Alison Johnstone elected as Holyrood Presiding Officer

Alison Johnstone MSP has been elected as the Scottish Parliament’s sixth Presiding Officer.  Ms Johnstone is the first Green MSP to be elected to the role.

In her acceptance speech the new Presiding Officer thanked her colleagues for electing her to the position in what she called an “opportunity and a privilege”.

She later added: “I am so proud to have been elected as the Parliament’s sixth Presiding Officer.

“This is an incredibly important time for the country and I want to ensure that the Parliament is a place of open debate but we do that in an environment of mutual tolerance and respect.

“The Parliament is such an important place for not just me, but for people across Scotland. This is our most diverse Parliament yet, but there is still more to do, and I want to make sure that the Parliament is representative of all the people it serves.

“There is no doubt that we face some major challenges ahead including the pandemic and of course climate change.  I want to ensure this Parliament and all its Members have the opportunity to work together to address these vital issues.”

The election took place following a secret ballot of newly elected Members. Ms Johnstone was the only nomination for the post.

Alison Johnstone was first elected to represent the Lothians Region in 2011, and was a Councillor on City of Edinburgh Council before her election as an MSP.

She is a qualified athletics coach and previously held the East of Scotland titles for the 800m and 1500m.

Edinburgh Green branch has  congratulated Alison Johnstone MSP on her election as the Scottish Parliament’s first Green Presiding Officer.

Although Alison will now have to suspend party affiliation for the parliamentary term, she will continue to represent people throughout Lothian and manage casework.

Her election comes on top of a record result for the Greens in both Scotland and Lothian last week and is a further sign of how central Green politics now is to Scottish political debate.

Newly-elected Green MSP for Lothian Lorna Slater said: “I congratulate Alison on her election, and I know that she will be an even-handed moderator as Parliament addresses the pressing challenges that Scotland faces over the next five years.

“As only the second woman Presiding Officer, Alison is also well-placed to break new ground in defining the role of a PO in this more diverse parliament. I am confident that she will use it to increase the reach of Parliament and make it even more welcoming for people of all backgrounds.

“With the COP26 global climate summit coming to Scotland later in the year it will be good to have someone with strong Green credentials representing our parliament. Throw into the mix the forthcoming independence referendum and it’s clearly going to be a challenging role at a challenging time.”

Learn about M.E./CFS in Scotland

Free training for Health Professionals

Action for M.E. is excited to announce that it has secured further funding for Learn about M.E. – the M.E./CFS Professional Development Project in Scotland.

This project funded by Scottish Government and is a partnership between Action for M.E., The M.E. Association, #MEAction Scotland, The 25% ME Group and Dr. Nina Muirhead.

Dr Muirhead, who developed a free online Continuing Professional Development (CPD) module in partnership with the CFS/M.E. Research Collaborative (CMRC,) became ill with M.E./CFS in 2016.

Anna who has lived with M.E. said: “The module is brilliant and I think it covers a lot of really important information about M.E. I think the first thing it does is it dispels the myths that are surrounding M.E. … I think what this does is it really places M.E in the scientific knowledge we have about the condition”

A podcast is available to listen to now with input from the doctor who helped to develop the training module, a GP who has used the module to treat patients and people who have lived experience of living with M.E..

We are keen to involve GPs and health professionals in Scotland to shape the development of the module and further podcasts to complement the module.

If your GP has not yet completed this training we would be keen to hear from you both to inform the development of our work on this training module. Please get in contact with Avril McLean, Project Coordinator, at avril@actionforme.org.uk or call 0117 927 9551 

This training module on M.E./CFS, based on 10 clinical cases, will improve knowledge of the illness; reduce delays to diagnosis; reduce multi unnecessary referrals and investigations and the potential for harm for people with M.E.

This module is also likely to be applicable to a subset of COVID patients who may develop post viral M.E./CFS and could be harmed by inappropriate advice to exercise.

