Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Reducing stress levels this festive season
Feeling stressed at this time of the year? When you feel stressed, your body releases adrenaline which causes your breathing, heart rate and blood pressure to increase. These reactions give you the ‘fight or flight’ response, which helps you to deal with the situation.
When we feel stressed it can be easy to adopt unhealthy lifestyle habits such as eating unhealthy foods and not being physically active, which can increase your risk of heart disease. The key is to recognise when you are beginning to feel stressed and put things in place to reduce it. Exercise, socialising, sleeping, meditation and trying mindful activities can help to manage your stress levels.
In this healthy tip, we look at ways to reduce your stress levels.
Exercise regularly
Physical activity reduces the levels of stress hormones in the body.
Exercising regularly and aiming to meet the physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week will help to lower your risk of heart disease as well as help to relieve stress, tension and anxiety.
Next time you are feeling stress, why not try walking or running in nature, meditation or a yoga class?
Spend time with friends and family
Spending time with friends and loved ones can significantly reduce stress by providing emotional support and connection. Socialising releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin, which counteract stress hormones.
You may find it beneficial to talk through your situation with those that you trust or simply use the conversations to distract your mind.
Find a new hobby
Engaging in hobbies can be a good way to destress by providing a creative and enjoyable experience.
Activities like cooking, knitting, drawing, gardening or taking part in sports or physical activities can help you to relax and refrain from dwelling on negative thoughts or worries.
Finding enjoyment in hobbies releases dopamine, which improves mood and fosters a sense of accomplishment. Try different hobbies until you find one that you enjoy and leaves you feeling happy.
Community buy-out bid for Oakbank Hotel in Sandbank near Dunoon gets SLF funding boost
Campaigners in Sandbank, Argyll, are celebrating after being awarded a grant to fund a community buy-out of their local pub, the Oakbank Hotel.
The total amount of £147,411 awarded to the Oakbank Community Inn Sandbank (OCIS) group by the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) will finance the purchase of the pub with an additional fundraising campaign through a share scheme to cover the costs of renovation work.
The 150-year-old landmark, located at a gateway to the southern Highlands on the banks of Holy Loch, has been closed for almost two years.
Sue McKillop of OCIS commented: “This has been a challenging 18-month long odyssey. We are all delighted by the outcome and very grateful to SLF for the award and to current owner Greg Devine for his support and patience throughout.
“The SLF award will fund 95% of the asking price as well as provide money for a part-time development worker for a year and essential repair and conveyancing fees. In this current financial climate we are very fortunate to have been successful in being awarded this amount.
“We have had our knockbacks since getting together to try to save the venue and it’s great news for the community of Sandbank that we have our pub back.
“Now the hard work starts! We will be launching a share scheme very shortly. The money that is raised from the sale of shares will be used for the 5% shortfall in the asking price and will allow us to carry out the essential work needed before we open in 2025 as Oakbank Community Inn Sandbank.
“With the land opposite the pub recently purchased by Scenic Sandbank to create a community garden, we will have the ability to reduce ‘food miles’ into food metres through the supply of locally grown produce.
“We have lost so many fantastic venues in this area in recent years. Hopefully our success will encourage and inspire other communities to pull together and save their local hostelries and other assets.
“The Oakbank Inn is more than a pub, it’s a community hub,” added Sue.
The SLF is a funding programme delivered by the National Lottery Community Fund that supports urban and rural communities to become more resilient and sustainable through the ownership and management of land and land assets.
The Pitt officially reopened its doors on the Granton Promenade, welcoming over 2,000 visitors in its first weekend.
Edinburgh’s newest community, enterprise and social hub, The Pitt is more than twice the size of its previous location on Pitt Street.
Featuring a permanent global street food market, retail units, a large and heated indoor seating plaza, family and community spaces, two permanent saunas from Soul Water Sauna and a 700 capacity events space all from a spectacular location on the Firth of Forth.
