despicable Me 4, which sees our former villain turned family man face off against new nemesis Maxime Le Mal and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina, meaning his family, Minions included, must go on the run to stay safe. Expect more Minion mayhem, criminal capers and plenty of laughs when Despicable Me 4arrives at Vue on 12 July
As well as the latest family-friendly blockbusters, some true family classics will be back at home on the big screen as part of Vue’s Back On The Big Screen Family Treasures season, which includes Woody and Buzz’s sequel adventure Toy Story 2 and every live action outing of Marvel superhero Spider-Man, including the Tobey Maguire trilogy, Andrew Garfield The Amazing Spider-Man films and the more recent Tom Holland trilogy including Spider-Man: No Way Home later this summer.
Robert Smith, General Manager at Vue in Edinburgh Omni, said: “Every film fan discovered their love for stories on the big screen with their very first visit. Because of this, we’re looking to make this experience as memorable as possible for our young audiences to really help create their love for films with their family with our Big Shorts and Mighty Mornings offerings.
“With some incredible new blockbusters, family treasures and even some pre-school favourites heading to Vue, we’re thrilled to help families and youngsters enjoy their first trip to Vue, as well as each visit afterwards.”
Tickets are available, along with more information on Big Shorts and Mighty Mornings, at www.myvue.com/family
Building on Scottish Opera’s ground breaking Breath Cycle project, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is collaborating with the country’s largest performing arts organisation to improve the lives of those living with aphasia, a communication difficulty that is a common effect of strokes
A new research report launched earlier this month by CHSS revealed that poor mental health and loneliness are severely impacting people in Scotland living with aphasia
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) and Scottish Opera have joined forces to develop online singing classes for people living with aphasia, which is caused by damage to the part of the brain that controls language, and in some cases leaves some unable to speak at all.
These new CHSS and Scottish Opera sessions coincide with Aphasia Awareness Month, which runs throughout June. This year’s theme is #AphasiaTogether, emphasising that those with the condition do not need to deal with this on their own.
This new strand of creative music making with CHSS — Scotland’s largest health charity working to help people with chest, heart and stroke conditions live life to the full — expands upon Scottish Opera’s pioneering Breath Cycle project, designed to support those with a range of conditions affecting lung health.
Following research and development sessions with medical educators, CHSS staff and people living with aphasia are working with Scottish Opera to provide supported communication and aphasia training, and help deliver the therapeutic singing, song-writing and breath control sessions.
The aim of these workshops is to improve the mental wellbeing and confidence in communication of those with aphasia and respiratory issues including COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), across the country.
Earlier this month, CHSS launched a report about the impact of aphasia on those living with the condition which revealed that:
More than half (52 per cent) of people with aphasia say their condition affects their mental health
Nearly half (48 per cent) with aphasia said they experienced loneliness as a result of their condition.
43 per cent of people with aphasia said it impacted on their ability to work as before
A third (34 per cent) of people with aphasia reported being treated negatively due to their condition.
CEO of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Jane-Claire Judson, commented: “Working with Scottish Opera to unlock the therapeutic benefits of singing and song-writing to people living with aphasia is a fantastic opportunity to tackle real issues facing people across the country.
“We regularly hear from the people we support that living with a communication difficulty following stroke can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness and have a negative impact on mental health.
“We look forward to bringing people together to experience the joy of singing with others whilst exploring the benefits of singing and song writing to their communication skills.”
Jane Davidson MBE, Director of Outreach & Education at Scottish Opera, said: “Following on from the increased awareness of our Breath Cycle II programme in 2020, which was designed for people living with Long COVID and other respiratory conditions, Scottish Opera is excited to partner with CHSS to support people with aphasia.
“The work that CHSS undertakes each year with hundreds of thousands of Scots has set really high standards in the positive integration of mental health and well-being initiatives with clinical intervention.
“As Scotland’s largest performing arts company, we feel that the values of both our organisations are beautifully aligned in this new collaboration that seeks to enhance the quality of people’s lives across the country.”
Composer Gareth Williams, who along with writer Martin O’Connor, mentored the most recent online song writing Breath Cycle sessions said: “Our encounters with the Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland team, and our first conversations with our participants who have aphasia have been so inspiring.
“Our challenge is to help people find and connect with their voices again, both their physical voices and their creative voices. There are incredible stories to tell in this community, and together we will find them and share them through song.”
