Tennis Scotland has partnered with ‘Rackets Cubed’ to enhance the lives of school children in deprived areas of the nation through an innovative tennis programme which aims to support fulfilment of academic potential whilst improving physical and mental wellbeing.
Rackets Cubed, a UK-registered charity currently operating South of the border, delivers integrated programmes comprising of racket sports, STEM education and nutritious meals as part of its weekly activities.
Founded in 2016, the organisation has a vision of ensuring that primary pupils perform to the best of their ability by benefiting from participation in sport, enhanced extracurricular lessons and an introduction to healthy eating: driven by evidence that active children perform better in school, whilst a healthy diet has been proven to have a positive impact on classroom behaviour.
Research suggests that children in disadvantaged areas are less likely to participate in physical activity outside of school, subsequently leading to issues such as low self-esteem and obesity which can impact their academic achievements and overall wellbeing.
Designed to provide stability and project sport as a positive vehicle for change in communities, Tennis Scotland launched pilot sessions of the Rackets Cubed programme in Glasgow yesterday, with pupils at St Paul’s Primary School in Shettleston alongside students at Antonine and Camstradden primary schools in Drumchapel, the first to benefit from the initiative.
The Drumchapel programme will see students continue their development outside of official school hours at Drumchapel Tennis Club; a facility that has been selected as an ‘aspirational’ venue to host the sessions, aiming to increase youngsters’ confidence in joining and participating in activities at local community clubs.
Capitalising on increased interest in tennis and substantial growth of club memberships in recent years, the governing body also plans to roll out the programme over the next 12 months to continue increasing the provision of tennis activities to underrepresented groups, having already engaged around 350 youngsters from socially deprived areas last year through the LTA SERVES initiative.
Blane Dodds, Chief Executive of Tennis Scotland, said: “Tennis Scotland’s mission is to Open tennis up, and this exciting programme will enable us to take tennis to more disadvantaged communities and use tennis the vehicle to raise wellbeing and attainment of young people.
“Over the last couple of years during the covid pandemic, many children have been less active and missed out on education. This exciting programme is a great opportunity to increase children’s physical activity, wellbeing and support extra education and nutrition resulting in a positive impact on the children.”
Geoff Newton CEO of Rackets Cubed: “Rackets Cubed is delighted to be partnering with Tennis Scotland to offer opportunities to young children from disadvantaged backgrounds to learn a new skill, and help open up tennis to a wider audience.
“Combined with additional tuition in a STEM subject, and a nutritious meal, all in an ‘aspirational’ location, we are delighted to launch the first programmes in Glasgow and look forward to working closely with Tennis Scotland to develop many more.”
One Day outdoor courses in May – some places still remaining:
Friday 20th – Geocaching Introduction.
Using navigational techniques to find, hide and seek containers at specific locations marked by global coordinates. Once you learn the skills you can keep going worldwide and keep having fun. An experienced and friendly tutor can reveal tips and techniques in this course from 10am-3pm.
Saturday 21st – Archaeology of the Cammo Estate.
Learn about the old and more modern archaeology and the digs taking place in this lovely environment. The tutor can answer any queries for a fun day out. Runs from 10am – 3pm.
Sunday 22nd – Photography Workshop at the High Street.
Find little nooks, statues and crannies and discover how to make best use of your camera. The session is from 10am – 3pm.
Very reasonable charges from £16.50-£20.63 for a day of enjoyment, exercise and extraordinary well-being to celebrate mental Health Awareness
For more information and to enrol follow link below:
For Mental Health Awareness Week (9th-15th May), the iconic ‘Lunch atop a Skyscraper’ image has been recreated with 11 mannequins to represent the number of tradespeople who die from suicide each week.
The display was organised by IronmongeryDirect as part of its annual campaign to raise awareness of mental health amongst the UK trades.
Its 2022 report found that more than four in five (82%) UK tradespeople deal with some form of mental health problem due to work, and sadly, many take their own lives as a result.
Government data shows that there are 589 suicides in the industry each year, which works out at 11 per week, on average.
