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MiDAS training with PEP

MiDAS training at PEP: Friday 9 September

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Accredited Minibus Training (MiDAS) – limited places still available for Friday 9 September 
Pilton Equalities Project (PEP) is registered with the Community Transport Association funded through the City of Edinburgh Council and recognised as the community transport operator for the North Edinburgh quadrant.  We are a partner of the Edinburgh Community Transport Operators Group (ECTOG) PEP, Dove Transport, SEAG and LCTS.
MiDAS is the nationally recognised Minibus Driver Awareness training Scheme, organised by the Community Transport Association U.K. (CTA) which promotes a nationally recognised standard for the assessment and training of minibus drivers. It is a membership based scheme that is designed to enhance minibus driving standards and promote the safer operation of minibuses,
It comprises low cost classroom-based training, plus an on-road driving assessment, as well as oponal Passenger Assistance training (PAT’s) for drivers who will be transporng passengers with disabilities.
Criteria:
a) Aged over 21 years
b) Held a full Driving Licence for 2 years
As places are limited, for further information on any of our courses call our trainer Theodora Hidalgo on 0131 315 4466 or email pepequalities@btconnect.com
theopepequalities@hotmail.co.uk
PEP applies a good practice model ensuring the Health & Safety of its passengers

 

 

Getting out and about: a Natural Health Service?

Older people could benefit from ‘green’ prescriptions

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Green prescribing by doctors and other health professionals could be a valuable way of helping older people reap the benefits of outdoor recreation, according to new research. The idea is among a number of recommendations contained in a new report commissioned by the Scottish Government to examine the barriers older people face getting out and about.

Outdoor activity has been shown to be beneficial for physical and mental health and wellbeing, but older people are less likely to take part. Continue reading Getting out and about: a Natural Health Service?

The cost of going back to school

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Getting a child ready to return to school can be an expensive business. The cost of uniform, coat, shoes, bags and PE kit soon adds up. Despite this, the amount of financial help offered to low income families varies massively, with some local authorities offering as little as £20 per child for the whole year.

CPAG in Scotland want to make sure all local authorities pay an adequate minimum school clothing grant and that the Scottish Government is doing all it can to help families cover the costs of school clothing.

This year, the Scottish Government has a new power to set a minimum school clothing grant for the whole of Scotland – and we want them to use it.

Take 5 minutes to message your MSP and tell them what it really costs to clothe a child for school and explaining why you think every child in Scotland has the right to start term warm, comfortable and ready to learn. 

To get started, enter your postcode and click “Participate”.

UK government data provided by GovEval.

School Costs is a new short film jointly sponsored by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) and CPAG in Scotland. Directed by Iain Henderson, winner of the BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award 2015, the film highlights the struggle of families on low incomes to meet the costs associated with their children attending school.

The testimony of the parents involved is drawn directly from qualitative research conducted as part of our Early Warning System.

Watch the film here

Violence Reduction Unit set for RIE

emergency department is being extended to Edinburgh

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A successful violence reduction project based at a Glasgow hospital emergency department is being extended to Edinburgh. The Scottish Government is providing £70,000 to extend the Navigator project, run by the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, to Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary.

The Navigator programme at Glasgow Royal Infirmary helps patients who have been the victims or perpetrators of violence to make the changes they need to improve their lives.

Continue reading Violence Reduction Unit set for RIE

Back to skool!

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All 17 schools closed because of structural concerns back in March will welcome back city pupils next week. The final remedial works on Drummond Community High and The Royal High have now been completed by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership which means all pupils will be back in their own schools as normal for the start of the new session next Wednesday.

The confirmation will be a huge relief to pupils, parents and school staff and brings to an end a saga that has dragged on since April.

The first sign that something was wrong came in January, when hundreds of bricks were dislodged from a wall at Oxgangs Primary School during Storm Gertrude. Repairs were carried out and the school reopened within a few days – but was closed again weeks later when an inspection revealed serious concerns about the way the external wall had been constructed when the school was first built 10 years ago.

Oxgangs was part of the controversial Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme that saw 17 schools built or refurbished in a £360m deal between the council and a private finance consortium.

Days later, three more schools – St Peter’s RC Primary, Firrhill High and Braidburn Special School – were also closed after being deemed to be unsafe for pupils and these were followed in April by the remainder of the PPP1 schools, including local primaries Pirniehall, St David’s, Craigroyston and Forthview as well as Rowanfied Special School.

