Deaf young activists celebrate new deaf-friendly information displays at West Calder Zoo

A group of seven deaf young activists visited Five Sisters Zoo on Sunday, 19 June, to inspect the new deaf-friendly information displays they helped to inspire.

The group, who hail from all over Scotland, are members of the National Deaf Children’s Society’s Changemaker programme, which supports and mentors young deaf people to make improvements in their local communities.

The Changemakers have been working with the zoo since 2019 on enabling deaf visitors to learn more about the animals by adding videos with subtitles and British Sign Language translation, accessible via a QR code, to the information displays.

The culmination of their visit was a tour of the zoo, led by the Head of Education Adam Welsh, to see the new displays in action.

Before the tour, the group discussed the issues they would like to persuade political parties to take on board, concluding that improvements to the support deaf children receive in school was the priority.

They also attended workshops in which they discussed possible areas for future campaigning and talked about how to reach politicians.

Five Sisters Zoo is now working closely with the charity to create a more formal partnership, which could result in accessible opportunities for deaf young people and deaf awareness training for their staff.

Changemaker Kara Gillespie, 16, from Motherwell, said: “It was great being back at the zoo to see the changes they had made to help the deaf community. I felt proud to have been part of the group that had helped make it happen.

“I hope deaf visitors will find it more inclusive and maybe enjoy the experience better. I intend to keep campaigning for deaf awareness in the future.”

Adam Welsh, Head of Education at Five Sisters Zoo, said: “I was thrilled to go out on a tour of the zoo with everyone who attended, and it really was brilliant spending time with such an enthusiastic group of young people.

“I really hope that the feedback provided by the Changemakers will help us with our commitments to make Five Sisters Zoo accessible for as many visitors as possible and move forward with more of these in the future.”

Rachael MacLeod, Participation Officer at the National Deaf Children’s Society, Scotland, said: “We formed the Changemakers so that deaf children and young people could drive positive change in their communities, and it’s wonderful to see all their hard work come to fruition.

“The staff of the Zoo were really open to the group’s suggestions and really bought into the idea of making their information accessible for their deaf visitors.

“Some of the Changemakers have other disabilities and the group is now discussing how it can widen its campaign and make public places as accessible as possible for all disabled people.”

Making healthier food choices easier

Consultation on restricting junk food promotions

Proposals to limit the promotion of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt have been published.

The Scottish Government’s consultation seeks views on restricting the promotion of confectionery, cakes, crisps, savoury snacks and sugary soft drinks at checkouts and front of store, and on multi-buy discounts.

The aim is to reduce the health harms associated with poor diet and higher weight.

The consultation will help assess what impact the proposed restrictions would have on businesses and public health, including on health inequalities. It will run for 12 weeks to 23 September 2022.

Minister for Public Health Maree Todd said: “Our diets remain too high in calories, fat, sugar and salt which can have serious consequences for our overall health.

“In Scotland, two out of three adults are overweight or obese, with those living in our poorest areas more likely to be overweight and experience the most harm as a result.

“We know that promotions can encourage over-consumption and impulse buying.

“By restricting the promotion of less healthy food and drink we can better support people to make healthier choices and help create a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight.”

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) Head of Nutrition Science and Policy Dr Gillian Purdon said: “We welcome the launch of the Scottish Government’s consultation on restricting promotions of foods high in fat, salt or sugar.

“FSS supports the introduction of promotional restrictions on these products as part of a suite of recommendations to address the nation’s poor diet. Promotions can encourage us to buy more than we need, and don’t necessarily save us money.

“Evidence shows that a considerable amount of the food and drink we buy is on promotion, and is often skewed towards less healthy choices such as confectionery, sweet biscuits, savoury snacks, cakes, pastries, puddings and sugar containing soft drinks. These foods account for around 20% of calories and fat in our diet, and more than half of our free sugar intake.