To visualise this tragic statistic, IronmongeryDirect positioned 11 mannequins on a platform, which was then lifted 30m into the air by a crane that was kindly donated by the excellent team at Bandshire Crane Hire.
This year marks the 90th anniversary of the original skyscraper photo being taken, and the number of ironworkers in the scene matches the weekly suicide figure.
The original Lunch atop a Skyscraper photo from 1932
As part of its campaign, the Essex-based ironmongery supplier has partnered with the mental health charity, Basildon Mind, and is donating over £3,000 to support its crucial services.
Emma Mamo, Head of Workspace Wellbeing at Mind, said: “In male-dominated industries such as construction, employees are often less willing and able to open up about their mental health and ask for support.
“This can be problematic because mental health problems often become worse if left untreated, and the consequences can be fatal.
“We urge employers to create cultures where employees can speak openly and honestly about their mental health.”
Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “The Lunch atop a Skyscraper image is famous for its message of hope for the industry and camaraderie between workers, so it’s heart-breaking to think that the same number of tradespeople seen in the photo die from suicide every single week.
“Unfortunately, our research found that almost nine in ten individuals don’t feel comfortable talking about their mental health, yet this is one of the most positive steps people can take to start addressing any issues.
“We hope that by raising awareness of mental health in the trades, this stigma can be removed and the situation can start to improve.”
The Health and Safety Executive’s Working Minds campaign aims to raise awareness of the legal obligations that employers have to protect employees from work-related stress and its impact on mental health.
Today, Friday 13 May, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society launched Fringe Days Out, its flagship community engagement programme, for the fifth year.
Generously supported by Baillie Gifford, Fringe Days Out involves partnerships with 33 schools, community groups, charities and organisations around Edinburgh, and provides Fringe vouchers, bus tickets and additional support to help marginalised communities engage with the festival.
Since starting as a pilot programme in 2017, nearly 10,000 people have been given the opportunity to have a Fringe Day Out at one of the world’s greatest celebrations of arts and culture – right on their doorstep.
Commenting on the launch, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “It is so important to us that Fringe Days Out is back for another year.
“This project started out as a modest thank you to people in Edinburgh for hosting the Fringe. We feel it only makes sense that Fringe Days Out should make the festival available to those who feel on the fringes of the city and the arts, no matter their background or circumstances.
“This project is about breaking through the barriers that stand in the way of people and communities in Edinburgh engaging with the arts. And while there is undoubtedly more work to do in making the Fringe fully inclusive and accessible, I am proud of this step along the way.”
Testimonials from some of our partner organisations:
The Broomhouse Hub (Youth and Families): A community hub providing services in Southwest Edinburgh
“We are all delighted that Fringe ’22 is taking place and we can’t wait to get involved. The young people and families we work with will again soak up what is a great atmosphere.
“We have been involved with Fringe Days Out from the beginning, and we receive great support from the Fringe Society.”
Vintage Vibes: An Edinburgh-based charity tackling loneliness and isolation
“Fringe Days Out has allowed the removal of barriers for people to engage with the Fringe. Some of our VIPs [Vintage Vibes’ over-60s community members] had lost a bit of confidence to go along or decided it was no longer for them – which certainly isn’t the case!
“We had one VIP who attended a show with her volunteer a few years ago; she said afterwards that getting along to a show like that again, such as she had in her youth, had made her feel herself for the first time in years, and brought her back to the ‘land of the living’!”
Capability Scotland: Delivering care, support and education for disabled adults and children across Scotland
“It’s great having different people of different cultures from all over the world visit and perform.”
“What an amazing journey: watching our service users choose what they would like to go and see, trying new things and having an adventure with their friends… enjoying themselves, talking about what they saw at the Fringe and writing about it in their newsletter.”
“It’s been great seeing the performers, dancers and musicians put smiles on our service users’ faces and getting them to interact with each other, all with fun and laughter!”
