The Queen’s baton hits Edinburgh today!

The Queen’s Baton arrives in Edinburgh this morning

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The relay in Edinburgh, which will mark the start of the baton’s 40 day tour of Scotland ahead of the Commonwealth Games, will offer residents and visitors the opportunity to cheer on the baton and join in community celebrations today.

The Queen’s Baton will be carried through Edinburgh by over 100 batonbearers who have been nominated in recognition of their contributions to sport, community and youth projects, including representatives from the city’s secondary schools.

Councillor Steve Cardownie, Festivals and Events Champion at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The relay is a fantastic opportunity for people to take to the streets to show their support for our batonbearers and celebrate Edinburgh’s part to play in the Commonwealth Games.

“It is great that the Queen’s Baton will travel throughout the Capital and into the many communities that make this city so unique.

“As host of the 1970 and 1986 Games, and co-host of this year’s diving event at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, it is fitting that the baton will be brought home to Edinburgh – the only city in the world to welcome Commonwealth Games events for a third time.

“I urge everyone to get into the spirit of the Games and join in the Edinburgh celebrations.”

To signal the start of the relay celebrations in Edinburgh, a Gala Classical Concert was held at the Usher Hall last night. Entitled Edinburgh Raises The Baton, the concert featured the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, and the acclaimed pianist Stephen Hough.

Today crowds will get the first glimpse of the Queen’s Baton as it is arrives at Heriot-Watt University, chosen as the site for Scotland’s National Performance Centre for Sport. To celebrate, the Centre will be hosting sports activities for all the family including Gaelic football, dancing and tennis, events for children including a bouncy castle and face painting, as well as community and farmers markets. Further details are available on the Heriot-Watt website.

The relay will move to Murrayfield Stadium where it will board a tram to make its way to the city centre, taking in Edinburgh Castle, where a 21 gun salute at 12:00 noon will mark the Queen’s official birthday celebrations.

The baton will then travel down the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace where it will signal the start of the City of Edinburgh Council’s School Run Event, which is supported by Games for Scotland and supermarket chain Scotmid.

The School Run is a unique event encouraging school age children of all abilities to play their part in relay day over a 2.2km route through Holyrood Park and run, jog or walk side by side with sporting stars to raise money for community and school sports facilities. Young people can sign up to the run through their schools.

Both the School Run and the Queen’s Baton Relay will then pass through Holyrood Park to Meadowbank Sports Centre and Stadium, the home of Edinburgh’s previous Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. At Meadowbank, the Council’s free ‘Tryathon’ event will take place with the opportunity for budding sports stars to try their hand at Commonwealth Games sports and cheer the arrival of the Queen’s Baton.

The relay will then take in more of Edinburgh’s communities including Leith, the Portobello Promenade and Duddingston, before the baton is received at the Royal Commonwealth Pool where a spectacular diving demonstration will be held.

To celebrate the end of the relay, a community concert will be held this evening at the Ross Band Stand in Princes Street Gardens so that even bigger crowds can take part in the festivities.

Tomorrow (Sunday June 15), the Queen’s Baton will travel to South Queensferry anf the baton will then go on to visit all other local authorities in Scotland.

Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games Ms Robison, said:“The Queen’s Baton Relay is an exciting and dynamic countdown to the Games and offers the perfect opportunity for communities across the whole of Scotland to share in the pride and excitement of what look to be the best and most successful Games ever.

“When the Baton arrives into Scotland and the Capital on the 14 June, I urge everyone to join in with the celebrations and events across Edinburgh, and surrounds, and in particular to come out and support the wide range of inspirational baton bearers as they carry this enduring symbol of the Games in their local areas.”

Nick Finnigan, Executive Manager of Edinburgh Castle said: “Edinburgh Castle has witnessed many hundreds of years of history and continues to provide a spectacular backdrop for history in the making today.

“We are delighted to be welcoming the Queen’s Baton relay to the castle, and I am sure that its arrival will provide a great spectacle for visitors to the castle.”

Professor Steve Chapman, Principal of Heriot-Watt University, said: “We are very pleased that the first Scottish leg of the Baton Relay is through our Edinburgh Campus and right past what will be the site for the new National Performance Centre for Sport.”

 

MP seeks assurances on St James Centre Post Office

St James Centre redevelopment will see Post Office move to Princes Mall
St James Centre redevelopment will see Post Office move to Princes Mall

Following confirmation that the Central Edinburgh Post Office will be moving from the St James Shopping Centre to Princes Mall, Mark Lazarowicz MP has called for the Post Office to make a commitment to seek to move back once the redevelopment of the St James Centre is complete – and in the meantime to make sure that the other post offices in the area are able to meet the needs of customers.

Mark Lazarowicz said: “Given the announcement that the redevelopment of the centre will now be going ahead I can understand the decision to move the central Post Office to Princes Mall but I believe that should only be temporary while the redevelopment takes place.

