Go Dharmic is a global charity that organises hot food distribution across UK. On Sunday (2nd April) Go Dharmic launched a new weekly distribution of hot meals for Edinburgh’s homeless and vulnerable people.
Martin Dover, 18, a medical student from St. Andrews University, is head of food distribution for the Go Dharmic charity, which aspires to create positive change in the lives of individuals and their communities.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the charity put its efforts into providing food and hot meals to the people who are desperate for it, and seeing the benefits it brings.
Martin along with another volunteer Puneet Dwivedi has now launched the second distribution chain in Edinburgh.
They had their first Food distribution near Haymarket station in Edinburgh, where the hot food was donated by Kripa Bhama of Corstorphine’s Dangal Indian Restaurant.
Many people living at the homeless centre at The Haymarket Hub benefitted from this food distribution. The free food was also served up to anyone who wanted it!
Our amazing team of volunteers – Martin, Sumit, Nidhi and Puneet, along with young children Aarya, Aarush & Mahi – have been busy serving Hot meal, Crisp, Banana, water and juices.
The team were amazing and connected with some wonderful beneficiaries.
If anyone is looking to volunteer or donate please contact us directly at:
A fleet of NHS ambulances will provide urgent care for those injured by Russian attacks in Ukraine following a donation from the UK.
UK NHS trusts donating around 20 ambulances to the Government of Ukraine
donations will help replace Ukrainian ambulances lost to Russian bombardments and provide urgent care to injured
Ukraine’s health services stretched as Russian attacks hit civilian shelters and hospitals
The donation of around 20 NHS ambulances will help bring vital lifesaving care to Ukrainians remaining in towns and cities under attack from Russian bombardments.
This donation will help replace those Ukrainian ambulances lost to Russian attacks, bolstering the existing fleet’s resilience as the barbaric war goes on.
It is estimated more than 12 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance across Ukraine.
The conflict has stretched Ukraine’s health services, with Russia’s indiscriminate attacks targeting civilian shelters and even hospitals.
South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is leading the way, donating four of its ambulances, with further donations from NHS trusts across the country soon to follow.
The first ambulances will arrive in Ukraine this week, destined for Lviv in the west of the country, where they will be transported on to those areas most in need.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “We have sadly seen day after day the horrific impacts of Putin’s cruel war on the people of Ukraine, including evidence of appalling acts by Russian troops in towns such as Irpin and Bucha.
“The UK has been among the biggest aid donors, providing food, medicines and generators to help those affected. These world class NHS ambulances will now help bring lifesaving care directly to those injured in the conflict.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “The UK government has stood shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and provided them with the lifesaving medical equipment they need.
“The invasion has damaged key medical infrastructure and the generous donation of four ambulances by South Central Ambulance Service will ensure people in Ukraine can receive urgent care. It marks the first of many ambulances the UK government and the NHS is donating to Ukraine in the coming days.”
Paul Kempster, SCAS Chief Operating Officer said: “Ambulance Trusts around the country have been rallying to provide ambulances and we in SCAS are immensely humbled to also be able to support those in need in Ukraine.
“We hope that this small gesture goes some way to helping provide immediate frontline healthcare support to the many people who desperately need it.”
This latest funding and donation comes in addition to the nearly £400 million (£394 million) already pledged by the UK for the conflict in Ukraine, including £220 million of humanitarian aid.
An auction of books left in a legacy has raised over £1,000 to help fight meningitis.
The money will be used to support charity Meningitis Now’s work to defeat meningitis in the UK within a generation.
Trevor Reid, the charity’s Director of Fundraising and Communications, said: “There was nothing particularly remarkable about this collection of books – it was just the random selection each and every one of us might have on our bookshelves at home.
“It is a powerful reminder though that even those who might not be able to support our lifesaving and life-changing work with a cash legacy gift, particularly in these cash straitened times, can still make a difference to our work fighting meningitis.
“A gift of household items, be it books, a painting, ceramics, or other everyday objects, can be just as significant.
“As the many antique programmes we enjoy on our television screens every week demonstrate time and again, any of these may have greater value than is at first realised.”
Trevor continued: “It’s lovely to be able to celebrate gifts to our charity, large and small, and there’s always a story behind every donation.
“And all these gifts mount up and can help us to be here not just today but for future generations affected by meningitis.”
Although most of the books put up for auction raised a small amount, one lot, a collection of JRR Tolkien books, including old editions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, raised nearly £500.
Trevor added: “They were in far from pristine condition and nor were they first editions, but they clearly had more than just sentimental value to the person who kindly left them to us, as well as the person who bid generously to buy them at auction.”