Background:
Fringe Days Out launched in 2017 as part of our Fringe Blueprint, a series of commitments published to mark the festival’s 70th anniversary. The Fringe Society wanted to say thank you to the people of Edinburgh for hosting the Fringe, and to ensure that every single resident felt welcome at the festival; as such, we carried out research to discover which communities might have typically felt excluded from the festival.
Working from the results of this research, we made initial contact with 26 community organisations and charities to help us better foster local connections; five years on, the programme has grown to include 30 community groups and three schools.
How does it work?
The Fringe Society provides Fringe Days Out partner organisations with free ticket vouchers for the Fringe and bus passes, so that cost is not a barrier to participation and engagement with the Fringe.
By providing people with Fringe ticket vouchers, we empower them to explore the full Fringe programme, inviting them to see any show at the Fringe.
Some Fringe Days Out participants are often unfamiliar with the city centre; this programme gives them the support and opportunity to travel outside their immediate neighbourhood, developing their confidence and experience of the city, without the potential barrier of paying for transport. For groups that experience challenges around bus and tram access, we also now include some budget for taxis.
The community organisations we work with are long-term partners of the Fringe Society, enabling the groups to take the time they need to build up knowledge, experience and confidence in the festival. Community members may go on an organised group trip one year, feel confident in attending alone the next, and end up organising group trips themselves by the third. The stories we hear and the numbers we saw grow each year between 2017 and 2019 reflect this.
Fringe Days Out 2017 – 2021 (including schools)
2021*
2019
2018
2017
Visits (estimated)
524
3,805
3,009
2,585
*Excluding schools as these couldn’t visit the festival in 2021. Instead, we facilitated digital shows in the classroom with our school partners; these numbers are not included.
Purpose of Fringe Days Out:
Our aim for this project is simple: to ensure that everyone involved has a good day out at the Fringe. The success of the Fringe relies on Edinburgh and its residents, and we are committed to finding more ways for even more local people to engage with and enjoy the arts.
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves through creativity and experience the thrill of live performance, and that the Fringe is an incredible opportunity to do this. No matter who you are or where you come from, everyone is welcome.
About Fringe Days Out Partners:
The Fringe Society works with a broad range of individuals and groups including young people, single parents, isolated elderly people, disabled people, ethnic minority communities, refugees and asylum seekers, LGBTQIA+ people and many more.
Examples of some of our partner organisations include Citadel Youth Centre, Vintage Vibes, Multi Cultural Family Base and Dads Rock.
The groups we work with are trusted partners in their communities who have built long-lasting relationships with their members. These relationships are crucial to the success of Fringe Days Out: by having open conversations with people they know and trust, participants can feel encouraged to take more risks in whether they choose to go and what they choose to see.
These conversations also help the Fringe Society better understand what else they can do to open doors and enable communities to celebrate culture and creativity on their own terms.
Pictures:Lesley Martin & Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) will be bringing War Graves Week to Edinburgh and offering free tours at Rosebank, Piershill and Seafield Cemeteries from May 21st.
War Graves Week is an initiative aimed at encouraging people from the local community to come together and discover the World War heritage on their doorstep – learning about the stories of those commemorated by the CWGC in Edinburgh and the skills, dedication and expertise of those CWGC staff and volunteers who work to keep their memory alive.
The free guided tours will take place at Rosebank, Piershill and Seafield Cemeteries and will give people in Edinburgh the chance to discover the remarkable stories of the men and women of the Commonwealth forces that died in the First and Second World Wars who are buried in their community. War Graves Week provides a unique chance for the people of Edinburgh to reconnect with their local history.
More than 290 casualties from World War One and World War Two are buried at Seafield Cemetery, 300 at Rosebank Cemetery and 130 at Piershill Cemetery.
Rosebank Cemetery contains the memorial to Britain’s worst railway accident, which involved the men of the 7th (Leith Volunteer) Battalion Royal Scots who were killed on 22nd May 1915.
One of the CWGC gravestones commemorates a member of the Women’s Royal Naval Service from the Great War, whose husband was docked two days’ wages and received 28 days field punishment for over-staying his leave after his wife’s death.
