We’ve had a wee couple of changes to our October Break events, all of the same fun things but Saturday event will start slightly earlier!
Attached is the revised poster for all of yous – see you next week!
Happy October Hols!
PY Lunches are back – come along Monday to Friday during the October break, from 12:30-1pm to pick up a lunch!
Please let staff know any allergies or dietary requirements.
LIFT @ Millenium Centre and the Living Memory Association are two of three good causes across the East of Scotland to have been shortlisted to receive a share of a £25,000 funding pot, thanks to Scotmid’s Community Connect initiative.
The funding will be announced next April, following a vote by Scotmid members.
LIFT @ Millenium Centre offers support to families living in the most deprived areas of Edinburgh or those that are socially or financially vulnerable. The funding from Scotmid will be used to deliver ‘Family Teatime’ sessions, which will provide families an opportunity to eat, play and learn together in a safe and welcoming environment.
The Living Memory Association brings together people that are socially isolated or living with dementia. From their base in Ocean Terminal, the charity offers exhibitions, including The Wee Museum of Memory, as well as recording podcasts and videos. The funding from Scotmid will be used to employ a part-time sessional worker and cover materials needed for their workshops.
Pauline Nicol-Bowie, CEO/Founder of LIFT, said: “We are incredibly thankful to be part of Scotmid’s Community Connect initiative, which will help us expand our ‘Family Teatime’ programme.
“This is a vital part of local communities in North Edinburgh and we look forward to being able to expand our services to support more people.”
Heather Robertson, Service Co-ordinator at Living Memory Association, said: “The Living Memory Association is delighted to be shortlisted for Scotmid’s Community Connect initiative.
“The funding will allow us to develop new projects for older people to celebrate lived experience and combat the loneliness and isolation the community can often face.”
The other charity shortlisted in the East of Scotland is Children’s Clothing Bank Dunfermline, which provides pre-loved good quality and new clothes in a dignified manner for children aged 0-18 years in the local community.
Keen to support local good causes? Pop into your local Scotmid and pay £1 to become a member.
Fearless – the youth service of Crimestoppers – have reported a huge increase in young people engaging with their recent youth violence and weapon possession campaign.
In just a three-week period, over 33,000 young people in Scotland swiped from Fearless’ latest Snapchat campaign to the charity’s website at Fearless.org Once there, young people were able to learn more about the common myths around weapon carrying, the Law and listen to podcasts from people with lived experience of serious violence.
Dozens of intel reports were submitted 100% anonymously to the charity about people carrying weapons and responsible for other serious crimes.
The campaign was launched in September at Eastbank Academy, Glasgow.
The highly successful Snapchat campaign content was designed entirely by a small group of young people from elsewhere in the city who volunteer with the charity.
Lyndsay McDade, National Youth Projects Coordinator at Crimestoppers Scotland, said: “I’m delighted by the results our youth violence campaign. It shows the sheer scale of young people’s willingness to engage; recognising that the issue of violence and weapon possession needs to improve and wanting to play their part in making their community safer.
“Young people have so much talent to offer. When we focus on a tiny fraction of young people making unsafe choices, it can be easy to forget that the vast majority want to be, and indeed are, part of the solution.
“Fearless provides a very clear call to action for young people. We make it easy to speak up about crime by providing a way to do so 100% anonymously through our website Fearless.org or by calling us on 0800 555 111.
“That means you don’t need to worry about the stigma sometimes associated with reporting, the potential retaliation and so on. We can’t track your IP address or any contact details so nobody will know the information came from you but you will make lives safer.
“I am immensely proud of the service we offer at Fearless.org and how we empower young people in Scotland to feel confident speaking up about crime.”
One young person who was involved in the design of the Snapchat content said: “I know people who are in gangs and have knives and stuff and I know someone my age who was stabbed recently.
“Something needs to be done and I cannae get rid of like the gangs or anything but helping with this was fine. I’m really happy there was a good response.”
Chief Superintendent Derek Frew from Police Scotland’s Partnerships, Preventions and Community Wellbeing Division said: “Carrying or using a knife can have a devastating impact on our communities.
“We remain committed to reducing the number of knife-related offences occurring within Scotland and working with partners to educate young people about the risks and consequences associated with such crimes.
“The Fearless campaign allows young people to anonymously report any concerns they have about someone carrying a knife, which, in turn, allows police to investigate and potentially prevent a violent crime involving a bladed weapon.
“We have been extremely encouraged by the engagement from young people throughout Scotland as part of the campaign and are grateful to those who have come forward and provided Fearless with information, for us to follow up on.”
The Restart a Heart campaign starts today (Mon 16 October), a lifesaving initiative aiming to help save more lives across Scotland by teaching people vital resuscitation skills which can be used if someone goes into cardiac arrest.
Around 3,200 people in Scotland have an Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) every year with people in deprived areas twice as likely to have one.
Survival rates for OHCA have doubled in Scotland in the past eight years due to initiatives such as Restart a Heart and the public are being encouraged to sign up so we can improve further.