The schools were all built by Miller Construction, which was bought over by Galliford Try in 2014..

In total 17 schools were closed with 7,600 pupils affected as the Council put in place a huge logistical plan to provide alternative arrangements. More than 5,000 children were educated at over 70 different schools and education facilities during the three months until the summer holidays.

Council Leader Andrew Burns said yesterday: “I’m delighted that all of our pupils affected by the closures will be back in their own schools next week as we promised parents we would try to achieve this. We stressed to the Edinburgh Schools Partnership that they should bring forward school reopening dates where possible which has happened.

“Our priority has always been the safety of our pupils and staff and we insisted that ESP and their contractors ensure all our schools are 100% safe to reopen. All the relevant paperwork has been published on our website having been reviewed by an independent expert on behalf of the Council.

“I want again to thank parents and pupils for their patience and understanding and teaching staff for their commitment and flexibility during these difficult past few months.

“The next steps now are to establish exactly what went wrong with these schools. The Council has appointed respected construction and procurement industry expert John Cole CBE to lead an independent inquiry.

“Clear and thorough terms of reference set out exactly what we are aiming to achieve through this inquiry. We want to find out what went wrong and are determined to see what lessons can be learned, not just here in Edinburgh but across Scotland and the UK.”

The independent inquiry is underway and is expected to finish before the end of the year.

 

Resilience grants available

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The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has launched a new £8million annual investment programme to help organisations and partnerships build their resilience. Resilient Heritage grants between £3,000 and £250,000 will fund a range of tailored activity specifically designed to help organisations improve the way they manage heritage for the long term.

Continue reading Resilience grants available

A Pleasance Fringe for families

Providing children from the earliest age with access to high quality children’s theatre while offering a dedicated space for under 10s and their families to relax is the mission of the Pleasance Kidzone.

Started in 2009 as a way of supporting the children’s theatre programme, the Kidzone has led to an explosion in children’s activities at the Pleasance over the last eight years. In 2015 ticket sales for Children’s shows exceeded 40,000 compared to only 4,000 when it started in 2009. This year, 18 different children’s shows feature in the Pleasance programme.

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The Pleasance remains the only venue in Edinburgh to offer a completely dedicated child-friendly area. The Kidzone features a giant inflatable igloo theatre, home to a varied and largely interactive theatre programme, a cafe serving child-friendly food, a nappy change, pram shelter and weather-proof art pods where children (and adults) can engage in imaginative and fun arts and crafts activities.This year, Kite-making, face-painting and grizzly monster-making are just a few of the workshops taking place in a new workshop tent adjacent to the art pods.

Pleasance Kids Coordinator Candida Alderson said: “We created the Pleasance Kidzone to give parents and children a hassle-free and inexpensive way to experience the Fringe.

“Deciding which shows to see, worrying about food, where you’re going to put your pram and change a nappy, as well as working out how you’re going to keep the kids occupied between shows, are all big concerns when you’re planning a family day out on the Fringe. We are easy to get to, and have all the things you need, close at hand, which hopefully ensures a great Fringe Day Out for the whole family.

“It’s become a popular Fringe destination for families, many of whom returneach year, because we programme top class children’s theatre from around the globe for all ages, and run lots of creative and imaginative activities to occupy the kids between shows, so that the adults can sit for a while and read the papers, chat to other parents (it’s the best place to pick up word-of-mouth show suggestions) and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Courtyard, without feeling that they’re getting in the way. It’s very easy to spend a whole day with us, and not feel too frazzled by the end of it!”

One of this year’s highlights – model-making workshops from renowned Aardman model maker, Jim Parkyn, who will also be creating an ongoing installation, with the help of performers and passers-by, on Beside, the venue next door to the Kidzone. Pleasance Kids also makes its pop-up debut at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, with two very special interactive shows for young children, from Edinburgh-based Starcatchers, and the renowned Bootworks Theatre.

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CHILDRENS SHOWS

Little Red is clever. Little Red is bright. Little Red will find a way to beat you in a fight. Olivier-winning producer Paul Taylor-Mills and the writing duo behind the success of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ bring their musical hit Red Riding Hood to Pleasance Beyond for a limited run. The same Taylor-Mills is behind the much-loved take on Dr Seuss’s The Cat In The Hat which comes back to Pleasance One for undoubtedly another sell-out run.

The Showstoppers, Olivier-winning West End improvisation group, bring their children’s show back to the Fringe and it promises to be one crazy adventure filled with music and laughter! Children aged 0-5 can also enjoy Moo on the Fringe, an interactive music session on The Green.

