Consider the following security tips to keep you motorcycle safe and secure:
• Fit a combined alarm and immobiliser.
• Fit a tracker.
• Use chains and disc locks. The more security on your bike the longer it takes to overcome them and so the less attractive it is to a thief.
• When using chains and locks, ensure they are secured to a solid anchor point. Keep them off the ground where possible as this makes them more difficult to cut off.
• Cover your motorcycle and ensure the cover is attached to the security device.
• Use industry tested products. Thatcham, Sold Secure and Secured By Design are recommended security testing schemes in the UK. Always activate the steering lock.
• Do not leave your helmet or other possessions on the motorcycle or in luggage space or panniers.
• Where possible use Parkmark accredited parking, as these areas should be more secure. See https://orlo.uk/Rcf4T for a list of accredited car parks. Alternatively, park in well-lit areas, ideally where there is CCTV.
• Ensure you have a note of your vehicle identification number.
• When travelling abroad you may wish to enquire about secure parking facilities at your destination.
For further Crime Prevention Information visit https://orlo.uk/usorG or contact your local Community Officer by calling 101
If you have any Information in relation to stolen motorcycles, please contact Police Scotland telephone numbers on 101 or 999 in an emergency or report crime anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
Barratt Developments East Scotland has partnered with Edinburgh Zoo to recycle and donate felled trees from its upcoming Livingston development.
Barratt Developments East Scotland – which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes – has donated 21 felled trees from its recently acquired Houston Road site, Woodland Gait, which will launch later this year.
The trees were removed due to them being in a poor condition, creating public safety concerns, or because they were low quality with low biodiversity benefits.
Following the tree removals, Barratt Developments will plant approximately 152 new trees across the site to support local wildlife.
In line with its approved landscape strategy, the new tree species include Rowan and Hazel, as well as other native species.
A robust landscape strategy has been approved for the Houston Road development, including native planting and various biodiverse elements such as the installation of hedgehog highways, along with bird and bat boxes.
Following the donation, Edinburgh Zoo, which is operated by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), will repurpose the trees, with a significant portion being distributed to the Zoo’s resident giraffes, which consume an average of 75kg of plant matter every day.
Larger branches and trunks will also be used as climbing structures and apparatus within the ape and giant panda enclosures, enriching the animals’ habitat experiences. Meanwhile, designated portions of the trees, such as trunk bases and off-cuts, will undergo natural decomposition processes, attracting insects which are ideal for the dietary needs of Giant Anteaters.
The distribution of the repurposed trees across the diverse animal habitats within the zoo will help to ensure that there will be minimal waste, building on both Barratt Developments’ and Edinburgh Zoo’s shared commitment to sustainable practices and lowering carbon footprints.
Jason Watt, Technical Director at Barratt Developments East Scotland, said: “We’re proud to be supporting Edinburgh Zoo with the donation of trees from our new Livingston development on Houston Road.
“Not only does this partnership support our sustainability commitments, it will also be beneficial to the animals and their enclosures.
“Looking forward, we hope to continue to support Edinburgh Zoo’s mission of fostering an appreciation for wildlife and habitat conservation.”
Robert Harden, Head Gardener at Edinburgh Zoo, said: “We were delighted to accept the offer of trees and branches from Barratt’s new site in Livingston.
“We have since used the material as a source of food, branching and perching for the animals, and what was left after chipping has been used as a mulch for feeding the willows and growing on site for the giraffes.
“We pride ourselves with not only trying to educate and preserve endangered species of animals but also to try and work in tandem with the landscape environment itself. That’s why every bit of material that we received from Barratt has and will be used to benefit the animals and the growing environment.”
Its that time of year again where we roll out our Summer Programme!
Beach Days, Highlands and Islands Trips, A music festival, designing your own trips, climbing up and jumping off waterfalls (safely), and our big families and young people Fridays are just some of the stuff we’ll be getting up to!Full programme starts Monday 1st July!
Whilst we’d love to meet you at our Monday sign ups in the Summer, we give priority to people who regularly attend our youth and families groups for all trips, so why not get along to some clubs before our trips start!
A NEW campaign to raise awareness of loneliness will be launched this week. The theme for “Loneliness Awareness Week” – which runs from June 10 to June 16 – is Random Acts of Connection.
It aims to encourage people all over the country to take a moment to do something unexpected and help a person who may be suffering from loneliness.
Counsellor Lynn Crilly is an expert in this area and supports people experiencing loneliness. She says covid lockdowns created an epidemic of loneliness which the country urgently needs to tackle.