Steven Short, the Scottish Ambulance Service’s OHCA Programme Lead, said: “Every second counts when someone has a cardiac arrest. Early CPR and the use of a defibrillator is essential to increasing the chances of survival.
“With most cardiac arrests happening at home, knowing CPR and being confident to act could save a loved one’s life. The chances of survival reduces by around 10% for every minute without CPR, so it’s essential that as many people as possible sign up to learn these lifesaving skills. You never know when you might need them.”
One member of the public who has benefitted is John Hooper, of Milngavie. John, a dad-of one and grandfather of three, was recently reunited with ambulance crew Sophie Barrett and Kayleigh MacDonald, both of Leverndale Ambulance Station, who saved his life after he collapsed while out running outside Clober Golf Club on Craigton Road, Milngavie, on May 18, 2023.
John said: “Thanks to a neighbour and several bystanders, I was given CPR immediately and a defibrillator was brought out from the golf club. Ambulance service personnel then arrived and continued to give me lifesaving treatment before taking me to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
“Were it not for the efforts of everyone involved I would not be here today. I am so grateful to your staff. Having performed CPR several times myself when I was an operational fire officer, I never thought it would need to be performed on me.
“My family and me sincerely thank everyone involved and hope they know how much it means to us. I am still here to be with them. I’ll be forever grateful.”
John is pictured with Sophie, on the left, and Kayleigh
Find out more and get ‘CPR ready’ by visiting www.savealife.scot
International Development Minister Christina McKelvie has pledged new funding from the Scottish Government to support projects providing access to clean water, food and shelter in Gaza and Libya.
Ms McKelvie has confirmed the Scottish Government will provide £500,000 towards the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) flash appeal in response to the ongoing escalation in the Gaza Strip.
The UNRWA’s appeal is urgently seeking funds to respond to the immediate food, health, shelter and protection needs of up to 250,000 people seeking safety in UNRWA shelters in Gaza and another 250,000 Palestine refugees within the community.
A further £250,000 will also be allocated through the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) to support relief efforts in Libya, following deadly flooding in September. More than 4,000 are reported to have died in the flooding and this number is expected to increase with around 10,000 people still missing.
Ms McKelvie said: “Our thoughts are with all the innocent people caught in the middle of escalating conflict in Israel and Gaza. The Scottish Government reiterates the call from the First Minister and the UN Secretary-General for a humanitarian corridor to be established so that urgent assistance can be given to those civilians who are trapped, helpless and cannot leave.
“Many thousands of people in Libya are also still dealing with the impact of major flooding following dam collapses in the aftermath of Storm Daniel and our thoughts are also with them and their families, as work to provide essential aid, such as food, clean water and shelter, continues in those areas worst affected.”
UNRWA Director of External Relations and Communications Tamara Alrifai said: “This generous contribution is an incredibly humane gesture towards tens of thousands of people who are in utter distress in the Gaza Strip.
UNRWA is very grateful for the show of support by Scotland and will use every penny to help alleviate the suffering of civilian women, children and men in Gaza.”
Every year, around 3,200 have an out of hospital cardiac arrest in Scotland.
Starting CPR saves lives… so it pays to be ready.
Do you know the CPR steps to help save a life?
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is launching its first of a kind Pumpkin Patch experience for families in the run up to Halloween (24-31 October). This is a pumpkin-tastic opportunity to pop along to Dobbies’ Edinburgh store and pick the perfect pumpkin to carve at home this Halloween.
Rustic bales of hay and vibrant autumnal pumpkins make for a memorable visit to Dobbies’ Edinburgh store, where families can get the pick of the patch. Here children can take a pumpkin home, carve it up using Dobbies’ guide and create their own personalised pumpkin for welcoming trick-or-treaters.
Sarah Murray, who created this year’s experience, loves Halloween and can’t wait to welcome customers along to the Pumpkin Patch. She said: “We’re really excited about this year’s Halloween offering in Edinburgh as this is the first time we’ve created a Pumpkin Patch. We warmly welcome everyone to come along and enjoy the experience.”
Pumpkins at the patch have all been grown in the UK and are priced at £2.50. No booking is required for this experience, and pumpkin availability is subject to a first come, first serve basis. There will also be an opportunity for families to use Dobbies’ Instagram frame to take a selfie of themselves at the patch and share on socials, for a chance to win a £50 gift card.
If you do come along to Dobbies and pick up a pumpkin this Halloween, Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles, shares his top recycling tips to help the environment.
He said: “Pumpkin flesh will make a welcome snack for wildlife and we recommend cutting the pumpkin into pieces before placing it in the garden.
“The seeds are another fantastic source of food for birds and small animals. Collect the seeds, leave them to dry out and place them on a flat surface in your garden to be enjoyed.
“If you’re feeling adventurous and would like to grow your own pumpkin next year, save seeds from this year’s pumpkin and try to grow it next April.