Hal Prescott, Chief Executive of the Granton Project which owns and operates The Pitt said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be open, and despite the storm attempting to throw a spanner in the works we’ve had thousands of people through the doors with initial feedback being fantastic.
“But this is very much the beginning of the journey for us, The Pitt isn’t a static space it will continue evolve with the community we’re part of and the community we build.
“We have so much more to come in the new year, so watch this space.”
Resident foodies will be:
Choola: Nepalese street food with a Scottish twist Fire Bowl: East Asian style street food Buffalo Truck: Delicious fried chicken with all the added delights Social Bite Does dessert: amazing sweet treats and lots of custard Lazeez: Authentic Lebanese delights (fully halal) and shish Pulp Friction: Seasonal fresh fruit infused drinks, from mulled sangrias to frozen margaritas Barney’s and Newbarns: supplying the best locally brewed beers Serving up Williams and Johnson coffee, savoury and sweets will be Long Shot Coffee.
The Pitt also has two saunas from Soul Water Sauna, a weekly local produce market from Granton Community Garden, community and family areas, a co-working space and one of the best views in Edinburgh across the Firth of Forth.
After wowing audiences across Australia and smashing box office records at Edinburgh Fringe 2024, everyone’s favourite ogre-inspired burlesque and drag parody is coming to Edinburgh to celebrate Christmas! Swamplesque is the award-winning, critically acclaimed, burlesque parody show from Far Far Away! This ‘outrageously fun’ (The Advertiser, Adelaide) show offers its audience a smorgasbord of performance styles.
Tickets from £21.00
Time 21:00
Age 16+ (Restriction) – Nudity, Strobe Lighting, Scenes of Sexual Nature
JASON BYRNE: NO SHOW (06 Dec – 07 Dec)
There’s no show like a Jason Byrne NO SHOW. NO SHOW is a show with no comedy safety net. By the end of NO SHOW you’ll have experienced a once in a lifetime show or NO SHOW. Jason, along with the audience, will begin NO SHOW with no show whatsoever. Witness Jason use his infamous audience interactions with a sprinkle of props, both on and off the stage, to create NO SHOW! Your ‘full-on, double-up, gasping-for-oxygen hilarious’ (Chortle.co.uk) NO SHOW will never be repeated.
Tickets from £25.50
Time 19:00
Age 14+ (Guideline) – Strong language/swearing, Babies are not allowed in the venue – Children under 2 years
Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon in The Company of Books (15 Dec)
Book lovers can join Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon for a special festive inconversation event on Sunday 15 December at Assembly Hall, for In the Company of Books. The two will be joined by special guests Alan Cumming and Paula Hawkins to explore the joys of reading, and a few glasses of mulled wine.
Tickets from £24.00
Time 16:00
THE BUBBLE SHOW (21 Dec – 22 Dec)
This is no ordinary bubble show; it’s an original, interactive adventure, where the fusion of magic, storytelling, and science converge in a breathtaking display of bubble artistry. And leading the charge is none other than the legendary Highland Joker, actor, storyteller and Guinness World Record Holder, renowned as one of the foremost bubble artists in the world!
Whether you’re a wide-eyed child or a child at heart, prepare to be captivated by the spellbinding wonder of bubbles! So come one, come all, and let your imagination soar as we dive headfirst into the spectacular world of bubbles!
Scottish boxer Lee McGregor is gearing up for the biggest fight of his career at the state-of-the-art Meadowbank Sports Centre, ahead of his upcoming bout on the high-profile Tyson Fury – Oleksandr Usyk world title rematch undercard in Saudi Arabia on 21 December.
Just days before his 28th birthday, McGregor sees this opportunity as the culmination of his lifelong boxing journey. He will face Isaac Lowe in what promises to be one of the most anticipated fights of the year.
McGregor has been meticulously preparing at Meadowbank, adapting his training schedule to match the fight’s timing in the Middle East. His camp has included diverse sparring partners from England, Glasgow, France, and Spain, ensuring comprehensive preparation for the crucial match.
