More than 950 additional frontline workers recruited
A commitment to recruit an additional 800 mental health staff to frontline roles across Scotland has been exceeded.
Figures published yesterday show that 958 whole time equivalent mental health workers have been recruited for deployment to hospitals, GP practices, police station custody suites and prisons. This exceeds the target of 800 set in the Scottish Government’s Mental Health Strategy 2017-27.
The staff will ensure people have access to appropriate mental health care in a variety of settings, recognising the life-changing benefits of fast, effective treatment.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Improving mental health is a priority for the Scottish Government and these figures show how seriously we are taking this. I am pleased that we have exceeded our commitment and recruited almost 1,000 additional mental health professionals across these key settings.
“Mental illness is one of the major public health challenges in Scotland. Around one-in-three people are estimated to be affected by mental illness in any one year. We want a Scotland where we act on the knowledge that failing to recognise, prioritise and treat mental health problems costs not only our economy, but also harms individuals and communities.
“We have allocated nearly £84 million to enable recruitment to these posts and this has been achieved in spite of the unprecedented impacts of the pandemic on our health and social care services.”
As the heatwave sweeping across the UK continues, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) fears that many people will head to waterways in a bid to cool off from the 30+ degrees reported to hit some regions this week.
A 16-year-old boy tragically lost his life to drowning in Lancashire over the weekend and the charity is urging people to ensure enjoying the water is fun and not fatal.
Lee Heard, Charity Director at RLSS UK said: “Every year during the summer we see a sharp rise in the number of accidental drownings in the UK as many people look to cool off on hot summer days like we are experiencing currently.
“I deeply regret to say we have already seen a number of drownings already in the past few weeks as the temperatures have soared.
“It is vital to ensure that everyone has an understanding of water safety and makes it their responsibility to educate their family and friends on how water can be enjoyed safely to prevent such tragedies. In July 2021, there were 49 accidental drowning fatalities in the space of just two weeks in the UK.
“We want to help families enjoy water safely with our summer water safety information. We truly believe that people can be equipped with the right knowledge around water safety, and as a result we won’t need to see the fatalities we currently are seeing with accidental drownings.”
The Royal Life Saving Society UK has some simple and easy to follow tips on its website and social media channels to help keep families safe this summer, including their five summer water safety tips:
Look out for Lifeguards If you’re looking for a place to cool off, always find a lifeguarded swimming site.
It’s colder than it looks Water at open and inland sites is often much colder than it looks, cold water can affect your ability to swim and self-rescue.
Don’t go too far Always swim parallel to the shore, that way you’re never too far away from it.
It’s stronger than it looks Currents in the water can be very strong. If you find yourself caught in a current – don’t swim against it – you’ll tire yourself out. Stay calm, swim with the current and call for help.
Bring a friend Always bring a friend when you go swimming so if anything goes wrong, you’ve got someone there to help.
Lee continued: “We often see people trying to cool off in lakes, quarries, rivers and other waterways when we experience extremely warm weather like this week brings, and many of these people do not have the experience of swimming in these waters and that is where we see people getting into trouble.
“As a result we then see others trying to help those in difficulty by going into the water themselves to attempt a rescue which can have fatal consequences.
“ If you or someone else finds themselves in difficulty in the water, it’s vital to remember the Water Safety Code:
whenever you are around water you should stop and think to assess your surroundings and look for any dangers;
stay together when around water and always go with family and friends;
in an emergency call 999 and ask for the Fire and Rescue service when inland and the Coastguard if at the coast;
and finally float to live, if you fall in or become tired, stay calm, float on your back and call for help, or if you see someone in the water, throw something that floats to them and resist temptation to go in.”
For further water safety information visit the RLSS UK website – www.rlss.org.uk.
On Sunday 24 July, we will introduce a short notice timetable change to some of our services on the Lothian network.
With recruitment issues across our industry still causing major resourcing issues for our business, we have taken the decision to introduce these measures to ensure that we can operate our services as advertised for our customers.
This change will see some minor timetable changes and alterations to frequencies on some of our services. There will be bus stop changes to Lothian Country.
Details of the service change and links to timetables can be found below.
If you need any assistance, please reach out on our social media channels – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – or phone bus information on 0131 555 6363.
Family benefits, free school meals and concessionary travel are part of support helping households to mitigate the increased cost of living.
Funding for 2022-23 includes:
£294.4 million for Scottish Child Payment and other family benefits, including Best Start Grants, Best Start Foods and Bridging Payments
£64 million for universal provision of free school meals during term time for children in p4 and p5 and alternative holiday provision for eligible children
£306 million for concessionary travel
£437 million to help with household bills via Council Tax Reduction and Water Charge Reduction
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “Within our limited budget, we have allocated almost £3 billion in this financial year to help families and households face the increased cost of living. This includes support for energy bills, childcare, health and travel, as well as social security payments not available anywhere else in the UK.
“We are increasing our Scottish Child Payment to £25 per child per week when we extend it to under 16s by the end of 2022. This will mean a 150% increase in less than a year and around 400,000 children eligible for this vital anti-poverty benefit.
