· A drug called Translarna can help treat an underlying genetic cause of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
· Muscular Dystrophy UK, Action Duchenne, Duchenne Family Support Group, and Duchenne UK appeared before the Scottish Medicines Consortium in March
· The Scottish Medicines Consortium has accepted the drug for use on NHSScotland over the next three years
· The drug company must now submit a plan to Scottish Government before it can be given on NHS Scotland
A DRUG that can treat an underlying genetic cause of a muscle-wasting condition has been accepted for use on NHSScotland, it has been announced.
This will pave the way for the drug to be made available across the next three years, through a system called the ‘ultra-orphan pathway’.
The news comes after Muscular Dystrophy UK, Action Duchenne, Duchenne Family Support Group and Duchenne UK appeared before the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) last month, following an earlier joint submission to accept Translarna for use on NHSScotland.
The drug can help treat patients with an underlying genetic cause of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), called nonsense mutations. This condition primarily affects boys and causes muscles to weaken and waste over time, with most of those affected needing to use a wheelchair by the age of 12. The life-limiting disease also causes other severe health problems to the heart and breathing muscles.
In yesterday’s announcement, the SMC said it accepts that Translarna meets the definition of what is known an ultra-orphan medicine, used to treat extremely rare conditions.
It means that eligible DMD patients aged two or over and who are able to walk should be able to have the treatment on NHSScotland under the ultra-orphan pathway for at least the next three years. This is provided that the company manufacturing Translarna submits a data collection plan to the Scottish Government.
The plan should outline how further data, including evidence outlining the experiences of patients and carers, will be collected over the next three years. At the end of this period, the drug company should provide the SMC with an updated submission for reassessment. The SMC will then review the evidence before deciding if Translarna can be routinely used on NHSScotland.
In the announcement, the SMC acknowledged that Translarna “may allow affected children to retain the ability to walk for longer, potentially leading to increased independence”.
Provided that the drug company has submitted its plans to the Scottish Government, Translarna will be given in addition to the current standard treatments on NHSScotland.
Families and individuals should speak with their clinician to find out more about eligibility. More information will be shared with relevant patient groups accordingly.
A spokesperson on behalf of the four charities said: “Muscular Dystrophy UK, Action Duchenne, Duchenne Family Support Group and Duchenne UK are delighted the SMC has accepted Translarna for use on the ultra-orphan pathway for the next three years.
“Today’s announcement is excellent progress in our bid to help those with Duchenne muscular dystrophy access appropriate treatment in Scotland, especially because every day is a race against time to slow down the condition.
“We believe that the physical and mental health benefits of Translarna have the potential to improve lives for so many families living with Duchenne. The four charities are therefore very much looking forward to hearing the drug company’s plans going forwards, so that patients can start to access treatment as quickly as possible.”
Linda Hamilton, from Port Seton, has worked as a community fundraising manager for NSPCC Scotland for four years and will take on the three-day challenge as part of this year’s virtual Kiltwalk. The money raised will be topped up by 50% by the Hunter Foundation, organisers of the annual event.
Linda Hamilton, community fundraising manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “This last year has been tough for all of us, and children have been the hidden victims of the pandemic.
“With schools closed for lots of the last year, children have been cut off from their friends and support networks, with many young people feeling alone and isolated, and some, sadly, having to deal with bereavement.”
The NSPCC supports children and young people around the country by providing its Childline service, which children can contact to speak to a trained counsellor about anything they are worried about.
The charity also has a service centre in Govan, Glasgow, which provides community outreach and therapeutic services to local families, helping them to provide the best support to their children.
Linda added: “It has also been a challenging year for fundraising, as most events were postponed, cancelled or held virtually. But that’s not stopped our amazing supporters from coming up with innovative ways of raising funds.
“After last year’s Kiltwalk was cancelled, one of our Childline volunteers, Siobhain, took it upon herself to walk a full marathon in her back garden, taking her more than eight hours, raising £1,000.