The venue holds special significance for McGregor, who previously trained at Meadowbank’s amateur boxing club as a young kid, where he represented Meadowbank Amateur Boxing Club, training in the old gym.
“Being able to train back at Meadowbank with their state-of-the-art facilities and a dedicated boxing gym, is incredible,” McGregor said. “It’s where my boxing journey began, and now I’m preparing for a world-class event.”
Josh Anderson, Operations Manager at Meadowbank Sports Centre said: “It’s been a huge privilege to welcome someone of Lee’s calibre to our facilities. We’ve enjoyed meeting him, his team and sparring partners for his final training camp, ahead of what will be the biggest fight of his life.
“We wish him all the best and will be rooting for him.”
The £47m Meadowbank Sports Centre, reopened in July 2022, represents a significant investment in community sports and wellness, offering expanded facilities to support physical activity and athletic development.
The new venue supports accessible participation and has improved indoor facilities including two multi-sport games halls with seating, three fitness studios and a gym with triple the number of exercise stations and a boxing gym, among its facilities.
POLICE have released a CCTV image of a man officers believe may be able to assist their enquiries into an assault and robbery in Bingham.
The incident happened around 10.10pm on Monday, 13 May, 2024, near the roundabout between Bingham Medway and Bingham Broadway in the Niddrie area of the city.
The man pictured is described as around 5ft 9ins, aged between 25 and 30, with short curly hair and of slim build.
He was wearing an orange t-shirt, black jogging bottoms and black trainers.
Detective Constable Cameron MacIver said: “I would urge the man pictured or anyone who may recognise him to contact us. If you have any information about this incident, please get in touch as soon as possible.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 4232 of 13 May, 2024. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.
Forever Edinburgh has unveiled a new charity drive today, which will see it collaborate with local tourism businesses to provide hundreds of free experiences to those most in need this festive season and beyond.
‘Resident Rewards Edinburgh Gives Back’ is being delivered via Forever Edinburgh’s ‘Resident Rewards Edinburgh’ programme, local tourism businesses, and the One City Trust, an independent charity, which supports those living in poverty or facing social inequality in Edinburgh.
Almost 500 leisure and cultural experiences will be available for One City Trust to distribute amongst its network of partners and community groups in areas such as homelessness, youth empowerment, mental health, older people, disability support, food poverty, refugees and migrants.
The scale of the initiative has been made possible thanks to the generous donations of local businesses, who have match-funded experiences purchased by Forever Edinburgh’s Resident Rewards Edinburgh programme.
This will include tickets to venues such as Edinburgh Castle, Gladstone’s Land, Go Ape Dalkeith and Camera Obscura & World of Illusions. Residents can also explore the rich stories of the capital with Mercat Tours or delve into the chilling tales at The Edinburgh Dungeon.
Camera Obscura
Tastings and tours have been organised at Johnnie Walker Princes Street, Port of Leith Distillery and Lind & Lime Gin, along with a visit to the renowned Scotch Whisky Experience. Dining highlights include The Brasserie at The Scholar, Ten Hill Place Hotel, Fazenda Rodizio Bar and Grill and The Roseate Edinburgh.
Forever Edinburgh’s Resident Rewards Edinburgh programme was launched in 2021 to reconnect residents with their city via a range of discounts, offers and exclusive experiences at attractions and venues throughout Edinburgh.
Working with local businesses, it has helped to drive the local economy, encouraging residents to get out and explore new experiences, especially at non-peak times of the year and beyond the city centre.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, said:“These fantastic donations are hugely welcome and will help nearly 500 people in the city to create lasting memories. Everyone should have the opportunity to experience being a tourist in their home city, and to enjoy the incredible events and attractions we have on offer.
“Forever Edinburgh is on a drive to make sure the city’s tourism offering is truly inclusive and these contributions will be gifted to local people through our charity partners, adding to the 8,400 discounts and experiences exclusively for residents that have already been enjoyed.