Gifts in Wills from supporters are a vital way to help Meningitis Now fulfil its vision of a future where no-one in the UK loses their life to meningitis and everyone affected gets the support they need to rebuild their lives.
Nutritious snacking can help children curb hunger throughout the day, as well as provide energy and important nutrients. Getting children off to a good start with healthy snacking is a behaviour that will stick with them for a lifetime!
Here we share some ideas:
Encouraging Healthy Snacking
By involving children in the preparation or purchase of healthy snacks, you are encouraging healthy snacking as well as independence. The more exposure children have to healthy foods the better! Have healthy options readily available such as ready-to-eat veggie sticks in a box for when you are out and about, fresh fruit available in a bowl in the kitchen and wholegrain cereal and canned fruit in your cupboards.
Timings
Having regular meals at set times, with two or three snacks per day is ideal. Try not to allow snacks too close to mealtimes as this can cause children to fill up. If your child is not eating well at mealtimes, try looking at the amount and type of snacks they are having; they could still be full from their last snack!
Ideas
Where possible, try to combine snacks from at least two food groups, for example vegetables and houmous or fruit and sugar free yoghurt. Other healthy snack ideas include wholegrain foods such as bread, toast and breadsticks. This will provide extra nutrients and be filling for your little one.
Dividing up packaged snacks
If packaged foods are given to children, they may need to be divided up and shared. This is because packaged foods are normally designed for adults. As a general rule, one portion is roughly the amount that a child can fit in the palm of their hand.
We know childhood is a particularly important period for forming positive behaviours related to nutrition, so we hope this article has given you a few ideas.
Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has today revealed an inclusive range of new and continuing programmes created to support and develop burgeoning filmmaking and curatorial talent across the film industry.
With EIFF celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, these programmes feed into the film festival’s history of supporting new film talent by connecting audiences with innovative and essential storytellers.
The programmes are supported both through the PLACE programme, a partnership between the Scottish Government – through Creative Scotland – the City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Festivals and also through the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund.
Kristy Matheson, Creative Director of EIFF said: “This suite of programmes acknowledges that storytelling takes infinite forms – from the production of new films to the creative interpretation of cinema for audiences.
“Creating meaningful connections is a value we hold dear, and as we celebrate our 75th anniversary, Edinburgh International Film Festival is excited to look to the future of our industry and the makers and audiences who will shape it.”
Sambrooke Scott, Head of Audience Development at Screen Scotland said: “Screen Scotland and Creative Scotland are proud supporters of EIFF. As the festival celebrates its 75th year we’re excited that the talent-development programme offers a suite of forward-looking initiatives and bold new schemes that will support voices at different points in their careers from across the film industry.
“The programme sets out an exciting new vision for EIFF’s talent development activity, defined by experimentation and inclusion.”
Cllr Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said:“The festival’s continued commitment to emerging talent is further cemented with this announcement.
“We’re proud to support the city’s Film Festival as it continues to identify, support and highlight new screen talent. It is a great example of what the PLACE festivals funding programme can support, which in this instance is providing pathways to television and film industry skills development for participants from across Scotland.”
Running since 2011,EIFF Talent Labseesfour days of workshops, masterclasses and 1-2-1 sessions bringing together 30 emerging writers, writer/directors, directors and producers with established industry professionals.Past participants in the programme include: Anna Griffin (CALIBRE); Ben Sharrock (LIMBO); Claire Oakley (MAKE UP); Daniel Kokotajlo (APOSTASY); Eva Riley (PERFECT 10); John McPhail (ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE); Lucy Brydon (BODY OF WATER); Moin Hussain (BIRCHANGER LANE); Rob Savage (HOST); Sarah Brocklehurst (ANIMALS).
Talent Lab Connects, running since 2019, is a 9-month programme to help support filmmaking teams with professional script editing and mentoring.
The initiative is open to EIFF Talent Lab alumni and their collaborators to develop a feature film or serial drama project.EIFF will work with story editor Kate Leys and industry mentors to guide the 6 selected teams towards achieving a series of specific goals for their projects.
The 6 selected projects are:
BEFORE I WAKE | Producer: David Brown (Talent Lab 2017) | Writer/Director: Kevin Pickering (Talent Lab 2018)
DROVERS ROAD | Producer: Deb Charles | Writer: Morna Young | Director: Robin Haig (Talent Lab 2016)
PUNZEL | Producer: Rajita Shah (Talent Lab 2012) | Writer: Polly Courtney | Director: Tessa Joffe
SUNBURN | Producer: Hollie Bryan | Writer/Director: Jack King (Talent Lab 2021)
ULA (working title) | Producer: Cat Marshall | Writer: Lucy Kaya & Mandy Lee (Talent Lab 2012) | Director: Alex Browning
EIFF & Curate-It Fellowship is a 12-week online curatorial training programme for 7 early career programmers created to develop an online programme with digital access on the Curate-It platform and a public event for EIFF in 2022. This programme is developed and delivered by professional curators, Justine Atkinson (director) and Carmen Thompson (producer) of Curate-It.
