Police officers will be continuing with increased patrols at Portobello Beach and other open spaces over the coming days to deter and deal with violence, antisocial behaviour and disorder.
There will be a zero tolerance approach and enforcement action will be taken if anyone is identified as being involved in any criminal behaviour.
One of our priorities in Edinburgh is dealing with disorder and antisocial behaviour and we are committed to making Portobello a safe place for visitors, local businesses and residents.
If you have any concerns about criminality, or you’re aware of anyone planning to travel to Portobello to cause issues, please speak to officers, call 101, or call 999 in an emergency.
Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or report online
This summer, Morrisons is letting kids eat free in its cafes all day, every day.
Throughout the summer holidays, with every adult meal over £4.50, customers can also get a kid’s meal absolutely free.
The deal is available at Morrisons cafes nationwide and will run throughout the summer holidays to help parents get more value for money during breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Salads, fish & chips, pies, burgers, and pizzas are all available for the adult meal with mac ‘n’ cheese, fish goujons, sandwich boxes and more available on the kids’ menu. Each kids’ meal also includes a piece of fruit and a drink.
Ali Lyons, Head of Cafes at Morrisons said: “We know that feeding the whole family during the summer holidays can quickly add up and so we’re pleased to be running our Kids Eat Free All Day deal.
“We recently introduced a brand-new menu and have invested heavily in coronavirus safety measures such as screens and our contactless ‘Order & Pay’ app.
“This means that whether you are popping into your local Morrison’s to do some grocery shopping or passing by one on a day-out you’ll have a safe and cost-effective option when thinking about ways to feed the children.”
Kids Eat Free All Day is currently live and will run until 5th September. The offer only applies when any one adult meal with a value of £4.50 or over is purchased.
For more information and to see the cafe menu, visit:
4 in 10 report taking less time off during pandemic
New research by Acas has found that around 4 in 10 British employees (39%) have taken less paid time off work during the pandemic compared to before it started.
Acas commissioned YouGov to ask British employees workers about how much annual leave or paid time off they had taken since the start of the pandemic when compared to previous years. The poll also found that the results varied depending on the size of the organisation:
35% of employees in large businesses (employ more than 250 people) were less likely to have taken paid time off.
Acas advice is that it is important for people to take time off to get rest, to keep both physically and mentally healthy and to use their holiday entitlement within their current leave year where they can.
Susan Clews, Acas Chief Executive, said: “Our poll findings are unsurprising as many workers may have taken advantage of a new law introduced last year, which allows them to carry over most of their paid time off into this year.
“Whilst the easing of pandemic restrictions is good news for many businesses, many staff will be keen to use up the leave they have saved up to take advantage of the summer season.
“Acas advice is for employees to agree any holiday plans with their managers and keep them updated on any new COVID developments that could impact work such as travel quarantine or being asked to self-isolate.”
Acas has advice for employers and employees on taking leave, what the rules are and what has changed as well as information on what to do if you need to self-isolate when returning from abroad.
In 2020, the Government introduced a law allowing employees and workers to carry over up to four weeks statutory paid holiday into their next two holiday leave years. This law applies for any holiday that staff do not take due to COVID-19.
Acas advice on taking paid time off includes:
Workers should try and make requests for paid holiday throughout their holiday year;
If holiday plans suddenly change due to COVID-19 then employees should get in touch with their boss to agree alternative options for time off; and
Get any time off requests in as soon as possible as employers need to plan staff cover for their businesses and are unlikely to agree staff all taking holiday at the same time.
It’s important to check the latest Government guidance before and after travelling:
People who need to self-isolate should not leave their home to go to work but can work from home if it’s agreed with their employer;
If an employee cannot do their job from home, they should talk to their employer to agree what type of leave to use;
Employees and workers are not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they’re self-isolating after travel abroad and cannot work from home. But an employer can choose to pay them sick pay at the same rate as SSP or a higher rate if they want to.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak yesterday praised the “inspiring” people and businesses of Scotland during a visit to meet those supported by the UK Government’s £352 billion Plan for Jobs.
Rishi Sunak travelled to Fife, Edinburgh and Glasgow where he visited several businesses that have returned workers from furlough, held a roundtable of Scottish business leaders and saw how Scotland is creating jobs and leading our green recovery.
Around one in three jobs in Scotland have been supported by the UK Government’s support package and more than 90,000 Scottish businesses received more than £4.1 billion in loans since the start of the pandemic.