“We’ve also had people host virtual quizzes and bingo games, as well as ‘celebrate and donate’ in which supporters have simply set up a Just Giving page and asked their friends and family to make a donation instead of buying them a gift for their birthday or other celebration.
“I signed up for my three-day Kiltwalk challenge because I know how important the work of the NSPCC is, and the real difference it can make in children and young people’s lives.”
Linda will complete the challenge around Port Seton, and the ‘tennisathon’ will take place at her local club of eight years, Longniddry Tennis Club.
Linda said: “We can only continue to be there to support children and young people with the help of the general public, and if anyone would like to fundraise for the NSPCC, please do get in touch with me at linda.hamilton@nspcc.org.uk”
To sign up for this year’s virtual Kiltwalk, and raise money for NSPCC Scotland, search ‘virtual kiltwalk’, and to sponsor Linda in her challenge visit: https://bit.ly/3mvhfsY
Any adult concerned about the welfare of a child or young person can call the NSPCC helpline for free on 0808 800 5000. Children can call Childline at any time on 0800 1111.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made this statement in the House of Commons yesterday
Mr Speaker, I beg to move:
That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty expressing the deepest sympathies of this House on the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the heartfelt thanks of this House and this nation for his unfailing dedication to this Country and the Commonwealth, exemplified in his distinguished service in the Royal Navy in the Second World War; his commitment to young people in setting up The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a scheme which has touched the lives of millions across the globe; his early, passionate commitment to the environment; and his unstinting support to Your Majesty throughout his life.
Mr Speaker, it is fitting that on Saturday His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will be conveyed to his final resting place in a Land Rover, which Prince Philip had designed himself, with a long wheel base and a capacious rear cabin, because that vehicle’s unique and idiosyncratic silhouette reminds the world that he was above all a practical man, who could take something very traditional – whether a machine or indeed a great national institution – and find a way by his own ingenuity to improve it, to adapt it for the 20th or the 21st century.
That gift for innovation was apparent from his earliest career in the Navy. When he served in the second world war, he was mentioned in despatches for his “alertness and appreciation of the situation” during the Battle of Cape Matapan, and he played a crucial role in helping to sink two enemy cruisers. But it was later, during the invasion of Sicily, that he was especially remembered by his crewmates for what he did to save their own ship.
In a moment of high danger, at night, when HMS Wallace was vulnerable to being blown up by enemy planes, he improvised a floating decoy – complete with fires to make it look like a stricken British vessel – so that the Wallace was able to slip away, and the enemy took out the decoy.
He was there at Tokyo Bay in 1945, barely 200 yards away from the Japanese surrender on the deck of USS Missouri; but he wasn’t content just to watch history through his binoculars. It seems that he used the lull to get on with repainting the hull of HMS Whelp; and throughout his life – a life that was by necessity wrapped from such a young age in symbol and ceremony – one can see that same instinct, to look for what was most useful, and most practical, and for what would take things forward.
He was one of the first people in this country to use a mobile phone. In the 1970s, he was driving an electric taxi on the streets of London – the fore-runner of the modern low-carbon fleet, and, again, a vehicle of his own specifications. He wasn’t content just to be a carriage driver. He played a large part in pioneering and codifying the sport of competitive carriage driving.
And if it is true that carriage-driving is not a mass-participation sport – not yet – he had other novel ideas that touched the lives of millions, developed their character and confidence, their teamwork and self-reliance. It was amazing and instructive, to listen on Friday to the Cabinet’s tributes to the Duke, and to hear how many were proud to say that they, or their children, had benefited from taking part in his Duke of Edinburgh Award schemes.
I will leave it to the House to speculate as to who claimed to have got a gold award, and who got a bronze. But I believe those ministers spoke for millions of people – across this country and around the world – who felt that the Duke had in some way touched their lives, people whose work he supported in the course of an astonishing 22,219 public engagements, people he encouraged, and, yes, he amused.
It is true that he occasionally drove a coach and horses through the finer points of diplomatic protocol, and he coined a new word – dontopedalogy – for the experience of putting your foot in your mouth.