EIFF Curatorial Commissionis an annual commission for world class film programming based on a particular theme or provocation. In 2022, EIFF will invite 3 mid-career programmers to develop a programme for public presentation.
EIFF Curatorial Mentoring Programme is a 1:1 mentoring programme pairing 3 mid-career programmers with a leading international curator. Support will also include actively connecting participants with key decision makers at institutions.
EIFF Critical Writing Commission is an annual writing commission based on a particular theme or provocation that connects 10 mid-career Scottish born or based cultural critics to global editors and audiences. This opportunity opens soon!
Justine Atkinson, Director of Curate-Itsaid ‘We are delighted to be partnering with the EIFF this year to create the Fellowship programme.
“Curate-It uses the digital space to make information about film curation more accessible, creating a unique platform to learn and share curatorial perspectives. Through this we hope to bring together a programme of films that will inspire, entertain and inform audiences as we celebrate the historic 50th anniversary of the Women’s Film Festival”.
Curate-It is a training app that uses the digital space to make information about film curation more accessible. Through doing this it creates a unique platform through which people from all over the world can learn the processes of implementing their own screening event, connect and collaborate.
The app will be launched during EIFF in August.
EIFF 2022 Theme:
In 1972, the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) presented the first global film event entirely dedicated to the cinematic achievements of female directors. Comprising works drawn from historical and contemporary cinema, the Women’s Film Festival was produced by Claire Johnston, Lynda Myles, Laura Mulvey.
Honouring the spirit of the original event, in 2022, EIFF welcomes the opportunity to work with independent collaborators to craft a bold, political, and wildly celebratory responses to the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Film Festival that acknowledges the multiplicity and variety of feminisms.
More than 2,500 books have been donated to families supported by Home-Start Scotland thanks to a national charity that has been bringing the benefits of reading and writing to people in Scotland for more than 21 years.
The generous donation from Scottish Book Trust will be shared among many of the 30 Home-Starts across Scotland.
Scottish Book Trust Bookbug and Read Write Count bags, will provide donation of picture books suitable for babies, toddlers and children up primary school age.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust said: “Books have the power to change lives. A love of reading inspires creativity. There are many benefits to sharing stories, songs and rhymes with toddlers and pre-schoolers, it gives them the best start in life.
“We are delighted to support Home-Start Scotland and hope these books will support many families within our communities.
“Research proves that reading for pleasure is central in helping to support wellbeing and mental health, positively impacting learners’ attainment across the curriculum, sparking critical thinking, creativity, empathy and resilience.”
Christine Carlin, Director of Home-Start Scotland, said: “We are delighted to receive this wonderful donation from Scottish Book Trust.
“For parents, just a few minutes reading to their children gives them time to step back from the stress of everyday life and enjoy special time with their youngsters.
“Even just sitting closely together looking at a book feels special. For children reading books themselves, it creates a calm, quiet time to build explore and share how they feel, their thoughts and experiences. Reading opens up a world of endless possibilities!”
Home-Start matches highly trained volunteers with local families who need support. Families come to the charity for all sorts of reason – including postnatal depression, coping with twins, isolation and loneliness, disabilities, bereavement or financial worries.
The support is there for as long as the family needs it.
Four-hour performance was 71.7%, 1.9% lower than the previous month, January 2022, and the second lowest on record
27,087 patients were delayed by four hours or more, this is means more than one in four patients were delayed by four hours or more
6,248 patients were delayed by eight hours or more
2,230 patients were delayed by 12 hours or more, this represents the highest proportion of attendances experiencing 12 hour waits since records began
Dr John Thomson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said:“The crisis in Urgent and Emergency Care is dire. The health system in Scotland is ceasing to function as it should. Patients are at risk of severe harm and staff are facing stress, distress, burnout and moral injury on a daily basis.
“This is unsustainable and dangerous. The first step to tackling this crisis is opening 1,000 beds that are desperately needed across the system and recruiting senior decision makers in Emergency Medicine. In addition, the crisis in social care, which is resulting in the most vulnerable patients residing in hospital for extremely long periods of time before being discharged means that the system is unable to cope.
“This patient safety crisis must be a priority for the Scottish Government, and they must take meaningful action now before more patients come to severe harm.”
