St Andrew’s First Aid to deliver free CPR demonstrations at popular locations to mark Restart a Heart Day.
Scotland’s only dedicated first aid charity, St Andrew’s First Aid, is providing Edinburgh locals and tourists with a chance to learn lifesaving CPR skills at open demonstrations held in the heart of the city this month.
To mark ‘Restart a Heart Day’ (16th October), an initiative led by Resuscitation Council UK to increase the number of people who survive out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, St Andrew’s First Aid will be delivering free public demonstrations across three city centre locations.
Passers-by will be invited to get involved with CPR demonstrations, as well as learning how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
They will also be encouraged to practice what they have learned, gaining insightful feedback from St Andrew’s First Aid Community Engagement Trainers and Volunteers, to ensure they are prepared to step in and help, if they witness someone having a cardiac arrest.
Jim Dorman, Director of Operations and Community Engagement at St Andrew’s First Aid said: “We usually mark Restart a Heart with one day – but this year we decided it needs to be noticed – so we’re carrying out a roadshow across the full month of October, with free demonstrations taking place up and down the country.
“The importance of knowing how to administer CPR correctly can really be the difference between life and death for those receiving it. It’s our ambition to have as many people as possible learning these vital skills that could ultimately save a life.”
St Andrew’s First Aid Community Engagement Trainers and Volunteers will be in attendance at the following locations:
Edinburgh Haymarket Train Station: Thursday 17th October – 11am-2pm
Edinburgh Waverly Station: Saturday 19th October – 11am-4pm
Between April 2022 and May 2023, there were 3,161 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Scotland*. Charities such as St Andrew’s First Aid are making it their mission to create a nation of lifesavers, by providing easy to access and free training to the public.
To find out more about St Andrew’s First Aid please visit: www.firstaid.org.uk
Our Tabletop Sale is on Saturday 26th October 10am-12noon
We would love to see you all there!
As well as all out amazing sellers, the management committee will also be running a tombola to raise funds to support the work we do within the centre (community meals/outings etc,)
If anyone would like to donate anything for our tombola then please get in touch/drop off at centre by Thursday 24th.
A Granton church is this week marking 90 years since, on Monday 22nd October 1934, the foundation stone was laid by the Duke of York (later King George VI).
Under the foundation stone there is a cavity holding a casket containing ‘The Scotsman’, ‘Life and Work’, extension scheme documents, architect’s description of the Church Buildings, a list of contractors, the name of surveyor and Clerk of Works, note of the cost of building and a copy of the programme used at the ceremony when the foundation stone was placed in position.
The move from the old Granton Parish Church building at the foot of Granton Road up to Boswall Parkway was seen as an opportunity to be closer to the new housing schemes of Wardieburn, East Pilton, Royston and Boswall, and the new church was opened in February 1936.
The church has been serving that new community ever since. Today’s work now includes lunches, coffee mornings, Friday drop-ins, and the hugely popular Share ‘n’ Wear service.
For more details, including an archive film of the Duke of York’s visit, go to the church’s website at grantonchurch.org.uk.
The House of Lords Public Services Committee has published its report, ‘Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people’.
The report concludes that young disabled people yearn to work and to thrive in their careers but far too many are written off and told that ‘people like them’ can never succeed.
The Committee believe we have to change this; we have to start with the presumption that young disabled people are fully capable of thriving in work, as long as they have the appropriate support, with aspiration and ambition at its heart. At every stage of a young disabled person’s development, from nurseries and schools to job centres and employers, we have to Think Work First.
Speaking on the report, the Chair of the Public Services Committee Baroness Morris of Yardley said “This report provides a blueprint for the new Government to implement its commitment to getting more young disabled people into work.
“It highlights how to put in place appropriate support for young disabled people and employers so that the system is both cohesive and effective.”
To address this, the Committee has recommended the Government focus on early support and intervention, ensuring that young disabled people can access and then remain in work once they leave education. It must also work with employers to ensure they have the tools and support they need to create inclusive workplaces and uphold the rights of disabled people.
Other significant key recommendations from the report include:
Co-production: It is vital that young disabled people – both those that are yet to leave education and those who have already made the transition – are able to be fully involved in helping to design and shape the services that support them.
Vocational profiling: This is a particularly effective way of identifying a young disabled person’s aspirations from an early age and can help schools and colleges to put the right careers support in place from the start. The Committee believes the Government should make vocational profiling a standard part of careers information, advice and guidance for young disabled people in schools.
