The North Edinburgh community came out in force yesterday to enjoy the North Edinburgh Community Festival at West Pilton Park.
More than fifty local organisations contributed to a memorable day of music, food, arts and crafts, entertainment and information.
Local activist Willie Black, who chairs the Festival organising committee, said the hard work involved in staging the event had proved worthwhile.
“Covid has meant that it’s been a long time since our community has been able to have a party so it was great to see local folk coming out in huge numbers to enjoy themselves.
“Today has been a celebration of everything that makes North Edinburgh special and I’d like to thank each and very individual and organisation who contributed so much to making the festival such a huge success.”
The UK has confirmed £1.3 billion new funding for military operations and aid to Ukraine, this comes on top of the UK’s existing £1.5bn support to Ukraine, which included around £400 million in humanitarian aid and grants to the Ukrainian government, and unlocking over £700 million in lending from the World Bank through guarantees.
Prime Minister will attend virtual G7 meeting to discuss support for Ukraine, including provision of defensive legal aid
This comes on top of the £24 billion increase in defence spending announced in 2020, the biggest sustained increase in UK defence since the Cold War
The Chancellor today confirms £1.3 billion to meet the ongoing costs of military support to Ukraine during this financial year.
This is the highest rate of UK military spending on a conflict, since the height of the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan when 43,000 UK troops were deployed, and the sum spent supporting Ukraine continues to rise as the conflict endures.
The announcement comes as the Prime Minister and other G7 leaders meet virtually with President Zelenskyy today [Sunday], to mark VE day and discuss support for Ukraine’s long-term future as a sovereign and democratic country, including defensive lethal aid.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced £300 million for electronic warfare equipment, a counter battery radar system, GPS jamming equipment and thousands of night vision devices – this will be funded from the £1.3bn increase.
This announcement will also help support the thriving defence industry in the UK. The Prime Minister and Defence Secretary will host a meeting of leading defence companies later this month to discuss ramping up production in response to increased demand created by the conflict in Ukraine and a global shift away from Russian-made weaponry.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Putin’s brutal attack is not only causing untold devastation in Ukraine – it is also threatening peace and security across Europe.
“The UK was the first country to recognise the scale of the threat and send arms to help the Ukrainians defend themselves. We will stand by that endeavour, working with our allies to ensure Ukraine can continue to push back the Russian invasion and survive as a free and democratic country.
“In the process, we are bolstering our own security and economy, turbocharging the development and production of cutting-edge defence equipment here in the UK.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “The situation in Ukraine continues to cause immense suffering with every day bringing new, tragic stories of Putin’s brutality.
“We are unwavering in our support for the people of Ukraine – and this extra £1.3 billion will ensure we continue to provide the necessary military and operational support they need to defend themselves against Putin.
“The UK is at the forefront providing economic, humanitarian and defensive support to Ukraine and we are working tirelessly to bring an end to this conflict.”
The additional £1.3 billion comes from the Reserve – funds the UK Government has set aside for the most pressing emergencies. This latest commitment, announced by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak today, is in addition to the UK’s current package that totals well over £1.5billion.
The support already provided includes around £400million in humanitarian aid and grants and unlocking over £700m in additional World Bank lending through loan guarantees.
The UK government is also supporting Ukrainian refugees fleeing the crisis through the Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Family Scheme. So far more than 86,000 people have been given visas through the scheme, and more than 27,000 have already arrived in the UK.
The Integrated Review of Foreign and Defence policy resulted in the largest boost to defence in a generation, with an additional £24 billion allocated over four years to allow our armed forces to undertake a modernisation programme to reflect a rapidly changing world with emerging threats.
Police are appealing for information following a fatal road crash on Marionville Road on Friday night.
The incident happened around 10.50pm on Friday (6 May, 2022), and involved a silver Vauxhall Zafira and a pedestrian. Emergency services attended and the 62-year-old female pedestrian Suzanne Farrell was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, where she died yesterday (Saturday, 7 May).
The 33-year-old male driver of the car was arrested in connection and released pending further enquiries.
Sergeant Ross Drummond, of the Edinburgh Road Policing Unit, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the woman who has died in this crash and our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.
“I am asking anyone who may have been in the area at the time and saw what happened or who has dash-cam footage that could assist with our investigation to get in touch.”
Anyone with information should call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 4131 of 6 May.
A fund launched last year to tackle the social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic, has been awarded a further £15 million.