The Leith Collective launches Easter Garden Amnesty, Rehome a Houseplant initiative plus Kids Go Green workshops
The Leith Collective has earned a reputation for being Edinburgh’s champions of sustainability, and now they’re helping even more locals go green with the launch of two new initiatives and a series of workshops this Easter.
First up, The Leith Collective has announced an Easter Garden Amnesty. Ideal for those planning to have a spring clear-out, locals can donate any unwanted garden tools, pots, or excess seeds to the shop. These will then be made available for others to collect completely free of charge. The hope is that it will inspire those who have never considered themselves to be particularly green-fingered to give nature a helping hand.
Discussing the initiative, The Leith Collective Founder, Sara Thomson explained: “I know how therapeutic gardening is and how beneficial it can be to an individual’s mental health. But the cost of buying tools can be a financial barrier to some people, especially in light of the rising cost of living.
“So, we thought an Easter Garden Amnesty would be a great way of supporting a circular economy – keeping tools in use, rather than going to landfill – and encouraging people to have a go at growing something.”
In addition to the Easter Garden Amnesty, The Leith Collective has also launched their Rehome a Houseplant initiative and are inviting locals to donate cuttings of houseplants which will be popped into jars of water to propagate in the store. These plants will then be available for others to take home completely free of charge.
The Leith Collective will also be hosting a series of green-themed workshops throughout the Easter holidays, including a Kids Go Green event where children can paint a flowerpot, plant a seed, take it home and watch it grow.
So, whether you fancy adding a little greenery to your home with a new houseplant, or you have big ambitions to transform your local area with some guerrilla gardening, head to The Leith Collective for everything you need to get growing.
Two Scottish Drag Queens are set to leap from a platform suspended 40ft above the dramatic Pass of Killiecrankie, as part of a charity bungee jump, and they are calling on more people to take part.
The two fierce Queens have already signed up to slay the epic challenge which has been organised in aid of Scottish charity, Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland (SBH Scotland.)
The brave and glamorous participants will take the leap on Sunday 5 June, coinciding with The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, but Cherry West, one of the youngest drag queens in Scotland, and supporter of SBH Scotland, is now urging others to get involved in the fundraising celebrations.
Cherry West said: “What better way to mark Queen Elizabeth’s long and proud reign of Britain than to throw yourself into an adrenaline fuelled bungee jump to help those who need it most.
“So far, we’ve got two Drag Queens taking part, but we want this to be the biggest drag charity challenge in the country, so I’m calling on all my fabulous friends to join us in this extravaganza.
“SBH Scotland is an incredible organisation, doing great work, with little statutory support. Like lots of other charities the last two years have been devastating for the organisation and its important that as many people as possible get behind this event.”
Deborah Roe, director of fundraising at SBH Scotland, said: “We are incredibly grateful to have someone with Cherry’s energy, enthusiasm and kind heartedness involved with our organisation.
“This event will be our second big outdoor fundraising challenge of the year and we can’t wait to welcome everyone to it and watch as they all take on this spectacular bungee jump this Summer.”
Funds raised by the participants of the bungee jump event will go back into the charity which directly supports over 3,500 people affected by the lifelong disabilities of spina bifida and hydrocephalus. The organisation carries out vital services for those who need it most, including offering home support workers, financial advice, and group family sessions.
SBH Scotland’s Jubilee Bungee Jump and Highland Swing Challenge is open to everyone (aged 15 and over) and will take place on Sunday 5 June 2022 at the Pass of Killiecrankie, a dramatic gorge on the River Garry in Perth & Kinross.
For more information, or to register, please visit:
Easter is always a busy time, and with the holidays already underway, NHS 24 is reminding people who take regular medication to check on their repeat prescriptions.
The Easter Weekend impacts on many local GP and pharmacy opening times, so it’s important that people check their prescription, order only what they need and in plenty of time.
Dr Laura Ryan, medical director at NHS 24, says: “Each Easter we receive thousands of calls from people who urgently require medication that they have run out of. It’s a good idea to make yourself aware of your pharmacy and GP opening hours.
“Visit www.nhsinform.scot and search for Scotland’s Service Directory to learn more about service availability in your local area.
“You should also take a look at your list of prescriptions to see which ones you might need to top up on, and make sure you order in plenty time to make sure you have them for the Easter weekend. 111 are always happy to help if you run out of medicine, but Easter is always one of our busiest periods, so a little forward planning can save on time and stress.
‘We’re all crossing our fingers for a sunny Easter, and some simple steps mean you can relax and enjoy the holiday.”
General advice and information on how to stay healthy this Easter can be found at www.nhsinform.scot/spring.