“Restricting promotions of these types of foods is one way to support people to make healthier choices.”

consultation-restricting-promotions-food-drink-high-fat-sugar-saltDownload

 Link to consultation https://bit.ly/consultation-restricting-promotions 

‘We Care About There’ – new sustainable tours from Rabbie’s

Modern travellers expect more than cheap transport and comfy hotels. Scottish based tour operator Rabbie’s (www.rabbies.com) has launched ‘We Care About There’ in partnership with VisitScotland to fulfil holidaymakers’ demand for sustainable and responsible travel as well as memorable and ethical experiences.

Rabbie’s has partnered with VisitScotland to deliver two brand new tours. A two-day Whisky & Castles tour sees guests visit two green tourism gold award-winning distillers and discover the innovative sustainable production methods behind Scotland’s most famous product.

While the five-day Orkney & Scotland’s Northern Coast tour takes guests to meet the locals who have dedicated their lives caring for Scotland’s cultural heritage.

Rabbie’s has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to delivering environmentally conscious tours. As well as providing award-winning small coach tours across the UK and Europe, over the last 14 years, Rabbie’s has mitigated its environmental impact through several positive initiatives.

These green programmes include a self-imposed carbon tax, which so far has raised over £120,000 for environmental and social projects chosen by staff. Additionally, Rabbie’s hosts staff volunteer days, and a encourages a “leave no trace policy” on every outing.

Rabbie’s new tours, especially featured as a part of their We Care About There campaign, include:

Whisky & Castles – two-day tour

Cardhu is a Speyside distillery near Archiestown, Moray, Scotland. It was founded by the whisky smuggler John Cumming, and his wife Helen Cumming in 1824. The distillery’s Scotch whisky makes up an important part of the Johnnie Walker blended whisky

This two-day adventure is packed full of Scottish whiskies, castles and scenic views. The tour travels North towards Highland Perthshire, visiting typical highland towns and enjoying the  beautiful peaks of the Cairngorms National Park.

The tour visits the historic Cardhu Distillery, and Scotland’s highest distillery at Dalwhinnie. As driving duties are handled by Rabbie’s Driver-Guide’s all are able to sample some of Scotland’s finest produce. Prices for this two-day tour begin at £115 per person, with tours departing throughout the summer from Edinburgh.

Orkney & Scotland’s Northern Coast – five-day tour

Escape to Scotland’s extreme Northern Coast and sail the Viking Waters of the Northern Sea to Orkney to discover Scotland’s fiercely protected island culture. The archipelago hides many treasures, but the expertise of your Driver-Guide, plus the warm welcome from the locals will help guests unlock the magic of Orkney’s prehistoric monuments and proud island communities.

Natural beauty awaits on this tour too, vibrant red sandstone coasts, and green pastures show why these islands have been revered and respected for centuries. Join Rabbie’s in celebrating this remarkable part of Scotland with prices starting at £379 per person. Tours are departing throughout the summer.

While touring, Rabbie’s promotes a “leave no trace” policy. Guests are encouraged to take away all litter, stick to marked pathways, and observe wildlife from a distance. Ultimately, leaving every natural spot untouched for future visitors to enjoy.

In some instances, sustainability means more than environmental protection, it means running tours in a way that is respectful and mindful of small local communities and economies.

Rabbie’s uses mini-coaches not only for the comfort of guests, but also so that the tours can visit villages and destinations off-of-the-beaten-track. This provides a unique and genuine touring experience while supporting the economy of small communities.

For more information about Rabbie’s and its tour offerings, visit www.rabbies.com.

Lothian Recruitment Day tomorrow

Lothian are looking for mechanics, shunters, trainee drivers and PCV drivers to join our team across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Are you over 18 and hold a car driving licence? Come to our Recruitment Day to find out more about a role with Lothian!

Pop along to our Longstone Garage on Sunday 3 July between 1000hrs and 1500hrs to see if you have what it takes to become a member of our team.

On the day you’ll get the chance to:

  • Meet members of our team who can talk you through the recruitment process.
  • Chat to colleagues who have just completed training and hear their experiences.
  • Get behind the wheel of a bus and see what it’s like to drive for yourself.
  • Start a new career with Lothian!

If you’re interested, give us a call on 0131 558 8011.

Find out more about the roles we have on offer here:

Police launch “It’ll Cost You!” proxy purchasing campaign

An award-winning campaign to tackle underage drinking and youth disorder has been launched across Scotland.