The Chancellor’s visit came as new figures released yesterday show that the number of people in Scotland on furlough has halved in the last three months, with just 141,500 jobs still furloughed.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:“It’s been inspiring to hear stories of people and businesses in Scotland that are now starting to feel the weight of the pandemic lifting off them as they get back to work – our Plan for Jobs is working and it’s great to see people succeeding after a year of uncertainty.
“It’s been a challenging time but the UK Government has delivered one of the most generous packages of support in the world, protecting one in three Scottish jobs.
“Scotland will be key in ensuring the UK’s economic success – creating jobs, powering our growth and driving a green recovery by hosting COP26 later this year.”
During the visit, the Chancellor toured the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult Turbine in Leven, Fife. The turbine is the leading technology innovation and research centre for offshore renewable energy.
He met SMEs who have used the turbine for development and have benefitted from UK Government funding for green ventures.
The Chancellor highlighted the important contributions Scotland makes to the UK, including towards the UK’s Net Zero transition and climate change leadership on the world stage, ahead of the COP26 Glasgow conference in November.
He also conducted a roundtable with Scottish businesses in the retail banking sector at the new Queen Elizabeth hub in Edinburgh, where he thanked them for their role in responding to the pandemic, keeping call centres and banks open for vulnerable customers, and distributing many of the UK Government business support schemes.
The Chancellor went on to see preparations for the International Festival and the Fringe. The UK Government gave £1m of funding to Edinburgh Festivals this year, to help the festival promote itself digitally to a bigger audience.
He visited a number of small businesses including Liggy’s Cake Company, which was supported through the furlough scheme and is now hiring new staff.
He also visited Dynamic Earth, an award-winning visitor centre in Edinburgh dedicated to educating people about the earth and environmental issues, and met with several staff who have returned from furlough and met a group of children taking part in the centre’s outdoor activities.
NUMBERS ON FURLOUGH FALL TO LOWEST LEVEL SINCE START OF PANDEMIC
Almost three million people have moved off furlough since March, according to latest data
More than half a million people left the scheme in the month of June alone, with fewer than two million people now remaining on furlough
Chancellor welcomes new data while meeting furloughed employees on a visit to Scotland
ALMOST three million people have moved off the furlough scheme since March as the economy began to bounce back and businesses reopened, according to new statistics.
Figures published yesterday which cover up until the end of June, show the fewest number of people on furlough since the scheme launched in March 2020, down from a peak of nearly nine million at the height of the pandemic in May last year.
1.9 million people remained on the scheme by the end of June, more than half a million fewer than the 2.4 million at the end of May.
The Business Insights and Conditions survey (BICS) shows numbers may have fallen even further – with estimates that between 1.1 and 1.6 million people are still on furlough.
It comes as the Chancellor visited Scotland where he has hailed the economic strength of the union and where the Government’s Plan for Jobs has supported businesses and families during the pandemic.
Ahead of meeting Scottish businesses and individuals in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Fife, where he talked to employees who have returned from furlough, Rishi Sunak welcomed the statistics.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: “It’s fantastic to see businesses across the UK open, employees returning to work and the numbers of furloughed jobs falling to their lowest levels since the scheme began.
“I’m proud our Plan for Jobs is working and our support will continue in the months ahead.”
The figures also show a striking fall in the number of young people on furlough, who for the first time ever, no longer have the highest take-up of the scheme.
In the last three months, younger people have moved off the scheme twice as fast as all other age brackets, with almost 600,000 under 25s moving off the scheme.
Jobs in sectors including hospitality and retail are now also moving off the scheme the fastest, – with more than a million coming off the scheme in the last three months.
This decline means those in hospitality and retail no longer make up the majority of all those on furlough.
Furlough was extended until the end of September to allow for businesses to adjust beyond the end of the roadmap and to bring people back to work.
Starting on 1st August, the employer contribution to furlough costs will increase to 20% and that contribution level will continue until the scheme ends at the end of September.
The Government’s Plan for Jobs continues and is still in place to provide support, including Kickstart, traineeships and more work coaches to help people find jobs.
The government says this ‘is is the right thing to do’ to reduce long term economic scarring in the labour market and our ongoing Plan for Jobs means that we will continue to support people as the economy recovers.
£792,000 for Victoria Primary School community project
A primary school in Newhaven, which was about to fall empty, is set for a new role at the centre of the community following an award £792,000 from the Scottish Land Fund.