And it is also true that among his more parliamentary expressions he commented adversely on the French concept of breakfast, and told a British student in Papua New Guinea that he was lucky not to be eaten, and that the people of the Cayman Islands were descended from pirates, and that he would like to go to Russia except that, as he put it, “the bastards murdered half my family”.
But the world did not hold it against him, Mr Speaker. On the contrary, they overwhelmingly understood that he was trying to break the ice, to get things moving, to get people laughing and forget their nerves; and to this day there is a community in the Pacific islands that venerates Prince Philip as a god, or volcano spirit – a conviction that was actually strengthened when a group came to London to have tea with him in person.
When he spoke so feelingly about the problems of overpopulation, and humanity’s relentless incursion on the natural world, and the consequent destruction of habitat and species, he contrived to be at once politically incorrect and also ahead of his time.
In a quite unparalleled career of advice and encouragement and support, he provided one particular service that I believe the House will know in our hearts was the very greatest of all. In the constant love he gave to Her Majesty the Queen – as her liege man of life and limb, in the words he spoke at the Coronation – he sustained her throughout this extraordinary second Elizabethan age, now the longest reign of any monarch in our history.
It was typical of him that in wooing Her Majesty – famously not short of a jewel or two – he offered jewellery of his own design. He dispensed with the footmen in powdered wigs. He introduced television cameras, and at family picnics in Balmoral he would barbecue the sausages on a large metal contraption that all Prime Ministers must have goggled at for decades, complete with rotisserie and compartments for the sauces, that was – once again, Mr Speaker – a product of his own invention and creation.
Indeed as an advocate of skills and craft and science and technology this country has had no royal champion to match him since Prince Albert, and I know that in due course the House and the country will want to consider a suitable memorial to Prince Philip.
It is with that same spirit of innovation that as co-gerent of the Royal Family, he shaped and protected the monarchy, through all the vicissitudes of the last seven decades, and helped to modernise and continually to adapt an institution that is above politics, that incarnates our history, and that is indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.
By his unstinting service to The Queen, the Commonwealth, the armed forces, the environment, to millions of people young and not so young around the world, and to countless other causes, he gave us and he gives us all a model of selflessness, and of putting others before ourselves.
And though I expect Mr Speaker, he might be embarrassed or even exasperated to receive these tributes, he made this country a better place, and for that he will be remembered with gratitude and with fondness for generations to come.
AND AT HOLYROOD:
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon moved the following motion at The Scottish Parliament yesterday:
Motion of Condolence following the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: First Minister’s statement – 12 April, 2021
Presiding Officer,
The tributes paid to the Duke of Edinburgh over these last three days show the affection in which he was held – here in Scotland, across the United Kingdom, and indeed around the world.
On behalf of the people of Scotland, I express my deepest sympathy to Her Majesty the Queen – who is grieving the loss of her ‘strength and stay’, her husband of almost 74 years – and also to the Duke’s children, and to the wider Royal Family.
Of course, before he became the public figure so familiar to all of us today, the Duke of Edinburgh had already led a life of distinction.
Like so many of his generation, he endured difficulties and faced dangers that generations since can barely comprehend.
As a naval officer in World War Two, he was mentioned in dispatches for his part in the Battle of Matapan.
In 1943, his courage and quick-thinking helped save HMS Wallace from attack in the Mediterranean.
And during a two year spell at Rosyth, he was responsible for escorting merchant vessels on a route known as “E-boat alley”, because of the frequency of the attacks from German vessels.
For these contributions alone, he – like all of our veterans – is owed a significant debt of gratitude.
The Second World War was, however, just the beginning of the Duke of Edinburgh’s life of public service.
From 1947, he was the Queen’s constant companion.
And from 1952, he was her consort.
As has been much noted in recent days, he became the longest serving consort in British history.
That role, in a constitutional monarchy, cannot be an easy one – particularly, perhaps, for someone who is spirited and energetic by temperament.
