The Scottish Ambulance Service is appealing to communities across Edinburgh and the Lothians to register potentially life-saving public access defibrillators on its dedicated website.
Continue reading Scottish Ambulance Service launches Registration to Resuscitation camapign
It’s back once more! Following on from the success of last Autumn’s “fashionABLE” showcase, the team are back this May, highlighting that diversity in life does not mean exclusion from the catwalk – and they’re on the look-out for models of all ages, shapes and cultures.
The “fashionABLE” team is bringing a great line-up this Spring to the Scottish fashion scene with presenter Gail Porter leading the show; compere TV Chef Tony Singh, MBE; modelling advice from Angel Sinclair, founder of Models of Diversity along with dynamic Jack Eyers, model ambassador and upcoming local Scottish models from all walks of life all set on location in Waverley Station with the support of Network Rail.
Commenting on her involvement in the fashionABLE and Fair Trade Fiesta, presenter and host Gail Porter said: ”I am immensely proud of being part of the Fair Trade movement for many years. World Fair Trade day unites us with Fair Trade producers globally and I am thrilled to be part of the weekend’s events celebrating Scotland as a Fair Trade Nation on May 12 and 13 in Edinburgh.
TV Chef Tony Singh, MBE, said: “I’m really excited to be a part of this year’s fashionABLE event, again, to help highlight that diversity in life does not mean exclusion from the catwalk and designs. It’s a fantastic and worthwhile cause that I encourage young people of all different types to get involved in.”
The fashionABLE team is sending out a casting call for 16 March in Edinburgh and is encouraging people from all walks of life, culture, shape and age to get in touch if they are interested in fashion and would like to take part in the May event.
The event is the brainchild of Tania Pramschufer, director of Localmotive markets, Tania said: “We were over the moon last year with the response, support and help for our new diverse fashion event – fashionABLE. And it was a real feather in the cap of all those concerned creating and organising this event for the first time last Autumn and the amazing lengths they went to, to make it a success.
“It is all about making opportunities for people and fashionABLE fulfils that in bucket loads – giving young people a chance to shine at something they thought they would always be excluded from. It does not get much better than that.”
Working on event logistics, events consultant, Olya Arren said: “This year’s collections will have a Scottish, Upcycled/Recycled and Fair Trade theme as the event will take place on the eve of World Fair Trade Day. We are right at the point where we are looking for designers, models and volunteers across a whole range of disciplines and would love people to be in touch. It is a truly fantastic event and that has given some of our colleagues a real boost and ambition to be part of the fashion industry.”
“We are looking for enthusiastic models with a flair for fashion to showcase the above collections and more importantly models representing all ages, shapes and cultures for the event.
Following Upward Mobility’s involvement last year Team Leader, Grant McLay said: “Our team at Upward Mobility have a wealth of creative talent that fits well with the fashion industry and we see this as a great progression to develop those skills even further. The thought that someone disabled or with additional support needs – has a chance to be involved in mainstream fashion has made an enormous impression to our team and we now have to rise to the challenge and support them in their quest to realise their full potential at this amazing event.”
Founder of Models of Diversity, Angel Sinclair said: “We are really looking to develop professional and confident skills with our models this year. There are techniques for poise and control whether someone is fully mobile or not and our model ambassador Jack Eyers will be demonstrating how to encourage our models to believe in themselves.
Support has come in from Rudi Dalvai, president World Fair Trade Organisation who said: “The Fairtrade movement has been launched more than half a century ago by people with strong social responsibility towards the weaker in the supply chain of international trade. At that time, there was still a low level of public awareness about the exploitation of small farmers and workforces in developing countries producing products of our daily consumption. Despite this, Fair Trade has become a success story, although the exploitation continues in many parts of the world. But today consumers have the possibility to choose products with the guarantee that they are socially and environmentally clean. And now Fair Trade has also become fashionable. There is no excuse anymore!!
Also backing the event is Juliet Donnachie, Station Manager, Network Rail, who said: “We are delighted to be a part of fashionABLE once again and support this amazing event at Waverley Station.
Models interested in the event are invited to get in touch to take part with a casting call for 16 March at St Margaret’s House Edinburgh 3pm.
All models will have a chance to win a professional photo shoot in London with Models of Diversity Ambassador Angel Sinclair.
For models interested in the casting call contact
Olya Arren, events consultant
Email: Olya.handupevents@gmail.com
Please find us on Facebook at Waverley Station Market, by Platform 2 https://www.facebook.com/647827048592201/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1214735338568033
Also check out last year’s fashionABLE debut at: https://ethical.tv/2016/10/20/fashionable-at-waverley-station-market-httpsvimeo-com188139989/
For models interested in the casting call
Olya Arren, events consultant
Email: Olya.handupevents@gmail.com
Tania Pramschufer, Director LocalMotive Markets
(this is the company organising the event and with a great all-round team.)
Email tania@localmotivemarkets.co.uk
W: www.localmotivemarkets.co.uk
M: 07914 254 334
Twitter: @LocalMotiveMkts and we hope you can join us on twitter for both events.
For further press information contact:
Fiona Stewart, PR Consultant, Interwoven PR
M: +44 (0)7940560453
New councillors elected in May face major challenges and need to focus on improving long-term planning, says the Accounts Commission.
In its 2017 overview published today, the local government spending watchdog outlines a long-term decline in Scottish Government real terms funding which makes up around 60 per cent of council income.
At the same time, there continue to be increasing pressures on services, particularly in social care and education which together account for over 70 per cent of council spending.