On hearing news of its successful application, Rodney Matthews, Chair, Heart of Newhaven Community, said: “This grant will cover the purchase price of the property and help with initial development costs.
“While the date when the children will move into their new school in Western Harbour is not yet known, we are now able to move forward confidently with our plans for what is a much-loved icon of Newhaven.”
In the project’s latest newletter, released this morning, The Chair told Heart of Newhaven supporters: “The site of Victoria Primary School IS going to be the Heart of Newhaven Community!
“This time last year the City of Edinburgh Council approved our request to take over the school and reduced the valuation price by £85,000 because of what we’ve promised to do, especially for the very young, the elderly, isolated and most vulnerable. Provided we could pay them£700,000, they would sell the site to the community.
“The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has just given us that whole amount – and more!
“This SLF was set up by the Scottish Governmentto help charities just like ours working to improve local communities in the ways we have set out for the site, in order for it to become a vibrant hub of activity of people of all generations working and playing together; as we have often said, ‘the beating Heart of Newhaven’.
“All approved. We are now poised to sign two contracts: one with the SLFand the other with the Councilfor vacant possession of the site on a date yet to be announced, dependent on the completion of building works across the road. When we do get the keys, there will be much work to be done to get the building safe and ready for use, so bear with us. We will go as fast as we safely can.
“There will be plenty of exciting things to share to take us on through the challenge of the months ahead right through the inevitably unknown autumn and winter to come and into the spring of 2022 – when you will really begin to see things happen.”
The Heart of Newhaven funding announcement – and welcome news for three further community projects – was made yesterday (29 July) by Environment and Land Reform Minister, Mairi McAllan (below), while visiting EATS Rosyth.
Last November EATS Rosyth received £284,500 from the Scottish Land Fund in order to purchase a disused Clydesdale Bank Building in order to relocate and expand its community activities around cooking and food.
Ms McAllan said: “Communities across Scotland are achieving great things with support from the Scottish Land Fund. These awards will be a boost to the four communities who’ve worked so hard to keep their projects going through all the challenges of the last year.
“Visiting the Rosyth Community Garden and Orchard has shown the value of placing ownership and decision-making in the hands of local communities.
“By relocating the community hub to the new premises acquired through the Scottish Land Fund, EATS Rosyth aim to expand their existing services and offer a suite of new activities aimed at growing and sharing food, reducing waste, helping the environment, and improving food education.
“These projects will make a big contribution to their communities, to local resilience and recovery.”
Stephen Lynas, Chairman of EATS Rosythsaid:“We’re grateful to the Scottish Land Fund for their assistance in helping us purchase the building. Following a successful round of fundraising and getting in place the various consents required, we will be starting the renovation works for our new hub premises in the very near future.
“We’re looking forward to providing a brand-new community facility that will give us with a fantastic platform to grow our services and support our local community in Rosyth and Southwest Fife.”
Other projects benefiting during the current round of funding include Forgan Art Centre, which has been given £292,800 to buy the Leng Home, a disused care home in Newport on Tay and turn it into a space for social and economic activities and to increase social interaction.
Forgan Art Centre Chairperson, Gillian Burch, said: “The management team at Forgan are really delighted that we have secured the funding to buy the Leng Home and take the Forgan Arts Centre forwards onto the next phase of its journey.
“The continued support from our local community, who want to see the Leng Home kept for community use, has encouraged us to keep going and we now look forward to expanding the Forgan Arts Centre in its new home.”
Carluke Development Trust has been awarded £112,000 to buy a two-storey house adjacent to Carluke High Mill, which the Trust already owns. This will allow it to continue its project to reduce dereliction and promote regeneration in the town.
Bill Anderson, Carluke Development Trust, said: “We are delighted to receive support from the Scottish Land Fund for the acquisition of the former Millers House that sits within the Carluke High Mill and ONECarluke Community Growing & Learning Garden site.
“The acquisition of the house will complete the community ownership of the whole site and allow the project to create a larger Community HUB and move into an even more exciting period of delivery and further development.”
And Edinbane Community Company on Skye has been given £135,000 with which to buy three serviced building plots on which it plans to erect six affordable homes that will be rented to the community.
Alistair Danter, Chair, Edinbane Community Company,said: “This is great news for the community who have been working for over three years to tackle the lack of affordable housing in Edinbane.