Joined up support: The Government should work with local authorities to improve the availability of ‘ready to work’ programmes, such as that provided by ThinkForward, to support young people from school until they are settled in work.
Supported internships:. The new Government should honour the commitment of the previous Government to double the number of supported internships and take steps to make as many young disabled people as possible eligible for them: not just those with Education, Health and Care Plans. Internships should be particularly targeted at those with the highest support needs.
Education:. The Government must review and improve the support that young disabled people receive while in education, and it must also properly support local authorities to deliver EHCPs, both in terms of application timelines and the robustness of decision-making.
Careers advice: Many of the young disabled people who spoke to the Committee highlighted the poor careers advice they had received, and the Committee heard evidence from several witnesses of a lack of a systemic, specialised approach to training careers advisers working with young disabled people. The Government should review the training that careers advisers and leaders are expected to receive, making in-depth special educational needs training mandatory.
In order to ensure that these recommendations are implemented, to help young disabled people access work, Baroness Morris said: “We’ve asked the Government to provide us with regular updates on its progress with implementing our recommendations, and we look forward to receiving its response to this report.
“We want to see positive changes in the form of planned programmes and demonstrable actions not only to get young disabled people into the workplace, but to ensure they can thrive in their jobs, develop successful, sustainable careers, and realise their full potential.
“There are many excellent innovative schemes tackling the barriers that young disabled people face when trying to enter the workplace and helping them to make the transition from education to employment. However, we found that these are the exception rather than the rule and this has to change.”
Total of £63 billion of private investment committed around International Investment Summit, more than doubling amount secured at 2023 Global Investment Summit
New investments today include £6.3 billion in UK data centres as well as world class UK university Imperial College London
Innovative investment projects announced over the last month across infrastructure, renewables and life sciences will create close to 38,000 new jobs across the UK
Nearly 38,000 UK jobs are set to be created across the UK after a total of £63 billion of investment was announced around today’s International Investment Summit, turbocharging growth and innovation across the country.
The record-breaking total figure more than doubles the £29.5 billion committed at last year’s Global Investment Summit and spans partnerships across the infrastructure and tech sectors, including over a billion pounds in new investments announced today by DP World, Associated British Ports (ABP) and Imperial College London.
Through serious, stable governance, the UK is attracting tens of billions of pounds of new investment which is crucial to the government’s driving mission of delivering economic growth. Today’s historic figure demonstrates that businesses have confidence in Britain as a place to invest.
The investments follow immediate action taken by the new government to reform planning, focus on AI and data centre expansion, and set a clear commitment to net zero by almost doubling the funding for renewable energy projects.
Four major tech firms based in the US have today announced £6.3 billion in UK data centres which is critical to enhancing the UK’s AI capacity – in turn fuelling Britain’s economic growth and spurring on AI development. Data centres store the vast amount of information and data needed to power AI, and store the information generated by AI to keep the systems running.
ABP, the UK’s largest port operator, has committed over £200 million to a joint investment with ferry company Stena Line in a new freight ferry terminal at the Port of Immingham, significantly boosting the capacity and resilience of UK trade with Europe. It is expected to create around 700 jobs during construction and around 200 permanent jobs once operational.
Leading UK university Imperial College London is also today announcing a £150 million investment to secure a new R&D campus to add to its rapidly expanding deep tech ecosystem in West London. The new campus will expand scale-up capacity in the WestTech Corridor, supporting the UK’s innovation sector and driving investment, economic growth and job creation.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “Global investors should be in no doubt that under this new government Britain is truly the best place to do business. The record-breaking investment total secured at today’s Summit marks a major vote of confidence in the UK and our stability dividend across industry and innovation.
“We’re determined to deliver economic growth in every part of the UK and these investments, together with our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, will give global businesses the certainty they need as we lead the charge for the innovation and jobs of the future.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “After the investments secured as part of this summit, my optimism for Britain burns brighter than ever. It’s a sign of the confidence in the British economy.
“And it matters because it will support the growth of businesses big and small across the U.K. Helping them create new jobs and making people better off.
CEO of ABP Henrik L. Pedersen said: “We are delighted that the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Immingham Eastern Ro-Ro Terminal (IERRT) has been granted in a timely way by the Secretary of State to allow us to move forward with investment.
“The IERRT project is a key component of our strategy to strengthen the UK’s supply chains and improve trade connectivity, whilst also bringing substantial economic benefits including the creation of hundreds of jobs during construction and ongoing operations.