The “It’ll Cost You!” programme is a collaboration between Police Scotland, local authorities and alcohol producers and retailers and aims to raise awareness of the damaging effects and criminal nature of buying alcohol for under 18s.

Following a series of successful pilots by the Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership across Lanarkshire, Edinburgh and Glasgow, results consistently showed a drop in street drinking and anti-social behaviour.

Asking an adult to buy alcohol for under 18s is one of the most common tactics used by young people to access alcohol. The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 states that it is an offence for a person to “act as an agent for a child in purchasing or attempting to purchase alcohol”. This is also known as proxy purchase.

Police Scotland analysts report that youth disorder incidents reduced by 10% in the North Lanarkshire pilot. The campaign also contributed to a 51% reduction of reports of children drinking on the street.

In addition to 38 adults being reported for buying alcohol for children, the campaign also led to two stores being reported for repeatedly selling alcohol to under 18s.

Adults who buy alcohol for children may face a fine of up to £5,000. Depending on the circumstances you could also face a prison sentence of up to three months and a criminal record

Superintendent Hilary Sloan, Police Scotland, said:  “This campaign highlights the multitude of issues which can be caused through underage drinking and by buying alcohol for teens.

“We want to help keep our young people safe from alcohol-related harm, as well as reducing anti-social behaviour and crime in our communities. Additionally, proxy purchasing is an offence, which could result in a prison sentence.

“The lighter evenings of the summer will see an increase in police patrols around Scotland to reduce attempted purchases of alcohol for under 18s.”

Dr John Lee, Chair of the SAIP Campaigns Group and Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Scottish Grocers Federation said: “The success of initiatives such as Challenge 25 have helped reduce the number of direct sales of alcohol to under 18s, but young people are increasingly accessing alcohol by other means.

“Asking an adult to buy alcohol for them is one of the most common tactics used.”

Minister for Community Safety Ash Regan said: “A key objective of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 is the protection of children and young persons from harm. We remain committed to protecting young persons and children from harm. 

“Young persons are particularly vulnerable to the effects of alcohol, whether they are drinking themselves, or being affected by the drinking of other people in their lives. Underage drinking can also cause short and long term harm to health, as well as put young persons in dangerous situations when drunk.

“That is why I welcome the “It’ll Cost You” Campaign to help create safer communities for us all. The results of pilot initiatives, which the Scottish Government supported, show what can be achieved through strong collaboration and partnership working at a community level.”

Gavin Randall, Retail Operations Director,  Scotmid said: “As a responsible retailer, Scotmid is delighted to support the ‘It’ll Cost You’ proxy purchase campaign.

“Reducing underage drinking and anti-social behaviour linked to alcohol, fits in perfectly with Scotmid’s core purpose ‘to serve our communities and improve peoples’ everyday lives.”

Graham Clarke, Community Alcohol Partnership Coordinator said: “Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP) is delighted to be supporting the “It’ll Cost You” campaign.  

“Proxy purchase continues to be a challenge across Scotland and the campaign will highlight the dangers and penalties that can result from adults buying alcohol for young people.  

“As part of the campaign, CAP will use the “It’ll Cost You” messaging and resources to support our ongoing work within local partnerships in Scotland to​reduce alcohol harm among young people, improve their health and wellbeing and enhance their communities.”

Temporary travelling safely measures in Edinburgh: Have Your Say!

CONSULTATION CLOSES TOMORROW

Have your say on retaining and trialling most of the ‘temporary’ measures and active travel schemes in the city for a further 18 months.

The council says they improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, support health & wellbeing and physical distancing so people can safely walk, wheel or cycle in the city.

The four week engagement closes TOMORROW – Sunday 3 July.

https://pclengagement-hub.co.uk/…/fol…/travelling-safely

Summer support for children from low-income families

Thousands of children from low-income families will benefit from free childcare, activities and healthy food as part of a £10 million summer programme.

Available to children and young people aged five to 14 years old who need it most, the funding has been allocated to local authorities to supplement existing holiday programmes or to develop new ones.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “School holidays can be expensive for families, especially when household bills are soaring. This funding means children and young people who really need it will be able to access coordinated childcare, activities and nutritious food over the summer.