“If composting is your thing, pumpkins work a treat as they break down easily and quickly. Just be sure to remove any seeds first to prevent unexpected pumpkin plants growing in your compost.”
greenspace scotland fund engages notable figures from the worlds of sport, music and politics to help raise vital funds for Scotland’s parks
A group of Scottish public figures are sharing their own ‘Park Portraits’ in a show of support for the first ever fundraising project that aims to bring new life to Scotland’s parks.
greenspace scotland recently launched Parks4Life: Scotland’s first ever fund for parks and greenspaces, with a goal to raise one million pounds by the end of 2023 to help support Scotland’s parks with a sustainable fund for the future.
The launch was marked with the release of Park Portraits, a digital photo gallery bringing to life the stories of people across Scotland and the ways that parks have enriched their lives.
Among the Scottish celebrities to get involved in the campaign to encourage donations are middle-distance runner Liz McColgan, singer-songwriter Karine Polwart, BBC Presenter and Apprentice contestant Reece Donnelly, filmmaker Libby Penman, Chief Executive of NatureScot Francesca Osowska and a suite of MSPs including Alasdair Allan, David Torrance, Foysol Choudhury, and Ariane Burgess among others.
Public figures have shared within the platform the memories that illustrate their love for their local parks, and why they find importance in them.
Karine Polwart said: “Our Scottish parks are sanctuaries in all the noise and speed of modern living – places to walk and play, stop and sit, lie down and listen.
“They’re also places to really notice that we’re not alone in this world, as humans, that we share all of our green spaces with so many other living things.”
Foysol Choudhury, MSP, said about The Meadows in Edinburgh: “As a school kid growing up in Edinburgh, the highlight of my day was dropping my school bag at home and run to the local park to play football with friends.
“Our children need open spaces to run, play and connect with nature. Our local communities need their greenspaces to gather with family and friends; enhance mental health and wellbeing; improve air quality and local biodiversity.”
Libby Penman, Wildlife Filmmaker, Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, said: “Parks in Scotland mean everything to me. Growing up I spent all my time at my local park, The Beveridge Park (The Bevi) in Kirkcaldy, playing football, developing my skills in the skatepark, walking the dog.
“As a wildlife filmmaker, during lockdown I turned to filming in my closest green space, Kelvingrove Park. The footage I’ve been able to capture of Otters, Kingfishers, Cormorants, Foxes and Frogs are some of my favourite shots. In fact, one of my best career achievements was being featured on BBC Two’s Winterwatch, showcasing all the urban wildlife I’ve filmed in the park.”
Francesca Osowska, Chief Executive of Nature Scot, Figgate Park, Portobello, said: “Figgate Park in Portobello is a lovely oasis of calm. When people think of Portobello, they immediately think of the sea and don’t realise there is some lovely green space. Figgate Park is one of my favourite places to run, with beautiful trees, great birdlife and an otter, which I have sadly not seen.
“The Figgate Friends have done an excellent job in improving the park in recent year, adding interpretation and signs for the main trees. This makes the park feel cared for, although not overly manicured.
“There are some great wilder areas, vital for increasing biodiversity. It’s a well-used park with people walking, lots of dog activity and runners. I often do my interval training there, running several laps, sometimes to the bemusement of other park users. The lovely surroundings make the pain of the session pass more quickly.”
Angela Constance, MSP, said about Howden Park in Livingston: “Parks and green spaces play an important part in our towns and villages. They promote much needed environmental and recreational opportunities whilst also promoting public health, mental wellbeing and a safe, fun, educational area for our children.
“Along with many parents in West Lothian I have enjoyed visiting Howden Park with my own son as he was growing up for picnics, walks, and play, and would encourage others to utilise the parks and open green spaces they have in their own areas.”
These celebrity testimonies add to the soulful portraits of Scottish people who exemplify the value that parks provide captured by talented Scottish photographer David Anderson, providing well-known voices speaking out for the future of green spaces.
Visit the Public Figures Gallery within the Park Portraits campaign on the greenspace scotland website to see more stories from notable Scottish figures about their parks.
Donations to Parks4Life can be made online or by texting PARK to 70450 to make a one-off donation of £5. The funds raised through Parks4Life will be invested to provide an endowment to provide an ongoing source of funds for parks.
The endowment will be used by communities across Scotland to support local park improvements, activities, and events; making sure local parks from large cities to small towns are nurtured and cherished for the future.
People across Scotland who would like to share their own Park Portrait and park story are invited to post on social media using the hashtag #Parks4LifePortraits and submit to the greenspace scotland page here.
Harbour Homes’ Sheltered Housing Team has received a five-star certificate of nomination from Age Scotland’s Services for Older People Awards.
The awards recognise the hard work and dedication of individuals, groups and organisations who make a positive difference to the lives of older people in communities across the country.
Age Scotland’s Chairperson, Stuart Purdy, said it was hugely inspiring to learn about the dedication of Harbour Homes’ Sheltered Housing Team and all the work they do on behalf of older people.
Maureen Combe, Sheltered Housing Services Manager at Harbour Homes, said: “It’s our absolute pleasure to support our tenants and to do all we can to help create a real sense of community among them.
“I’m thrilled that our team’s dedication has been recognised by Age Scotland.”
