Granton Primary School launched a new cooking club last week as part of the Food for Thought programme. Children made their own bread and butter and made their very own delicious minestrone soup! Continue reading Granton Primary School: from plot to plate!
Tuesday 24 October 12.30pm at Granton Parish Church
Hundreds of sixth year pupils from schools across Edinburgh will test out “seatbelt slide” crash simulators, drunk goggles and even get the chance to sit behind the wheel of an electric bus as part of a fun but hard-hitting three-day road safety education event this week.
The Streets Ahead Edinburgh Young Driver event returns to the Corn Exchange for a seventh year from 9-12 October, hosted by Forth 1 DJ Grant Thomson.
The popular event is jointly run by all partners in Streets Ahead Edinburgh, namely City of Edinburgh Council, Police Scotland, NHS Lothian, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, Transport Scotland and Scottish Safety Camera Unit (East). It is supported by Digby Brown Solicitors, who are again bringing their interactive ‘mock court’ to the Young Driver event.
Returning again this year to speak to the young drivers is Laura Torrance (below). Laura, 34, has been a wheelchair user since 1999 when she was seriously injured in a car accident at the age of 16.
As well as meeting Laura, sixth-year pupils attending the four-day event will have the opportunity to try out a range of fun, interactive activities highlighting the dangers of driving, such as drunk goggles, a seatbelt slide and a breathalyser.
A new presentation by Police Scotland will further help drive home safety messages by using dash-cam footage of an incident involving a young driver, while Operation Close Pass will show pupils the safe distances for overtaking a cyclist on the road.
As well as Edinburgh Trams, Lothian (Buses) are taking part in Young Driver for the first time this year. In addition to giving pupils the chance to sit behind the wheel of a stationary electric bus to highlight driver visibility first hand, they will give a presentation about the unintended consequences brought about by the seemingly small actions of other road users: for example overtaking, undertaking or lane swerving, even at slow speeds, can cause a bus to brake sharply, sometimes resulting in fatal consequences for the customers on board.
Cycling group Spokes is also involved in the event, highlighting the need for drivers and cyclists to look out for each other on the roads.
Councillor Karen Doran, Transport Vice Convener, said: “Our annual Young Driver events are always hugely popular. Their emphasis on fun, interactive elements combined with hard-hitting stories and messages gives sixth year pupils the chance to digest some extremely powerful safety messages about driving and sharing the road.
“As a Council, our vision is for everybody to be safe from the risk of being killed or seriously injured on our roads. By reaching these young drivers in this way, we are helping them to keep themselves and others safe by stressing that all road users need to look out for each other.”
Inspector Roger Park of Police Scotland’s Road Policing Unit said: “Keeping people safe is the cornerstone of Police Scotland and reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads plays a significant part in that process.
“My colleagues and I in Police Scotland are delighted to support this very useful and worthwhile event, where we will work closely with our partners in a multi-agency approach, engaging with young people who may be about to take up motoring in one form or another.
“This year, Police Scotland has introduced its Innovative ‘New Driver Early Intervention Scheme’ which we will be presenting throughout the event. The scheme provides an insight into the potential dangers associated with motoring and introduces advice and guidance which I am confident will assist in influencing lifestyle choices which in turn will contribute to our overall goal of reducing casualties on or roads.”
Gordon Dalyell is a Partner and Head of Network at Digby Brown Solicitors who stage the judicial demo. He said: “There are too many avoidable road traffic crashes in and around Edinburgh, but what can make these more tragic is many of them involve young or newly qualified drivers.
“The court display of our Edinburgh solicitors may be a demo but the details are based on real cases which keenly highlight the very real and potentially devastating consequences of road traffic collisions. If Young Drivers 2017 helps save even one life, then it’s a project Digby Brown is proud to support.”
Sarah Boyd, Lothian Operations Director, said: “Getting behind the wheel for the first time is exciting and we are delighted to be able to attend the City of Edinburgh Council’s Young Driver event to offer support and guidance to the next generation of drivers.
“As the city population expands and road space decreases, it is important to understand how to share road space responsibly and our presentation aims to make other road users aware of the direct impact their driving can have on our customers and buses.
“By working with the Council at this year’s Young Driver event we hope to develop awareness of how the smallest of actions whilst driving can have life changing and lasting consequences.”
Kenneth Rogers of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “Road collisions are the biggest cause of death for young people aged between 15 and 19.
