Happy Birthday, LifeCare!

Local Older People’s organisation is eighty years young

LifeCare Edinburgh, the older people’s care charity is proudly celebrating its 80-year anniversary.  Established in September 1941, the renowned local organisation offers a range of vital care and community services that have greatly improved the lives of tens of thousands of local older people across the last eight decades.  

Initially set up as ‘The Edinburgh and Leith Old People’s Welfare Council’, and later changed to ‘LifeCare’ in 2005, the organisation was created by three trail-blazing local females who wished to deliver activities “giving older members of the community a fuller share in community life”. 

The charity was one of the first organisations set up to do this in Scotland and they quickly built up a wide range of essential services, many of which are still on offer today.  They leave a great legacy, as these vital services have greatly enriched the lives of generations past and continue to deliver incredible caring support eighty years on.

Vital services delivered today

Today, LifeCare provides essential help and support to hundreds of local older people every year. 

Services include three centre-based Day Club services at The Cottage in Portobello, St Bernard’s and The Dean on Cheyne Street.  In the community, the charity offers Registered Outreach, Help at Home, Community Engagement Activities and their recently reintroduced Meals on Wheels service re-established as essential support through the pandemic. The LifeCare team have delivered over 12,000 meals to doorsteps to date. 

Further to this, LifeCare operates a partnership befriending programme Vintage Vibes, with Space (Broomhouse), designed to tackle social isolation and loneliness amongst the over 60s. From their bright and spacious centre on Cheyne Street, LifeCare runs the fully accessible ‘CaféLife’ and operates the community hub for local classes, activities, parties and clubs. 

Eight decades of experienced care delivering positive outcomes

The issues the charity supports haven’t changed across the years.  Care services provided today continue to tackle long-term issues with isolation, loneliness, dementia, mobility problems, food poverty, mental health concerns and support for unpaid carers.  These vital services enable the elderly to remain living independently, to stay physically and mentally well, to keep connected, mobile and active.  

Margaret Stewart, Care Service Manager at LifeCare – and the charity’s longest serving employee who has dedicated 17 years to the organisation – said: “We are all extremely proud of the charity’s history and longevity, it’s terrific to be part of such an established organisation which continues to deliver lifechanging support eighty years on. 

“LifeCare is truly embedded in the local community – we are well known, reliable and we deliver the highest quality care support for local older people and that’s why we are still going strong today.  

The organisation has weathered several challenges and changes across our 80-year history.  We have adapted and redesigned services to fit changing circumstances through the years, we’ve moved premises, and of course most recently, we have navigated COVID-19 to deliver vital care to over 770 local older people throughout the crisis.  Many of these individuals had no or little other available support.  Our dedicated staff and volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure no client in need went without through the devasting time.  

“As a charity, we make sure that everyone who needs us can access our care.  Our care is considered, non-rushed and enables an older person to stay living in their own home for as long as possible.  Wherever possible a person’s care is delivered by the same friendly face so we develop strong relationships and offer bespoke activities that give something to look forward to.  

“We can only achieve this through the generosity of our funders.  A huge thanks to everyone involved, your support truly helps to protect the physical and mental health of some of the most isolated and vulnerable older people living in our communities today.” 

The charity has received congratulations and best wishes from throughout the community.  

Hal Osler, Councillor for Inverleith Ward, (below) said: “We are extremely lucky to have an organisation like LifeCare, not only do they provide much needed care and support to some of most vulnerable citizens they also provide us with space to celebrate as a community.

“It was an honour to share in their 80th birthday and such a joy to see and hear so much happiness after such a dark time. I would like to thank all the staff for all their hard work especially in the last 18 months and the continued support and care that they give to the wider community. You are very special and I look forward to celebrating many other milestones in the future.”

Inverleith Ward Cllr Max Mitchell (above) added: “LifeCare is a truly inspiring organisation doing such important work and we are so fortunate to have them.

“I am very grateful to the staff who go above and beyond on a daily basis to support and empower our older and more vulnerable members of the community. It was a real pleasure to join LifeCare to celebrate their 80th birthday and share in such a joyous occasion.”

LifeCare Edinburgh is a registered charity and relies on the support of its funders.  Key relationships include Barclays, Tesco Bank, The TOR Foundation, Foundation Scotland and all the many local people who take part in community fundraising events. 

For more information visit https://www.lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk

“Shocking”: Ambulance handover delays are threatening patient safety, experts warn

A new snapshot survey by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has found that in August 2021 half of respondents stated that their Emergency Department had been forced to hold patients outside in ambulances every day, compared to just over a quarter in October 2020 and less than one-fifth in March 2020.