Lynn said: “Lockdown exacerbated loneliness and social isolation. Being forced to work from home, unable to meet with friends or go for a drink went against our nature as social creatures. But despite lockdown being a distant, if horrific memory, there are still a huge number of people in the UK today who say they are lonely.
According to the Campaign to End Loneliness, in 2022 there were 49% (25.99 million) people who reported feeling lonely at some point and of those, 7.1% – or 3.83 million people experience chronic loneliness, meaning they feel lonely ‘often or always’. This has risen since 2020, indicating the impact of lockdown and the change it had on our society on our social interactions and emotional wellbeing.
Lynn added: “Loneliness can often be tied up with other problems like depression or grief, which can cause people to withdraw from friendships, activities or social occasions. But it can also be due to socioeconomic factors like money worries or a change in circumstances such as moving for a job or a divorce.
“It can be hard to tell if someone is lonely. Sometimes they aren’t even aware of themselves. Just because someone enjoys their own company doesn’t mean they are lonely, and conversely, someone who works in a busy office and is surrounded by people may be. Feeling lonely is not necessarily the same as being alone, but someone who is isolated is more likely to experience loneliness.”
If you know someone who might be lonely, the best thing you can do is let them know that you are there for them. There is a stigma attached to loneliness and isolation, particularly in younger people, so don’t just try once and give up if they don’t engage. It could take time for someone to trust you or want to talk about how they are feeling.
Ask if you can help. Often people who are lonely may be so because of their age or because they have become less independent. In an ageing population, this is going to become more prevalent. If you are worried about someone, invite them out or suggest a local charity who could help. Sometimes someone who is older or lives with a chronic health condition may only see carers or health visitors day to day. Even someone driving them to go shopping or for lunch can reduce that isolation.
Join a club or group together. Approach it from a, ‘I’ve always wanted to try x, fancy giving it a go?’ so it doesn’t seem like you are being patronising or pitying. Don’t push people into doing things but if someone seems interested in an activity, you could make it something you do together.
Be reliable. For someone who is isolated or feeling lonely, that promised phone call which gets forgotten can become magnified in the life of someone who might not speak to anyone else for the rest of the day. If you are busy, see if someone else can check in on that person and let them know you will be in touch soon.
Ask how they are feeling. Loneliness is often linked to other health conditions so by talking to someone about how they are feeling, without making it about a specific issue, you may be able to help someone open up and address what could be at the cause, particularly if it’s a recent behavioural change. If someone has a low mood which doesn’t lift, it could be worth asking a charity like Mind or Samaritans for advice.
Make efforts to include them into social activities. We often think of loneliness as something which affects older people but according to the ONS, people aged 16-29 are more than twice as likely to report feeling lonely often or always than those over 70, with those 30-49 close behind. Social media and dependence on technology may also contribute to this with people who grew up swiping on screens interacting more with devices than people. With pubs and restaurants closing down and the impact of lockdown on mental health and what has become the ‘new normal’, the socialising of previous generations has been replaced by on screen interactions which our animal brains don’t treat as the same as meeting people in person.
The morning after the general election, 5 July, will be a historic moment for the UK. Whether it is delivered by a re-elected or newly elected Prime Minister, their speech to the nation will be a moment of national significance.
It’s a moment that should be accessible to every voter in the UK, including the 87,000 members of the Deaf community who use British Sign Language (BSL).
The Deaf community has continually been excluded during these key broadcasts from No. 10 because of the lack of a BSL interpreter. RNID has long tried to work with the Government to ensure that access is provided for the Deaf community.
A public service announcement is just that, but by not including deaf people the Prime Minister is removing their right to have the information at the same time as everyone else.
RNID has written to both Sir Kier Starmer and Rishi Sunak offering them the use of our interpreter for their victory speech on 5 July. Their speech to the nation will be the start of a new chapter in our country’s history and they cannot lock the Deaf community out.
I encourage all your readers to join our call and sign our letter to make this election inclusive of everyone at rnid.org.uk
Eligible teens who haven’t applied urged not to miss out
The number of young carers getting a grant only available in Scotland has rocketed, figures released ahead of Carers Week show.
Over 3,700 teens have received Young Carer Grant payments worth £1.4m in the last financial year, almost 60% more than the year before.
The Scottish Government is urging even more young carers to apply and is asking family and friends to encourage them to check if they’re eligible.