“We are immensely grateful to the Scottish Land Fund for its support of our community initiative, and we look forward to working with the private developer SLL to deliver six new affordable homes in 2023.”
The new Chair of the Scottish Land Fund, Cara Gillespie, said: “We are delighted to make these awards, the first for our new Committee.
“It is a privilege to support communities with their efforts to improve where they live. These awards will make a positive difference, strengthening communities and empowering local people.”
The Scottish Land Fund is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership by The National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
Sandra Holmes, Head of Community Assets at HIE, said: “It’s great to see more dynamic communities taking control of resources for the long-term benefit of their local areas and people.
Having greater control over such assets will help ensure their long-term future. I am delighted we have been able to provide Scottish Land Fund support and wish all the groups the very best in their new ventures.”
I’d like to make your readers aware of a unique opportunity to make a big difference to the lives of hungry children in the world’s poorest countries this summer.
For anyone who becomes a monthly giver to global school feeding charity Mary’s Meals before the end of August, their first three donations will be tripled, meaning the impact of their regular gifts will go even further.
This is thanks to a group of generous supporters who are making funds available up to £100,000 for tripling donations from new regular givers for a limited period.
Your readers can help Mary’s Meals to access all the available funds by setting up a monthly Direct Debit by 31 August here. (marysmeals.org.uk/tripled).
Mary’s Meals feeds more than 1.8 million hungry children in 19 countries every school day.
This funding boost will bring fresh hope to families struggling amidst the continuing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has hit the world’s poorest countries especially hard, and will also help Mary’s Meals in its goal to reach two million children with a nutritious meal every school day.
I am proud to support Mary’s Meals and hope that this summer your readers can take advantage of this incredible opportunity to see their kindness go three times as far.
The centre, which cares for abandoned, abused and neglected dogs, is asking dog owners to register their pooches to walk 9K for K9s and raise much-needed funds after the impact of the pandemic.
The Wagathon, which can be done in stages in case of little legs and paws, will take place over the August bank holiday weekend …
This August, the UK’s very first Wagathon™, a 9K walking challenge for dogs raising money for other dogs, is taking place. In a unique twist, the dogs taking part will be the ones signing up and being sponsored, rather than the owner.
The fundraising platform Give as you Live Donate is behind the campaign and asking owners to register their furry friends in order to give dog charities in the UK a much-needed fundraising boost.
The goal of the Wagathon™ campaign is to collectively raise a whopping £1 million for dog charities, and to reach this target, Give as you Live is calling for canine contenders to get involved. Although dog-owners will be the ones choosing a charity to support and registering their furry companion, the dogs themselves will be the ones being sponsored and completing the Walk 9K for K9s challenge.
Whether the chosen charity supports vulnerable dogs living in shelters, dog welfare, or training assistance dogs, Give as you Live Donate wants to ensure that vital funds are raised to support the ongoing work of all the much-needed charities.
Fundraising is even more important this year due to the limited opportunities there have been recently as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Annabelle Risdon, Director and Head of Partnerships at Give as you Live, commented: ‘The pandemic has impacted hundreds of dog-related charities resulting in thousands of lost donations to help support vital canine welfare.
“Our Wagathon™ initiative provides an opportunity for these charities to boost their donation drives this summer. The mission is to ensure all dog charities are supported in their quest to increase donations after such a difficult period.’
To be involved in Give as you Live Donate’s Wagathon™ mission to raise a million, dog owners can sign up their pooches for a national Walk 9K for K9s challenge.
Participants need to complete the 9k walk on the bank holiday weekend, Saturday 28th August to Monday 30th August. For dogs who might struggle with the distance, the walk can be spread across the weekend.
Alongside the Wagathon™ campaign and in celebration of National Dog Day, which takes place on Thursday 26th August 2021, Give as you Live Donate will also be running an online competition.
Dog owners could be in with a chance of winning a £100 donation for a dog charity of their choice and a £100 hamper full of treats and goodies for their dog!
If you are a dog owner who would like to join the Wagathon™ mission and help raise much-needed funds for a chosen charity, sign your pooch up here.
Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, has today announced that applications are open for its Ignite Fellowship.
Now in its fourth year, the Ignite Fellowship recognises the achievements of professional writers and will offer tailored, practical and financial support to help writers find time and space to fire up their careers.