The survey, sent out to Emergency Department Clinical Leads across the UK, also found that half of respondents described how their Emergency Department had been forced to provide care for patients in corridors every day, while nearly three-quarters said their department was unable to maintain social distancing every day.

One-third said that the longest patient stay they had had in their Emergency Department was between 24 and 48 hours, with seven per cent reporting the longest stay to be more than 48 hours.

Dr Ian Higginson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “It is shocking to see the extent of the challenges faced by Emergency Departments across the UK.

“Holding ambulances, corridor care, long stays – these are all unconscionable practices that cause harm to patients. But the scale of the pressures right now leaves doctors and nurses no options.

“We are doing all we can to maintain flow, maximise infection prevention control measures, and maintain social distancing. Our priority is to keep patients safe, and ensure we deliver effective care quickly and efficiently, but it is extremely difficult right now.

“The data is stark, and this is August. Our members are really worried about what may come in autumn and winter. We have a duty to our patients and staff. Currently there is extremely high demand – for a number of reasons – but demand is not the whole picture.

“Demand presents a challenge because of the limitations of hospital space, workforce shortages, difficulties arranging quick ambulance handovers, smooth care and safe discharge of patients from wards, and a lack of services and alternatives to admission, particularly in the evenings and at weekends.

“The health service entered the pandemic short of staff, with less beds, and underprepared. Throughout the pandemic these shortages have been felt, but with demand higher than ever before, and with a workforce that is burned out, these shortages are felt more acutely than ever.”

Commenting on the increase in ambulance handover delays, Tracy Nicholls, Chief Executive of the College of Paramedics, said: “The College of Paramedics’ members also speak passionately about the potential for harm to those patients who, as a consequence of these lengthy ambulance handover delays, can wait an unacceptably long time for help. It is deeply concerning.

“Like the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, we recognise that all partners are working exceptionally hard to manage this situation and current demand. The reality is, however, that unless effective actions are taken now to ease the system pressures, more and more patients will face these delays as we head into another difficult winter, and both paramedics and ambulance clinicians across the UK will face the brunt of any further increase in demand.

“We urge NHS leadership to take action now to mitigate this risk wherever possible and protect both patients and our collective workforce from the inevitable pressure that we face if nothing is done.”

The survey also found that over 80% of respondents had little or no confidence in their organisation’s ability to safely and effectively manage the current or predicted combination of pressures as we head into winter.

Dr Higginson continued: “The final response that found an overwhelming lack of confidence signals something deeply troubling.

“The College has consistently warned of the upcoming winter and ongoing pressures. It is time we saw leadership and an equivalent response. There must be a comprehensive plan for the current demand and upcoming winter that include short- and long-term solutions to tackle these serious challenges.

“If ambulance services and Emergency Departments cannot cope with ongoing pressures, then it is patients and the workforce looking after them who will suffer. The winter could lead the health service into a serious crisis. Patients and staff must have assurance that they, their Emergency Department and their hospital will get what they need to manage.”

Good News churches competition: Deadline looms

HOW TO ENTER

Think of your good news story that needs to be heard and fill in the competition form.

If you can’t use the online form; you can download a form and send it via email together with your photo to: churchcompetition@ecclesiastical.com.

Video submissions will not be possible by post. 

Once you submit your entry, your church will automatically be entered into the regional competition where each winner will receive a prize of £1,500.

The grand final of the competition will see one of the regional winners be crowned the national winner and receive an additional £6,000. That is two chances to win! 

All entries must be submitted by the closing date 17 September 2021. 

Programme for Government: Record investment to ‘transform’ Scotland’s NHS

FM to confirm £2.5 billion increase in spending

Record investment to ensure Scotland’s NHS is ready to meet changing patient demands and the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will be at the heart of the 2021/22 Programme for Government (PFG) this week.

The PfG will confirm plans to introduce an unprecedented increase in frontline health spending of 20% over the current Parliament.

The first rise will be confirmed in the 2022/23 budget being published later this year and will provide additional funding of at least £2.5 billion by 2026/27.

The PfG will be set out by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the Scottish Parliament tomorrow (Tuesday 7 September), and will also include measures to drive a green, fair economic recovery, create a land of opportunity for our children and young people, and achieve a just transition to net zero.

It will also confirm plans to introduce legislation in the coming year to establish a new National Care Service in Scotland by the end of the current Parliament, transforming the way health and social care services are provided. 