Other gravestones commemorate service personnel who died in aircraft crashes or died of illness or training accidents.
Seafield Cemetery has two CWGC plots, one being a large naval plot while the other contains a number individuals who served with the Canadian Forestry Corps. It also contains other CWGC headstones with interesting stories.
Piershill Cemetery, in addition to a number of Great War and World 2 CWGC headstones, has two headstones maintained by the CWGC to Jewish members of the Czech Army who served in WW2.
The cemetery is also the resting place for two Victoria Cross holders, one from the Crimean War and one from the Great War.
On the tours Edinburgh residents will learn about the Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times project – the focus of this year’s War Graves Week.
Alongside the front-line armed forces, the CWGC will be celebrating the value those who served during the World Wars brought to key sectors such as healthcare, logistics, infrastructure and communications.
To learn more about specific stories of those who served, and the parallels with today’s global Britain which they helped to create, please click here:
The tours will be led by local resident Ken Nisbet, who is a volunteer for the CWGC. Ken said: “We’re delighted that the CWGC’s War Graves Week will be taking place in Edinburgh.
“For us at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, remembrance and the sharing and caring for World War heritage is a daily duty. Behind every name on a war grave or memorial in Edinburgh is a human story waiting to be discovered and War Graves Week is the perfect opportunity to do just that.
“I’d encourage everyone in Edinburgh to join one of the tours to reconnect with their local history to learn about the courageous ordinary people from our community who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.”
The CWGC is encouraging the people of Edinburgh to seek out the stories in their local area and book onto a free tour this War Graves Week.
A consultation on improving victims’ experiences of the justice system, with a particular focus on sexual offences, has opened.
It takes forward the work of the Victims Taskforce and Programme for Government commitments to establish a Victims’ Commissioner, introduce a statutory right to anonymity for complainers in sexual offence cases and carefully consider the recommendations from Lady Dorrian’s Review into the management of sexual offence cases.
The 12 week consultation is part of a wide-ranging programme of work to transform the justice system and deliver the Scottish Government’s new Vision for Justice in Scotland.
Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “The Scottish Government recognises that the justice system can be distressing and re-traumatising for those who come into contact with it. We are committed to improving victims’ experiences of the system by putting them at its centre.
“This consultation explores how to do this by making the justice system more trauma informed and person centred.
“It is an important part of far-reaching and ambitious plans to bring about transformational change necessary to ensure our justice system is trusted, modern, smart and effective.
“We will continue to take an open and collaborative approach to achieve this aim, and this consultation will seek to capture the views of legal professionals, the third sector and those with experience of the system.”
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
This week is mental health awareness week. We know that each year one in four of us will experience some sort of mental health problem.
Long-term mental health problems can increase our risk of developing heart disease, which is one of the reasons why it is important that we look after our mental health by combating stress, maximising our ability to cope, and seeking support.
Here are some tips to keep our mental health in check:
Create Balance
Aim to balance your day-to-day demands with regular exercise, me-time and a good sleep routine to increase your resilience levels
Use your Support Network
Having someone you can talk to about your mental health can help you to better deal with any problems you are experiencing. This could be a friend, family member, or mental health professional.
Check-In
Checking in with ourselves and noticing trends in our behaviour and the way we feel can help us to know when we may need to seek help or put something in place to support our mental health. Apps such as Formscore, Thought Diary or Daylio offer an easy way to track our wellbeing over time.
Ask for Help
If we feel any of the signs and symptoms of a mental health problem, it is important to ask for help. You can speak with your GP or use a mental health charity support line such as Samaritans.
THE 2022 World Fair Trade Gathering is getting underway to return to the stage with a sizzling ceilidh fusion and ska line up, this Saturday.
Headlining this high-energy concert at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, are Skerryvore, Peatbog Faeries and Bombskare, who will take to the stage in an amazing line-up of traditional music from Scotland coming together to celebrate World Fair Trade Day and Scotland as a Fair Trade Nation.
Special guests, Pulse of the Place – a local, youth Leith-based Samba band – will be taking to the stage to help make the concert a super lively one. There will also be a range of stalls selling Fair Trade products in the main foyer throughout the evening.