Pleasance Kids presents a pop-up venue within the Edinburgh International Conference Centre this August, which hosts two special interactive shows: Hup andThe Many Doors of Frank Feelbad. For the very little ones, Scottish based, pioneering organisation Starcatchers in association with the RSNO and Pleasance Kids present Hup, taking both babies and grown-ups alike on an unforgettable music journey. How do we cope when things go missing? From Bootworks Theatre, who brought the highly-acclaimed The Incredible Book Eating Boy, comes The Many Doors of Frank Feelbad – Frank has lost his Mum and uses everything from a scavenger hunt to dub-step to find her.

Equally superb in dealing with a difficult matter is Follow Me, the story of Nansi who has just become a big sister for the first time and, worrying her world will change forever, escapes to an imaginary world. Future Perfect by Small Storiesrevolves around Dominic who goes back in time to change the past and make his future perfect.

Acclaimed Edinburgh based Drama Specialists, The Acting Scene are running interactive drama workshops based around a brave snail on a life-changing adventure, whilst a different snail also embarks on an adventure on the tail of a humpback whale with her seafaring father in Tall Stories’ wonderful production ofThe Snail and The Whale, based on Julia Donaldson’s popular book. Mermalade is not a tale of a Little Mermaid but of a mermaid on a quest to make sense of a cryptic note and a pearl she was left with – brought to Edinburgh by Manhattan Children’s Theatre and following its successful show The Last of the Dragons last year.

The theme of the sea continues in Jellyfish, an inspiring story of a family sharing a house with a giant glowing jellyfish which uses puppetry and original music to explore the topic of parenthood and mental health. Ribber Ribbet Croak is a playful story of Grandma and Grandpa Frog who leave their pond to plan for a big surprise. This interactive show by Moulded Theatre uses puppetry, Makaton (language programme using signs and symbols to help people communicate) and music and is suitable for children of all needs.

Also on a quest – to rescue his kidnapped friends – is Captain Flinn in Les Petits Theatre’s Captain Flinn and The Pirate Dinosaurs 2: The Magic Cutlass. This is a sequel to Primary Times Children’s Choice Award-winning part one.

The Pleasance’s favourite regulars are also back: Aardman’s animator Jim Parkyncomes to The Green with series of model-making workshops for children and adults alike – creating a mini masterpiece to feed into The Amazing Scene Machine and celebrating Aardman’s 40th birthday is The Amazing Scene Machine Does Aardinburgh! where audiences will help create a very special 3D painting of Edinburgh featuring some of Aardman’s stars including Morph, Shaun the Sheepand Wallace and Gromit.

Also returning is The Guardian’s cartoonist Harry Venning with Release Your Inner Cartoonist and the irreverently funny I Hate Children Children’s Show, as well as the much-loved Art Pods on the Green. And staying along an interactive theme Pleasance Kids has commissioned kite-making workshops from Go Fly Your Kite, Grizzly Monster-making activities with our extraordinary resident designer, Paul Garner and Make-Up Workshops with remarkably gifted regular Kidzone face painter Lynn Fraser (Fantoosh).

PLEASANCE FUTURES

Pleasance Kids is part of Pleasance Futures, the development arm of The Pleasance Theatre Trust.  The Pleasance’s enduring mission is to provide a launch pad for the very best emerging talent and the brightest of new ideas. In 2016 The Pleasance Theatre Trust will provide over £125,000 of direct financial support to up and coming talent both on and off stage through a number of Pleasance Futures projects.

Pleasance Kids aims to nurture a love of the creative arts from an early age, using it to inspire and engage children to learn. This year, Pleasance Kids is seeking funding to programme theatre from around the UK, specifically supporting topics in the Curriculum for Excellence, initially into primary schools in the Edinburgh and the Lothians.  To kick this off, from 15th August, Pleasance is offering schools a specialBack to School ticket offer, with the added opportunity of performers visiting schools to run a workshop or activity after the show (for schools who have booked 20 or more tickets) for free.

Tickets available at:

www.pleasance.co.uk or by phoning 0131 556 6550

Terrorist attack is biggest fear, public tell Police

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The threat of terrorism is the main issue of concern to people across Scotland, according to the first results from Police Scotland’s new online survey, ‘Your View Counts’. Edinburgh citizens highlighted housebreaking and antisocial behaviour as their main concerns. Continue reading Terrorist attack is biggest fear, public tell Police