Category: North Edinburgh News

Kickstart your 2019 fitness goals with the Botanics Bootcamp

Get into shape this New Year at the Botanics Bootcamp breakfast event with Sodexo. A high intensity eight-week course located in the stunning surrounds of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, the 60 minute action packed fitness bootcamp will take place every Saturday throughout January and February. Continue reading Kickstart your 2019 fitness goals with the Botanics Bootcamp

Mental Health: help available for low mood, depression and anxiety

https://youtu.be/5JSYhFO9ItI

People experiencing depression, low mood or anxiety should be encouraged to seek help over the holiday period, the Mental Health Minister has said. Clare Haughey also thanked those who provide help and support to people dealing with mental health problems associated with stress and loneliness during the festive period. Continue reading Mental Health: help available for low mood, depression and anxiety

Get Writing Over the Holidays for Prestigious CWA Crime Writing Competitions

CWA Debut Dagger for Crime Novel Opening

This is the one to win for would-be crime novelists – or not even win; if you get on the shortlist your work will come to the direct attention of interested literary agents and publishers. Continue reading Get Writing Over the Holidays for Prestigious CWA Crime Writing Competitions

Edinburgh firms hit for an additional £7,653,000 a year by SNP’s “high-tax agenda”

Businesses in Edinburgh have been hit by an additional £7,653,000 thanks to the doubling of the large business rate supplement by the SNP, according to the Scottish Conswevatives. Continue reading Edinburgh firms hit for an additional £7,653,000 a year by SNP’s “high-tax agenda”

It’s okay not to be okay

Nobody needs to feel alone this Christmas

Emergency Support

Edinburgh Crisis Centre
(open 24/7) 0808 801 0414
www.edinburghcrisiscentre.org.uk

Social Care Direct 0800 731
6969 for out of hours/holidays.
During office hours call 0131 200 2324

Scottish Domestic Violence Helpline – 0800 027 1234

If you are in danger, call 999 for emergency services.

Someone to talk to:

Samaritans – 116 123 (24/7)
www.samaritans.org

Samaritans local line – 0131
221 9999 (9am-10pm)

Breathing Space 0800 83 85 87 0800 (open 6pm – 2am)
https://breathingspace.scot/

CALM – 0800 58 58 58 (for men, 5pm-12am)
www.thecalmzone.net

The Mix – 0808 808 4994
(under 25s)
www.themix.org.uk

Food banks:

Trussel Trust
The Pilton branch will be closed on Wednesday 2nd January.

Full location, days and time for each foodbank centre can be found at: http://edinburghnw.foodbank.org.uk

Edinburgh City Mission at Granton Parish Church, Edinburgh
Closed on Tuesday 1st January.

Pilton Community Health Project also produced this useful support guide: 

Surviving the holidays 2018

£675 million fund to transform high streets and town centres opens to communities

The Future High Streets fund will help local leaders implement bold new visions to transform their town centres and make them fit for the future. Towns across the country are urged to bid for a share of £675 million to transform their local high streets into modern vibrant community hubs. Continue reading £675 million fund to transform high streets and town centres opens to communities

Halfway there: organ donor registrations hit new high

51.7% of Scotland’s population are now on the register.

More people than ever are signed up to the Organ Donor Register in Scotland, latest figures show. In 2018, there were 148,000 new registrations from people willing to be organ donors.

And the new registrations mean that the total number of people registered in Scotland has risen to a record high of almost 2.8 million – or 51.7% of Scotland’s population.

Meanwhile, in the last year 829 people in Scotland received a transplant. However there are currently more than 550 people in Scotland waiting for an organ transplant which could save or transform their lives.

The Scottish Government is working on a package of measures to further increase the number of potential donors. This includes legislation introduced to the Scottish Parliament to move to a soft opt-out system for organ and tissue donation. A public consultation in 2017 showed 82% of respondents supporting this move.

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick (above) said: “It’s great to have a record number of people on the Organ Donor Register. This increases the chance of a potentially life-saving and life-changing gift for someone this year.

“However, with more than 550 people still waiting for a transplant, I would encourage people to consider making it their New Year’s resolution and join the Organ Donor Register. One donor can save up to nine lives and transform even more by donating tissue.

“Thanks to the generosity of donors and their families and the work of the NHS, we’ve seen great progress on organ donation over the last few years. We are working on a number of measures to increase donor numbers and save the lives of more people in Scotland.

“The move to a soft opt-out scheme aims to further increase the number of donors, while honouring the donation decision that a person has made in life.”

The figures and data below are from NHSBT:

The number of opt-in registrations (148,488) in Scotland between 4 December 2017 and 3 December 2018. The total may increase as registrations are processed.

In 2017/18, 829 people in Scotland received an organ or cornea/sclera transplant.

As of 4 December, 563 people are waiting for a transplant.

On 4 December 2018, there were 2,796,456 people residing in Scotland on the UK Organ Donor Register (area defined by the ONS NHS Postcode Directory). This is 51.7% of the Scottish population. This is based on 5,404,700 of the Scottish population, figure taken from the mid 2016 population estimates from the Office of National Statistics.

The Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Bill will change organ and tissue donation from the current ‘opt-in’ system to a soft ‘opt-out’ system. Under the proposed system, if someone has not stated a decision about donation, they may be deemed as having authorised it. This would mean that, in addition to ‘opting in’  donation could also proceed where a person had not opted-out. There would also be safeguards to minimise the risk of a person becoming a donor if they would not have wished to donate.

People in Scotland can register to become an organ donor through the Organ Donation Scotland