Mental health charity offers practical advice on supporting others

Samaritans Scotland has partnered with the Scottish Government’s Clear Your Head campaign to offer advice on being there for others during these challenging times.

A new video created by volunteers of the charity encourages people to continue checking in on each other and shares practical tips on supporting friends and family who may be struggling with their mental health.

The tips include:

  • Ask how someone is doing and let them talk openly and honestly
  • When talking, put away your phone and other distractions to show that you’re focused on them
  • Ask open questions, rather than questions that can be answered with a yes or no
  • Repeat back what someone has told you to make sure you’ve understood what they’re saying
  • If you can’t be there in person, you can send a message or talk by phone or video chat
  • Supporting someone can be tough on you too – so make sure you look after yourself and ask for help if you need it

Recognising that these times remain challenging for everyone, Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey is encouraging people to look after themselves and each other.

Ms Haughey commented: “These have been challenging times for all of us, however this year we have seen people talking more openly and honestly about their mental health than ever before, and I really hope that is a lasting legacy of the pandemic.

“Feelings of stress and worry are understandable as things continue to change, and it’s so important we continue to be kind to ourselves and look out for each other. Remember that help and support is available if you need to talk to someone about how you are feeling.”

The Clear Your Head campaign was launched by the Scottish Government to encourage people to take simple steps to take better care of their mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic.

As well as looking out for each other and keeping in touch with friends and family, this includes keeping to a routine, staying active, taking a break, making time to do something you enjoy, and asking for help if you need it.

The campaign website – clearyourhead.scot – also signposts sources of help and advice including NHS Inform, and helplines including Samaritans, NHS24, Breathing Space and SAMH.

Rachel Cackett, Executive Director of Samaritans Scotland, said: “Since the coronavirus pandemic began we’ve all become more aware of the importance of staying connected with family and friends.

“At Samaritans we know how powerful making time to listen and talk can be. For someone who is going through a difficult time, a simple conversation can remind them that they are not alone and encourage them to share what they’re feeling. 

“We know that people can sometimes feel unsure of how to check in on someone they care about, especially at this time when meeting in person if more difficult. But this video shows that – whether it’s face to face, over the phone, messenger or video – there are simple steps we can all take to be there for one another.”

For information and advice visit clearyourhead.scot.

You can view the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoeJu5zr7tc

Carrot and stick measures to be introduced to encourage self-isolation in England

New package announced to support and enforce self-isolation

People in England will be required by law to self-isolate from 28 September, supported by payment of £500 for those on lower incomes who cannot work from home and have lost income as a result.

New fines for those breaching self-isolation rules will start at £1,000 – bringing this in line with the penalty for breaking quarantine after international travel – but could increase to up to £10,000 for repeat offences and for the most egregious breaches, including for those preventing others from self-isolating.

For example, this could include business owners who threaten self-isolating staff with redundancy if they do not come to work, sending a clear message that this will not be tolerated.

A number of steps will be taken to make sure that people are complying with the rules, these include:

  • NHS Test and Trace call handlers making regular contact with those self-isolating, with the ability to escalate any suspicion of non-compliance to Local Authorities and local police;
  • Using police resources to check compliance in highest incidence areas and in high-risk groups, based on local intelligence;
  • Investigating and prosecuting high-profile and egregious cases of non-compliance; and
  • Acting on instances where third parties have identified others who have tested positive, but are not self-isolating.

Recognising that self-isolation is one of the most powerful tools for controlling the transmission of Covid-19, this new Test and Trace Support payment of £500 will ensure that those on low incomes are able to self-isolate without worry about their finances.

Just under 4 million people who are in receipt of benefits in England will be eligible for this payment, which will be available to those who are required to self-isolate from 28 September.

Local Authorities will be working quickly to set up these self-isolation support schemes and we expect them to be in place by 12 October. Those who start to self-isolate from 28 September will receive backdated payments once the scheme is set up in their Local Authority.

This financial support comes as the government places a legal requirement on people to self-isolate when instructed to by NHS Test and Trace and introduces tougher fines for breaking the rules.

Many people are following the rules around self-isolation, but these steps will make sure more do and help ensure the public do not unknowingly spread the virus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The best way we can fight this virus is by everyone following the rules and self-isolating if they’re at risk of passing on coronavirus. And so nobody underestimates just how important this is, new regulations will mean you are legally obliged to do so if you have the virus or have been asked to do so by NHS Test and Trace.

“People who choose to ignore the rules will face significant fines. We need to do all we can to control the spread of this virus, to prevent the most vulnerable people from becoming infected, and to protect the NHS and save lives.

“And while most people are doing their absolute level best to comply with the rules, I don’t want to see a situation where people don’t feel they are financially able to self-isolate.