This concert is set to lift the roof at Usher Hall and will be a fun night to remember and once again has been organised by Hand Up Events, a local social action company, led by director, Tania Pramschufer, who said: “It is wonderful we can celebrate World Fair Trade Day again with such a great and exciting line-up.
“This year, we are focussed on climate change and what we can do to make a difference linking to the WFTO climate justice theme.
A GROUP of volunteers is being assembled to shape a leading housing provider’s future equality framework and policy.
Leading housing provider, Bield has committed to putting its tenants and community members at the forefront of decisions on equality, launching its bespoke ‘Equality Network’ group.
The network will be made up of tenants and Bield officers who will work together with the aim of increasing awareness and understanding of the needs of people with protected characteristics and while working to ensure the necessary services are provided to them.
This is one of many tenant-led initiatives at Bield as it focuses on achieving more participation and engagement amongst service users.
Head of Policy at Bield, Zhan McIntyre, who has been overseeing the launch said: “The need for an equality group was identified as part of the last tenant engagement strategy. We’ve since placed a greater focus on people with protected characteristics to ensure there is a safe space to voice needs and opinions.
“The network hopes to engage people to both discuss their needs and also identify what we could do differently to further develop the inclusive features that already exist.
“The volunteers who take part are absolutely essential as they will shape how our equality framework will look and work here out, so we’d love to hear from anyone interested in joining.”
Anyone who is currently a customer of Bield and is passionate about improving the services is welcome to join. Members are required to attend quarterly meetings but do not need any particular skill sets or knowledge.
The principal idea behind the network is to diversify the body of people at Bield who are in charge of influencing and implementing policy with a hope that a variety of cultures, backgrounds and experiences will lend itself to a more holistic and representative committee.
Bield’s ‘Free to Be’ ethos is also promoted with this project through encouraging older people across its 180 developments to live independent, social lives by working with their peers and sharing their own ideas.
More than half of Scots unaware that stroke is one of the biggest killers in the UK, according to Stroke Association study
More than half of people in Scotland don’t know that stroke is the fourth biggest killer in the UK, according to new research by the Stroke Association. The charity has released the survey findings as it calls for vital support to fund more research into the devastating condition.
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, killing brain cells. The charity’s latest study asked the general public to rank health conditions in order of the leading causes of death. 55% of people in Scotland who ranked stroke placed it below its actual position as the UK’s fourth biggest killer2.
The research also revealed that over one in ten people (14%) in Scotland underestimate the impact of stroke, believing that stroke ranks lower than its actual position as the fifth leading cause of disability (and death combined) in the UK3. In fact, two thirds of people who survive a stroke find themselves living with a disability.
There are1.3 million stroke survivors living in the UK, with over 50% of all stroke survivors dependent on others for everyday activities. However, the Stroke Association’s survey also found that people don’t understand the true long term damage a stroke can cause.
In Scotland:
· Around two-thirds (62%) of people are unaware that fatigue is a common hidden effect of stroke
· More than half (57%) don’t realise that stroke can cause depression and anxiety
· Over a quarter of people (29%) don’t know that communication difficulties are common after stroke
· More than two thirds of people (67%) don’t know that stroke can affect hearing
· Almost two thirds (61%) are unaware that stroke survivors can experience vision problems
Despite the devastating impact of stroke, stroke research is chronically underfunded and receives far less funding than other health conditions that have similar life-long effects. In the UK far less is spent per survivor on research into stroke than research into any other health condition.
Data shows that annually, only 1.2% of research budgets (approx. £30m) are spent on stroke, compared with 14.8% (approx. £400m) on cancer, while there are 1.3m people living with the effects of stroke in the UK and 2.5m living with cancer. However, the survey reveals many Brits believe more research funding is spent on stroke than other conditions including prostate cancer, dementia and chronic lower respiratory diseases.