The First Minister said: “We owe our health and social care services, and the extraordinary staff who kept them running in the toughest of years, our immense gratitude.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, we will strengthen and improve our health and social care system so that everyone gets the care they need, while recognising and repaying the efforts of staff given the toll the pandemic has had on them.

“We are already investing record amounts in out NHS, but this 20% increase will help transform the way we deliver services and ensure the system is ready to meet the challenges which still lie ahead.

“Our recent NHS recovery plan set out measures to establish a network of cancer diagnostic centres, refurbish NHS facilities across Scotland and make unprecedented investment in mental health services.

“The creation of a National Care Service will also mark the biggest reform of health and social care since the creation of the NHS and will help ensure every patient’s care journey is focused on the individual.

“Recovery from COVID-19 across all of society is the Scottish Government’s first and most pressing priority and I am determined that this Programme for Government will allow our health service to continue managing COVID-19 and our longer term population health challenges.”

Primary care funding will go up by 25% over the course of this parliament, with half of all frontline health spending invested in community health services.

The PfG will also confirm plans to invest £29 million to provide an additional 78,000 diagnostic procedures, as well as increasing inpatient and day case activity by 10% in 2022/23 and outpatient activity by 10% by 2025/26.

The first £50 million, of the planned £250 million increased investment to tackle the drugs death emergency, will also be provided.

It’s Good to Grow: Morrisons reconnects children with nature

– It’s Good To Grow scheme will see in-store and online spending rewarded by giving gardening equipment and seeds to UK schoolchildren –

– Move to encourage children to eat fruit and vegetables as 70 per cent are more likely to eat produce that they have grown themselves –

Morrisons has launched ‘It’s Good To Grow’, a campaign in all of its stores that will donate gardening equipment to schoolchildren across the UK in the hope of educating kids about where their food comes from.

The scheme will see customers gain one ‘It’s Good to Grow’ token in their My Morrisons account via the app and website for every £10 that is spent in store or online, which can then be donated to any school to redeem equipment such as gardening tools, composting bins and seeds to get growing. 

The National Food Strategy, published earlier this year, outlined the need for the UK to improve dietary health whilst protecting the environment, warning that a failure to do so could lead to obesity costing the NHS £15 billion by 2035.

Morrisons hopes the initiative will help build a connection between kids and healthy food by making school children more aware of the journey of food from field to fork.

New research by YouGov on behalf of Morrisons has found that some children aged six to 15 do not have a good understanding of how fruits and vegetables are grown.

For example, only 34 per cent correctly identified how asparagus is grown, with 32 per cent stating that asparagus is grown underground and 21 per cent saying they don’t know how it is grown. This highlights a need to show kids how food is grown to help them eat better now and in the future.

Being Britain’s biggest foodmaker, Morrisons is empowering children to connect with the natural world for them to better understand what they are putting into their bodies. Giving children the tools and knowledge needed can help develop better dietary habits – with research finding that out of 1,115 children surveyed aged six to 15, 70 per cent are more likely to eat produce that they have grown and cared for themselves.

Over half (56 per cent) of the children aged six to 10 in the UK are not currently eating their recommended amount of fruit and vegetables each day. The Morrisons scheme aims to build a closer relationship between children and fruit and vegetables so they can see that it can be easy and inexpensive to grow their own produce once they have the necessary skills.

Rachel Eyre, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer at Morrisons, said: “We’re really proud of the work that we do for British food and with British farmers. It’s great to be able to launch a campaign that will give our youngest customers the knowledge and equipment to gain a better understanding about where food comes from and how to grow it.

“We want children to engage with nature as it will help them to start eating more healthily now and in the future, because they are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables when they understand them or have grown them themselves.”

‘It’s Good To Grow’ aims to transform 14,000 schools in Britain into Morrisons Growing Schools by giving children additional educational resources to demonstrate the importance of improving their health, whilst making use of their environment.

This is the latest initiative introduced by Morrisons that aims to encourage a sustainable future and follows wider business commitments such as pledging to be completely supplied by net zero emission British farms by 2030 and committing to the Peas Please initiative, run by the Food Foundation, to encourage customers to eat more vegetables.

Download the My Morrisons app via the App Store and Google Play to start earning ‘It’s Good to Grow’ tokens that can be donated to schools for them to redeem gardening equipment. 

For more information visit: https://www.itsgoodtogrow.co.uk .