“That’s why we’re also introducing a new £500 Test and Trace Support payment for those on low incomes who are required by NHS Test and Trace to remain at home to help stop the spread of the virus.”

Change to flu vaccination process at Crewe Medical Centre this winter

Crewe Medical Centre will not be carrying out flu vaccinations in the surgery this winter.

Instead there will a drive-thru and walk-thru hub instead which will commence mid October. Details of where this will take place and dates will be confirmed at the start of October.

Alternatively you can contact your local pharmacy.

Wardie Bay Beachwalk cleanup

Thanks again to my team! Just a bit sad that we couldn’t invite everyone this year. Here are some of the nasties we found washed up and added to our beachwatch survey #17 (writes KAREN BATES).

We found dozens of metal bands and wires from industrial packaging, a syringe, small fragments of disastrous polystyrene which resemble seafood for sea creatures and #nurdles!

I went back to do a #NurdleHunt as we saw dozens during our litter survey.

I counted 331 in under an hour. There was some huge litter such as a gas canister and a tyre, but we mostly recorded #plastic fragments under 2.5cm which are highly dodgy for #marinelife.

#plasticpollution

#GreatBritishBeachClean

ALL PICTURES: Karen Bates (Wardie Bay Beachwatch)

Tackling violence against women and girls

£4.25m extra funding for frontline services

Women and children experiencing or at risk of violence and domestic abuse will have increased access to support, with £4.25 million of additional funding for charities and projects across Scotland.

The additional investment will help respond to an increase in demand from victims of abuse for support services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

More staff, increased hours for centres and helplines, improvements to IT and new digital resources and training will all allow services to be up-scaled so that more people can quickly and easily access help.

Updated guidance, developed in partnership with COSLA, is also already being used by local authorities to keep women and children safe.

Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie said: “The greater risks to women and children of domestic abuse with referrals to frontline services increasing during the pandemic is a major concern. It is atrocious that this is the case but we are focused on ensuring that frontline services can meet the increased demand for support.

“This extra funding will help to ensure these vital services are still able to provide support to people across the country, and the scale and innovation of these projects will provide a lifeline to many women and families.

“Any kind of violence is unacceptable and the safety and wellbeing needs of women and children need to be protected – that is even more important during a pandemic. Police Scotland continue to prioritise domestic abuse cases so I would also encourage anyone suffering violence and domestic abuse not to hesitate to get the support they need.”

Dr Marsha Scott, Chief Executive of Scottish Women’s Aid, said: “Our local Women’s Aid groups have shown extraordinary resilience and creativity in rapidly redesigning their services to continue supporting those experiencing domestic abuse throughout the pandemic. The challenges they’ve faced have been huge as COVID-19 has given abusers more tools to control and harm women and children. 

“This injection of financial support will provide some much-needed stability for groups against a back drop of precarious, patchwork local funding. As lockdown and other measures ease, our local groups are anticipating even more demand for their specialist services as survivors begin to have more opportunities to seek support.

“Additionally, if faced with a second wave of the virus, this funding will strengthen the responses of groups and allow them to build on the progress they have made in delivering services remotely. This support from the Scottish Government will help local Women’s Aid services prepare to meet those needs and will mean that women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse can access the help and advice they want, when they want it.” 

Read the report Coronavirus (COVID-19): domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls during Phases 1, 2 and 3 of Scotland’s route map (22 May to 11 August 2020)

Read more on Equally Safe, the Scottish Government’s strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls.

Funding is confirmed to March 2021 and will be indicative to September 2021, subject to budgets for the 2021-22 financial year. 

A list of the funded projects is below:

Organisation/ProjectAmount 2020/21Indicative Amount 2021/22
Aberdeen Cyrenians£32,739£32,239
Action for Children Western Isles£720£0
Bridge funding for local CEDAR programmes£67,158£67,158
Children 1st – Scottish Borders£18,000£18,000
Committed to Ending Abuse£16,000£16,000
Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault West Lothian£30,000£30,000
Dumfries and Stewartry Women’s Aid£27,500£27,500
Equally Safe at School (Rape Crisis Scotland/Zero Tolerance)£11,684£11,684
Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project£16,500£16,500
Moray Rape Crisis Centre£5,842£5,842
Moray Women’s Aid£12,517£12,517
Rape Crisis Scotland – additional capacity for support£676,584£676,584
Rape Crisis Scotland – Helpline£31,712£31,712
Rape Crisis Scotland – National Advocacy Project£242,907£242,907
Rape Crisis Scotland – refresh funding services model£15,000£0
Red Cross – supporting vulnerable women£4,963£4,963
Respect Men’s Advice Line£14,357£14,357
Respekt (City of Edinburgh Council)£24,380£24,380
SACRO Another Way£20,000£20,000
Saheliya£38,097£38,097
SAY Women£23,308£21,692
Scottish Women’s Aid – enhanced support for women, children and young people through affiliated groups£637,500£672,219
Scottish Women’s Aid – improving digital infrastructure and communications for affiliated groups£68,000£68,000
Scottish Women’s Aid – affiliated groups staff health and wellbeing£53,000£53,000
TDAS Barnardos£25,000£25,000
West Dunbartonshire Council Support Service£24,966£24,966