Glasgow-based, award-winning architecture firm Loader Monteith has been appointed to lead a design team undertaking detailed feasibility work on a community cinema project in Portobello,
The commission, by The Friends of George (FoTG) group, is supported by the award of a grant from The Architectural Heritage Fund.
The design team’s work will dovetail into an in-depth commercial and operational assessment being undertaken by independent cinema consultants, Mustard Studios, whose work is being funded by a grant from the Scottish Land Fund.
Loader Monteith approached Stefanie Fischer, a leading cinema architect within the UK’s independent cinema sector to join their team as a subconsultant. Her expertise as a cinema architect complements the expertise of Loader Monteith Architects as conservation architects.
The appointment of the Loader Monteith led team builds on a long running campaign by FoTG who have been working to save the art deco former cinema from demolition. With strong support from within their community, FoTG hope to acquire and restore the C-listed building, and operate it as a cinema for the community. These latest commissions will develop and refine the group’s ambitious plans and will also include input from educational and film industry partners.
Mike Griffiths, Friends of the George Chair said: “We are delighted to be able to appoint such an expert team of professionals to develop and refine our proposals as we continue to point the way towards a positive future for The George not only in the heart of the community of Portobello, but more broadly, to play a role in the cinema sector in Scotland.
“The consultants we have working on this bring extensive expertise and experience to the project and will be led by a firm of architects with a burgeoning reputation for exciting contemporary architectural design, deployed to breathe new life into historic buildings.
“We’re extremely grateful for the financial support we have received from the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Scottish Land Fund and our benefactor Victoria Schwab.”
Iain King, Specialist Conservation Architect and Director at Loader Monteith, said:“We are pleased to have been selected as the lead architects, alongside our expert team of consultants, to support the Friends of The George in developing the proposal for the George Cinema.
“Despite the building currently being on the Buildings at Risk Register, it benefits from strong community support and the dedication of the Friends of The George, a group committed to preserving this Art Deco gem and restoring it as a sustainable, independent cinema.
“We look forward to collaborating with them on this important project.”
Last year, Friends of The George Limited had the cinema building formally valued by a firm of professional surveyors and made an offer to purchase it as a “restoring purchaser”, based on that valuation. Funds for purchase were very generously offered by benefactor, writer V.E Schwab.
This offer was rejected by the current owners of the building who have tried – and failed – twice in recent years to secure consent to substantially demolish The George and develop the site with luxury flats.
Most recently, last October, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) published their decision notice on the application by the current owner to have The George ‘delisted’. HES confirmed that the building continues to meet the criteria of special architectural and historic interest and so there will be no statutory change to the current ‘C’ listing designation.
Recent silent, community protests, independent of the FoTG group, have called on the current owner of the building to clear up the mess outside of the cinema and to address the continued neglect and dereliction of the building.
Cyrenians, NHS Lothians LEAP, and Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership have been successful in a recent Corra Foundation grant bid to develop and implement a Women’s Recovery House in Edinburgh.
The House, for patients moving on from residential recovery in the LEAP program, offers women who do not have a safe home to return to the opportunity to continue their recovery supported by their peers.
The first of its kind in Edinburgh, the house creates a level playing field for women, who until this point have had limited options available upon completing the 12 week LEAP programme.
Amy Hutton, Director of Services at Cyrenians said, “This is a fantastic step forward in supporting the recovery community, particularly women who have been underserved in this area for quite some time.
‘We know, from experience, that highly traumatised women don’t fare well in standard service delivery environments, so to be able to offer a bespoke, safe home, truly is groundbreaking.
‘Men in Edinburgh completing the LEAP programme have benefited from a similar model for many years, so this new Women’s House really levels the playing field and helps us continue providing peer support to women who otherwise would be isolated in their recovery.”
This new funding not only allows the partnership to provide accommodation beyond the LEAP programme, but will also support the development of a Wellbeing Coordinator, providing assistance to patients throughout the LEAP programme and during their stay at the Recovery House.
Viki Fox, LEAP Manager for Cyrenians added: “The number of women attending our LEAP programme has been increasing year on year. To have this move on option available for those who would otherwise be discharged into an unsafe home, or indeed, homelessness, is a fantastic step forward to improving their quality of life and ability to stay in recovery.
‘By providing additional support through our wellbeing coordinator we will be able to offer practical and emotional support that will help build self-esteem and independence.
‘Recovery is only the first step – learning to live again beyond addiction takes time, and without support can feel overwhelming and thankless. The support from Corra Foundation allows us to address this need directly, and ultimately will provide women in Edinburgh the chance to rebuild their lives on their own terms.”
