Every 26 minutes a friend or loved one is diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. This Christmas we are asking people to make a difference by supporting our work to make sure no one has to face lymphoma alone.
We are the only charity in the UK dedicated to lymphoma and your support will help us make sure that people affected by the condition can access the information and support they need to help them through their lymphoma diagnosis, treatment and beyond.
There are many ways that you can show your support this festive season – from ordering charity gifts in Lymphoma Action’s Christmas shop, to holding a festive fashion day, making a donation or buying a beautiful Forever Flower as a special gift or way to remember a loved one.
We rely on the generosity of people like you to help us be there for people affected by lymphoma. Any gift you give will make a big difference to people affected by the UK’s fifth most common cancer – not only this Christmas, but all year round.
The report contains reflections from friends and family who have known him during this time, as well as those who he met along the way and were instrumental in his journey to recovery.
Since sobriety, addiction dealt another cruel blow to Ruairidh and his family, with the tragic and untimely death of his brother Alasdair in 2022 due to alcohol and drugs. Ruairidh reflects on this painful time and meets one of Alasdair’s closest friends, to remember his brother’s life.
Eòrpa: Recovery also brings together expert testimony from the world of science, academia, and outreach organisations who strive to minimise the effects, and understand the nature of drug and alcohol use in Scotland’s communities. With the festive season approaching, and with it a temptation to consume more alcohol, this is a time of year when worries about problem drinking can grow.
Ruairidh has known his friend Joanne Havinden since childhood.
Reflecting on Ruairidh’s addiction in his teens, she told him: “My memory of you when we were wee – you were so happy.
“And, you know, you were so good at word games and jokes and puns and making up stupid songs and all that kind of thing.
“And you stopped doing that sort of stuff and you were unhappy. You were really sad. You know, it was just like watching an out-of-control train and we didn’t know what to do to help.”
Kenny Trainer is the Project Manager at the Bluevale Community Club in Haghill and Dennistoun. It started off as a boxing club, but has expanded, with volunteers now helping with a variety of social issues nearby.
Asked if things had moved on since a joint visit in 2021 by then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and then Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross, Kenny told Ruairidh: “To be honest with you, probably not.
“I think that, politics as politics go, they want to point fingers at each other and blame each other and say that one is better than the other, when realistically a lot of the time they are the exact same while nothing really changes and they’ve got the power to make it change.”
This is the first time Ruairidh has spoken publicly about his past issues with alcohol and drugs, and of his journey through recovery.
Reflecting on making this special edition of Eòrpa, Ruairidh said: “It’s vital that we have an open, compassionate and non-judgemental conversation about where things stand with alcohol and drugs in Scotland today.
“Addiction is something that could affect any person and any family. The reason I wanted to make this programme is that I’ve reached a stage in my recovery where I feel ready to add to that conversation and share some of my own experience.
“My journey brought me into contact with many individuals and organisations who helped me and it was a privilege to be able to go back and speak to some of them. Everything I have in my life today is rooted in the sobriety that they helped me to achieve.
“If this programme can offer hope to anyone struggling with addiction, or encourage them to seek support, it will have been worthwhile.”
Eòrpa is BBC ALBA’s flagship current affairs programme, covering a variety of domestic and European stories.
A scheme that provides dedicated advocacy services for children and young people who are attending Children’s Hearings has been praised by those who use it, according to a new independent report.
The report, Children’s Hearings Advocacy Scheme Scotland-wide provision evaluation, features testimony from children and young people in the Hearings system.
The national Children’s Hearings Advocacy Scheme was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide support for children and young people attending Children’s Hearings.
The demand led scheme is backed by £2 million from the Scottish Government annually and taken forward by a network of ten organisations that provide advocacy services before, during and after a hearing.
The report highlights the benefits of the service, ensuring children and young people feel:
the Advocacy Worker is on their side and there to support them and make sure they understand the Hearings process
more prepared, less worried, safer, confident and more in control ahead of speaking at the Hearing
supported by having someone else say the things they find difficult to say or to speak for them when they find it hard to attend the Hearing
they can access wide support – including at school, health services, social activities and legal support through the advocacy scheme
Access to advocacy is a key element of work to keep The Promise and this scheme, alongside ongoing efforts to reform the Hearings System, plays an important role in ensuring children and young people have their voice heard.
It also aligns with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Act, ensuring children who take up the offer of independent advocacy are able to express their views, feelings and wishes in matters affecting them.
Speaking on the fourth anniversary of the launch of the service, Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise Natalie Don-Innes said: “The Children’s Hearings System is unique to Scotland and I’d like to pay tribute to the outstanding service and dedication of all those who have worked and volunteered within the system over the past 50 years.
