This week is Tinnitus Week (6-12 February 2023), and latest research suggests that 1 in 7 adults have tinnitus.
Everyone’s tinnitus is different, but it’s usually described as a ringing, hissing, buzzing, roaring or humming sound. There may be one or more sounds and the noise may be there all the time or come and go.
The causes of tinnitus can be linked to different things, including hearing loss, exposure to loud noise, certain medications, ear or head injuries, some ear conditions and emotional stress. Sometimes, there’s no recognisable link at all. Many people get tinnitus for a short time – for example, after being exposed to loud music, or when they have congestion because of a cold. But for some people, it doesn’t go away, and it can have a significant impact on their daily life.
The good news is, RNID is here to help. Our freeTinnitus Guide contains information on ways to manage tinnitus, from professional support to self-help options. It also includes information on useful apps and technology, how to support a loved one with tinnitus, and what to do if tinnitus is affecting your sleep.
RNID is committed to funding research to silence tinnitus, and our guide contains the latest information on our work to identify the causes of tinnitus and develop strategies to treat it. You can find all this and more by downloading our free tinnitus guide at rnid.org.uk/tinnitus
Two-way traffic will return to Leith Walk this month, as preparations for tram testing begin.
North- and southbound traffic along the length of Leith Walk will be reintroduced during the week commencing 13 February, followed by the electrification of the full line.
Energisation of the line will allow for testing and commissioning to begin, with the first test trams expected on the route at the beginning of March. Final track preparations will also take place in the lead up to the first test tram running.
All tram track, overhead line poles and communications and power ducting has been installed, 93% of the overhead lines are in place and the final section at Picardy Place is being installed over the next two weeks.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said:“In just a matter of weeks we’ll see test trams running the length of the Trams to Newhaven route, which is really exciting. Energising the overhead lines and buffering of the tram tracks are the final steps before this happens.
“Reopening Leith Walk to two-way traffic is a key moment for the project too and, I’m sure, for all those who live and work in the area. I’d like to thank residents and businesses for their patience and support while we’ve carried out these works.
Once fully complete, this project will be transformative for Leith Walk and the rest of the route, while benefitting the wider city economy and helping to cut congestion. Not only will it provide reliable, high-capacity connections to the north of the city but has significantly improved and enhanced public spaces and active travel links along the line.”
The Trams to Newhaven project remains on schedule for completion by spring 2023 and within the £207.3m budget, with all major construction now complete ahead of the testing and commissioning period.
This TtN budget does not take into account the massive cost overrun during the original tram project, the failures of which are subject to an ongoing public inquiry under Lord Hardie.
Due to industry wide challenges with the availability of materials and skilled labour, impacted by Brexit and the war in Ukraine along with significant demand for labour in the UK and overseas, there are small pockets of public realm works that will now be completed over the coming months.
A communications campaign has been carried out to remind residents, businesses and stakeholders about the electrification of overhead lines, including safety requirements and permits needed to carry out any work. This work was originally scheduled to take place in October but was re-programmed to allow key infrastructure works to be completed.
To allow for work to connect the lines to take place, Edinburgh Trams services from the airport will terminate at the West End between 13 and 19 February.
It’s well known that exercise helps keep us healthy, yet around 34% of men and 42% of women don’t do enough physical activity. Regular physical activity reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 35% and it is something we should all be aiming to achieve.
The key word is ‘regular’, while trying new activities which increase our physical activity levels temporarily are of benefit, we need to find ways to incorporate movement and regular physical activity into our daily routines.
Here are some tips that might help:
Make a commitment
Committing to a weekly exercise class (or multiple) can help you stay active when motivation drops. If attending a paid class isn’t an option, ask a few local friends or neighbours if they want to form an exercise group with you.
Set aside the same time each week to be active together, this could be something as simple as going for a walk or jog. The main thing is the commitment, having a set time scheduled into your week makes it easier to hit your activity goals.
Identify opportunities
Day to day life usually presents opportunities for us to move more, but in today’s modern world we find lifts and escalators in most places with stairs, and it has become the norm to drive rather than walk.
Look at your weekly activities and determine ways you can be more active while going about your day-to-day duties. This could be taking the stairs in a shopping centre or parking a little further away from work and walking the rest of the way.