The report says councils overall have maintained or improved their performance in the face of these challenges. However, public satisfaction is declining and complaints are increasing. Looking ahead, they need to better involve their communities in service design and deliver.
There are wide variations between councils. Some have grasped the nettle in finding new ways to provide services more efficiently. Others have been slower off the mark. Councils have made savings by cutting jobs but half of them still don’t have organisation-wide workforce plans.
Councils must learn more from each other and collaborate better to improve services and reduce costs.
Councillors elected in May must have the necessary training and tools to do an increasingly complex job determining local priorities, overseeing delivery of essential services and working in partnership with other public bodies to improve outcomes for communities and individuals.
Ronnie Hinds, deputy chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “New councillors will require time to settle in and develop skills to make strategic plans, consider options for service delivery and scrutinise how well this is happening in practice.
“But they have four years ahead of them, and they need to plan effectively for the longer term, work with their communities to decide key priorities and then make that plan happen.
“We hope our report is helpful to councillors and officers as they strive to maintain or improve services for the public with reduced resources.”
The report: nr_170307_local_government_performance
The Scottish Greens have commented on the report. Andy Wightman, the Scottish Greens’ local government spokesperson, said:
“Audit Scotland is right to highlight these challenges. The Scottish Greens are committed to strengthening local democracy in Scotland and that’s why we led a debate on the subject only a few months ago. We will also be publishing proposals later this week on a fiscal framework that details how the financial relationship between Holyrood and local government can be improved.
“The six Green MSPs, who were elected on a manifesto pledge to campaign to devolve decisions and budgets to a more local level, will continue to call for councils to have more powers to implement new structures for local democratic participation.”
West Pilton West Granton Community Council meets tonight at 7pm in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre. All Welcome.
See below for meeting papers:
Dear Editor
One of the problems and difficulties most working people have is making ends meet. In most cases, and for many years, wages have been heavily restricted but prices have risen and local services have been repeatedly cut back.
It is no wonder people are searching about for solutions, or in some cases someone to blame. The press, television, etc. have entered the fray in a devisive way, fuelling the blame game on individuals or groups, not dealing with the basic causes of being unable to manage.
To survive, everyone needs electricity and/or gas supplies for heating, cooking and lighting – yet the main supply of these basic needs are in the hands of just six companies who extract millions upon millions of pounds for shareholders: money that could be used by the industries to benefit everyone.
This is a crazy way to run essential services; one most people would agree should be changed.
To survive, most people need transport by rail, bus or tram to access their workplace, paying high fares to do so. Again, these essential services are mostly operated by private companies – and again, most people would agree this should be changed.
These two industries, energy supplies and passenger transport, should operate for the benefit of all. Millions of people would agree with this and vote for it.
The Conservative Party and UKIP will never put working people before the shareholders, the Labour Party would and will do so. This puts the real reason for the non-stop anti-Labour, anti-Jeremy Corbyn campaign into perspective.
A. Delahoy
Silverknowes Gardens
Police are appealing for witnesses following a racially-motivated assault and robbery that took place on West Pilton Place on Sunday 5th March. Continue reading Taxi driver attacked and robbed by gang in Pilton
The suicide rate is three times higher among the poorest Scots, according to a report released today by Samaritans. In the week that Philip Hammond is expected to deliver another austerity Budget, Samaritans are calling for more to be done to tackle inequality.
It is simply not acceptable that the risk of a person taking their own life is substantially increased according to how disadvantaged they may be.
We have made significant progress in Scotland in bringing the suicide rate down. In the ten years from 2002, when the first Choose Life Suicide Prevention Strategy was published, there was an 18 per cent fall in the suicide rate. Yet despite real progress, a significant difference in rates between the most and least deprived people in Scotland persists.
Latest figures for Scotland show that the rate of suicide was three times higher in the most deprived tenth of the population compared to the least deprived tenth.
Increasingly, Samaritans are working with others to benefit those on the margins of society. We are providing our services in foodbanks, in homeless drop-in centres and other locations where contact from us with people in crisis can play a role in helping them manage the situation they find themselves in.
For the first time, Dying From Inequality sets out exactly what contributes to suicide risk in disadvantaged people and communities. This gives us the vitally important opportunity to galvanise other agencies and decision makers into action. So, we’ll be talking to those who can influence change in housing, stigma, lifestyle behaviours and many of the other factors highlighted in the report. We’ll be talking about Scottish solutions, in a Scottish policy and political context, with key agencies that can help us affect change.
As a starter, we think we need to target local suicide prevention work in areas of deprivation within individual local authorities. We need the forthcoming suicide prevention strategy in Scotland to be joined up with welfare, education, housing and employment policies in Scotland. When we see large employers downsize or shut down, and local and national government seek to help, let’s make sure that help includes consideration of the mental health of the employees affected during a very difficult period in their lives.
We’ve also previously had targets to train NHS staff in Scotland to recognise and understand individuals who are in distress and may be suicidal, we believe we need this kind of programme to be extended to those agencies who might be dealing with people struggling financially, such as welfare agencies or financial services companies. An effective and appropriate response could make all the difference.
Because it’s simply not right that so many people struggling with deprivation and poverty across Scotland find taking their own life as the only way out.
Samaritans Dying from inequality report – summary
Eric Liddell Centre, Morningside
Saturday 11 March 10.30 – 2.30pm
Louise Macdonald OBE, Chief Executive of Young Scot, has been appointed as independent Chair of the Advisory Council which will raise awareness of gender issues, champion the rights of women and girls, and advocate for changes that can be made across society to deliver equality. Continue reading Young Scot chief to chair new women’s advisory council