And of course, he faced the additional challenge of being the husband of a powerful woman – at a time when that was even more of an exception than it is today.
That reversal of the more traditional dynamic was highly unusual in the 1940s, 50s and 60s – and even now, isn’t as common as it might be.
Yet the Duke of Edinburgh was devoted to supporting the Queen. They were a true partnership.
Indeed, like First Ministers before me, I got to witness the strength of that partnership at close quarters during annual stays at Balmoral.
I always enjoyed my conversations with the Duke of Edinburgh on these visits – indeed on all of the occasions that I met him – and I was struck by how different he was in private to the way he was sometimes characterised in public.
He was a thoughtful man, deeply interesting and fiercely intelligent. He was also a serious bookworm, which I am too, so talking about the books we were reading was often, for me, a real highlight of our conversations.
Prince Philip was without doubt a devoted consort to the Queen – but of course he also carved out a distinctive individual role.
He took a particular interest in industry and science, and he was far-sighted in his early support for conservation. Indeed, as far back as 1969, in a speech here in Edinburgh, he warned of the risks of “virtually indestructible plastics”.
And of course, in 1956 he founded The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, which now every year provides opportunity, hope and inspiration to more than 1 million young people in more than 100 different countries across the world.
In addition, the Duke of Edinburgh was patron of more than 800 charities. At the time of his retirement from Royal duties, he had completed well over 20,000 engagements.
Many of these engagements were of course here in Scotland – a country that he loved from a very early age.
He was educated in Moray, taught to sail by a Scottish trawler skipper, and as has been mentioned already, was based at Rosyth for two years during the war.
When the Duke received the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh in 1949, he spoke then of the “numberless benefits” that Scotland had given him.
Some of his very first duties with the Royal Household were undertaken here in Scotland.
In July 1947 – just a week after the announcement of his engagement to the then Princess Elizabeth – the couple travelled here to Edinburgh.
And in the years since, the Duke has been present at many of the key moments of our modern history – including, of course, the official openings of our Scottish Parliament.
He has served many Scottish charities and organisations – indeed, he was Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh for more than 50 years.
Throughout all of that time, the public has held him in great affection.
On that first Royal Visit to Edinburgh in 1947, people gathered just across the street, in the forecourt of Holyrood Palace, and celebrated the Royal engagement with country dancing.
More than 70 years later – shortly after he had announced his retirement from public life – I witnessed the warmth of the reception he received as he accompanied the Queen to the opening of the Queensferry Crossing.
This is an event I had known he was determined to attend – he was fascinated and deeply impressed by the feats of engineering that each of the three Forth Bridges represent.
Presiding Officer,
One of the Duke of Edinburgh’s early engagements in Scotland, shortly after the Queen’s Coronation, was to plant a cherry tree in the grounds of Canongate Kirk, just across the road from here.
It stands directly opposite the tree planted by the Queen a year previously.
These trees are just about to bloom, as I am sure they will do each spring for decades to come.
I am equally sure that – not just in the weeks ahead – but many years from now, people will think fondly of the Duke of Edinburgh as they pass Canongate Kirk and look across to Holyrood Palace.
It is right that our Parliament pays tribute to him today.
In doing so, we mourn his passing and we extend our deepest sympathy to Her Majesty The Queen and her family.
We reflect on his distinguished wartime record; his love and support for the Queen; and his decades of public service to Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth.
Above all, Presiding Officer, we celebrate – and we honour – an extraordinary life. I move the motion in my name.
Ramadan is here, but how much do those of other faiths, or none, know about this important religious festival?
Former primary school teacher Catherine Lynch of education resource experts PlanBee takes a closer look at why and how Muslims celebrate Ramadan and considers what the whole family can learn from its customs and rituals
A Pillar of Islam
Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and lasts 29 to 30 days. The Islamic calendar is based on the cycle of the moon so its dates change every year. This year, Ramadan will begin on the evening of Monday 12th April when the new moon first appears in the sky and end on Tuesday 11th May, the night of the waning crescent moon.
