Alexa helps Edinburgh man on road to recovery

Following a holiday to Turkey late last summer, the lives of Malcolm and his wife Janis from Edinburgh were turned upside down.

Hit by food poisoning on the trip, Malcolm spent a week ill in bed. His symptoms only worsened when he returned home to the point where he could no longer feed or clothe himself. Malcolm was soon after diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Guillain-Barre syndrome and became paralysed from the neck down.

Over Christmas, due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and as Malcolm remained in the hospital, he unable to see any family.

“On Christmas Day I was allowed into the hospital for an hour,” said Janis, Malcolm’s wife. “But no other family members, including his daughters and grandchildren, were able to see him for the ten months he was in hospital.”

Searching for a way to speak with her husband, and a way for him to contact her independently, Janis contacted Gain, the Guillain-Barre syndrome charity. They recommended Amazon Echo as an ideal device for the couple to call each other hands-free.

Malcolm says that Echo and Alexa have made his life easier, reducing the sense of isolation from friends and family during lockdown and hospitalisation, and most importantly bringing him closer to Janis and family members while the pandemic kept them apart. 

“The hospital team who looked after me were wonderful, but I missed Janis and the rest of the family,” said Malcolm. “Alexa connected me to a friendly face and a familiar voice and that contact really helped me on tough days.” 

Janis is now raising money for the Gain charity by running the equivalent distance between Land’s End and John O’Groats—874 miles in total! 

Through his determination and positive attitude, Malcolm can now stand and sit in his wheelchair, and has continued to use Alexa since returning home. Malcolm uses the device for watching his favourite TV programmes and films, listening to audio books, and completing day to day tasks – all using his voice. 

“I might never be able to be as active as I was, but technology like Alexa has helped my road to recovery so far. I will never stop attempting to improve and I’m not going to give up,” he said.

Dennis Stansbury, Alexa UK Country Manager, added: “It’s so inspirational to hear Malcolm’s story and we’re proud that Alexa was able to lend a helping hand during what must have been a difficult situation for him and his wife Janis. Alexa is always getting smarter and evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers.” 

Since Alexa and Echo first launched nearly eight years ago, they have become a staple in many homes—whether as a kitchen aid to help with recipes, to help wake you up and prepare for your morning ahead, or even give you fun ideas for how to spend your day.

Over time, Alexa’s skillset has evolved to include features and functionality that can improve the freedom and independence of everyone, including older adults and people with disabilities.

These include the Show and Tell feature launched last year, our collaboration with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), and access to general health information from the NHS website.

If you have a story of your own about how you use Alexa, Amazon would love to hear it – email AlexaStories@amazon.com or tag Amazon on Twitter and Instagram using #AlexaStories.

Back to School tips from Parent Club Scotland

Some great Back to School advice from Parent Club Scotland

It’s a big week ahead for most kids with the return to school and childcare settings.

If your wee one is going back or starting school for the first time you might be wondering …”how on earth are we all going to be up and ready in the mornings?!”

Mornings can be stressful at the best of times and even more so if you have been out of your normal routine during the summer.

Here are some simple, practical reminders of how we can free up a bit of time in the mornings by planning ahead the night before. (We all know these things are helpful already but handy to have them front of mind again if needed!)

For more advice and support on getting the kids prepared for a new routine again:

parentclub.scot/articles/going-back-to-primary-school

#ParentClub

#ParentClubTips

#BackToSchool

Bridging the digital divide

700,000 digital devices for children in Scotland

Work to provide every school pupil in Scotland with a laptop or tablet has started. Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has confirmed discussions with local government are underway to deliver the ambitious commitment, which will benefit 700,000 children.

The Scottish Government are also considering how to deliver consistent digital infrastructure across Scotland’s 2,500 school buildings. The announcement delivers on another commitment for the first 100 days of this government.

Ms Somerville said: “Every child has the right to an education and we believe that means an education supported and enhanced by technology. This as a vital aspect of an education system in the digital age which was clearly demonstrated by the pandemic.

“This is a hugely ambitious programme of work that will build on efforts to tackle digital inclusion during the pandemic. These early talks with Scottish councils are a positive step towards delivering this commitment.”

