davepickering

Award for Forth lifesaver Robyn

A local teenager who helped save the lives of two yachtsmen has been presented with a prestigious lifesaving award. Edinburgh Academy pupil Robyn Dougall, 15, is a volunteer rescue boat driver on the Forth and she was presented with her award at a gala dinner on Saturday (1 February).

As part of her duties with the Royal Forth Yacht Club at Granton, Robyn helped rescue a man who had been swept into the sea last summer and also assisted in rescuing another sailor who had fallen overboard in the sea near Leith.

During other rescue missions also helped save five yachts which were in danger in the Forth waters so Robyn’s Young Volunteer of the Year award from the Royal Yachting Association Scotland is richly deserved!

The first rescue she was involved with came after she spotted a man who had fallen overboard during a yachting festival on the Forth last summer.

She said: “We were helping out with the yacht races in force seven winds and we got a radio call to say a guy had got swept overboard. I found the boat, pointed it out and we got to him. He probably only had few minutes because he wasn’t wearing a life jacket.”

Robyn’s father Ken, who started teaching Robyn when she was aged eight, said he was “very proud” of his daughter’s achievements.

NHS Lothian restates commitment to Royal Victoria Hospital

Scotland rugby star Gavin Hastings hosted the Farewell to Victoria event back in 2012

It was closed and earmarked for sell-off but after a rethink it seems that the Royal Victoria Hospital will be providing services for a while yet …

NHS Lothian confirmed its commitment to retaining the Royal Victoria Hospital for the medium to long-term earlier this year. Wards in the hospital are currently being used to provide additional winter capacity and plans are now being developed to use the facility to provide flexibility in the number of beds available for older peoples’ services.

Between £0.5 and £0.75 million has been invested to improve the accommodation and infrastructure within the hospital to ensure it meets the needs of patients and staff and complies with infection control and health and safety standards.

Following board approval, detailed plans will be developed to transfer appropriate services from other sites such as the Astley Ainslie Hospital and Corstorphine Hospital to the newly refurbished and upgraded wards in the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Patients, families and staff will be fully engaged in this process and support will be provided to ensure the transfer of patients is as smooth as possible.

Melanie Johnson, Director of Unscheduled Care, said: “The significant investment in improving the facilities at the Royal Victoria Hospital has been made easier by the fact the Hospital has not been fully operational. We are now looking at how we can make the best used of the Royal Victoria Hospital once the demand for additional winter beds reduces.

“Moving some services from the Astley Ainslie Hospital and Corstorphine Hospital will allow us to continue to provide safe, high quality care for patients in a more modern healthcare environment. We will be working with patients and their families as well as our staff to develop these plans over the coming months.”

Two wards were re-opened in the Royal Victoria Hospital in November 2012 to provided additional capacity, and since two more wards have been upgraded with another two currently being refurbished. This will provide around 120 beds in total with a mix of single rooms and four or six bedded bays.

The growing population in Lothian – in particular the number of people living into their 80s and 90s with complex long-term conditions – has required NHS Lothian to review previous decisions on which sites to develop or dispose of.

NHS Lothian’s long-term plan is to concentrate on developing four key hospital sites and the proximity of the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) to the Western General Hospital has also played a part in the decision to investigate services moving to the RVH. The RVH will be incorporated into the master planning of the Western General Hospital site.

STV Appeal cash for Fresh Start

Local homeless resettlement charity, Fresh Start has received £2,000 from the STV Appeal 2013.

Ferry Road Drive-based Fresh Start works in partnership with churches, local communities and volunteers in Edinburgh to create, develop and provide services that support the resettlement of people who have been homeless. The charity helps them get a fresh start by providing essential household goods, practical and social support and training opportunities.

The STV Appeal funding will be used to help expand the charity’s flagship Starter Pack service, which provides the basics for new households. Last year, Fresh Start made up and distributed nearly 8,800 Starter Packs, helping families and individuals turn their empty houses into a home. This year the charity hopes to distribute 10,000, including the newly launched Food Packs.

The STV Appeal was set up in 2011 by STV and The Hunter Foundation and in 2013 the Wood Family Trust pledged its support to the Appeal. Now in its third year, the STV Appeal has raised a total of £5.8million which has been invested in 163 big and small community projects across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, helping over 18,000 children. Every penny raised stays in Scotland and goes directly towards helping the children who need it most.

One in five children across Scotland live in poverty – and for some communities that figure is even worse. In parts of the country every second family is living in poverty meaning that in every community there will be a family struggling to feed its kids, a family struggling to clothe them in the winter, a family struggling just to make ends meet. The STV Appeal works in communities all over Scotland helping those young people and giving them the same opportunity that other children take for granted. Working at a local level, the STV Appeal has helped projects in every local authority.