“Westminster holds most of the powers needed to tackle the cost of living crisis as well as borrowing and resourcing powers we do not currently have. This includes energy, the minimum wage, National Insurance and 85% of social security spending.
“The UK Government’s decade of austerity and welfare reforms have placed people in a particularly precarious position. That is why we have continually urged them to use all the powers and fiscal headroom at their disposal to put together a comprehensive action plan to address the long term impacts of rising prices and provide immediate support to struggling households.
“In the meantime we will continue to use our limited budget and constrained powers to work for people and help cushion the impact of UK Government policies.”
Look at our beautiful poster for our Festival Fringe production of Amanda Whittington’s Ladies Day! Designed by the multi talented Stephen, who is also the lighting and sound director for the production.
Work, love and life are just one long, hard slog for the fish-filleting foursome Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda. A day at the races to celebrate Pearl’s (not) retirement finds them looking for fame and fortune.
Dressed in their finest, they head off to the races for a drink, a flirt and a flutter. If their luck holds, they could hit the jackpot – and more besides. An exuberant, poignant comedy about female friendship and what fortune really means, come and join the ladies at the race course and share their story.
An amateur production In association with Nick Hern Books.
Please join us at Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre,Clark Road, Edinburgh from Saturday 6 August. Tickets are now available from the Fringe Box Office.
Fields in Trust has announced that voting has officially opened to decide the ‘UK’s Favourite Parks’, with the national charity calling upon the residents of Edinburgh to support their local parks.
No fewer than 16 parks in Edinburgh are amongst the 364 spaces in the running for the title including Princes Street Gardens, Pilrig Park, Holyrood Park and local favourite Inverleith Park.
Votes will see ‘National Favourites’ being lauded from each of the Home Nations, with the one with the most being crowned the overall winner for 2022.
Having launched the campaign back in 2015, this year has seen more nominations received than ever before, demonstrating just how much the nation has grown to appreciate green spaces over the past few years.
Returning for the first time since 2019, this year’s campaign is particularly momentous it’s the first since the start of the pandemic, in which saw a significant rise in visits to local parks.
Over 350 spaces have been nominated in 2022, with every region in the UK represented on the list.
The full list can be found here, but the nominated parks in Edinburgh are:
Blackford Hill
Corstorphine Hill Park and Nature Reserve
Figgate Park
Holyrood Park
Inverleith Park
Lauriston Castle Park
Leith Links
Lochend Park
Montgomery Street Park
Pilrig Park
Princes Street Gardens
Saughton Park
Seven Acre Park
Spylaw Park
Starbank Park
The Meadows
The nominator of Princes Street Gardens shared: “I may be biased as a proud life-long Edinburger, but the Princes Street Gardens are a city treasure and this can be seen in the appreciation and recognition that the park has received worldwide.”
A supporter of Starbank Park said: “Starbank Park is a wonderful community walled garden park with panoramic views over the Firth of Forth.
“It is maintained by a special group of volunteers who work hard to make the park so breathtakingly beautiful and an oasis of calm in the busy city of Edinburgh.”
Research commissioned by the charity has revealed that local parks are in the top five attributes that influence people when considering where to live, surpassing libraries, theatres, pubs, and restaurants. A further 32% of people surveyed found it very important that a park or green space was within the local proximity when relocating.
Following the annual Green Space Index report released earlier this year, the study – which analyses the provision and distribution of parks and green spaces in the UK – found that 2.8 million people live more than ten minutes’ walk away from a green space. With only 6% of green space legally protected in Great Britain, Fields in Trust worries that this will only worsen in coming years if we do not appreciate and advocate for our local parks.
Commenting on the commencement of the voting stage, Chief Executive of Fields in Trust, Helen Griffiths, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to see that hundreds of parks and green spaces have been nominated up and down the country. It is incredibly heartening to hear the individual stories of significance for these spaces and this process has only emphasised the collective importance of having natural areas in our communities.
“As an organisation, we have worked for over a century to protect parks and green spaces, and there have never been such huge financial and development pressures threatening them. Now, it is up to all of us to prevent this cycle of disappearance and decline.”
The UK’s Favourite Parks was first awarded seven years ago and has already handed out the title to three parks from across the UK: inaugural winner, Telford Town Park; Rouken Glen Park in 2016; and Blackpool’s Stanley Park in both 2017 and 2019.
“We look forward to seeing the votes roll in over the next six weeks. In that time, I urge everyone in Edinburgh to vote for their local parks and green spaces.
“This advocacy and support is so important to demonstrate the importance of local parks, and by voting for yours, you can send a message to show just how valued they truly are.”
Voting is now open and will be live until 18th August.
Ukrainian orphanage children who had to flee their homeland when war broke out have enjoyed a fun-filled day at one of the UK’s top tourist destinations.
The 56 children enjoyed the Midsummer Carnival celebrations at Warwick Castle, taking in a host of exciting live shows and attractions.