“They will have opportunities to play, socialise and access a range of activities that broaden their experiences and supplement their learning.

“Support will be targeted at the six priority family types at greatest risk of poverty, including lone parent families and families with a disabled adult or child. We have a national mission to tackle child poverty and, along with £21.75 million in funding for alternative holiday food provision for families eligible for free school meals, this offer will provide much-needed support over the summer.”

COSLA Children and Young People’s Spokesperson Councillor Tony Buchanan said: “The rising cost of living is exacerbating the already stark and unacceptable reality of poverty in the lives of children, young people, families and communities.

“We are pleased that this additional funding will enable local authorities to build on their regular summer programmes to enhance opportunities and support for priority groups of children and young people.

“Councils and their local delivery partners will provide varied programmes, incorporating activities, childcare, and food provision, in line with local needs and guided by what children, young people, and families themselves say will make a difference.” 

More than 300,000 children reached during water safety campaign

Lee Heard, Charity Director at the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) has sent his thanks to those who engaged with the charity’s annual Drowning Prevention Week as the campaign drew to a close on 25th June. 

Drowning Prevention Week which has just ran for the ninth consecutive year aims to proactively raise awareness of water safety ahead of a summer outdoors. Throughout the week the Royal Life Saving Society UK asked people to engage and share posts, including a brand-new animation, across social media platforms, engaged with MPs at events at Westminster, and also offered schools, leisure centres, swimming clubs and parents a range of free educational resources to ensure that families are well prepared for a safe summer enjoying water safely. 

Lee said “I wanted to say a huge thank you to all our members, staff, supporters, and strategic partners who have played a role in sharing our vital water safety messaging this year. I cannot communicate how grateful we are for the support and are still seeing lots of activity coming through. 

“Since January I have been calling for a concerted effort to give everyone the skills to enjoy water safely this summer. It’s a message that requires everyone to roll up their sleeves and find ways to get this vital message out into their communities.

“It takes individuals, small and large organisations, water safety partners, leisure partners, local authorities, MPs, emergency services, schools, landowners, water companies and many more. We are exceptionally proud of everybody that has taken the time to make our vital campaign grow again this year.”

For the 2022 campaign, the charity aimed to take a slightly different approach to their national media campaign, working hard to better understand the claims that are often made about water safety and drowning prevention.

They aimed to shine a light on the importance of swimming but further explore the need for parents to invest additional time in themselves and their family understanding water safety.

These conversations are ones that the charity want to continue post Drowning Prevention Week and explore further. Another vital topic that the charity focussed on was the issue of cold water shock. Royal Life Saving Society UK analysed fatalities leading from cold water and stressed the importance to continue to highlight this critical factor in drowning and leverage tools to educate the public using expert knowledge that the charity holds. 

Drowning Prevention Week saw great success with the campaign, with thousands of views of their brand-new 60-second animation encouraging everybody across the UK and Ireland to enjoy water safely, which meant it appeared over 173,000 times across social media networks.

The animation directed children and parents to free educational resources and this year, the charity exceeded the number of downloads during Drowning Prevention Week when compared to 2021, and the estimated number of children to be taught is over 300,000.

Lee added: “We have worked with national and local news agencies to support the delivery of over 150 Drowning Prevention Week press articles and over 150 radio and TV broadcasts, to raise awareness of the importance of water safety. 

“We have attended parliament with Olympian Professor Greg Whyte OBE, Paralympian Ellie Robinson MBE, and over 50 other Parliamentarians to discuss the importance of spreading water safety awareness, as well as what practical steps could be taken in their constituencies to address the issue. 

“There have been over 3,500 social media posts relating to #DrowningPreventionWeek, reflecting the fantastic engagement generated by the campaign.  We have been able to draw on our recent survey and analysis to encourage discussion on Twitter around important water safety debates, for example ‘Is Swimming Enough?’ acknowledged by English former competitive swimmer, Sharron Davies as ‘a great thread’ and our other messages have shown resonance with victims’ families.