The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults was launched in October last year, and has helped nearly 2,000 community projects to deliver activities and programmes in its first year.
It has supported a wide range of projects including sport, outdoor initiatives, arts and crafts and nature, and covering groups such as older people, those with a long term health conditions or disabilities, people living in rural areas and the LGBT community.
The new investment will allow the fund to continue for another year.
Speaking ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is loneliness, and we know the pandemic has brought this issue into much greater focus. The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund has supported many projects that help to make people feel less isolated.
“The fund was set up to build and develop capacity within community organisations and grass roots groups so they can support people’s mental health and wellbeing. I am pleased that so many projects benefitted in the first year.
“This investment reflects the importance we place on promoting good mental health and early intervention for those facing mental health challenges – ensuring that people can access a range of different types of support to match their needs. It will help us to continue to support a range of valuable community mental health and wellbeing projects across Scotland.”
Cowal Elderly Befrienders in Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, is one organisation which has received funding. The organisation works with men aged 65 and over to reduce social isolation in a group known to be hard to reach.
It provides befriending services designed to improve the quality of life, reduce isolation and loneliness which in turn aids the prevention of suicide. The service also helps keep older people independent and active in their communities.
Robin Miller, Project Coordinator said: “The numbers of older people we support has steadily increased and we now support over 200 each week. Many of the men we support are keen to remain as independent as possible and do not initially reach out for help – it can take weeks or months of sympathetic support to build up confidence, trust and an acceptance of outside help.
“Our work also allows older people to make a positive contribution to the work – in the small groups we work with. Our older men often support each other, thereby increasing their sense of self-worth and allowing them to actively further our aims.
“The funding we have recently received will allowed us to sustain and develop our work. Over the coming year, our Men on Board project will help us to focus more closely on older men, provide much needed support for them and provide insights into what isolated older men need, want and why this group is often viewed as ‘hard to reach’.”
If you have a body of water on your land and people can access it, you must take steps to mitigate the risks. It is time to act!
Did you know that most victims of accidental drownings never intended to enter the water in the first place? The most recent published figures from the National Water Safety Forum (2020) show that most drownings occurred while people were walking or running next to water.
This is a sobering reminder of why it is imperative to ensure that any body of water you are responsible for, from rivers and lakes to ponds and reservoirs, is made safe for those who can access it – think employees, residents, visitors, as well as members of the public. And RLSS UK Consultancy Services can help.
Assessing the risks
As one of the most experienced water safety advisory services in the UK and Ireland, the RLSS UK has provided clear to follow, impartial, and practical water safety advice and expertise for more than 130 years.
Whether you are a construction company or private landowner, a local authority, or a leisure operator, we can help you manage water safety to help you confidently meet your obligations under the Health & Safety Act.
Regardless of the form your body of water takes, you must take all necessary steps to ensure it is safe. We start with a full risk assessment – an essential piece of work to review your operations and activities so we can identify the risks and how to alleviate them.
In January, there was pressure on the UK Government and Parliament to make risk assessments of all bodies of water (natural and man-made) mandatory. This was part of a debate on the addition of throwline stations around open bodies of water following the death of 18-year-old Mark Allen, who drowned in 2018 after jumping into a reservoir on a hot summer day.
The following May, three throwlines were installed where he died. Mark could have possibly been saved if they were in place beforehand.
Government response on 1 July 2021 included: “This tragic loss of life highlights the importance of the landowner’s responsibility to assess and act on the risks posed by open bodies of water on their land.”
Bespoke solutions for your needs
There is no one solution to water safety. Following a thorough risk assessment, our consultants will advise you of the most cost-effective options that meet the particular characteristics of your water environment. These could include:
Training – identifying training most suitable for your needs and linking you with appropriate trainers.
Operational Planning – auditing your Normal Operating Procedures and Emergency Action Plans (Safe Systems of Work) to identify gaps and potential improvements.
Working with your site and team to develop systems that complement operational needs.
Signage – surveying your site to assess whether signage is necessary, advise if your current signage is appropriate and up to date, and make recommendations for improvements.
Public Rescue Equipment – helping you identify the most appropriate installations, inspecting current arrangements, and making recommendations for improvements as required.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)– using current safety standards to advise on the best site and situation-specific PPE.