The study also found that more than half of people (53%) think that the number of deaths from stroke has increased in the last 10 years. However, despite stroke being the UK’s fourth biggest killer, the rate of deaths has actually decreased by more than half in the last three decades thanks in part to life saving research5, demonstrating the crucial need for continued investment in stroke research.
Professor Jesse Dawson, University of Glasgow said: “Strokes are caused when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, most commonly as a result of a blood clot (known as an ischaemic stroke).
“The longer the brain is starved of oxygen the more brain cells die and the bigger and more lasting the effects of stroke are. We are testing when it’s best to start blood thinning medications after an ischaemic stroke. This research has the potential to prevent death and disability from stroke and to minimise some of the life-long effects caused by stroke.
“Our research is only possible through funding by UK charities – like the Stroke Association, who have played a key role in the breakthroughs we have seen in stroke research over recent decades. Supporting stroke research is vital to prevent stroke and to help stroke survivors to live a fuller life after such a devastating event.”
Ruth Hector from Stirling, had two strokes at the age of 30. It was devastating and impacted her mobility, her speech and her mood. Ruth went into deep depression ending up in a mental health unit.
And then six weeks after her first stroke, Ruth had a second one. It’s taken a lot of hard work and determination, but thankfully Ruth is now back at work, is enjoying her hobbies.
Ruth Hector’s life was turned upside down when she had two strokes at the age of 30 in August and October 2016. The strokes happened just six weeks apart. Ruth’s stroke was devastating and impacted her mobility, her speech and her mood. She went into deep depression and spent time being treated in a mental health unit.
Ruth was unable to go back to work and could no longer carry out the everyday things that we take for granted, such as being able to walk up the stairs or read a book smoothly/clearly.
It’s taken a lot of hard work and determination, but thankfully Ruth is now back at work, has written several children’s books and is able to enjoy her hobbies.
Ruth says: “Not enough people know that strokes can be fatal and can leave people with devastating disabilities. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t talk, it was hell. But I’ve come a long way and couldn’t have done it without good treatment and care.
“I received some life-saving treatments in hospital including thrombolysis and thrombectomy, and benefitted from physiotherapy and speech and language therapy which helped me to walk and to talk again.
“I can now walk everywhere and as well as being able to read, and my writing has taken leaps and bounds. I’ve got my confidence back and that is really important because I believe in myself again, and that anything is possible.
“The impact of a stroke can be a life sentence, but thanks to research into new treatments and forms of support, I have made a good recovery and so can others.”
John Watson, Associate Director Scotland of the Stroke Association, said: “There are about 10,000 strokes in Scotland every year. While it changes lives in an instant, the brain can adapt and rebuild after stroke.
“That’s why research means everything to Scotland’s 128,000 stroke survivors and their families, because of the life-changing impact it could have on their future. Our pioneering research has been at the centre of major breakthroughs that have saved lives and sparked innovation in stroke care and treatment.
“From laying the foundations for the Act FAST campaign, one of the most successful public health awareness campaigns, to funding early research into the emergency stroke treatment thrombectomy (the manual removal of stroke-causing blood clots), many patients have been spared the most devastating effects of stroke as a result of our research.
“Despite stroke still being the fourth biggest killer in the UK, research has helped to more than halve the rate of deaths from stroke over the last three decades. It’s absolutely crucial that we continue this progress, but we can’t do this without vital funding. Far less is spent ‘per survivor’ on research into stroke than on research into any other health condition.
“We would never want to take researchers or money away from other conditions such as cancer, but we do want to replicate the success that cancer research has had, so that we can continue to make breakthroughs in stroke treatment and care.
“Now our focus is on improving life, after stroke strikes. The Stroke Association is the only UK organisation dedicated to funding research into ongoing rehabilitation for stroke survivors. Our research means everything to stroke survivors and their families. It gives hope for a better recovery, living more independently, a future.
“We’re calling on people to donate where they can to support our research and help give stroke survivors and their families the progress they deserve.”
Donate to help fund the research that could mean everything to stroke survivors and their loved ones.
Funds raised will go towards vital services for stroke survivors across the UK, including support and pioneering research.