Evaluation data from health care professionals who completed the module (November 2020 – March 2021) found that:

·         75% reported increased confidence in diagnosis of M.E./CFS

·         77% reported increased confidence in treatment & management of M.E./CFS

·         100% reported improvement in patient-centred care and patient pathways

The Scottish Government’s Neurological Framework funding is supporting the project to improve knowledge relating to diagnosis and management of M.E./CFS.

Many people with M.E. face disbelief and stigma around their illness and do not receive the appropriate care and support they need.

This project provides vital information to GPs and Health Professionals in Scotland to assist them to diagnose and manage the symptoms of M.E./CFS and Long Covid.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack comments on the Queen’s Speech

Alister Jack, Secretary of State for Scotland, comments on how the Queen’s Speech will deliver for Scotland as we Build Back Better from the pandemic.

“This is a Queen’s Speech which delivers for people in Scotland, and right across the United Kingdom, as we focus entirely on recovering our economy and our public services from the devastating effects of the Covid pandemic.

“The Prime Minister and the UK Government have been working tirelessly on the pandemic, putting in place an unprecedented level of financial support, and securing millions of vaccine doses for people in all parts of the country. At all times we have prioritised both lives and livelihoods.

“The UK Government will continue to lead our recovery from the pandemic, as we Build Back Better and level up opportunities right across the UK.

“We will continue to support top level R&D, encourage our businesses to innovate, and create vital new and green jobs. We will invest directly in Scotland’s communities, building on the success of our £1.5 billion City Deals programme with Freeports, better connectivity, and a new UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

“And Scotland’s businesses will continue to benefit as, outside of the EU, we strike new trade deals around the world.”

Fort Kinnaird extends support for local charity

Fort Kinnaird has announced that its popular giant giving box, originally installed for Christmas, will now be a permanent feature at the centre in a bid to help raise funds for its charity partner, Venchie Children & Young People’s Project.

Located outside Tony Macaroni and Boots, visitors can use contactless payment to easily donate £3, £5 and £10 to the charity.

Venchie Children & Young People’s Project is a grass-roots charity located in Niddrie and is committed to improving the lives of children and young people in the local area.

The charity operates within a purpose-built centre and offers local youngsters a range of play, recreation and issue-based youth work, along with an all-weather pitch, a basketball area and swings and a sand play area for them to enjoy.

It is one of the oldest adventure-play charities in Scotland and has been supporting local children for over 60 years.

The giving box at Fort Kinnaird raised over £1,545 for Cash for Kids’ Mission Christmas campaign and the centre hopes that it will continue to be as successful for Venchie’s Children and Young People’s Project this year.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “Our Christmas Giving Box was very popular and we have decided to make the box a permanent feature at the centre to support our newly nominated charity, Venchie Children & Young People’s Project.

“The charity plays an important and much valued role in the local community. Now shoppers can help us to support this wonderful organisation continue to grow their incredible work with the tap of a card or phone.”

Fort Kinnaird is now welcoming visitors back after it reopened its non-essential stores last week. The centre continues to have extra social distancing measures and hand sanitising stations in place to help everyone enjoy a safe shopping experience.

Scots take to nature to help improve mental wellbeing

WALKING in nature and embracing the outdoors are key to boosting wellbeing, says Scottish charity Paths for All on Mental Health Awareness Week.

Throughout the last year, most of the population turned to nature and the outdoors as a coping mechanism during the pandemic and Paths for All is urging the public to keep this up as restrictions ease.

Walking in nature is accessible and easy, with most Scots benefiting from stunning natural environments close to home – with our towns, cities and rural areas having access to brilliant paths, parks and coastlines.

It comes after this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme focuses on nature, which the charity believes can hugely benefit our physical health and mental wellbeing.

A report published by NatureScot found an increased proportion of the population reported health and wellbeing benefits from time spent outdoors connecting with nature during lockdown.

70% of respondents indicated that outdoor activities and engaging with nature between August -September 2020 helped them to de-stress, relax and unwind – up from 63% in March to May.

Picking litter on walks, enjoying watching and listening to birds, or spotting signs of spring such as bluebells appearing are all simple ways we can make a connection with nature.