Latest update from Citizens’ Assembly

The report from Weekend 5 of the Assembly has now been published, and you can see all the outputs including the livestream recordings on our Weekend 5 page. 

Convener Kate Wimpress has also published a blog where she reflects on the last weekend. 



We look forward to meeting again online on 3 and 4 October, and hope you can join us by watching the livestream on our homepage. 

Best wishes,

Citizens’ Assembly Secretariat

Low emission vehicle sales soar 30% during lockdown – while vehicle registrations plummet

New vehicle registrations fell by 67% from April to June 2020, compared to the same period last year, according to figures released by the Department for Transport.

By contrast, 19,000 ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) were registered in Q2, an increase of 30% on Q2 2019.

ULEV registrations shot up as lockdown eased – 145% in June and 250% in July 2020 compared to the same time in 2019 – making up nearly 8% of all new registrations with battery and electric car registrations doubling.

The rise of new registrations of alternative fuel cars was interrupted by the impact of coronavirus, with the first year on year decline in a quarter – down 13% – since 2011. However, with a total of 33,000 vehicles, more new alternative fuel cars were registered than new diesel cars for the first time. Diesel car registrations fell 81%, with petrol cars registration dropping by 72%, compared to the same period last year.

At the end of June there were 38.4 million licensed vehicles on Britain’s roads – a 0.9% drop  compared to the end of June 2019. This is only the consecutive decline in the total number of vehicles on the road since the end of the Second World War and the third drop in 75 years. New vehicle registration for April to June totalled 242,000.

UK lockdown hit vehicle dealerships hard with showrooms closing for the lockdown, which removed the main method by which new vehicles are sold. However there was welcome news for the industry in July, when a 12% increase in registrations was recorded compared to the same month last year, which is the first monthly increase since December.

Responding to the government’s newly published data Greg Wilson, founder of car insurance comparison website, Quotezone.co.uk, comments: “Even the worst post-war recessions haven’t inflicted such a devasting impact on the car industry. It’s welcome news that there are positive signs starting to emerge for manufacturers and dealerships.  

“It’s interesting to see low emission vehicle sales are beginning to surge with statistics showing they were the only vehicles to show an increase in registrations this quarter –  perhaps the dramatic effects of this year are driving a desire for a cleaner, greener lifestyle.

“Even the recent changes in working arrangements may have some contributing factors, with a decrease in long daily commutes to the office, and this has made low emission vehicles a viable option for more households, which only now need a car for shorter journeys.

“Whatever the reason behind this influx, the statistics suggest low emission vehicles are here to stay.”

Quotezone offers insurance quotes for a wide range of these vehicles so you can review the various additional benefits from each provider and choose the most competitive price or appropriate policy to suit your needs.

For more information visit https://www.quotezone.co.uk/car-insurance.  

Usdaw welcomes support for new law to protect shopworkers from violence and abuse

Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed the support of MSPs across the parties and the Scottish Government for a new law to protect shop workers from abuse, ahead of the stage one debate in the Scottish Parliament next Thursday (24 September).

Usdaw calls on MSPs to back the bill and for the Scottish Government to help it through the remaining stages before next year’s general election.

The Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Bill is promoted by Daniel Johnson MSP (Labour, Edinburgh Southern) and the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee unanimously passed it to the next stage on 30 June.

Stewart Forrest, Usdaw’s Scottish Divisional Officer, says: “We welcome MSPs and the Scottish Government recognising that retail workers are subject to unacceptable violence, threats and aggression every working day.

“Also understanding that age-restricted sales is a major flashpoint, where shopworkers are at risk because they enforce the law to help keep our communities safe.

“In particular, we need to recognise the work that Daniel Johnson MSP has done on behalf of our members and retail workers across Scotland by introducing this Bill and driving it forwards.

“Throughout the coronavirus emergency shop workers are ensuring that Scotland remains fed. Retail staff are at an increased risk of contracting Covid-19, yet they have continued to go to work and help respond to the crisis. Despite this, we have seen abuse, threats and violence against shop staff double this year.