Tonight: The M Club

Are you menopausal? Do you have trouble sleeping due to night sweats? Do you feel anxious? Do you leak when you laugh, sneeze or cough?

Share your experiences, gain more knowledge or just know YOU are not alone.

Tonight 8-9pm via Zoom.

Contact Shescotland@outlook.com for details

STUC takes CBI to task for ‘highly irresponsible’ call for workers to return to offices

STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer has written to CBI Scotland calling on the organisation to reconsider its public call for a return to offices for non-essential workers.

The letter takes the business organisation to task for contradicting the Scottish Government’s view (shared by the STUC) that there should be a pause in any return to offices where working from home is possible:

MSP welcomes Forth Ports plan for full repair of Leith’s A-Listed Victoria Swing Bridge

Forth Ports has today announced plans to fully repair the Category A Listed Victoria Swing Bridge located at the Port of Leith to conserve the bridge for the future and create a useable space for the local community.

The private six figure investment will see the bridge, which is the largest counterweighted swing bridge in Scotland, fully repaired, with a phased programme of specialist works which will protect the character and form of the bridge.

Forth Ports’ plans are outlined in a Listed Building Consent application which has been lodged with City of Edinburgh Council (CEC). The proposed repair programme is to be carried out in phases and includes:

  • The full refurbishment of the northern and southern walkways
  • Re-decking the central carriage way
  • Replacement of the decked turning circle areas
  • A full repair and repaint of metalwork on the bridge

The Victoria Swing Bridge was designed by Alexander Rendel and opened in 1874 to provide an efficient road and railway route for the port following the completion of construction of Albert Dock in 1869.

The bridge was originally B listed but was upgraded to an A listing in 2014. It is constructed of riveted wrought iron, timber and steel and originally carried a double rail track along its central deck (providing access for both trains and road vehicles) and features pedestrian walkways on either side.

Following receipt of Listed Building Consent from the Council, Phase I – the refurbishment of the north and south pedestrian walkways – is expected to be undertaken this year, with the remaining work anticipated being undertaken in 2022. Pedestrian access to the bridge for the local community will be maintained for the duration of the works.

Commenting on the project, Charles Hammond, Group Chief Executive at Forth Ports, said: “The Victoria Swing Bridge is a well kent sight in Leith and it is an important and rare surviving example of our heritage.

“The plans we have submitted to the Council have been well thought through and will ensure that the repairs are appropriate for the conservation of this important landmark.

“We want to also create a useable space for the local community and we hope that once the bridge has been restored, people will be able to enjoy this historic space.”

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “This is excellent news that Forth Ports are investing in a full repair of the Victoria Swing Bridge.

“The bridge is an iconic part of Leith’s history and has been in need of refurbishment for some time.

“I am pleased that the bridge is being preserved so that people can enjoy using it for generations to come.”

Edinburgh Community Lottery launch this Thursday

EVOC is inviting Edinburgh-based charities and local good causes of all sizes, to attend the Good Cause Launch Event on Thursday 9th September at 2pm, where you will get a chance to find out more and sign up.

How the Lottery Works:

Tickets for the Edinburgh Community Lottery will cost £1. A whopping 60p (compared to just 25p from tickets by the National Lottery) from every ticket goes towards local good causes.

There will be a weekly draw with a jackpot of £25,000 for a matching sequence of six numbers. The other prizes on offer include: £2500, £250, £25, or three free tickets!

There are two parts to the Edinburgh Community Lottery scheme:

Good causes across Edinburgh will be able to set up their own lottery page, receiving 50p from every £1 spent by players. A further 10p from every £1 will go into an EVOC good causes fund, with the remainder being put towards prizes, operating costs, and VAT.

Players who do not wish to support a specific cause can still take part in the Edinburgh Community Lottery, with 60p from their ticket going into the general EVOC good causes fund, which will then be distributed by the organsation.

EVOC’s Deputy Chief Executive, Ian Brooke, said: “We’re really excited to be launching the Edinburgh Community Lottery, a new way to support communities and good causes in Edinburgh.

“While the past eighteen months have thrown a spotlight on the amazing work of community groups and voluntary organisations everywhere, it has also stretched staff, volunteers, and resources up to and beyond breaking point.

“That, combined with the loss of fundraising activities in light of Covid restrictions, means that the Lottery is a really important new opportunity for good causes to raise money, making sure they can continue to support citizens and communities across our city.”

If you would like to find out more, get in touch with the Edinburgh Community Lottery team at EVOC: communitylottery@evoc.org.uk

See EVOC’s Facebook page and Twitter account