Paths for All offers a wide range of online resources to help people understand how to connect and enjoy nature whilst offering a variety of ideas, activities and information designed to motivate people of all ages to get outdoors.

Frances Bain, Walking for Health Manager at Paths for All said: “Giving our body and mind a boost, especially after the past year, is so important and right now is the perfect time to do it.

“Not only is May National Walking Month, but we’re also really pleased to see that this week’s Mental Health Awareness Week has such a focus on the benefits of connecting with nature.

“Walking outdoors is a fantastic way to boost your mood, clear your head and benefit from fresh air in local parks and greenspaces.

“You can even take it a step further by really noticing nature when you’re out walking, such as listening to bird song, immersing yourself in a woodland walk or looking after nature by doing a spot of litter picking.

“The power of walking and the positive effects it can have on people’s wellbeing are endless and we believe that everyday walking is key to a healthier, happier Scotland.”

Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week is running from 10-16 May 2021 with this year’s theme being nature.

The charity has a variety of podcasts available on most popular podcast players or its website, which have been designed to help people unwind while walking, by interacting with nature.  

A guided walking meditation track, Mind to Walk, is also free for people to listen to on their walks, narrated and presented by DJ Edith Bowman.

The 25-minute-long track acts as a guided meditation, helping listeners relax their minds and connect to their surroundings as they take a walk.

Paths for All believes regular walking is key to leading a happy and healthy life, and it’s even more important for people to continue enjoying safe walks where it is safe and appropriate to do so with the huge array of associated benefits.

Paths for All’s aim is to significantly increase the number of people who choose to walk in Scotland, whether it’s walking for leisure or walking to work, school or to the shops.

For more information on Paths for All, visit: https://www.pathsforall.org.uk

Local care home hosts Spring Olympics!

Mansfield Care, Pine Villa, Loanhead residents participating in their activities afternoon including using the new sports table. Pictured Sandra Wood, Rena Flavell and Charles Davis-Cole

A CARE home has hosted a ‘Spring Olympics’ event for its residents to fulfil their cravings for competition and activity.

Organised by the care staff, the week-long series of competitions at Mansfield Care’s Pine Villa featured rounds of pool, Jenga, and basketball, with a Sports Quiz to close the tournament.

It comes after the residents enjoyed a programme of competitions throughout the winter months which inspired the care staff to curate the Spring Olympics, creating opportunities for healthy competition and action.

Denise Williams, Pine Villa Care Home Manager in Loanhead, said: “The residents are all very competitive so we thought this would be a fun way to stay active and play some fun games.

“Seeing as the winter games week was such a success, we wanted to make this even better. We spent a few weeks organising and planning the activities that were requested by the residents, rearranging a few tournaments due to weather but still managing to fit in games everyone enjoyed.

“It was great fun. We tried to make it a little more competitive this time round by splitting residents into teams.

“We hosted three separate games so that after each event we scored up the points and announced the winner at our closing ceremony where our residents enjoyed a spot of afternoon tea.”

As part of an ethos to provide the care we wish to receive in later life, Pine Villa, one of 11 care homes run by Mansfield Care, specialises in bespoke services to support its resident’s wellbeing.

Denise added: “We want residents to live in a stimulating environment and have activities and plans to look forward to. It’s been really challenging over lockdown with visitor restrictions, but the team has been extraordinary and really stepped up, coordinating more activities to meet our resident’s needs.

“These types of activities really help support our residents’ mental and physical health, so we feel it’s important to get creative and organise active games and events. Everyone enjoys them and looks forward to them, staff and residents alike.”

The resident-led activities are organised by the wellness coordinator to ensure resident interests and hobbies are catered to, creating a fun and fulfilling environment.

Mansfield Care specialise in small, friendly residential care homes in Edinburgh, Borders and west of Scotland; each designed to an exceptional standard with state-of-the-art facilities.

The Mansfield Care ethos is inspired by the kind of care we would wish for ourselves in later life – supportive, friendly, bright, positive, empathetic, respectful and homely.