“The Scottish Government has committed to The Promise, ensuring children and young people’s voices are at the heart of this system and the decisions made about their care. Central to this is the support provided by advocacy services and I’m pleased that over 5,000 children and young people across the country have felt supported while attending a Hearing.
“However, we know there is still much more to do to improve the experiences of children and young people who go through the Children’s Hearings System and our commitment to Keeping The Promise is as strong today as it was in 2020.
“The Scottish Government is continuing its work to change the system and will ensure children and young people are at the heart of its redesign.”
New Respect Orders will see repeat perpetrators of anti-social behaviour subject to tough restrictions
Hooligans who wreak havoc on local communities will face tough restrictions under new powers announced by the Home Secretary today.
Meeting a manifesto pledge to crack down on anti-social behaviour, the new Respect Orders will give the police and local councils powers to ban persistent offenders from town centres or from drinking in public spots such as high streets and local parks, where they have caused misery to local people. These will be piloted prior to national rollout to make sure they are as effective as possible.
Perpetrators can also be required to address the root cause of their behaviour by being mandated to undertake positive rehabilitation, such as attending drug or alcohol treatment services, or an anger management course to address the underlying causes of their behaviour.
Failure to comply with Respect Orders will be a criminal offence. Police will have the ability to immediately arrest anybody who is breaching their Respect Order.
Police will also be given stronger powers to seize vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour will also be strengthened, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing the vehicles which bring misery to local communities.
This will allow police to deal more swiftly with the scourge of off-road bikes in public parks and dangerous e-scooters on pavements, street racing and cruising. It will also assist the police in tackling car meets, which can see hundreds of cars gather in public spaces that often include loud aggressive engine revving and intimidating music.
Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper said: “Too many town centres and neighbourhoods across our country are being plagued by anti-social behaviour, be it street drinking, harassment or vandalism on the high street or noisy and intimidating off-road bikes terrorising our estates.
“Antisocial behaviour chips away at communities’ sense of confidence and pride, undermines local businesses and can have a devastating impact on victims.
“This cannot be allowed to continue. Respect Orders will give police and councils the powers they need to crack down on repeated anti-social behaviour, keeping our communities safe and ensuring repeat offenders face the consequences of their actions. We will also make it easier to seize the vehicles causing misery in too many neighbourhoods, including deafening off-road bikes or e-scooters ridden dangerously on the pavement.
“These new powers alongside thousands more neighbourhood officers and PCSOs will help this government deliver on our mission to take back our streets.”
As well as prison sentences of up to two years, criminal courts will also be able to issue unlimited fines and community orders, such as unpaid work, and curfews as punishment for breaching a Respect Order. This will ensure that the most serious offenders are dealt with before their behaviour can escalate and cause further harm.
The new powers will be introduced as part of the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, partially replacing existing Civil Injunction powers for adults, to ensure a wider range of penalties as breaches will be dealt with in the criminal courts, alongside the new power of arrest. Existing legislation will be amended to allow the police to seize nuisance off-road bikes – and other vehicles which are used in an anti-social manner – without having to first give a warning to the offender.
Enhanced powers will complement the government’s commitment to restoring neighbourhood policing in England and Wales. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will bring back police patrols to town centres, recruit thousands of additional officers to neighbourhood roles and ensure every community has a named local officer to turn to.
Deputy Chief Constable Andy Prophet, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Anti-Social Behaviour, said: “I welcome the introduction of Respect Orders and stronger powers to seize vehicles being driven in an anti-social manner.
“Respect Orders will give the police and councils the ability crack down on those who persistently make our streets and public spaces feel unsafe. I am pleased to see the ability to ban offenders from our high street and parks, with a power of arrest for those who ignore such direction, as well as the power to require individuals to seek help for underlying causes of their poor behaviour such as drug or alcohol misuse.
“Similarly, giving officers the option to immediately seize vehicles from those who use their vehicle in an anti-social manner is welcome addition to the powers available to officers to crack down on ASB and make our street safer.”
Harvinder Saimbhi, ASB Help CEO said: “As the national charity that supports victims of ASB, we regularly hear from victims who share with us the impact and harm they experience from repeated incidents of ASB.
“We welcome the approach of addressing the root causes of the anti-social behaviour which will in turn work towards reducing reoffending rates, therefore bringing respite to victims and communities. We are keen to see how the respect orders will be implemented.”
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has extended its partnership with gas distribution network SGN to raise awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) and protect communities from its potentially deadly effects.