Keith Robertson, Managing Director of Fresh Start, said: “Moving into a new home, especially after being homeless, can bring many financial burdens. Our Starter Packs aim to reduce this burden and give people the essentials they need to settle in to their new homes. They provide the basics for new households to survive, for example bedding to keep warm at night, curtains to close the world out, crockery to eat your dinner on.”

Rob Woodward, STV CEO and trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The third year of the STV Appeal has been our most successful yet. With the help of our generous supporters and fantastic fundraising efforts taking place right across Scotland we have now raised over £5.8m. The money donated to the STV Appeal stays right here in Scotland and will help make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable children and young people on our doorstep.”

Sir Tom Hunter, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The STV Appeal is for Scotland by Scotland’s people who truly have stepped up to support our work in trying to beat the horror that is child poverty here in Scotland. This is a long haul but at the end of the day we can and we will eradicate the impacts poverty has on Scotland’s young people. Every single penny we raise goes directly to tackling the issue of child poverty across all of Scotland something I’m really proud of.”

Sir Ian Wood, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “This is the Wood Family Trust’s first year of involvement with the STV Appeal to help tackle the issue of child poverty in Scotland. We are delighted to be part of the fundraising endeavours of so many, which have enabled the distribution of such significant financial support to local projects in our own communities. We are optimistic that with the generous total raised by supporters of the STV Appeal, combined with the on-going hard work and dedication seen in communities across Scotland, the lives of children and young people affected by poverty in Scotland can, and will, be changed for the better.”

STV Appeal trustee Lorraine Kelly presenting The Big Live

Fancy a career in childcare?

There are still places available for the new Childcare Academy which will start on Monday 24 February 2014 at North Edinburgh Childcare.

Anyone who is interested will need to book into an information session prior to applying for the course. We have various dates and times for these drop in sessions and I would be grateful if you could contact myself on the number below or Barbara Webster on 0131 311 6926 for more details.

Kim Weir

Training Administrator, North Edinburgh Childcare

Letter: People, not commodities

Dear Editor

Despite the massive potential wealth of the UK, around two million people are unemployed, causing great hardship, depression and a loss of dignity. If people are willing to work, and the materials needed are available, what then is the problem and what can be done about it?

We live under a system of capitalism whose main concern is to make profit: if it cannot, in any industry or enterprise, the owners of wealth will not invest, switching their money to where it can, irrespective of any damage or hardship caused in doing so. This cannot be right; it only appeals to the greedy and selfish and the events of the last few years have shown just how much damage has been inflicted on people.

Investors, then, have considerable power; supported by people in powerful decision-making positions, protecting the existing set up.

If switching of investment purely for profit is the creator of unemployment, then this activity must be changed. An initial steps could be to put a limit in place on the rate of interest on an investment, coupled with a minimum term of investment to prevent money being pulled out and putting an industry and employees at risk.

This immoral position of holding the threat of unemployment over people purely for private gain is long overdue for changing – people are not commodities to be used and discarded.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Mikaeel: mother charged

The mother of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of her son following the discovery of a body in Kirkcaldy, police said late last night.

Rosdeep Kular, who is 33, was detained on Friday night and has now been charged. She is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow (Monday).

Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham told press that formal identification of a body found late on Friday night had now taken place and that the investigation continued.

Mikaeel’s disappearance from his Ferry Gait Crescent home was reported to police on Thursday morning and sparked off the biggest missing person search ever seen in the city. Hundreds of local volunteers joined the search for the wee boy, and many of them joined together again to attend a packed memorial service at Muirhouse St Andrew’s church.

ACC Graham said late last night: “During the course of today the investigation into the disappearance of Mikaeel Kular has continued at pace.

Following formal identification, I can now confirm that a 33-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with Mikaeel’s death.

“The woman is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday.”

He again thanked rescue teams and the public for their help in the search for Mikaeel.

“I would like to again recognise the overwhelming public assistance that Police Scotland have received during the course of this very complex investigation. This includes his family and friends, with whom our thoughts remain,” he said.

ACC Graham said inquiries were continuing, and went on: “I ask that anybody who has any information that they feel would assist the investigation contacts the police.”

A steady stream of people – including many children – continue to leave tributes in the park close to the wee boy’s home:

Mikaeel: Memorial Service tonight

A memorial service for Mikaeel Kular will be held in Muirhouse St Andrew’s Parish Church in Pennywell Gardens tonight at 7pm.