Plans submitted for Lauriston Farm agroecology project

The Edinburgh Agroecology Co-op (EAC) has submitted plans for their urban agriculture project at Lauriston Farm.

The group’s project aims to address access to local, affordable fresh produce, environmental degradation and promote knowledge of food production.

Planning application details can be viewed here:

https://tinyurl.com/5an2pwf4

Stories and Scran

Playing my part in Edinburgh Book Festival

TUESDAY 17th AUGUST: 8.30 – 9:30pm

Join us for an evening of food and entertainment, hosted by our Citizen Writers in Residence Eleanor Thom and Leyla Josephine.

With live readings, audio recordings and a film created by Citizen participants, our community meal will showcase the insightful and thoughtful work of local people from North Edinburgh and Musselburgh.

This live event is part of Citizen, our long-term creative programme working in partnership with organisations across Edinburgh, offering local people a platform to explore identity, connection, place and everything it means to live in our world right now.

Following on from the success of last year’s virtual event, Stories and Scran returns for a second helping.

This community meal, enjoyed by participants in our Citizen programme, will take place in Edinburgh College of Art, with dinner provided by The Scran Academy.

The meal will be followed by a showcase of live readings, audio stories and short films in a celebration of community spirit. 

Find out more at on citizen@edbookfest.co.uk.

TALES FROM THE DOOCOT

During lockdown I took the opportunity to try something new and signed up to North Edinburgh Arts’ Writing the Times creative writing group.

I so enjoyed the experience of meeting up with others – fair enough it was still Zoom, but at least it seemed more like normal life! – that I went on to take part in the Citizen creative writing project this Spring (above).

We were asked to choose and write about a local building, and, living in Drylaw, I chose The Doocot.

While I would never describe the Doocot as a place of worship, pubs, like churches, are more about the people in them than the actual buildings themselves, so I wrote a series of short stories about unforgettable characters – real, imagined and some a bit of both – who made the Doocot such a popular place in it’s heyday.

I will be reading a Doocot tale at the Stories and Scran celebration tomorrow evening. The event is fully subscribed, but Edinburgh International Book Festival will be streaming it live.

Cheers!

New campaign promotes access to employment support

People struggling to secure or retain permanent employment can access free support delivered by trained advisers.

The national employment service Fair Start Scotland provides personalised and tailored support to those who have struggled to find and stay in work due to their personal circumstances. This may include caring commitments, health conditions or disabilities or other challenges caused by long-term unemployment.

A new marketing campaign has launched to ensure more people can access advice and support, including those who may be finding it more difficult to secure and retain employment as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Employment and Fair Work Minister Richard Lochhead said: “We know that for some people finding work can be a difficult process. The Scottish Government’s Fair Start Scotland service provides people with practical support and advice which is tailored to the needs of the individual.

“Centred around dignity and respect, the service is there to help those who are having difficulty finding employment.

“The pandemic has created greater uncertainty in the labour market and that is why we want to reassure people across the country that expert support and assistance is there for them. Since launching in 2018 more than 32,500 have accessed advice and support from this service and now we want to reach even more people who could benefit.”

Rachel Walker, aged 26 from Carluke, was referred to Fair Start Scotland in March 2021. The advice and support she received helped her secure an administrative role with Capability Scotland.

Ms Walker said: “The support I received through Fair Start Scotland has been first class. My key worker helped build my confidence and encouraged me to take the right steps back into employment.

“As someone who is blind I had limited pathways into work, however, Scott always kept me upbeat, and I have recently secured a role with Capability Scotland. I am over the moon and I would recommend the service to anyone looking to move back into work.”

https://www.mygov.scot/help-find-job/

Inverleith Neighbourhood Network to meet on Tuesday

Dear Inverleith Neighbourhood Network (NN)

The next meeting of this group is Tuesday 17th August at 6pm on Teams (link below)

Please find attached:

  • Minute of previous meeting of 24th June 2021
  • Agenda for meeting of 17th August 2021
  • NEP report (Roads and Housing Revenue Account HRA)
  • Transport Infrastructure Investment report

We have no Community Grants applications to consider at this meeting, but Cllr Barrie is still looking for volunteers to join a Funding Panel that will consider any applications in future.