No food or drink
During Ramadan, Muslims don’t eat or during the hours of daylight. Children don’t usually fast until they are 14 years old. Some Muslims don’t have to fast, including, pregnant women, elderly people, those who are unwell and people travelling.
Muslims try to spend time with their family during Ramadan. They also try to help people in need, give up bad habits and devote time to prayer. Many Muslims try to read the whole of the Qur’an during Ramadan.
Which meals are eaten during Ramadan?
The meal Muslims have before the sun rises is called Suhoor, meaning ‘of the dawn’. Iftar, meaning ‘break of a fast’ is the evening meal eaten after sunset
What is Qadr Night?
Laylat al-Qadr is the night Muslims believe the Qur’an was sent down from Heaven to the world and revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Laylat al-Qadr is thought to have happened between the 23rd and 27th night of Ramadan.
What happens at the end of Ramadan?
The end of Ramadan is celebrated with a big celebration called ‘Eid ul-Fitr’. Muslims dress in their finest clothes, give gifts to children, spend time with their friends and family and give money to charity.
What are the Five Pillars of Islam?
The Five Pillars of Islam are acts that are important in Muslim life:
The first is Shahadah, the declaration that Allah is the only God.
The is Salat, the five prayers Muslims say every day
The third is Zakat, meaning to be charitable and give to those in need.
The fourth is Sawm, the month-long fast Muslims do during Ramadan.
The is Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Easy Ramadan crafting
Make moon–sighting binoculars with your children
Get two toilet rolls and stick them together to make binoculars.
Decorate the toilet rolls to look like the night sky.
New figures from Age Scotland reveal that older people on low incomes missed out on £88 million in Council Tax reduction support last year.
These “astonishing” levels show that much more needs to be done to boost people’s understanding of the financial support available and make the process of receiving it much more streamlined.
As council tax bills for this financial year land on doormats across Scotland, the charity estimates that hundreds of thousands of older people are missing out on vital support they are entitled to. With 150,000 pensioners living in poverty and tens of thousands more on the cusp, Age Scotland says this huge sum of unclaimed support would make a real difference to those most in need.
These figures have been revealed as the charity launches its new ‘Check in, Cash out’ social security awareness campaign.
The Age Scotland campaign aims to raise older people’s awareness and increase uptake of the financial support available to help them live well, and work to change the narrative about social security so it is treated in a more positive light, removing any stigma about accessing it.
It will run all year round, urging people to call their 0800 12 44 222 helpline for an entitlement check and access their wide range of free information guides about social security. The charity will also offer awareness and training sessions about the most relevant financial support for older people.
Age Scotland believes that Council Tax Reduction is one of the most widely underclaimed benefits and heavily linked to missing Pension Credit support.
The figures, confirmed by the Scottish Government, show that the average annual award for Council Tax Reduction in 2019-20 to people over 65 in Scotland was £716.56.
It is estimated that at least 123,000 older households in Scotland are not claiming the Pension Credit they are entitled to which would make them eligible for full Council Tax Reduction.
Brian Sloan, Age Scotland’s Chief Executive said: “This astonishing level of underclaimed Council Tax Reduction, among other sources of financial support such as Pension Credit, could be making a real difference to the lives of those older people on low incomes, driving down levels of poverty and boosting their wellbeing.
“We’ve got to make it easier for people to claim and ensure that accessing passported benefits is much more streamlined.
“Age Scotland’s helpline identified around £500,000 in unclaimed social security for older people last year but that is clearly just the tip of the iceberg.
“Every year hundreds of millions of pounds in vital financial support is missed by those who are unaware it exists, don’t know where to turn for help to claim, are locked out as they aren’t online, or feel stigma about needing this help.
“We’re here to support older people to find out more about of the financial support available to them with our free information guides and free eligibility checks through our helpline. We can also help people to claim if they are missing out.
“Social security is not just for older people on low income. If you have a disability or illness which means you need extra help, or care for someone, you could also be missing out.