Know how much
Adults should aim to do 150 minutes of physical activity every week, which is 20-30 minutes a day. Other activities such as cleaning and gardening can count towards our movement goals.
Don’t just think about sweating in a gym and let that put you off, reframe even the most mundane activities like hoovering and appreciate them for helping us to stay healthy.
For a limited time only, award-winning, small-group tour specialist, Rabbie’s (www.rabbies.com), are offering a 10% saving for tours in Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland.
Rabbie’s mini-coach tours travel on mini-coaches and stay in hand-picked accommodation. Thanks to Rabbie’s expert drivers and guides, guests travel beyond the guidebooks, off the beaten map and on the trodden track, with every new trial uncovering the hidden gems of Europe’s finest destinations.
Guests can get 10% off of tours departing in April in Italy, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland with the promo code EUAPRIL10 when booking before 14 February 2023.
Highlights include:
6-day The Italian Lakes & Swiss Alps Explorer
This 6-day tour takes a roundtrip from Milan, visiting the beautiful Italian lakes and the impressive peaks of the Swiss Alps. Gain the best views of the shimmering Italian lakes with boat rides on the stunning Lake Como and the azure-blue Lake Maggoire. Ride into the heart of the Swiss Alps and face the imposing and iconic Matterhorn and journey to the mountain’s ‘base camp’.
Meet aspiring mountaineers and revel in an unforgettable view of a seemingly insurmountable mountain. Journey back in time with a visit to Chillon Castle, a mighty fortress that sits on the expansive shores of Lake Geneva before walking the trails of 72 waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen.
Conclude the adventure in the town of Bellinzona, a fortress town that once stood guide to the North of Italy, now a beautiful UNESCO World-Heritage site.
Join Rabbie’s Six-Day The Italian Lakes & Swiss Alps Explorer from Milan from €2,119 per person based on a 24 April 2023 departure.
6-day The Charms or Portugal & North West Spain
Journey to the edge of ancient Europe to discover the hidden gems of Portugal and the treasures of Spain on this 6-day tour. Soak up Portuguese history in the cities of Óbidos and Coimbra.
In Óbidos, walk quaint streets and navigate the imposing walls of the Moorish Castle before, in Coimbra, exploring the city’s 13th-century university, which is one of the oldest in the world. Next, select between indulging in the cuisine and cathedrals of Porto, or journeying through the heart of the Duoro valley before enjoying an evening rich with performances of Fado, Portugal’s live, emotionally-resonant music.
Summit Mount Espinho, by staircase or by elevator, to visit the famous neoclassical church atop the mountain before visiting Guimarãe, the ‘birthplace of Portugal’ and a famous UNESCO World-Heritage sight. Notorious for shipwrecks, ‘the Coast of Death’ is waiting to be driven along and admired before travelling to the ‘End of the World’ at Cape Finisterre, which offers incredible views over the Atlantic Ocean.
Be transported back to Roman times in Lugo and Las Médula; complete with city wall defences. Marvel at the golden landmarks of Salamanca’s Old Town and visit the home of Spanish royalty, El Escorial.
Join Rabbie’s Six-day The Charms or Portugal & North West Spain from Lisbon from €1,959 per person based on a 17 April 2023 departure.
For more information about Rabbie’s and its tour offerings, visit www.rabbies.com.
Leith Theatre are hosting an advice coffee morning with ourselves and a number of our partner organisations on Wed 22 Feb. Why not drop in, warm up, have a cuppa and get some advice and support on a wide range of issues?
A charity’s trading arm is earning a national reputation for delivering practical support to the growing numbers of people in need of emergency assistance across the UK.
Local authorities, charities and housing associations are increasingly turning to Family Fund Business Services to provide them with cost-effective and easy access to thousands of essential products including white goods, furniture, energy vouchers, cash and food vouchers. These are then dispatched to people, including veterans and refugees, struggling financially to meet their most basic needs.
This rising reputation for trusted expertise and a focus on customer service as they deliver this support, has led to Family Fund Business Services being shortlisted for a top national award.
It is the only social enterprise to make the grade in the UK Customer Satisfaction Awards as a trusted quality provider- alongside corporate household names such as IBM, Next and Suzuki GB.
The awards event on 7 March is one of the most prestigious for customer service excellence across all industries in the UK.