“IERRT forms part of the intended £5.5bn pipeline of UK investment we have in front of us over the next 10 years and we look forward to working closely with the Government to deliver the right conditions to realise this investment.”
President of Imperial College London Hugh Brady said:“Imperial College London is investing in its ambitious vision for a new globally competitive deep tech innovation ecosystem in West London.
“The Imperial WestTech Corridor will act as a powerful engine for investment, inclusive economic growth, and job creation at a local, regional, and national level supported by the Government’s emerging Industrial Strategy.
See below for a list of all the investments announced in the run-up to and during yesterday’s International Investment Summit:
Iberdrola doubling their investment in the UK, through Scottish Power, from £12 billion to £24 billion over the next 4 years. This includes £4 billion for the East Anglia 2 wind farm off the Suffolk coast which was unlocked by this Government’s expanded allocation at the most recent wind auction round. Iberdrola Executive Chairman Ignacio Galan CBE confirmed on Friday that the UK has become their largest Investment destination.
Blackstone confirmed a £10 billion investment in Blyth, Northumberland to create one of the largest artificial data centres in Europe, creating 4,000 jobs, including 1,200 roles dedicated to the construction of the site.
Amazon Web Services announced an £8 billion investment last month which is estimated to support around 14,000 jobs per year at local businesses, including those across the company’s data centre supply chain such as construction, facility, maintenance, engineering and telecommunications.
CCUS investors (including Eni, BP and Equinor) reached a commercial agreement with the government that will unlock £8 billion of private investment to launch carbon capture clusters in the heartlands of the North West and North East of England, directly creating 4,000 jobs and supporting 50,000 jobs in the long-term.
Orsted and Greenvolt confirming that the Government’s recent expanded offshore wind auction means their projects will unlock £8 billion (Orsted) and £2.5 billion (Greenvolt) of investment respectively in their planned offshore wind farms. Orsted says its commitment will see thousands of jobs for local people, while Greenvolt says it will create up to 2800 construction jobs.
CyrusOne, a leading global data centre developer headquartered in the United States, announced plans to expand their investment into the UK to £2.5 billion over the coming years. Subject to planning permission, the two data centres should be operational by Q4 2028, projected to create over 1,000 jobs both directly and within its immediate design and construction value chain.
Octopus Energy have committed to a £2 billion investment in renewable energy generation, including four new solar farms in Bristol, Essex, East Riding of Yorkshire and Wiltshire that will power up to 80,000 homes as well as breaking ground on a new 12 MW battery in Cheshire which Octopus say will store enough power for nearly 10,000 homes every day.
SeAH Wind has made an additional £225 million investment into wind technology manufacturing in Teesside, thanks to new backing from UK Export Finance, and expects to create 750 direct jobs by 2027. This brings their total investment into the site at Teesworks up to £900 million and will help them make their ongoing factory build – one of the biggest facilities of its kind worldwide – even bigger.
CloudHQ is developing its new state-of-the-art £1.9 billion data centre campus in Didcot. The hyper-scale data centre is currently in development and will help meet the UK’s growing demand for AI and machine learning. It will create 1,500 jobs during construction, and 100 permanent jobs once fully operational.
Macquarie supporting investment of £1.3 billion into new green infrastructure including its Island Green Power solar farm in Stow, as a result of planning consents having been granted by the Government, and its Roadchef portfolio company installing electric car ultra-fast charging points across its sites along the UK motorway network.
ServiceNow also confirmed its commitment to the UK market, with plans to invest £1.15 billion into its UK business over the next five years. The investment will not only support the future development of AI in the UK, expanding its data centres with Nvidia GPUs for local processing data, but also support new office space as the company significantly grows into employee base beyond its current headcount of 1,000 employees.
Manchester Airports Group is investing more than £1.1 billion in London Stansted Airport to expand its existing terminal by around a third, help secure new air routes to key business and leisure destinations, boost local supply chains and create 5,000 jobs. This includes around £600 million to extend the terminal and £500 million to deliver a suite of improvements to the existing terminal building and wider airport estate.
Eren Holdings confirmed a £1 billion investment in the redevelopment of Shotton Mill in Deeside, North Wales which is set to become the UK’s largest recycled paper manufacturing campus. This is expected to safeguard 147 jobs and create a further 220 when the site is fully commissioned.
Network Rail and London & Continental Railways are creating a new property company which will attract additional private and public sector investment with the potential to deliver brownfield regeneration schemes across the rail estate with a value exceeding £1 billion.