Mansfield Care, Pine Villa, Loanhead residents participating in their activities afternoon including using the new sports table. Pictured Sandra Wood and Charles Davis-Cole with Manager Denise Williams and activities co-ordinater Stephen Robinson

Strategic partnership announces extension of bespoke mental health training

Community foundation marks Mental Health Awareness Week by extending important partnership with SAMH to deliver bespoke training for ‘third sector heroes’ 

Foundation Scotland, Scotland’s community foundation, is recognising Mental Health Awareness Week by announcing it will provide a further £30,000 towards its ground-breaking partnership with SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health).  This new award takes the total committed to £50,000 in a matter of weeks.   

Last month, the funder announced it is was awarding the national charity an initial £20,000 to deliver 40 workplace training sessions specifically designed for those working or volunteering in the third sector.

Organisers experienced unprecedented demand for all 400 places across the 10 courses being snapped up within 48 hours. As  a result the registration was closed early and a waiting list established for those unable to attend in the first round.   

This new award will extend the reach of the programme to organisations not yet signed up and will ensure everyone on the waiting list can attend.  The partnership anticipate that collectively the two awards will reach over 900 third sector workers and volunteers working across the country.  

The expansion of this strategic collaboration with SAMH showcases the Foundation’s unparalleled commitment to the third sector and all those working within it.  

Funded in partnership with the National Emergencies Trust, these awards recognise mental health as a key priority need through the pandemic.  This new £30,000 award is the third strategic crisis grant provided to SAMH by Foundation Scotland.  

The charity previously received £20,000 for this training in April and over £100,000 in October 2020 to design and deliver a partnership programme offering mental health support to key workers.   

The funding will allow SAMH to deliver a further 600 tailored workplace places. Individuals will get to choose from a range of virtual sessions including A Manager’s Guide to Mental Health in the Workplace, Introduction To Suicide Prevention, Maintaining Wellbeing and Building Resilience.

These courses aim to develop participants’ knowledge, skills and confidence to protect themselves and provide support to colleagues.  These practical, solutions-driven, courses are free to attend and will enable organisations to become more resilient, helping them further support the people who need them.    

Feedback from those who have already taken part in the training hailed the sessions as “excellent” and “extremely useful”.  

Participants reported they liked the fact it was not purely theoretical, that they found it useful to share experiences with others in similar positions and to learn from each other. 

 Others reported that they have benefited from gaining practical solutions, feel equipped to confidently approach those they work with who experience mental health problems and that the training will be useful for both their workplace and their personal lives.  

Richard Rutnagur, Director of Strategic and Business Development, SAMH, said “It is fantastic news that we will be able to reach even more organisations to help them build their knowledge, skills and confidence in vital areas like workplace mental health and suicide prevention.

“The overwhelmingly positive response to our first round of training demonstrated the urgent need to support the third sector staff and volunteers who have worked so tirelessly during the pandemic.  

We are grateful to Foundation Scotland for their continued support, and look forward to further developing our partnership.” 

Helen Wray, Programmes Manager at Foundation Scotland said: “We are proud to be extending our support to third sector heroes during Mental Health Awareness Week.  

“At Foundation Scotland, we recognise the vital and urgent need to protect and maintain the wellbeing of those who have worked selflessly to deliver support throughout the crisis.  

“We recognise it is often these very people who feel like they can’t talk, or even have time to think about their own issues as they are so focussed on helping others. Supporting others just isn’t sustainable long-term unless you are looking after yourself and others within your organisation.    

“Increasing the availability of this training will reach more individuals and more organisatons in need.  The support will ensure those working or volunteering across the sector feel equipped, trained and able to cope with the increasing pressures they face.  We will be directly contacting eligible groups next month so they can sign up to benefit.” 

Foundation Scotland has to date awarded over £7.3 million to over 1,100 charitable groups supporting the most vulnerable people through the crisis. This support has already reached over 2 million people living across Scotland.   