“It gives a chance to people who otherwise would not be able to experience these great attractions, and I’d like to extend my gratitude to all organisations who have stepped up to make the new initiative possible and who have exceeded our expectations. Their generosity is supporting the One City Trust in its efforts to tackle inequality across our communities.”
Julie Trevisan-Hunter, Marketing Director at The Scotch Whisky Experience, added: “We have been working with Forever Edinburgh’s Resident Rewards Edinburgh since it launched in 2021.
“In that time, it has helped us to reach new audiences and attract people already living on our doorstep to come along to visit. We are delighted to support this campaign, knowing the impact it will have on those living in challenging circumstances and perhaps not able to enjoy some of Edinburgh’s iconic experiences as often as they would like.”
Resident Rewards Edinburgh Gives Back launched on Wednesday with experiences open for use until spring 2025.
Participating businesses and experiences include:
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions
Department of Magic
Edinburgh Bus Tours
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Marine Academy
Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill
Go Ape Dalkeith Country Park
Gladstone’s Land
Johnnie Walker Princes Street
Lind & Lime Gin
Mercat Tours
Port of Leith Distillery
The Scotch Whisky Experience
Surgeons Quarter – Ten Hill Place Hotel
The Roseate Edinburgh
The Edinburgh Dungeon
The Brasserie at The Scholar Hotel
Registered Scottish charities or constituted community groups across Edinburgh can nominate individuals to receive a voucher. To speak to One City Trust about nominations, please contact: admin@onecitytrust.com.
For further information about Resident Rewards Edinburgh, visit:
The leader of Edinburgh City Council, Labour’s Cammy Day, is being investigated by police over an allegation of inappropriate behaviour.
The Sunday Mail reported this morning that Forth councillor Day “bombarded Ukrainian refugees” with messages of a sexual nature.
The newspaper alleges he asked them sexually explicit questions, tried to meet them for wine dates and complimented them on their looks.
The Sunday Mail spoke to two Ukrainians who say Mr Day had been messaging them. They said they felt unable to ignore his unsolicited approaches due to his position within the council.
A spokeswoman for Edinburgh City Council said: “All matters raised with the chief executive and monitoring officer have been progressed through our established processes in consultation [with] our independent whistleblowing service, Safecall, and, where appropriate, Police Scotland.”
A Scottish Labour spokeswoman said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously. They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken.”
Labour’s leader in Scotland Anas Sarwar confirmed this morning that Mr Day has been suspended from the party pending the outcome of any investigation, but Mr Sarwar refused to comment further while investigations are ongoing.
A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed: “On Tuesday 22 October, we received a report of inappropriate behaviour. Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
Labour is the only the third biggest party on Edinburgh Council but Mr Day has led the local authority since May 2022 with support from the Lib Dems and the Scottish Conservatives. Both of these groups are now calling for his resignation.
Lib-Dem group leader Kevin Lang said this morning: “I have this morning written formally to Cllr Cammy Day to call on him to step down immediately as Leader of Edinburgh Council.
“The Liberal Democrat group has also tabled an emergency motion for Tuesday’s Policy Committee to agree he must now resign.”
Conservative councillor Iain Whyte said last night: “If Cammy Day has been suspended by Labour he can’t have their support to remain as Council Leader.
“He must step aside immediately. The Council as a whole can then decide a way forward.”
The SNP, the largest opposition party in Edinburgh, have also called for Cllr Day’s immediate resignation.
Cllr Simita Kumar, who leads the SNP group, said Mr Day should resign without delay.
She said on Twitter: “This is beyond shocking, I’m almost lost for words. @cllrcammyday needs to resign as Council Leader immediately.”
She later added: “Serious allegations have been made against Council Leader – Councillor Cammy Day.
“I have written to Paul Lawrence, Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council, to take immediate actions to safeguard the public, protect staff, and offer support to anyone impacted.”