CoreWeave is building on its £1 billion investment announced in May and the opening of its European headquarters in London by investing a further £750 million-plus in the UK to support the demand for critical AI infrastructure. The investment in the UK is CoreWeave’s second largest investment in a country following the USA.
DP World are investing up to £1 billion in their London Gateway container port operation. This new investment will fund two additional berths and a second rail terminal. Once built, the berths will add vital transport capacity and increase the resilience of UK supply chains, enabling businesses to access domestic and international markets and supporting the Government’s growth and decarbonisation missions.
Holtec, a major US advanced nuclear engineering company, has confirmed a significant investment of £325 million in a new factory in South Yorkshire which will supply materials for civil and defence nuclear industries. They say this will create up to 490 direct and 280 indirect jobs annually during the construction phase and 1,200 direct engineering jobs created over 20 years.
BW Group proceeding with a £500 million investment, which includes new battery energy storage projects in Hampshire and Birmingham.
Eli Lilly and Company is collaborating with government through a memorandum of understanding which will see the pharmaceutical giant intending to commit £279 million to tackle significant health challenges – including obesity. Lilly also plans to launch the first ‘Lilly Gateway Labs’ innovation accelerator in Europe to support early-stage life sciences businesses to develop transformative medicines and technologies.
Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s largest port operator, has announced a £200+ million investment in a new freight ferry terminal at the Port of Immingham, boosting the capacity and resilience of UK trade with Europe. This is expected to create around 700 jobs during construction and 200 permanent jobs once operational.
Imperial College London investing £150 million to build The WestTech Corridor – a new innovation ecosystem in West London which will act as a powerful engine for investment, inclusive economic growth, and job creation at a local, regional, and national level.
Haleon has received planning permission to develop a new £130 million Global Oral Health Innovation Centre in Weybridge, Surrey. This state-of-the-art facility will primarily support Haleon’s global oral health business by developing new products that advance consumers’ better everyday health.
We strongly oppose the decision to restrict #WinterFuelPayment eligibility to only those in receipt of Pension Credit as it means 89% of Scottish pensioners will go without this vital support to stay warm this winter.
Strachan House and Queens Manor in Edinburgh will be opening their doors to the local community for an day of coffee and cakes on Saturday 9th November.
Taking place between 10.00 am – 4.00 pm guests will be able to enjoy home-made cakes prepared by the home’s Head Chef, and will have the chance to meet the team and take a tour of the home.
Frances Fisher, General Manager at Strachan House, says: “I’m excited about welcoming new visitors and existing friends of the home to our open day.
“Looking for care can be a little bit daunting, but our team here at Strachan House will do all we can to provide all of our guests with the guidance and support they may need, and answer all of their questions, big or small.
“Our open day is a great chance to enjoy some delightful entertainment in a homely and friendly setting- hope to see you all there!”
Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.
Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals.
Strachan House provides nursing care and dementia care from respite care to long term stays.
Performing the Stephen Sondheim classic “Merrily We Roll Along”, final year Musical Theatre students will bring the award-winning show to West Lothian audiences on the 16th and 17th of October.
Directed by world class theatre creatives Cressida Carré and Jon Beales, audiences will be taken on an evocative journey through the unravelling of friendship and ambition over 20 years.
Mark Langley, Principal of The Scottish Institute said: “Our partnership with Howden Park Centre marks an exciting new chapter for not only the school, but we’re also seeing the growth in culture across West Lothian.
“It’s a privilege to be able to provide our students with such a high-quality experience from the rehearsal room to the stage, with industry renowned directors and shows.”
As part of the partnership, The Scottish Institute has secured 100 days and nights of performance each year for the next decade at the centre, mutually benefitting the students and the local community.
With a 290 seat capacity, the theatre will provide students with the opportunity to bring their learning outside of the classroom, transitioning their work from basic rehearsals to performing on a real stage to a paying audience.
John Burlington, Production Manager at The Scottish Institute said: “We’re incredibly excited to bring Merrily We Roll Along to Howden Park Centre this week. The creative team, including our director fresh from the UK tour of Titanic the Musical, has been exceptional.
“Their expertise has provided our students with a unique opportunity to learn from industry leaders, making this production a standout in both artistic quality and educational value.”
“Merrily We Roll Along” follows the story of Franklin Shepard, a successful but disillusioned composer, and his two estranged friends, as it moves backwards through key moments in their personal and professional lives.