For more details about Foundation Scotland visit: 

https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/

Napier students take the oath as Special Constables

University pioneers on-campus training programme

A second cohort of Edinburgh Napier students have been sworn in as Special Constables. The six students, all following courses in the School of Applied Sciences, can now go out on the frontline and join Police Scotland community teams.

They follow in the footsteps of five fellow Edinburgh Napier students who completed an on-campus training programme a year ago and have nowracked up around 2700 hours of police service.

Special Constable training requires a combination of face-to-face and online inputs over a series of several weeks.

The in-house programme was devised to meet a growing demand from students to get involved as Special Constables and from Police Scotland to increase the numbers of Special Constables. Edinburgh Napier’s Dr Andrew Wooff worked with Police Scotland to adapt the training to allow it to be built into the students’ timetable.

The first five students undertook their training every Wednesday at Edinburgh Napier’s Sighthill campus, allowing them all to continue their studies and work part-time as they trained.

The training for the second cohort was further adjusted, with elements of the programme moving online to take into account Covid-19-related social distancing requirements.  The students used online programmes to get to grips with legislation, while learning about the more physical aspects of the role at the Tulliallan-based Scottish Police College.

Dr Wooff, Associate Professor of Criminology at Edinburgh Napier, said: “It’s great to see another six Special Constables sworn in and able to assist Police Scotland.

“The training is demanding and takes commitment, but the students find it very rewarding and we have tailored it to fit round their studies as best we can. These students will now be involved in supporting the police in a wide range of roles. 

“This training scheme has been so successful that we are now looking at replicating it across universities and colleges from September, where students from all institutions will train online and in person together. 

“This will hopefully enhance the programme further and allow more students from across Scotland to access the opportunity of becoming a Special Constable more easily.”

The Special Constable role is diverse, demanding and rewarding. New recruits can be doing anything from policing a football match to assisting at a road accident.

Special Constables also police major sporting and public events and provide an excellent bridge between the police service and the public, representing both the community within the police service and the police service In local communities.

Chief Inspector Claire Miller said: “I am delighted to welcome six new students from Edinburgh Napier into Police Scotland’s Special Constabulary.

“I am well aware of the significant time and effort that is required to complete the training programme, which is over and above their other studies, and I would like to thank them for their ongoing commitment and wish them every success in their frontline deployments.

“I would also like to thank Dr Andrew Wooff for working with Police Scotland to adapt the training, to allow it to be built into the students’ timetable, especially during such a challenging year.

“Police Scotland undoubtedly benefits from the experience our volunteers bring, however we also believe that the Special Constabulary offers an exceptional opportunity where you can gain confidence, acquire new skills and truly make a difference in improving the safety and wellbeing of people, places and communities in Scotland.

“I hope the students who became Special Constables last year have discovered this during the extraordinary number of hours they have volunteered for so far. Their dedication during the past year has been outstanding and is greatly appreciated.

“I wish our new recruits the very best for their future journey within Police Scotland”  

For more information on joining the Special Constabulary, visit: 

https://www.scotland.police.uk/recruitment/special-constables/ 

Morrisons opens aisles to British entrepreneurs

Morrisons is offering British entrepreneurs a fast-tracked route to a national market through a programme called ‘Growing British Brands’.

The ‘Growing British Brands’ programme will give businesses the potential to sell products in all 497 Morrisons stores as well as listings in other parts of the business including Morrisons.com, Food Boxes and wholesale channels like Amazon.

Morrisons will also offer promotional plans and favourable payment terms to help these businesses scale up.  

To support these emerging British businesses, Morrisons has assembled a team of experts to find brands with game-changing, innovative products that need a helping hand to get to the main stage. 

The team will offer successful applicants to the programme advice and support covering every aspect of retailing, from production to packaging and marketing and logistics.

Entrepreneurs with products ranging from food and drink to beauty and homewares are being encouraged to apply to the ‘Growing British Brands’ programme by clicking on the ‘Supplying Morrisons’ link at morrisons-corporate.com/suppliers.

This formal programme follows a very strong response to a recent call to arms from Morrisons CEO, David Potts, who encouraged British entrepreneurs with the next big thing to get in touch.