“However abuse of shop workers is a problem in more normal times and, in our view, the current legal provisions do not sufficiently protect them. The Scottish Government’s support for the intentions of the Bill is welcome and we hope they will assist in securing a change in the law to better protect shopworkers before next year’s election.”

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, says: “We hope the Scottish Parliament will lead the way on protection of shopworkers by passing this Bill. At a time when we should all be working together to get through this crisis, it is a disgrace that people working to keep food on the shelves are being abused and assaulted. Action is required. Our message is clear: abuse is not part of the job.

“Retail staff are key workers delivering essential services and that role must be valued and respected, they deserve the protection of the law. Shops are the cornerstone of our communities and we continue to work with the employers to improve health and safety for staff. We also call on customers to stay calm and respect shopworkers.”

Fore Play Crazy Golf’s set to tee off in Edinburgh

Scotland’s top alternative night out, Fore Play Crazy Golf, has announced the launch of their new pop-up venue in Edinburgh city centre.

Set to open next month, Scotland’s favourite adult-only crazy golf haven’t let COVID deter their plans, and they’re bringing their love of crazy golf, great nights out and Edinburgh to the city in a complete transformation of the former Steak restaurant, located at Picardy Place.

The bold new move comes after the team had to close their first ever popup at the Biscuit Factory after only two weeks of trading earlier this year in March.

The new Fore Play Crazy Golf venue promises to be bigger and better than before, with thrill-seekers set to enjoy two floors jam-packed with fun, games and Instagrammable features. The new space boasts 9,000 sq ft and can seat up to 126 socially distanced guests throughout the venue.

Taking centre-stage the Edinburgh course features famous Auld Reekie landmarks paying tribute to some of the city centre’s most instagrammable spots including Greyfriars Bobby statue and the Scott Monument.

With a unique blend of crazy golf, mouth watering street food and cocktails made with local suppliers like Pickering’s Gin and Edinburgh Beer Factory, Fore Play Crazy Golf promises an experience which is un-fore-gettable in every way.

New venue features include a bar on each floor, as well as a heated outdoor beer garden which can seat up to 40 people, allowing players to enjoy table service throughout the venue.  

Meanwhile Edinburgh’s street food superstars, The Pitt are on hand to feed hungry putters with a new food menu that boasts plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options.

Craig Neilson, Chief Greenkeeper at Fore Play Crazy Golf said: “COVID might have ruined our plans the first time round, but we’re excited to announce that Fore Play Crazy Golf is here to stay.

“Our new home in Edinburgh city centre is a fantastic location and we’re delighted to be able to provide people in Edinburgh with a different night out to enjoy with friends or on a date. We’ve teamed up with some of the city’s best food and drink suppliers to make sure it’ll be a night to remember.”

Quit wasting time puttering around and sign up for launch updates on Fore Play Crazy Golf! Visit their website https://foreplaycrazygolf.co.uk/edinburgh/comingSoon/

Fore Play Crazy Golf Edinburgh is set to open on Friday, 2nd October 2020 with bookings going live this week.

Heart Research UK Healthy tip – Stay Hydrated

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

STAY HYDRATED

Staying hydrated throughout the day is really important for keeping your heart and circulatory system healthy. Dehydration makes the heart work harder and it can cause your blood pressure to drop. Being hydrated can also help with weight loss as thirst can quite often feel the same as hunger!

During hot weather, or physical activity, we lose water through sweating and this can lead to dehydration. Guidance says we should aim to drink between 6-8 cups of fluid every day.

Have a read of some of our tips below to help you stay hydrated.

How do I know if I am dehydrated?

When you become dehydrated, you may notice symptoms such as headaches, tiredness, irritability or difficulty concentrating. The easiest way to tell if you are dehydrated is the colour of your urine. If your urine is pale and clear then you’re hydrated. However, if your urine becomes more yellow, brown or dark in colour with a strong smell, this suggests you aren’t drinking enough.

I’m struggling to keep hydrated – what can I do?

Regular drinks of water throughout the day is the best way to keep hydrated. Water is always best, but if you don’t like water, or want to mix things up, fluids such as herbal teas and sugar-free squash are also good. You should avoid having too many drinks with added sugar and caffeine in them, such as sweet tea and coffee, energy drinks or sugary pop.

Keeping hydrated out and about

If you’re going out for the day, make sure you take a drink with you. You can also get water from foods. Fruit and vegetables tend to have a high water content, especially cucumber, watermelon, tomatoes, oranges and apples.

Try snacking on these foods rather than foods with a high fat and salt content, such as crisps or salted nuts, as these can make you feel thirsty.

You can find more healthy tips, recipes and advice at heartresearch.org.uk.