“We would urge older people to call our helpline on 0800 12 44 222 to find out if they are receiving all the social security support they are entitled to. Please don’t hesitate to check in, as you may well be entitled to cash out on additional financial support.”
Call the Age Scotland helpline on 0800 12 44 222 for free eligibility checks, as well as advice and free guides on Council Tax Reduction and other social security such as Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance and Carers Allowance.
Age Scotland’s information guide on Council Tax Reduction and their “Check in, Cash out” campaign is available at www.age.scot/CheckInCashOut.
Officers in Edinburgh are appealing for the help of the public to establish the movements of a man whose body was found in the Water of Leith.
The man, aged 67, was last seen around 6.35am on Friday, 9 April, 2021, in Leith Walk, outside a food store near the junction with Pilrig Street. His body was found around 7.55am the next day, Saturday, 10 April, in the water near to Couper Street.
His family are aware and the death is not believed to be suspicious. However, officers are still working to find answers for his family and are keen to speak to anyone who may be able to help in establishing the man’s movements after 6.35am on Friday.
He was wearing a dark red anorak with a fur trim hood, dark blue jeans, black leather Doc Martin boots and a black beanie hat. He is described as 5ft 5ins, of slim build and with grey hair.
Detective Constable Karen Durham said: “We do not believe his death is suspicious but it is important that we establish how and why the man came to be near the Water of Leith. In particular, we are keen to find out if he went home on Friday morning or not.
“Anyone who may have seen him or who can help is asked to call us on 101, quoting incident 0869 of Saturday, 10 April, 2021.”
With the combination of more people working from home and the current colder temperatures, heating bills for most people across the UK are rocketing.
Energy bills will rise further for millions more after the regulator, Ofgem, lifted the price cap on standard tariffs back to pre-pandemic levels but there are lots of simple things you can do to keep cosy and reduce your fuel bills during the current chilly period.
Here are some top tips from NHBC, the UK’s leading warranty and insurance provider for new build homes, to help you save on your winter bills:
· Reduce draughts – an important job as winter approaches is to make sure that your house does not have any unintended draughts. Floorboards and skirtings usually go ignored but cold air can easily filter through, so check for gaps and fill them in. Check to see if your letterbox is draughty, which can lead to cold hallways – installing a letter box draught excluder that fits onto the inside of your front door is an inexpensive easy DIY job. If you have an open fireplace and chimney which is not used, this can be draught proofed to stop warm air escaping and cold air entering your property. Remember that openings for ventilation should not be blocked.
· Bleed your radiators – trapped air or gas prevents hot water from heating your radiators fully so, if you have a radiator that is warm at the bottom but cool at the top, this may well mean there is air in the system, which may require bleeding to ensure maximum efficiency of the heating system.
· Loft insulation – insulating your loft is a simple, inexpensive and effective way to reduce energy waste and lower your heating bills. All new houses are fitted with loft insulation that meets the latest building regulations but, if you are in an older property, you may want to think about renewing it or topping it up.
· Thick curtains – they can help to protect your home from losing heat through windows. It’s important to try to get as much sunlight into your home during the day as possible but, as soon as dusk falls, remember to close curtains to reduce the need for additional heating.
· Keep radiators free – a common mistake we often make is to place our sofas in front of the radiators which can absorb the heat.
· Cavity wall insulation – around a third of all the heat lost in an uninsulated home escapes through walls so, if you live in an older property, considering thermal insulation of cavity walls could save you lots of money.
· Loft hatches – energy loss through the loft hatch is often overlooked. Insulating the hatch and ensuring that an effective draught seal is in place will help to keep heat energy in and your home warm.
· Windows – energy-efficient glazing keeps your home warmer, allowing less heat to be lost. Double glazing is fitted as standard to new-build homes but, if your house is older, replacing windows could be a good investment as they help to keep warmth in and reduce external noise.
· Service your heating system – all central heating boilers should be serviced and safety checked at least once a year by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. If your boiler is old, then consider an upgrade. According to the Energy Saving Trust, a new A-rated condensing boiler can save up to £315 a year on heating bills – most new homes have this type of boiler.