The group was brought to Scotland by Edinburgh-based Dnipro Kids, which was formed after Hibs played a UEFA Cup game against Dnipro FC in 2005.
The charity was formed by Hibs supporters who, having travelled to Ukraine, were struck by the plight of the children and families.
Dnipro Kids has evacuated more than 50 children, aged between two and 17, from Ukraine in the last few months.
The orphanage children, and accompanying orphanage mothers, care team workers, translators and charity workers, stopped off at the castle, which is gearing up for its biggest ever summer of events, on their way down to visit London.
Steven Carr, chairman of Dnipro Kids, said: “The children have had an amazing time at Warwick Castle.
“Meeting Zog, walking the ramparts and the amazing Falconer’s Quest, all set in the spectacular surroundings of the castle, made for a memorable day out for our little guests from Ukraine.
“A huge thank you to all at Warwick Castle that made this such a special day for them.”
The group took in shows such as the thrilling horse stunt Midsummer show, the UK’s largest birds of prey show The Falconer’s Quest, and Zog Live Show.
The new for 2022 Zog Playland was also a hit with the younger children.
Her Majesty The Queen has presented the George Cross to the NHS for 74 years of dedicated service.
The award for heroism was accepted by representatives of the NHS from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland in an audience at Windsor Castle.
It is only the third time in the award’s 82 year history that the honour has been presented to an organisation and follows the efforts of health and social care workers across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Accepting the award on behalf of the health service in Scotland was NHS Scotland Chief Executive Caroline Lamb, and Eleanor Grant, a palliative care nurse specialist at University Hospital in Wishaw who was named Nurse of the Year at the Scottish Health Awards 2021.
Ms Lamb said: “We wouldn’t be where we are today without our health services. NHS and social care staff have cared for all of us on the frontline of the pandemic.
“Thanks to their dedication and duty our NHS has saved countless lives and the George Cross is a symbol of the country’s gratitude. I know that the rest of Scotland will join me in paying tribute and giving thanks for everything the NHS and wider social care has done for us not only during the pandemic, but since its formation in 1948.
“The NHS is only the third entity to receive the George Cross and I am truly honoured. This award goes beyond the commitment and personal sacrifices staff have made over the past two-and-a-half years. It reflects the wider admiration and gratitude we all have for the NHS.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone working across the health and social care sector for everything they have done, and continue to do, to care for us all.”
Ms Grant has been a nurse for 35 years, working in St Andrew’s Hospice before re-joining the NHS to provide hospital patients with palliative and end-of-life care.
Ms Grant said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to accept this award on behalf of my colleagues across health and social care In Scotland. It’s an honour and a privilege.
“For me, COVID-19 has changed how I work. When patients were unable to have loved ones with them in their final moments, it was for me to be there. We all pulled together in the toughest of times and did what we had to do.
“The George Cross is sometimes awarded to individuals involved in the military and it feels quite fitting for this recognition to be given to the NHS as the early days of the pandemic did feel like a battle.”
Outsider falls before the first hurdle as race to become Conservative Party leader gets underway
EIGHT candidates will battle it out to become the next Conservative Party leader – and our new Prime Minister – as voting gets under way this afternoon.
Each of the candidates was able to get the minimum twenty signatures required to take part in the contest and the competition now gets under way in earnest.
One hopeful who didn’t make it was little-known backbencher Rehman Chishti, who failed to get the required number of nominations.
Cabinet ministers Dominic Raab and Grant Shapps chose not to stand, instead attending Rishi Sanak’s campaign launch. Other big names not putting themselves forward to be the next Prime Minister are Priti Patel, Michael Gove and Sajid Javid, although all three will be keen to influence the outcome of the contest.
The candidates are: Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman, Jeremy Hunt, Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Tom Tugendhat and Nadhim Zahawi.
They now have to secure 30 votes in the first round today to stay in the race. Voting opens at 1.30pm with the result expected just after 5pm.
Further votes will then take place over the coming days to whittle the number of candidates down to a final two. Conservative Party members across the country will then choose between this final pair over the summerand the winner is expected to be announced on 5 September before parliament resumes after the summer recess.
Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak seems certain to be one of the final two, but at this stage it is far from clear who his final opponent is going to be.
5pm UPDATE:
Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and current Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi have been eliminated after today’s vote.
The six remaining candidates will do it all again tomorrow.
Around 10.45am yesterday (Tuesday 12 July, 2022), the body of a man was located within a wooded area near Dunsapie Loch in Holyrood Park,
A formal identification has still to take place, however, the family of 33-year-old Douglas Bramley, who was reported missing from Edinburgh on Sunday, 10 July, 2022, have been informed and are currently being supported by police.
A post mortem examination will take place in due course, however, there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Saturday 6th August – Saturday 20th August 2022 (not Sundays)
£15 (£12 con) (£10 preview Sat 6th August 7:30pm)
7.30pm Sat 6th and Mon-Fri 8th-12th, 15th-19th
Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre, 1A Clark Rd, Edinburgh EH5 3BD
Marion Donohoe