MIKAEEL: BODY FOUND

Woman – believed to be mother – detained

A body, believed to be that of three year old Mikaeel Kular, has been found in Fife. The news came just before midnight and police also confirmed that a woman – reported to be the boy’s mother – has been detained.

Late last night senior police officer Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham, clearly distraught, broke the news that everyone had dreaded – but had increasingly anticipated.

ACC Graham said: “The investigation into the disappearance of Mikaeel Kular has been wide-ranging and fast-moving.

“As a result of these inquiries I can confirm that we have recovered the body of a young boy in Fife shortly before midnight. We have informed the family and the investigation continues.

“A person has been detained in connection with the death.

“I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has shown such a fantastic response to the incident in terms of assisting the police with searches and in terms of our appeals for information and coming forward to assist with information.

“Without such vital assistance the police cannot do their job assisting those who live and work in our communities.

“As a result of this development clearly there will now be no requirement for any further help in relation to searches in the Drylaw area.”

For three days of his short life Mikaeel has been the most famous wee boy on the planet, and information about just how, when and why an innocent three year old lost his life will follow over the coming days.

For now, though, North Edinburgh will slowly get back to mundane, everyday life. Instead of joining mass searches, residents will be shopping, going to football games, cleaning windows and a hundred and one other humdrum activities. North Local Office and West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre will return to the normal routine.

But, with the eyes of the world on our neighbourhood, the North Edinburgh community can be very proud of it’s magnificent response to an appeal for help. It’s deeply sad that such an uplifting community effort was unable to help achieve the happy ending we’d all hoped so much to see.

And after Mikaeel, North Edinburgh will never be quite the same place again.

Missing boy update

Police in Edinburgh have issued a new image of missing boy
Mikaeel Kular as enquiries continue to trace the three-year-old.

Missing boy Mikaeel Kular wearing jacket

The image shows Mikaeel in the jacket he was believed to be wearing when he disappeared.

Officers are keen for local members of the North Edinburgh community to come forward if they believe they have seen a child wearing a coat like this within the area since 9pm on Wednesday night.

Mikaeel is described as being of Asian appearance, two feet tall and of slim build. In addition to the thigh-length beige coat, it is possible he is also wearing black gloves with multi-coloured fingers, dark navy blue jogging bottoms, a grey pyjama top featuring an embroidered turquoise dinosaur on the chest and brown Clark shoes with two Velcro straps.

He has a faded scar on the bridge of his nose and a sore on the left hand side of his mouth.

A Child Rescue Alert as been activated as part of the search for Mikaeel and a dedicated number has been set up for those with information that can help establish his whereabouts.

That number is 0300 200 0200

Door to door enquiries are being conducted in support of this investigation, with specialist support being provided by Operational Support Division, including Air Support, Roads Policing, Police dogs and trained search officers.

Anyone who can help trace Mikaeel is asked to contact police immediately.

Superintendent Liz McAinsh said: “Our enquiries to trace Mikaeel have been ongoing for over 12 hours now and so far, we have still to receive that vital piece of information that will lead to his discovery.

“I would like to thank the local community for their continued support and assistance during the search, and I also wish to thank those who have already called our dedicated number with information.

“All information received is being quickly progressed by our officers and I’d like to urge anyone who thinks they may know where Mikaeel is be to get in touch if they haven’t done so already.

“This new image shows the jacket we believe Mikaeel was wearing when he disappeared. Local residents and those who travel through the Drylaw area on a daily basis are urged to be vigilant for a young child matching Mikaeel’s description who may be wearing a jacket like this.

“Anyone who has information that can help us trace Mikaeel and bring him home is asked to contact police immediately.”

Volunteers wishing to help in the search for Mikaeel should assemble at North Local Office in West Pilton Gardens at 10am where they will be briefed by police search team

Urgent police appeal: help find missing boy

Local police are appealing for witnesses to help trace a missing child. Mikael Kular was last seen going to bed at his home address in Ferry Gait at around 9pm yesterday evening.

However, when his family awoke this morning, the three-year-old was not within the property. Officers are now conducting local enquiries in the area to trace Mikael and are being assisted by officers from the Air Support Unit.

Anyone who believes they have seen him since last night or this morning is asked to contact police immediately.

Mikael is described as three foot tall and possibly wearing a beige hooded jacket, brown shoes and nightwear.

Chief Inspector Sara Buchanan said: “We have currently got a large police presence within the Drylaw area as we conduct our enquiries to trace Mikael.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who remembers seeing a young boy matching his description since yesterday evening to contact police immediately.

“As part of our investigation we are also trying to determine how the child has left his home and anyone with information that can assist with these enquiries is also asked to get in touch.”

Those with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.