· Room temperature controls – your thermostat should typically be set between 18°C and 21°C, but by installing thermostatic radiator valves you can set different temperatures in different rooms (turn down the radiators in unoccupied rooms), according to individual preference. These will be standard in new homes but are easily fitted to existing radiators.
· Floor insulation – insulating your ground floor or floors above any unheated spaces e.g. integral garages will assist in keeping your home warm.
· Insulating tanks, pipes and radiators – Lagging water tanks and pipes and insulating behind radiators reduces the amount of heat lost, so you spend less money heating water up, and hot water stays hotter for longer.
Standards and Policy Manager at NHBC Giles Willson, said: “People living in new homes typically benefit from lower energy bills because their properties are built in line with the latest Government regulations for energy efficiency.
“However, whether you live in a newly-built home or an older property, there are a lot of ways that could save money on utility bills during the coldest part of the year when many millions of us are also working from the kitchen table and home-schooling our children.”
– Scottish walking charity shares ten ways to add fun activities to the family stroll –
WITH longer evenings and warmer weather ahead, a Scottish walking charity is revealing its top ten tips to inspire families to embrace the outdoors and engage with nature.
This comes after Paths for All launched its Spring Path Day campaign which includes 30 days of activity ideas, an online content hub, and £1000 worth of outdoor educational prizes for schools and children to win throughout April.
The charity understands that many families may feel bored of their usual walking routes, and hopes the hub will provide a variety of ideas to keep younger children entertained while enjoying time spent connecting with nature and making memories.
Information has been designed to motivate families to go outdoors and get moving in a free and safe way, with activities including treasure hunts, wildlife spotting and creative walking.
As walking has been one of the only reasons many have had to leave the house for months, Paths for All has pulled together ten things for families to try outdoors this spring:
1. Make a Treasure Trail
Make up a trail and the first one to complete it could receive a prize at the end.
2. Wildlife spotting
Take a notepad on your walk and make notes on any interesting wildlife you spot – you could turn it into a game and the person with the most points wins.
3. Build a Den
Woodlands are great for den building and helps kids solve problems and work together creatively.
Simply moving helps soothe our minds, and being creative adds to that. Let nature inspire your creativity.
5. Walk with another person
Invite a friend for a walk today and show them where you like to go and why – following Scottish Government Covid-19 guidelines.
6. Walking Games
Come up with fun games to play on your walks, example – eye spy, left or right, spring nature spotting.
7. Step count or distance challenge
Release your inner competitiveness and challenge someone (or yourself) to get a certain number of daily steps or mileage.
8. Take a picnic
Pack a rucksack with your favourite snacks and drinks and head off along a path for an alfresco lunch.
9. Do a litter pick
Help to look after your favourite paths and places. If you’ve spotted some annoying litter – bag it up and bin it responsibly.
10. Be wise outside
We’re lucky to be able to access our countryside freely so make sure to treat the Scottish landscape in a responsible way whilst out and about.
Regular walks can help keep Scots safe while allowing us to meet up and spend time with family and friends. It has been brought into focus during the pandemic how positive getting outdoors is to boost mental, physical and social well-being.
Rona Gibb, Senior Manager at Paths for All, said: “Fresh air, being outdoors and connecting with nature is not only positive for our physical and mental health, it is also a fun way to socialise with others safely.
“Walking is key to leading a happy and healthy life. As we move into spring there is no better time to incorporate it into your family routine, even if it is just a short walk to school or round the block.
“The Spring Path Days online hub provides a tonne of ideas for families, and will offer something to suit all interests – there is also a host of competitions to get involved in!”
The charity encourages families across Scotland to get involved in its seasonal campaign by sharing a photo of what they have been doing this spring.
All participants will be entered automatically into a prize draw which will see 10 individuals win a den-building kit.
One lucky winner will also win a £500 voucher for their school to spend on outdoor educational resources.