“This is why the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is keen to raise awareness of the dangers and help save lives. We hope this multi-agency approach to encourage safe and responsible driver behaviour, and showing the possible consequences of irresponsible driving gets the message across.”
The facts (from Road Safety Scotland):
– An average of 54 accidents a week in Scotland involve a young driver aged between 17 and 25.
– They account for ten per cent of all licence holders, yet young drivers are involved in 20 per cent of accidents.
– Sadly, those accidents lead to an average of one death and more than 70 people injured every week.
Check out Edinburgh Young Driver on Twitter@edinyoungdriver and follow the hashtag #edinyd.
“It really made me stop and think about what can happen; and how it’s not just your life that can be ruined but how it affects your whole family too.” (Sixth year pupil, Craigmount High School)
“Pupils and staff found all events thought-provoking, while the interactive elements allowed for fun but at the same time a serious message was being given.” (Staff member, Queensferry Community High School)
The Scottish SPCA was delighted to receive a very generous donation from family business, Calzeat. Continue reading Family business supports Scottish SPCA
“Transformational” expansion of free early learning and childcare
Spending on childcare will double to £840 million a year by 2021-22 in a bid to transform the life chances of children in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday. The funding boost has been welcomed by local MSP Ben Macpherson. Continue reading Scottish Government to double childcare spending
Local agency secures £437,000 Big Lottery grant
People experiencing loneliness and isolation are amongst those benefitting from £2.5 million of National Lottery funding announced today – World Mental Health Day. It’s great news for North Edinburgh in particular, as respected local organisation North Edinburgh Drug & Alcohol Centre is to receive over £473,000 – the biggest grant of all. Continue reading Lottery lifeline for NEDAC
Patients experiencing mental health problems will be better supported – thanks to a half million pound increase in funding. NHS24 will use the development funding to improve the services it offers to people experiencing low mood, depression and anxiety, supporting those who need unscheduled care but do not require to contact emergency services. Continue reading Extra support announced on World Mental Health Day
Households given expert advice in bid to be energy smart
Scores of residents in and around Edinburgh are set to benefit from free insight and advice on their energy use, as part of a smart technology research initiative.
Sensor technology that helps consumers to use less gas and electricity – and potentially save on energy bills – has already been successfully installed in 100 homes under the research initiative from the University of Edinburgh and Changeworks.
Organisers are now seeking a further 150 households from Edinburgh and the Lothians to take part in the scheme, known as IDEAL – Intelligent Domestic Energy Advice Loop.
Participants have discreet sensors fitted throughout their homes, which track how much gas or electricity is used, as well as, room by room, the temperature and humidity.
The system gives feedback to help households find convenient ways to save energy, and participants are provided with a tablet to track their usage.
Scientists will use powerful computers to analyse large volumes of data from the study, to inform the development of sophisticated smart meters. These could track energy use in detail, offering personalised insights into how electricity and gas use might be reduced.
To participate, volunteers should live in Edinburgh or the Lothians in postcode areas EH1-EH55. They must have broadband, a combi boiler and mains gas supply.
Helen and Mark, from Leith, took part in an early trial of the project. Mark said: “We had a hand-sized sensor fitted in each room and soon forgot they were there. We were surprised by some of the findings. It was really interesting to see what pushed up our bills.”
Drew Murphy, IDEAL project manager from Changeworks, said: “Smart technology allows participating households to see, in pounds and pence, how much gas and electricity they are using. Project findings will inform how we can use technologies, such as smart meters, to enable households to make changes in how they use gas and electricity to lower their energy use and bills.”
Dr Martin Pullinger, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics, said: “With support from volunteers across Edinburgh, we hope to inform the design of smart meters that could offer personalised, itemised details of gas and electricity use, helping to lower consumption, reduce household bills and cut carbon emissions.”
To find out more and become a participant, see changeworks.org.uk/projects/
A recent study by the independent Centre for Cities identified Edinburgh as likely to be the sixth worst Brexit-affected city in the UK. Aberdeen was identified as the city likely to be worst affected in the 62 city study Continue reading Think Again? Rally for Europe on Saturday
Yesterday marked the start of Operation Myriad in the North West of Edinburgh following a highly successful campaign in June 2017 which saw over 70 arrests, over 20 vehicles seized and some significant partnership work with The City of Edinburgh Council, The Scottish Ambulance Service and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Continue reading Operation Myriad: latest crackdown on motorcycle crime launched