There are three awards available and Scottish Book Trust is working in partnership with the Gaelic Books Council, who will fund one of these specifically for a writer working in Gaelic. Applications from writers working in Scots are also strongly encouraged.
Last year’s fellows included: poet and performer Courtney Stoddart; artist and filmmaker Raman Mundair; and Gaelic poet and translator Niall O’Gallagher.
During her Ignite Fellowship, Courtney Stoddart has worked on her first poetry pamphlet featuring themes of race, identity and the ramifications of colonialism and imperialism.
She is being mentored by writer Rommi Smith. Raman Mundair has used her time during the Fellowship to bring her work into focus with her mentor. Niall O’Gallagher worked on his forthcoming fourth book, a verse-novella called Litreachan Plàighe (Plague Letters), told through a series of letters between characters who find themselves separated from one another.
The Ignite Fellowship provides a flexible programme to suit the individual needs of the selected awardees. Fellows will receive a £2000 bursary and tailored creative support to suit their individual projects. The fellowship will run for one year, from January 2022 to January 2023.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said:“The Ignite Fellowship now moves into its fourth year and looks to elevate the careers of writers, poets, playwrights and more who are looking to take the next step.
“The Ignite Fellowship programme is flexible to meet the needs of the awardee, which we know is more important now than ever. We encourage those writing in English, Scots and Gaelic to submit.”
Catriona Lexy Campbell, 2019 Ignite Fellow, said:“The Ignite Fellowship has been an incredible opportunity, providing me with the time and space to develop this project with exceptional mentorship from Aisling Walsh.
“I’m so excited to see where the next stage of this project takes me and I’m so grateful to Scottish Book Trust for their support throughout this time.”
Writers based in Scotland are encouraged to apply for the Ignite Fellowship. Applicants must meet the criteria for Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature Database, though do not need to be on the database to apply.
Applications are welcome from writers, comic makers, poets, illustrators, storytellers, playwrights and spoken word artists.
The Ignite Fellowship will support writers who are embarking on a particular project including novels, poetry, screenplays and radio scripts. To apply, writers must have a project that still needs work. This project can be in the very early stages of development, such as an idea, outline or pitch, or already a work in progress.
Alison Lang, Director of the Gaelic Books Council, said:“The Ignite Fellowship has so far offered Gaelic writers the opportunity to work on folklore, poetry and screen adaptations.
“We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Scottish Book Trust to support another writer in creating new work and developing their career, and we will welcome applications across all forms and genres of literature.”
Gaelic entries will be assessed by the Gaelic Books Council.
Awardees will receive:
A £2000 bursary
Tailored creative project support
In addition to the tailored creative project support the following opportunities will also be available:
A week-long writing retreat at Moniack Mhor, alongside writers from Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Awards programme (subject to ongoing circumstances)
Optional training in Press, PR and Social Media and Performance and Presentation
A showcase event (to be organised with the selected writers)
Networking opportunities
Other reasonable support (including marketing, promotion and press) as needed
Reasonable travel expenses for all trips to attend programme commitments
From the start of 2021, the UK has reported a total of 14,883 instances of cyber crime, with the total losses of £5.7m
Despite 90% of offences being made against the public, UK businesses have reported £1.9M of losses – a third of the total figure
Offences involving hacking, social media and email account for 6.3k of reported incidents
Primary targets for cyber crime appear to be tech-savvy individuals under 40
British people and businesses have suffered financial losses of £5.7m from a reported 14,883 cyber crime incidents since the start of the year.
The new study from click fraud prevention experts PPC Shield indicates that malicious hacking, fraudulent use of social media accounts and email scams are the most common form of cyber crime so far this year – accounting for 43% of all reported incidents since 1st January.
Also in the high-ranking categories are reports of malware/viruses, personal hacking and extortion.
Data compiled from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau indicates that those under 40 reported the most incidents this year, at a total of 5,000. This suggests that scammers and hackers are predominantly targeting younger, more tech-savvy generations; Those used to juggling multiple social media accounts, email addresses and banking apps.
Though cyber crime against corporate bodies only accounts for 10% of the UK’s reported offenses, their financial losses of £1.9M accounts for a third of the total figure.
Concerning the effects on victims of cyber crime – ONS data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) indicates that 72% of those affected by cyber crime expressed that they had been emotionally affected by their experiences, with almost a third stating a moderate to severe impact as a result of the offense – predominantly annoyance and anger.