David Potts, Morrisons CEO, said: “There are thousands of people with great ideas, but getting them to market at scale is often a long, risky and complicated process.

“Morrisons started with just one shop over 100 years ago and is now one of Britain’s biggest retailers. We know and understand the entrepreneurial spirit and want to play our full part in helping the next generation of British brands quickly reach national distribution.  

“For too long, small businesses have lacked the opportunity and perhaps confidence to scale up a great idea capable of supplying hundreds of stores at serious volumes.  We hope that this programme can provide the support, guidance and confidence for great brands with great products to lift their horizons, to think big and to reach new customers all around Great Britain.”  

Victoria Prentis MP, Food Minister, said: “Our manifesto was clear that we want people, both at home and abroad, to be lining up to buy British.  “The ‘Growing British Brands’ programme will boost small businesses, encouraging them to scale up and reach thousands of potential new customers.

“Our food and drink businesses are renowned for high quality products and standards of animal welfare. They form a core part of our agri-food sector which supports over four million jobs and provides £121 billion to the UK economy. I welcome this announcement by Morrisons to further support entrepreneurs in this vital sector.”  

Morrisons launched its Local Foodmakers programme in 2017, and has since launched over 1,300 products from local foodmakers, growers and producers.  This new programme aims to uncover those suppliers who have the ability to be stocked in stores nationwide. 

The ‘Growing British Brands’ programme launches today at morrisons-corporate.com/suppliers.

Have your say on new student development on the site of the former Tynecastle High School

Developer S1 Developments is giving the public a chance to have its say on proposals for an exciting new student residential development at Edinburgh’s former Tynecastle High School site. 

The development will regenerate a site that has currently lain vacant for over a decade and fallen into a state of disrepair. A full assessment has been undertaken by S1 and due to a number of constraints, the best use of the site is judged to be for car free student development, with the original category B-listed school building on McLeod Street retained and restored.

Proximity to North British Distillery, who previously owned the site, Tynecastle Stadium and the Western Approach, with issues around light, smell, noise and traffic make student accommodation a more effective use of the site than residential accommodation.

A single user operator, such as a student one, is able introduce control measures that will ensure that amenity and safety can be maintained with issues such as noise, smells and air quality easier to mitigate through a single point of control eg through the ventilation system and acoustic design.

It also affords opportunities to install site-wide green energy provision under the control of a Building Energy Management System (BEMS) to minimise energy consumption and improve sustainability.

Council guidance also points to the benefits of purpose-built student accommodation in freeing up flats for families with children and reducing issues of antisocial behaviour.

The developer submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) to the City of Edinburgh Council in February informing that it intends to submit a planning application for the redevelopment of the site following a public consultation event.

The Scottish Government has suspended in-person public consultation events due to COVID-19.

Full details about the proposals will be made available to the public at 9 am on Tuesday 18th May on the dedicated project website: www.oldtynecastlehigh.com.

An online consultation will take place between 3 pm and 7pm on the same day. Consultants will be available during those hours to answer any questions and receive feedback through a two-way chat system.

Feedback can also be submitted via the website, and information will be made available in paper format if requested. 

If you cannot access the exhibition boards on the day of the event, please contact Orbit Communications at hello@oldtynecastlehigh.com or Telephone: 0131 202 3259 or at 4 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JE and these can be provided.

Dan Teague, Director at S1 Developments, said: “We’re delighted to be giving the public the chance to have a say on our development proposals for the site of the former Tynecastle High School.

“As S1 Developments we develop sites to suit the location and following a full assessment of the constraints it is clear to us that student development is the most appropriate use to secure the redevelopment of the Old Tynecastle High School and develop the site in manner which is compatible with the neighbouring uses.

“Discussions have also been held with local stakeholders and community groups to also look at potential to form a new community space.

 “The original school building has fallen into a sorry state since it stopped being a school in 2009. Whilst the redevelopment is challenging, we are hopeful that the proposed use brings with it an opportunity to save and renovate the original school building and continue its educational use, serving students in higher education.”