Many people in the UK using carbon fuelled appliances, such as gas cookers, are not aware of the dangers of CO and do not have a working audible CO alarm. In 2020, out of 8,000 people surveyed, 45% didn’t know that CO doesn’t have a smell, while only 42% had a working audible CO alarm.
As part of the collaboration, they will work together to provide essential safety advice focusing on the hidden dangers of the colourless and odourless gas that can be fatal. They will also promote the importance of installing CO alarms and maintaining gas appliances, helping to ensure even more homes across Scotland remain safe. All the areas covered are listed below.
The initiative builds upon SGN’s existing partnerships with SFRS operating in Clackmannanshire, Fife & Stirling, and Perth & Kinross, Angus and Dundee (PKAD), as well as similar partnerships we’ve rolled out in southern England, where they’ve seen a positive impact in educating the public about CO safety.
SGN has provided CO alarms to each SFRS partner to give to customers in their area during Home Fire Safety Visits. Alongside the lifesaving CO alarms, customers will also receive a helpful tips leaflet which provides all the information they need to stay safe from the ‘silent killer’, and what steps to follow if they suspect CO is present in their home. SGN has produced and shared this leaflet in nine additional languages to meet regional community needs.
SGN Social Impact Programme Lead Dan Edwards said: “One of the major aspects of my role is developing projects and partnerships using the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA) to raise CO awareness and reduce CO harm.
“Working alongside Scottish Fire and Rescue Service means we can reach even more customers within our network area to make sure everyone stays safe and well. Partnering with vital emergency services to help us spread the word on the dangers of CO will help us to meet our top priority of keeping our customers safe and well all year round.”
The partnership now includes:
Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray (ACAM)
Argyll & Bute, East and West Dunbartonshire (EWDAB)
Clackmannanshire, Fife & Stirling (CFS)
Dumfries & Galloway (DG)
Edinburgh
East, North and South Ayrshire (ENSA)
East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde (ERRI)
Falkirk and West Lothian (FWL)
Glasgow (GLA)
Highlands
Lanarkshire (LAN)
Midlothian, East Lothian and Scottish Borders
Perth & Kinross, Angus and Dundee (PKAD)
Steven Low, Group Commander for the Safer Homes Team at Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with SGN to all SFRS areas across mainland Scotland.
“We’ve been working together closely for many years and we know our collaborative approach has been an effective way of achieving our joint goals of making our communities safer.”
The UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish, is delighted to announce its new partnership with cancer care charity Maggie’s. These two national charities are pleased to work together to help ensure that children and young people receive true wraparound support when someone in the family or friend circle is living with advanced cancer.
Winston’s Wish is the UK’s first charity established especially for bereaved young people. Estimates suggest that, devastatingly, each day, more than 100 children in the UK are bereaved of a parent and that figure doesn’t equate how many young people are coping with the death of a sibling, grandparent, friend, or another significant individual in their lives.
Maggie’s has 24 cancer centres built in the grounds of NHS hospitals throughout the UK. The charity provides expert support from diagnosis onwards for the person with cancer as well as family and friends.
Maggie’s Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee said: “Our experts are there for people at possibly the hardest time of their lives, offering free practical and psychological care and support when they need it most. We are here for people with cancer and those who love them for every stage which includes pre bereavement or when bereaved.
“In 2023 we supported people living with cancer more than 300,000 times and we know that number will only rise as more people find themselves living with cancer.”
Each year Winston’s Wish supports and impacts the lives of more than 80,000 grieving children and young people when their lives are turned upside down by bereavement.
Winston’s Wish supports grieving young people up to the age of 25, offering offers a range of services designed to support children 12 and younger to explore grief through arts and play such as creative therapy. The charity also provides special support and content designed for 13–25-year-olds on the charity’s Talk Grief website which includes real life stories and articles regarding what it’s like to grow up with grief.
They also produce a special podcast entitled Grief in Common which features interviews from the charity’s dedicated Youth Ambassador Team, made up of those with lived experience of grief.
As well as providing support with bereavement, whether it is from traumatic circumstances, illness or other circumstances, the charity also provides advice for pre-bereavement when there is a terminal diagnosis including offering expert support surrounding how adults can talk to younger children about death and dying, the importance of using direct language and tips about how to remember their special person.
In a similar vein, Maggie’s supports the entire family when there is a cancer diagnosis and offers support to young people when somebody in their circle receives the news that someone they love has cancer.
Winston’s Wish vision is that no child is left to grieve alone and as such, Winston’s Wish is pleased to be joining forces with the national cancer charity, in order to be visible and accessible in relevant spaces. As part of the partnership, each charity’s services will be signposted to service-users to ensure that they know of the specialised support available to them.