A further 1 in 10 individuals experienced emotions such as anxiety, depression, fear or difficulty sleeping.
Despite the personal nature of the crimes, 81% of offences were committed by an individual person (as opposed to a group) that was not known to the victim.
Concerning the tools used to commit cyber crime, malware (software designed to cause damage to a computer, server, client, or network) is at its lowest point since 2007, according to Google’s Transparency Report. In contrast, phishing websites – which seek to gain passwords, credit card numbers and other private information without the use of applications – have seen an increase of more than 750% since 2007.
In all cases of cyber crime that resulted in financial loss, one in three individuals discovered the offence through communications from their bank, building society or other financial institution.
Including non-cyber assisted fraud, the UK has logged 253,736 reports that equate to total financial losses of £1.2bn this year. Health minister Lord Bethell has previously commented on the rise of phishing scams conducted over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increase in fraudulent text and calls to mobile phones, with individuals posing as bank employees, HMRC and even the NHS charging for fake COVID tests and track & trace.
A spokesperson for PPC Shield comments: “With the internet such an essential part of our daily lives, taking care online and using robust security measures are of utmost importance.
“Always be aware of what you are clicking on, and be especially wary of phishing sites and emails sent from companies or individuals that you are not familiar with.”
The analysis was conducted by PPC Shield, which enables brands and businesses to optimize their online ad campaigns by filtering out and blocking fraudulent clicks to ensure an advertising budget is not wasted.
Valuable new resources launched for carers of people with dementia by exciting new partnership
This week a partnership between Edinburgh charity Hearts & Minds, Designed by Society, Wee Culture and Edel Roddy launched a new website with valuable resources for unpaid and professional carers of people with dementia and anyone who has an interest in care for people in the later stages of dementia.
All of the partners have direct experience of working in the area of later stage dementia and developing resources. The project was funded by Dementia Series Development Trust.
The Treasure We Seek Project is based on the principles of the work of Hearts & Minds Elderflowers who use the art of therapeutic clowning to encourage moments of engagement, communication and movement with ladies and gents with dementia. The project took those principles and developed two sets of resources ‘Valuables’ and ‘Treasure Hunt’.
Edel Roddy, Project Lead explains: “The Treasure We Seek website was launched this week offering two free resources for people to feel connected to people living with later stage dementia.
“The resources have been developed with the hope they will be useful across a range of settings including schools, community groups, carers organisations and care settings, and we were thrilled with people’s responses.
“Initial feedback highlighted that people have started to develop ideas about how they will try out the resources, and potentially make them their own, with friends, family and in work settings. Attendees at the launch even helped us think about other contexts in which these resources could be used, the possibilities of which feel exciting.
“If you missed the launch you can find the resources on www.thetreasureweseek.net and we’d like to hear from anybody who tests them out or has thoughts or ideas about this work they’d like to share.”
These resources will help relatives and professionals to cope and care and also to evaluate how they feel and take notice of their own wellbeing so they don’t feel stressed or isolated.
Hearts & Minds is an award winning Scottish charity that works in collaboration with paediatric healthcare units, respite centres, schools for learners with complex additional support needs and Dementia units to deliver laughter, friendship and support to those who need it most.
Our Clowndoctors Programme supports children and young people to cope with life in a hospital, hospice or respite care setting and in schools for learners with complex additional support needs.
Our Elderflowers Programme helps people living with dementia or dementia-related conditions in hospitals and residential care homes. Through playfulness, smiles and laughter, we help all of these vulnerable people to deal with the anxiety, fear, confusion and sadness that their situations and conditions may bring.
Dr Gayle Rice is an experience researcher and designer for Designed by Society. Her research background is qualitative and creative and focuses on people’s current and desired experiences. Her design practice involves designing to enable improvements in people’s experiences of social interactions.
Wee Culture
Belinda Dewar is a registered nurse, researcher, educator and practice developer with a career spanning over 30 years. She is currently Director of Wee Culture which aims to support people to explore and enhance culture. She previously held the position of Professor of Practice Improvement at the University of the West of Scotland and the Lead for My Home Life Scotland.
The Dementia Series Development Trust is a charity with a vision to improve the lives of those living with dementia through the funding of activities which support this aim. The Principles which guide the work of the DSDT are:
Proactive
Pump priming
Partnership
The Disruption Award funds projects which strive to disrupt some of the old ways that people think about dementia, and communicate new ideas that reframe it.