The show concludes with an ironic twist, as the three friends, full of optimism and ambition at the start of their careers, face a seemingly bright future. Notably, this is the same production for which Daniel Radcliffe recently won a Tony Award.
The Scottish Institute is Scotland’s only fully CDMT accredited performing arts institution, also holding accreditations from Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), Council of Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT) and Imperial Society for the Teachers of Dance (ISTD).
To purchase tickets to Merrily We Roll Along visit:
Hawaii could soon be welcoming a new distillery after a postgraduate student at Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University won a prestigious entrepreneurial award.
Canadian student Ethan Wang, 42, wants to open a new distillery on Hawaii’s scenic volcanic island of Maui and said he was in “total shock” after winning cash and support from an industry membership organisation to help make his idea happen.
The award, called the Worshipful Company of Distillers’ Entrepreneurship Award, is designed to help students apply their science in the real world and is run jointly by Heriot-Watt’s respected International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) and The Worshipful Company of Distillers, a historic trade association in the City of London.
“Maui is an ocean paradise and is one of the finest places in the world to get botanical ingredients and clean flavours,” said Ethan, who is currently studying online with ICBD to complete a Master of Science degree in Brewing and Distilling.
“Winning this award was such great news to wake up to in Hawaii. It will help me buy additional expensive tools for flavour extraction – and having an experienced industry body to guide me with my planning will be a huge help.”
Ethan is originally from Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, where he studied a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Victoria. He first visited Hawaii during his early career in accountancy and finance and got married there in 2011. Since then, he has visited Maui, the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, every year.
Ethan says the £5,000 prize money from the award is an important addition to the personal savings he is investing to open the distillery, which will produce spirits including gin, vodka, blended whisky, Japanese shochu – a spirit typically distilled from ingredients including rice, barley and sweet potatoes – and Korean soju, also traditionally made from rice.
Called the Kamehameha Distillery, Ethan’s distillery will be based in Kula, a scenic rural area of Maui on the slopes of a dormant volcano called Haleakalā.
“The site offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and the lush, rolling hills of upcountry Maui,” Ethan says. “Hawaii’s tropical climate is warm and humid, but up in Kula, the air is cooler and crisper, especially in the evenings.
“This variation in temperature, along with the volcanic soil and the sea air, has a profound influence on the ingredients we use, from the hibiscus flowers to the sea grapes. The clean, fresh environment helps preserve the natural flavours, giving our products a unique and authentic taste that truly reflects the land they come from.”
Kamehameha’s products are designed to appeal particularly to American and Japanese markets. But Ethan’s longer-term vision is to expand globally and to create opportunities locally in Hawaii.
“Supporting the island’s economy is vital – and I want to create meaningful opportunities for the local community, including creating jobs and fostering partnerships with local farmers and suppliers,” he says.
“In the long term, I see Kamehameha Distillery expanding beyond Hawaii and introducing the world to unique, authentic Hawaiian flavours. International expansion is a goal, as I want our spirits to be enjoyed globally, not just as beverages but as an experience of Hawaiian culture.”
Heriot-Watt University has been researching brewing and distilling since 1903 and formed the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling in 1990 to meet the needs of the brewing, distilling and malting industries worldwide.
Its degrees prepare students to enter the malting, brewing or distilling industries and cover a broad range of subjects including brewing and distilling science, chemical engineering, business studies and production management.
The centre’s on-campus facilities in Edinburgh include a 200-litre capacity brewery, a mobile mashing unit and cereal cooker, a mash filter, fermentation vessels, stills and a laboratory.
Dr David Jenkins, Assistant Professor in Brewing and Distilling at ICBD and also an MSc programme leader, said: “Ethan’s plans for his Hawaiian distillery are incredibly exciting and it’s fantastic to help fund his vision.
“Jumping from a science degree to the real world can be challenging – so our focus is on helping students apply what they learn to their own entrepreneurial ideas. There are always new opportunities in the drinks industry – and we look forward to seeing Ethan’s business grow.”
Lorne MacKillop of the Worshipful Company of Distillers – the company’s ‘Master’ this year and figurehead – has spent 47 years in the wines and spirits sector. He said: “Education is an important part of our role and we support a number of awards and scholarships in the science of distilling.
“These are designed to help students achieve excellence in their craft and apply their knowledge to real-world businesses and innovations. We were hugely impressed with Ethan’s submission for our Heriot-Watt University award and are delighted to support him in his new venture.”