We are particularly keen to have anyone representing projects in the Drylaw Telford area.

Please get back to me if you are willing to assist in this.

INN-Agenda-170821Download

Inverleith-NEP-proposals-HRA-2021-22Download
Inverleith-NEP-updates-Roads-2021-22-240621Download

Transport-Infrastructure-Investment-Capital-Delivery-Priorities__-for-2021-22Download

Inverleith-NN-Notes-240621-finalDownload

Click here to join the meeting

Elaine Lennon

North West Lifelong Learning Development Officer, City of Edinburgh Council

8 West Pilton Gardens, Edinburgh, EH4 4DP

Tel: 0131 529 5270 / 35270

Public Health Scotland supports retaining uplift to Universal credit

Public Health Scotland supports retaining the £20 a week uplift to universal credit and working tax credits, brought in by the UK Government in April 2020, to help create a Scotland where everybody thrives.

The social security top-up payment was introduced in April 2020 to help low-income households deal with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is due to expire in October.

The evidence is becoming stronger that increasing the incomes of the poorest, including by increasing means-tested benefits, can help narrow the gap in life expectancy and improve mental health and wellbeing.

All of those families affected claiming working tax credits are already in employment, as are 35% of people claiming universal credit. Another 31% of people claiming universal credit have health problems or caring responsibilities which compromise their ability to secure and retain jobs. Therefore, focusing on getting people into work, in itself, will not be sufficient.

Martin Taulbut, Public Health Intelligence Adviser at Public Health Scotland said: “People with higher incomes are healthier and live longer. Experiencing material hardship can have a profound direct impact on health by affecting our ability to buy the goods and services that support good health and underpin healthy life expectancy. 

“The increase in value of universal credit and tax credits has reduced poverty, protecting the physical and mental health of low-income families and supporting working-age adults’ ability to find and keep good work. Decreasing the value of means-tested benefits is likely to result in a decline in the (already poor) health of the unemployed and low-income families, particularly after the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As well as enabling families to live healthier lives now, action taken to improve and protect the health of children from early in life pays dividends for decades. By embedding health and wellbeing into policy decisions across areas of economy, employment and mental health, Scotland has an opportunity to make real progress on national outcomes.”

Save Our Care Homes: protest lobby at City Chambers tomorrow

UNISON will be holding a static lobby outside the Edinburgh City Chambers tomorrow (Tuesday 17th August) from 9.30am to coincide with the meeting of the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB) meeting taking place at 10am.

Although this meeting will not be making a final decision on care home closures, they will be planning to move forward with wider consultation on the issue, with the purpose of coming to a decision at a meeting in September.

It was UNISON’s quick actions that ensured the EIJB did not move forward with the proposed closures at their meeting on 22nd June 2021.

UNISON will be making a deputation to the meeting tomorrow and will be calling for:

  • the saving of our care homes;
  • meaningful engagement with the trade unions;
  • call for proper impact assessments; and
  • the need to have a wide-ranging meaningful public consultation.

UNISON want care homes to remain run by and for the public and not run by private companies for private profit.

If publicly owned and run care homes are not up to standard, then investment in adaptation, or the building of new care homes must be done to ensure that any demand can be met.

Staff in care home must be paid a decent wage, have access to developmental training and feel secure in their employment.

The lobby outside the City Chambers on Tuesday 17th August is only part of the union’s campaign to ‘Save Our Care Homes’ and UNISON plan to build to a bigger event for the September meeting.

You can sign UNISON’s petition here and click here for a link to a ready-made email to your MSP.

The Another Edinburgh is Possible campaign group is also urging the capital’s citizens to support the fight against care home closures:

‘Join the protest rally outside the City Chambers as the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board meets on Tuesday 17th August. It’s likely that the board will hold a special meeting in September to make the decision to close 5 out of the 9 local authority care homes in Edinburgh.

‘We want to build a campaign that is so strong that when that meeting takes place the board has no option but to drop its’ closure plans. Three Edinburgh City Councillors sit on the board. We’ve written to the leaders of all five party groups on the council demanding that their group takes a clear and unambiguous public position in opposition to the closures.’