Young Carer Grant is available to anyone aged 16 – 18 who spends at least 16 hours a week on average caring for someone who gets a qualifying disability benefit.
Young carers can offer vital support to family members, friends or relatives who have disabilities or long-term health conditions. This could include making meals, helping with housework, reminding them to take medication or providing emotional support.
The £380 payment can be applied for once a year and spent on whatever the young person wants.
Young Carer Grant was introduced by the Scottish Government in October 2019 to recognise the vital role unpaid young carers play and to help them access opportunities that are the norm for many other young people.
Since then over 12,000 payments totalling £4 million have been made.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “At the start of Carers Week, it’s heartening to see that more young carers than ever before are getting Young Carer Grant.
“We introduced the payment in recognition of the vital role young carers play, and to provide money they can use to take part in activities enjoyed by others their age that they might miss out on otherwise.
“I urge any young carer who is eligible for the grant but hasn’t applied in the past year to do so as soon as possible.
“I would also ask the family members and friends of teenagers eligible to encourage them to apply as they may not be aware of the grant or even consider themselves to be a carer.”
Young Carer Grant is a yearly payment of £383.75 for young carers in Scotland. People can apply for Young Carer Grant online, via a paper application form or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222.
Strachan House care home, in Blackhall, has celebrated the launch of Carers Week in style. Carers week celebrates carers both paid and unpaid for the amazing work that they do and raises awareness of the benefits and challenges of carers nationally.
Staff began their week with a celebratory breakfast provided to all carers with something delicious to start the day. Day shift and night shift came together to celebrate each other.
Staff were then treated to a range of Holistic therapies provided by the wonderful Lisa from Positive flow therapies. Staff and residents alike were given head massages, hand massages and reflexology where they felt this would be beneficial.
Strachan House has built up a great relationship with Lisa following her support assisting the loved ones of residents during difficult times and can’t wait to utilise her services throughout the home.
General Manager, Fran Fisher said: “It is important to recognise the hard work of our staff here at Strachan House.
“The staff here work tirelessly to ensure all the residents are cared for to the highest possible standard, they take everything in their stride and deserve the very best rewards from us”.
Lisa from Positive Flow therapies provides a range of holistic therapy and believes that massage is not a luxury but Self-care.
Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals.
Strachan House provides nursing and dementia care for 83 residents from respite care to long term stays.
Two new drugs for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have been made available by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for use on the NHS in Scotland as a third-line treatment.
Tepkinly (epcoritamab), and Columvi (glofitamab) will be available for use in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL after two or more lines of systemic therapy.
Previously, NICE approved Tepkinly and Columvi for use on the NHS in England and Wales for people with DLBCL who’s disease had not responded to at least two previous treatments.
DLBCL is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which develops in the lymphatic system. Around 5,500 people a year are diagnosed with this form of blood cancer in the UK. And for around 700 of those people, their disease won’t respond to two previous treatments.
Tepkinly is a drug, manufactured by Abbvie, while Columvi is manufactured by Roche. They are both bispecific antibodies designed to recognise and attach to the cancer cells and immune cells, so that the body’s immune system can destroy them.
Josh Hill, Blood Cancer UK’s Scottish policy officer said: “Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a type of blood cancer and while most people go into remission after standard treatment, some people can see their cancer return or stop responding to treatment.
“Today’s decision by the SMC to approve epcoritamab and glofitmab for use on the NHS in Scotland is a welcome step for many.
“Like many that experience blood cancer, people with relapsed or refractory DLBCL experience anxiety around the prospect of not responding to treatment or the cancer once again returning. Advances in bispecifics is set to be an active area of research and drug development in coming years.”
Dr Andrejs Ivanovs, consultant haematologist at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, said: “The clinical evidence from drug trials using bispecific antibodies including epcoritamab and glofitimab is positive.
“These drugs are incredibly useful as they’re available ‘off-the-shelf’ meaning drugs can be used without delay for lymphoma patients who did not have a lot of success with other treatments.
“Bispecific antibody treatments usually do not require a hospital admission and can be administered in day units and can achieve response in about 50-60% of patients. This is likely to prolong survival rates for people with blood cancer here in Scotland, and that’s exactly what people with blood cancer deserve.”
Aileen Lamb, from Edinburgh whose now in remission from blood cancer said: “As someone who’s been through blood cancer treatment, I am thrilled that the SMC have given full approval for use of epcoritamab and glofitmab to treat diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in Scotland.
“This is important for the whole blood cancer community and gives us hope for our future.”