The Worshipful Company of Distillers (the WCD) was formed in 1638 when King Charles I granted the company a Royal Charter. The organisation is a City Livery Company – a trade guild that once acted as a modern day trade association, but whose powers to regulate alcoholic spirits were discontinued in the 19th Century. Today its function revolves around industry philanthropy, education, networking and fellowship.
The company’s industry mentoring capacity will involve providing a hand-picked mentor from amongst those members freely giving their time to help support mentees like Ethan.
The WCD has run its mentoring scheme for three years and has about 45 mentees presently in the programme, chosen from those students who are sponsored with bursaries at the training providers used.
Ethan hopes to have the Kamehameha Distillery open by the end of 2024.
Childline delivered more than 8,000 counselling sessions with children in Scotland last year
This included 4,485 counselling sessions with children about their mental and emotional health and wellbeing concerns
This World Mental Health Day, the NSPCC is encouraging children to reach out to Childline for support on any issues
Over half (55%) of all counselling sessions delivered to young people in Scotland by the NSPCC’s Childline service last year were about mental health and wellbeing.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, Childline delivered 4,485 counselling sessions to young people in Scotland about mental and emotional health and wellbeing, equating to approximately 12 sessions a day.
When discussing their mental health, some of the top concerns that were raised were anxiety, stress, low mood, depression and loneliness.
To mark World Mental Health Day (Thursday, October 10th), the NSPCC is highlighting these figures to show the scale of children struggling with their mental health and to remind them that Childline is a safe place where they can seek help and support.
An 11-year-old girl from Scotland who contacted Childline, said: “I feel so lonely at school, I only really have one friend. What’s harder though is I feel I can’t talk about how much it upsets me.
“My parents seem annoyed or judgemental when I try to talk about my feelings. Speaking to Childline feels like a weight has been lifted.”
It is important for children and young people get help with their mental health at an early stage – through schools or in the local community – rather than waiting until they reach crisis point.
That is why the charity is calling on the Scottish Government to ensure communities have the resources they need to be able to support children’s mental health wherever and whenever they need it. This will require investment in specialist care, counselling in schools and support in community settings.
Any child or young person who is struggling can also contact Childline up to the age of 19 and have a confidential conversation with a counsellor over the phone or online, at any time of the day.
Adeniyi Alade, service head of Childline, who is based at Aberdeen Childline, said: “Growing up can be tough at times and our counsellors talk to children and young people every day to support them with their mental health and wellbeing.
“This Mental Health Day we’d like to remind young people that our friendly counsellors are here for them all day, every day, to talk about whatever is worrying them.
“They don’t need to struggle alone. We can help, whether they are feeling anxious, lonely, or depressed.
“At the NSPCC and Childline we also believe that mental health support should be available in all communities across Scotland and are calling on the Scottish government to implement this to reach every pupil who needs help.”
The Childline website also provides support to young people on the advice pages or resources, such as Art Box, which is a space for children to write or draw about their feelings. Children can also use the service’s Calm Zone, an area of the website with lots of tools and mechanisms to help young people cope.
Drawing or writing can be a helpful way for children to process their emotions, as it can enable them to express themselves and make sense of their situation.
One primary school aged girl from Scotland who contacted Childline, said: “I’m so self-conscious of how I look, my personality, what people think about me.
“It makes me feel anxious. I know everyone is different, but I feel different in a bad way. Reading and drawing are my ways to escape.”
With this in mind, Lidl GB in partnership with Crayola is supporting the NSPCC in their mission to be there for every child needing support with their mental health by launching the Crayola Cosmic Creations and Fantastic Fantasy Activity Tube.
The activity tubes – of which £1 per item sold will be donated to Childline – are designed to give children a creative outlet for their emotions using colouring pencils, colouring rolls, foil art posters and stickers, all with vibrant designs.
Charlie Day, CSR Team Manager at Lidl GB, said: “Supporting young people’s mental health matters hugely to our colleagues and customers.
“That’s why at Lidl GB we’re committed to building on the over £9 million we’ve donated to the NSPCC since 2017, however we can.
“We’re delighted to sell activity tubes in Lidl GB stores that provide children with a calming activity and help them to express their feelings.
“Co-created by Crayola and Hunter Price International, the product will raise vital funds for Childline, and with the contact details on-pack, will help ensure young people have somewhere to turn when they’re ready to open up.”
Young people can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or via 1-2-1 chat on:
We would love to see you all there!