Giving you peace of mind
Remember, it is not just the public you need to consider. Employers and the self-employed whose activities are close to open water must also take the correct steps to prevent employees and other people from coming to harm due to their work activities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Our expertise extends across all water environments, no matter how big or small. We can work with you to develop a bespoke solution that meets your specific water safety needs and results in a safer environment giving you peace of mind.
With more and more people drawn to open water, tragedies like those suffered by Mark Allen occur every year.
We believe that every accidental drowning is preventable. As the go-to water safety consultancy, our team of experts can work with you on all aspects of safety in and around water to help prevent accidental drownings in your waters.
NHS Lothian’s Community Vaccination Team has administered an incredible 5,200 HPV vaccinations in schools across Edinburgh and the Lothians this past month, even with a break over the Easter holidays.
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35 and HPV is the main cause. A 2018 Scottish study showed that the vaccine has reduced pre-cancerous cervical disease in 20-year-old women by up to 71%.
The prevalence of certain HPV types in 16- to 18-year-old women in England, who were offered vaccination at 12 to 13, was found to have reduced from 15% before the vaccination programme to less than 2% in 2018.
The vaccination also provides vital protection against genital warts and anogenital cancers in both boys and girls. Consent forms were provided to schools earlier this year. Consent is provided for the vaccination course and, once given, covers your child for both doses.
The team began vaccinating at the beginning of April and this year’s programme runs until the end of June. If your child’s form was misplaced or lost, you can contact the school’s office to get another.
If your child has any questions or concerns, they are encouraged to speak to our vaccinators.
Runaway success: Great British Rail Sale sees more than 128 million miles of discounted journeys travelled on UK railways this spring.
Great British Rail Sale ends on a high with more than 1.3 million tickets sold
total tickets sold would cover a ticket journey to the sun – 128,250,000 miles
first of its kind sale offered big savings for travellers struggling with the cost of living
With more tickets sold than the entire population of Britain’s second-largest city, Birmingham, the Great British Rail Sale has been a runaway success. Through this first-of-its-kind sale, this spring will see over 128 million miles of discounted journeys travelled on UK railways.
This first-ever industry-wide sale saw more than one million rail tickets slashed by up to 50%, saving passengers over £7 million (or 15,000 years’ worth of takeaways). The total distance of the journeys sold would create a rail trip from the Earth to the sun and beyond, boldly going where no train has gone before.
The Great British Rail Sale was launched to help ease some of the pressure on family finances at a time when the cost of living is increasing for people in the UK and across the wider world.
The average price of tickets was around £7.50 during the sale and the most popular routes have been:
Newcastle to York
London to Nottingham
Oxford to London Paddington
London to Sheffield
Cambridge to London
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The Great British Rail has been unprecedented in its scale, and equally unprecedented in its success.
“It has been fantastic to see so many of you jumping at the chance to head out onto our brilliant railway network, reconnecting with loved ones and exploring your favourite places across the country.
“The whole rail family has come together to help passengers facing rising costs of living by saving hard-working people millions on their journeys across Britain this spring.”
Jacqueline Starr, CEO of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “We are delighted that so many people have been able to take advantage of the Great British Rail Sale and are exploring the fantastic locations that are accessible by rail for less at a time when we’re all feeling the squeeze.
“Customers who are planning to travel by train this summer can still make great savings on their next train journey by booking in advance, travelling off-peak or with a Railcard that provides one-third off most fares.”
The UK Government says it is is listening to people’s concerns about rising living costs and is taking action with more than £22 billion of support in 2022 to 2023 alone – which includes helping with the cost of energy bills and efforts to ensure people keep more of their money. It says offering half-price rail tickets is one of the ways the government is further supporting families with the cost of living.
An exhibition of original works by artists who experience complex and enduring mental health conditions
Out of the Blue, The Drill Hall, Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh EH6 8RG
Open to the public Tuesday 10th – Thursday 12th May 10am – 4.30pm; Friday 13th May 10am – 2pm
This exhibition, taking place in Mental Health Awareness Week, showcases a range of original works by 22 artists. The artists all experience complex and enduring mental health conditions, and many of them have never displayed their art in public before.
The works are created using a variety of mediums and encompass a mix of drawings, painting, sculpture, spoken word, textile, and photography. Many pieces are for sale, with all proceeds of sale going directly to the artists.
The exhibition is delivered in partnership by Carr Gomm, Volunteer Edinburgh, Penumbra and the Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership.
Funding for exhibition space is provided by Carr Gomm Futures.