“At the Royal Life Saving Society UK, our aim is to ensure as many people as possible are safe in the knowledge that they, and their children, have the skills and understanding about water safety to keep them safe.  Now that Drowning Prevention Week is over for another year, we will continue to work hard to raise awareness of water safety.” 

Water safety campaigns continue throughout the year and the next comes direct from the National Water Safety Forum and partners for World Drowning Prevention Day on 25th July 2025.

Visit our website at rlss.org.uk 

Follow us on Twitter – @RLSSUK

Visit our Facebook page – facebook.com/RLSSUK 

Call – 0300 323 0096

Seven soldiers of the Great War finally laid to rest

The Menin Gate, Ypres

Six Commonwealth soldiers and a German soldier who all died during World War One were buried yesterday (Thursday 30 June 2022) in a joint ceremony with the Canadian authorities more than a century after their deaths.

The service, which was the largest of its kind this year, was organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (MOD JCCC), also known as the ‘MOD War Detectives’, and was held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) New Irish Farm cemetery in Ypres, Belgium.

The remains were previously recovered from two distinct sites close to one another near the village of St Julien during a planned archaeological dig. One set contained a casualty of the Newfoundland Regiment, a Royal Inniskilling Fusilier, a Hampshire soldier and an unknown soldier of an unknown regiment.

The Canadian authorities have managed (through DNA) to name their soldier as Private John Lambert (Newfoundland Regiment) who died on 16 August 1917. Sadly, both the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the Royal Hampshire Regiment have too many casualties killed on 16 August 1917 for the JCCC to be able to attempt identification.

The second set contained the remains of three casualties: an unknown Royal Fusilier, an unknown soldier of unknown regiment and an unknown German soldier. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to establish their date of death.

Louise Dorr, MOD JCCC Caseworker said: “This has been a long and challenging investigation for us. It’s a matter of great sadness to me personally, that we haven’t been able to identify any of the British soldiers or the German casualty.

“Whoever they were, they were somebody’s son, brother, husband or father. It’s especially poignant that we are burying old enemies together. They all paid the ultimate price of war, and their sacrifice must never be forgotten.”

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A British soldier lies side by side to a German casualty. Crown copyright.

The British bearer party was provided by the First Fusiliers whilst the musicians were from the Royal Irish Regiment. The firing party was provided by the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. These three regiments are the modern-day equivalents of the Royal Fusiliers, the Royal Hampshire Regiment and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

Louise added: “The soldiers taking part in today’s service can see they walk in the footsteps of the giants who went before them.“

The service was conducted jointly by the Reverend Gary Watt, Chaplain to the First Fusiliers and Father Shawn Daley of the Canadian Army.

The graves will now be marked by seven headstones provided by the CWGC.

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The service was conducted jointly by the Reverend Gary Watt, Chaplain to the First Fusiliers and Father Shawn Daley of the Canadian Army. Crown copyright.

Liz Woodfield, Director of External Relations at the CWGC, said: Today these men have been buried at our cemetery alongside their comrades, with respect and dignity.

“We are honoured to be able to formally recognise Private John Lambert, and although it has not been possible to identify the other casualties, we pay tribute to the ultimate sacrifice they have made. We will ensure the graves of these brave soldiers are cared for with dedication, in perpetuity.”

Pedestrian dies following Easter Road incident

Road Policing officers in Edinburgh can confirm that a 21-year-old man has died following a hit-and-run incident in Leith.

The incident involved a car and a pedestrian, and took place in Easter Road around 2.40am on Sunday, 19 June, 2022.

The pedestrian was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at the time, but has since passed away. His family have asked for privacy at this time.

A 23-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident and further enquiries remain ongoing.

Sergeant Paul Ewing, from the Edinburgh Road Policing team, said: “At this time, our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the deceased.

“We are continuing our enquiries into the incident and would ask anyone who was in the area at the time and may have information to come forward. We’re also particularly keen to speak with two females who were seen near to an ATM at the bottom of Easter Road, around 2.30am.

“If you believe you can assist our enquiries, please call police on 101, quoting incident 0590 of Sunday, 19 June, 2022.”