The Scottish Green group have also called for Cammy Day’s ‘immediate resignation’:
Councillor Cammy Day has made no comment but his position is looking increasingly untenable.
The Government and NHS will unveil a refreshed Workforce Plan in the summer with a ‘laser-focus’ on shifting care from hospitals and into the community, as we work to get the NHS back on its feet and fit for the future.
Lord Darzi’s shocking report laid bare the systemic issues which have gripped the NHS for years and led to poorer experiences for patients and staff. Too much care is being delivered in hospitals because of historic underinvestment in the community.
Recent data shows that:
There are almost 16% fewer fully qualified GPs in the UK than other high income countries relative to our population.
The number of nurses working in the community fell by at least 5%, between 2009 and 2023.
A reduction of nearly 20% in the number of health visitors – who can be crucial to development in the first five years of a child’s life – between 2019 and 2023.
The number of mental health nurses has just returned to its 2010 level.
The original workforce plan would increase hospital consultants by 49%, but the equivalent rise in fully qualified GPs would have been just 4% between 2021/22 and 2036/37.
Through a refreshed workforce plan, alongside reform and investment, the Government is taking the decisive action needed to ensure it has the right workforce in the right place at the right time to deliver its 10 Year Health Plan and get the NHS back on its feet to deliver world-class care.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Lord Darzi diagnosed the dire state of the NHS, including that too many people end up in hospital, because there aren’t the resources in the community to reach patients earlier.
“Our 10 Year Health Plan will deliver three big shifts in the focus of healthcare from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. We will refresh the NHS workforce plan to fit the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, so the NHS has the staff it needs to treat patients on time again.”
Through the Government’s Plan for Change, an unrelenting approach is being taken to deliver an NHS fit for the future as part of a decade of national renewal. The Chancellor’s first Budget invested almost £26 billion of funding this year and next for the health system to address critical shortages and cut waiting lists, including delivering an extra 40,000 appointments.
Since July, significant progress has already been made by the Government on its Mission to deliver an NHS fit for the future and to support the workforce, putting funding in place to employ more GPs, ending devastating resident doctor strikes within its first few months, and sending crack teams of top clinicians into hospitals with high waiting lists.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said: “The NHS is nothing without our incredible staff and having a sustainable workforce is a key building block for an NHS fit for the future – that’s why we committed to update the plan regularly so that it reflects the changing and growing needs of patients.
“While the NHS is delivering more care to patients in the community, with the expansion of virtual wards, community diagnostic centres and neighbourhood hubs, part of our longer term goal is delivering even more care out of hospitals, and we’ll work closely with the government to refresh the workforce plan, alongside the upcoming 10 Year Health Plan.”
Delivering three big shifts in health care will be at the core of the government’s wider 10 Year Health Plan, from hospital to the community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. The workforce will form a central part of this plan.
Lord Darzi’s report made clear the NHS has suffered from years of underinvestment and a lack of effective reform, with far too many patients ending up in hospital. As part of our 10 Year Health Plan, care will be shifted from hospital to the community to support the NHS to free up hospital appointments, tackling waiting lists and easing the strain on the health service.
The expansion of the hospital workforce has come at the expense of other care settings and the proportion of the total NHS budget dedicated to acute hospitals has continued to rise, while the proportion of the NHS budget going to primary care has fallen by a quarter in just over a decade – from 24% in 2009 to just 18% by 2021. Despite this significant flow of resources into hospitals, output has not risen at nearly the same rate and NHS productivity has still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
Because patients can’t get the care they need in the community, like GP appointments, they end up in A&E, which is worse for them and more expensive for taxpayers. At a typical A&E on a typical evening in 2009, there would have been just under 40 people waiting in the queue. By 2024, that had swelled to more than 100 people.
The ten-year plan is due out next Spring. Following that, the workforce plan, which is due to be revised every two years, will be refreshed next summer.
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