Trinity student educates councillors about climate change

Councillors to take a lead from city’s youth

Trinity Academy pupil Sandy Boyd is one of the leading lights behind today’s Edinburgh Youth Climate Strike, which is expected to attract around 10,000 people onto the capital’s streets to demand action on climate change.

Sandy met councillors at the City Chambers yesterday to explain the reasons for the youth action and to encouraged the ‘auld yins’ to follow the lead of young people across the globe.

School strike actions will take place in 150 countries today and are the latest – and likely to be the biggest so far – in a series of actions first initiated by Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg last year.

Young people will be central to the development of plans to make Edinburgh carbon neutral by 2030, senior councillors have pledged.

Depute Leader (and former youth worker) Cammy Day and SNP Councillor Ellie Bird, who is Edinburgh’s ‘young people’s tsar’, are joint leaders of the city council during the absence of council leader Cllr Adam McVey. The Forth councillors  invited Sandy to meet them in the City Chambers yesterday.
In a ‘positive and productive’ discussion, they agreed that young people would be at the core of the city’s climate change strategy.
Cllr Day said: “It was really encouraging to meet Sandy today and we definitely see this as the start of a meaningful dialogue to ensure that young people and their ideas are absolutely at the heart of our plans for a carbon neutral city by 2030.
“He shared a number of very useful ideas on how we can best communicate with our younger citizens, such as organising meetings outwith school hours and avoiding rigid agendas in favour of inviting participants to set the themes and discussion topics themselves.”
Cllr Bird said: “We’re working with partners to pull together plans for a major climate conference in Edinburgh in early 2020 and at our meeting today we committed to engage fully with Sandy and his peers so that they’re integral to this event.
“We’re looking forward to many more opportunities to hear directly from and work closely with the young people of this city. Their voices are critical to any debate about the future of the planet.”
The Forth councillors are among a number of city councillors who plan to attend today’s march in the city centre.
Cllr Day added: “I think we and all our partners, including Police Scotland, fully support the right of residents of all ages to make their voices heard peacefully.
I’m looking forward to a positive, safe and good-natured event that will go down in our city’s history books for all the right reasons.”
Cllr Bird added: “Sandy and his group are to be congratulated for everything they’re doing to get this vital issue high up on the news agenda and I wish them all the best for a great turnout.”

New research finds Scotland’s poorest are three times more likely to die young

New research commissioned by Aberlour Child Care Trust has found that people from Scotland’s most deprived communities are three times more likely to die before they reach their 25th birthday. Continue reading New research finds Scotland’s poorest are three times more likely to die young

Doors Open Day at Redhall Walled Garden

SAMH Redhall Walled Garden will be open as part of the Doors Open event on Saturday 28th September (10am – 4pm).   

  • Free Entry
  • Plant sales
  • Historic garden
  • Guided tour (starts 1pm) – find out about the history of the garden and its current use as a mental health service.
  • Light refreshments (please note we will not be running our normal open day café).

Redhall Walled Garden

97 Lanark Road

Edinburgh EH14 2LZ

0131 443 0946

The garden is open to the public

Monday- Friday 9am – 4pm

Challenge Poverty Week: lunchtime seminar at Scottish Community Development Centre

Challenge Poverty Week 2019

SCDC lunchtime session, 8th October 2019

As part of Challenge Poverty week 2019, Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) is holding a lunchtime seminar exploring the role of community development in solving poverty. Continue reading Challenge Poverty Week: lunchtime seminar at Scottish Community Development Centre

NSPCC Scotland urges primary schools to help children stay safe from abuse

  • Last year the NSPCC visited almost 900 schools in Scotland, speaking to over 150,000 children about abuse and what they should do if they ever feel unsafe.
  • Charity wants to reach every school in the Scotland as well as the rest of the UK.
  • The ‘Speak out. Stay safe.’ programme can help schools deliver on the new compulsory Relationships Education curriculum.

Primary schools across Scotland which are yet to receive a visit from the NSPCC’s free ‘Speak out. Stay safe’ programme are being urged to sign-up as soon as possible.

In 2018/19 the charity visited 872 schools, from the Scottish Borders to the Northern Isles, and delivered workshops to almost 150,000 children, helping them understand how to recognise and report abuse in an accessible and age appropriate way.  Continue reading NSPCC Scotland urges primary schools to help children stay safe from abuse

Letter: First aid should be compulsory throughout the UK, says campaigner Marina Fogle

Dear Editor, 

You never know how you would act in an emergency, yet our actions could save a life.

This is why I think it’s fantastic that, after 10 years of campaigning by the British Red Cross, it will be compulsory for first aid skills to be taught in all state schools in England from 2020. It’s an  impactful way to give young people the confidence they need to help someone.

As parents, Ben and I are so thrilled our children will be able to learn these important skills so that they never feel completely helpless in an emergency situation.

It’s also a relief knowing that if anything were to happen to them in the future, more people might be able to help.

So many women I know, especially those weaning their babies, are terrified of the possibility of their child choking. But children learning first aid could make all the difference if one of their younger siblings was choking at home.

This new legislation, however, is just for schools in England. At the moment teaching first aid in schools in the rest of the UK is optional.

We support the British Red Cross’s calls for it to become a compulsory part of the curriculum throughout the UK so all school children get the same chance to learn how to save a life.

Marina Fogle

Marina Fogle is a campaigner, co-founder of the Bump Class and host of The ParentHood podcast. She is married to British Red Cross Ambassador and TV adventurer Ben and mother to Ludo and Iona.

Falls Prevention Week: free sessions with Balanced Physiotherapy

Falls Prevention Week with Balanced Physiotherapy

Week Beginning 23rd September 2019

EH4 has the highest proportion of over 65’s in the city and the highest rate of falls!

Free Falls Prevention Talk, Balance Classes and Balance Assessments!

Falls are not an inevitable part of getting older and by focusing on their strength and balance, people can stay active and continue to do the things they love.

Here at Balanced Physiotherapy we want you to feel your best and are here to help you stay fit and active. We are running free Balance Classes and free Balance Assessments for Falls Prevention Week.

One of our physiotherapists will also be giving a free Falls Prevention Talk at the Royal Burges Golf Club where you will be given advice and tips to prevent falls in your everyday life.

For more information and to book your place, call us on 0131 315 3105.

Booking required for all events!

Briggs: blame Scottish Government for delayed discharge crisis

Extent of the impact social care crisis is having on delayed discharge in Lothian revealed

Latest figures for delayed discharge, from the Delayed Discharge NHS Scotland (Annual Release) show the extent of the challenge facing Integration Joint Boards in Lothian. Continue reading Briggs: blame Scottish Government for delayed discharge crisis