Letizia Perna, Director of Services and Service Transformation at Winston’s Wish is pleased to officially announce the partnership between the two charities. She says, “As we publicly announce the partnership between Winston’s Wish and Maggie’s, we will be combining expertise in childhood bereavement and cancer support.
“This strategic partnership between our two charities demonstrates a profound commitment to supporting children, young people, and families impacted by cancer, particularly those navigating the challenges of bereavement. Together, we will offer a compassionate network that embraces bereaved children, young people, and families, ensuring they feel seen, understood, and supported through their grief journey.”
Maggie’s Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Winstons’ Wish. By working together, we will ensure that thousands of children and young people experiencing bereavement through cancer get exactly the right support they need.
“We see and hear in our centres everyday how the impact of a cancer diagnosis ripples out through families.”
Together with Maggie’s, Winston’s Wish is keen to ensure that its services are visible and accessible to the countless children, young people and their families throughout the UK whose lives are turned upside down by grief. With support from Maggie’s and their expert cancer support, the charities are pleased to announce their partnership and work together to improve the accessibility of support for young people when cancer is close to home.
Winston’s Wish is keen to reassure bereaved young people and their families that they are welcome to chat online, email or call for free to speak to a bereavement support worker by calling 08088 020 021 between 8-8 weekdays, emailing ask@winstonswish.org or using the live chat at winstonswish.org.
Winston’s Wish is pleased to launch its Christmas appeal, entitled ‘Colour Their Christmas’. This heartwarming animated video serves to remind people that this winter there are children and young people facing the festive season without the special person they love.Winston’s Wish can’t take their grief away, but we can help grieving children and young people find glimmers of hope. And with your support, together, we can bring colour back into their world. To donate, please visit Colour their Christmas | Winston’s Wish.
Santa’s Stories and Christmas Tree Maze transform St. Andrew Square from Saturday 23 November
George Street’s popular covered Ice Rink opens Friday 22 November
Family favourites in East Princes Street Gardens including the Traditional Christmas Markets,LNER Big Wheel, Around the World Starflyer, and the Festive Funfair in West Princes Street Gardens now open
Santa Claus and his elves are ready to welcome families at St. Andrew Square where they can find Santa’s Stories, a letter writing station and a post box with a direct line to Santa’s workshop. Santa’s Stories begins Saturday 23 November in the Piccolo Spiegeltent, with each visit ensuring kids get the opportunity to meet Santa himself before the big day, and take home their own present.
Also in St. Andrew Square, the all-new Christmas Tree Maze opens on Saturday 23 November, until 24 December. This immersive holiday experience, with tickets from £5, offers one of the UK’s largestilluminatedChristmas Tree walks.
Time to lace up your skates! Edinburgh’s premier outdoor Ice Rink opens on George Street from Friday 22 November 2024 and runs through until Saturday 4 January 2025. With a covered rink, it’s the perfect festive activity, rain or shine.
Edinburgh’s Christmas is now open featuring a jam-packed programme of festive family fun! Get ready for bright lights, Christmas tunes and mulled wine as the festive season kicks off! Located in Edinburgh’s historic city centre, Edinburgh’s Christmas offers a winter wonderland experience like no other.
Edinburgh’s Christmas transforms the city into a festive haven for all the family, with Traditional Christmas Markets, funfair rides, spectacular liveoutdoor events, delicious food and drink, plus so much more.
Edinburgh’s East Princes Street Gardens brings the capital’s famous Christmas festivities to the heart of the city. Running until Saturday 4 January 2025, the market is filled to the brim with the finest local and international producers to find that perfect Christmas gift. East Princes Street Gardens also boasts the famous 80m Star Flyer, LNER Big Wheel and more daring fairground rides.
Just along the street, West Princes Street Gardens’ Festive Funfair complete with thrilling rides, fairground games, food & beverage, light installations and ticketed illumination events every evening. Families are welcome to join the fun until Saturday 4 January 2025.
Detectives are appealing for information following an attempted robbery in Wester Hailes.
Around 11pm on Friday, 15 November, 2024, two men approached a vehicle on Hailesland Road, threatened the driver, demanded money from him and damaged the vehicle. The men then got into a light-coloured car and drove along Murrayburn Road in the direction of Longstone Road.
Detective Constable William Doughty said: “This was a frightening ordeal for the victim and we are carrying out extensive enquiries to identify the men responsible.
“We are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time, who witnessed the incident or noticed anything suspicious, to come forward.
“Additionally, we urge anyone with CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage to review it and bring anything significant to our attention.”
Anyone with any information is asked to call 101, quoting incident 4500 of 15 November. Alternatively, details can be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