Family Fund Business Services was established to generate additional funding for its parent charity Family Fund, the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families with disabled and seriously ill children, on low income.
Family Fund supports families with grants for essential items such as kitchen appliances, clothing, bedding, sensory toys, computers and tablets, much-needed family breaks and more.
Last year, the charity provided over 170,919 grants and services worth over £37 million to families across the UK.
Now in its tenth year, Family Fund Business Services, which gifts 100% of its profits to Family Fund, has generated over £9 million in total from its expertise in procuring essential goods on behalf of over 40 organisations.
Phil Henderson, Director of Family Fund Business Services, said:“Our clients include local authorities and major national charities supporting people in the greatest need.
“The fact they choose us again and again to procure and supply urgently-required essential goods such as beds and cookers, demonstrates their trust in us and the quality of our service.
“Once they work with us they stay with us – and recommend us to others. We are therefore extremely pleased to be in the shortlist for this top customer service award as a trusted provider.
“We really care about how we look after our customers and the people who receive the goods and services we provide, and we measure this every year through a customer survey.
“It’s great that these measures are confirmed by this external nomination for an award, and a real honour for an organisation of our size to be alongside the household names that are also on the shortlist.”
The value of grants fulfilled by Family Fund Business Services for clients in the last financial year (2021-22) was over £75M, more than triple the value delivered in 2019-20.
Home-Start Hampshire:
“We would thoroughly recommend working with FFBS as we have found the relationship to be invaluable in running our project, helping us distribute support to families across Hampshire.”
North Yorkshire County Council Local Assistance Fund:
“… above and beyond every time ….so proud of what we have able to do together for … those in North Yorkshire that need this support the most. Wonderfully efficient and hardworking dedicated team to the cause.”
Phil Henderson added: “Our unique business model means that we deliver social value twice over – our profits extend Family Fund’s vital grant-giving and at the same time our expertise with securing value-for-money contracts with suppliers, helps to extend the funding of other organisations. They can, then, help even more people facing hardship.
“What emerges from this is a unique model that drives real social change through collaborative working.”
Full Price: £25 (£20 for granton:hub members and for state benefits/pension holders).
Why not destress, get expressive, be creative and enjoy a whole day relaxing at granton:hub, Madelvic House?
The Painting for Pleasure weekend workshop offers a wonderful and enjoyable creative experience with full 1-to-1 professional guidance & support at an affordable price. Welcome to all adults, whatever your age, creative experience or artistic ability. Enjoy the creative process and the time to practice painting for a whole day in the relaxing social atmosphere of Madelvic House.
Painting for Pleasure is a self-directed learning and art practice workshop. Meaning – you are free to choose from whichever area of visual arts and art materials you wish to explore and learn more about through artistic practice. With as much personal support and help, guidance and positive mentoring as you require to complete your first art project and more.
Granton:hub’s studio resident artist, Gareth Hutchison, will help you every step of the way. You can choose to use Acrylics, watercolours, oil painting to drawing, mixed media and collage. Art Materials are not provided, although Gareth does supply a small amount for you to try when necessary.
Painting for Pleasure weekend workshops – creating the time & place to practice creative painting.
For further details about ‘Painting for Pleasure’ weekend workshops and up-coming dates, please contact Gareth Hutchison at: g.hutchison@hotmail.com
Road Policing officers in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a fatal crash on Haymarket Terrace.
The incident took place around 5.35pm yesterday (Saturday, 4 February, 2023) involving a bus and a pedestrian.
The pedestrian, a 79-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sergeant Barry Sommerville, from the Edinburgh Road Policing Unit, said: “At this time, our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the man who died.
“We are carrying out enquiries to establish the full circumstances of this incident and would appeal to anyone who was in the Haymarket Terrace or Clifton Terrace area around the time of the crash to please come forward.
“If you have any information, or potential dashcam footage, which could assist our enquiries, please call police on 101, quoting incident 2828 of 4 February.”
Painting for Pleasure’ weekend workshops at granton:hub, Madelvic House.
Saturday 11th February. Starts 10am – 4.30pm. (other weekend dates available) Painting tutor: Gareth Hutchison.
Full Price: £25 (£20 for granton:hub members and for state benefits/pension holders).