“I am urging the Post Office to make a commitment to seek to move back into the centre once it is finished and in the meantime to ensure that facilities in Princes Mall are as accessible as possible for elderly and disabled customers.

“Self-service machines could continue to be located in the St James Centre until the redevelopment begins and facilities at other post offices in the area like Elm Row and Frederick Street should be enhanced to ensure they can cope with larger numbers of customers if some people switch to using them instead.”

“A Post Office should be part of the plans for the new St James Centre if it is to meet all of the retail needs of local residents.”

The Post Office announcement confirmed its decision on the move after a consultation to which Mark Lazarowicz MP made a submission stressing these points. The consumer watchdog, Consumer Futures, also expressed its concern over the move, in particular over access at the proposed site in Princes Mall for customers with limited mobility needs.

Call for Scots to donate blood this summer

bloodScots are being urged to make an extra special effort to give blood in the run up to World Blood Donor Day 2014 on Saturday (14 June).

The call for people to give blood comes as it was announced that, from next month, O negative blood will be routinely carried by doctors from the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS) on Scottish Ambulance Service air ambulance helicopters – enabling patients to be given a blood transfusion more quickly.

Public Health Minister Michael Matheson today welcomed this announcement as he met with consultants from the EMRS team at the Glasgow Donor Centre to encourage more people to give blood.

While visiting the centre, Mr Matheson also met with blood donors to thank them for making this life-saving contribution.

He said: “Whether you’ve given blood before, or have never managed to get round to donating, I’d urge you to make an extra effort this World Blood Donor Day and make that potentially life-saving contribution. The importance of making a regular commitment to donating blood is one that the EMRS team are all too aware of and I have no doubt they will have seen first-hand how giving blood can really help people in need.

“The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the continued the future supply of blood tissues and cells, which is why we are investing £43m in a new National Centre of Excellence for the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS). This centre will help ensure the continued future supply of blood tissues and cells, as well as facilitating the effective introduction of new developments, products and safety measures in a flexible, state-of-the-art building.”

Dr Moira Carter, Associate Director, Donor Services, SNBTS, said: “World Blood Donor Day is kicking off an unforgettable sporting summer for Scotland. As we look forward to the World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, and the Ryder Cup, we anticipate donations may drop off by as much as 20%. However, the need for blood continues, so please do take time out from your schedule in this sporting summer to donate.

“Blood Donor Week is a fantastic opportunity for us to thank the 138,000 people in Scotland who have given blood in the past 12 months. We have been delighted to welcome 3,290 17 year olds who have started giving blood so far during 2014, but we need more to come forward. As the overall population ages, these young donors are even more important in making sure we meet the needs of patients in Scotland today and into the future.”

Dr Neil Hughes, consultant in Pre-Hospital Medicine, said: “The Emergency Medical Retrieval Service helps patients when they need it most. We will attend major trauma incidents in Scotland, to provide emergency care for patients who are critically injured at the scene. We also manage and transport critically injured patients with the Scottish Ambulance Service from remote and rural Scotland to centres which offer the care the patient needs.

“As O Negative is the only blood group that can safely be given to anyone in an emergency, a transfusion in these circumstances can buy precious time for critically ill patients. We would like to extend our thanks to all O Negative blood donors for making this possible.”

SNBTS are asking in particular those donors with blood types O+, O-, A- and B- to make a real effort to give blood in the next few weeks, to ensure blood supplies are well-stocked over summer.

To register as a blood donor or to find out where your nearest donation session is, call 0845 90 90 999, text ‘blood’ to 61611, or visit www.facebook.com/givebloodforscotland @givebloodscot #blooddonorweek2013

SSPCA plea: don’t leave dogs in hot cars

Dogs die in hot cars warning

Dogs die in hot cars poster

The Scottish SPCA is urging pet owners not to leave their dogs in hot cars this summer, warning that last year a man in Scotland was convicted for doing so.

Concerned members of the public have already been contacting the
charity’s animal helpline after seeing distressed dogs left inside warm
vehicles.

The Scottish SPCA is keen to remind the public that they may be risking their dog’s life by leaving it in a hot car for even a short period of time.

Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said, “Most people know what it’s like to get into a car after it’s been sitting in the sun. It’s unbearable and we immediately roll down the windows or turn on the air conditioning.

“Imagine being trapped inside a hot vehicle wearing a fur coat for minutes, possibly hours, and you are some way to understanding how a dog left inside a hot vehicle feels.

“Many people might not realise that even on warm, cloudy days, cars can
effectively turn into ovens and dogs can overheat in minutes. Leaving a window open or providing water is simply not good enough – dogs can’t sweat the way humans do and need to pant to cool down which can lead to severe dehydration and hyperventilation.

“We run our ‘dogs die in hot cars’ campaign every year but we continue
to receive a large numbers of calls from concerned members of the public
each summer and we fear some owners don’t fully appreciate the danger
they are putting their pets in.

“Causing an animal unnecessary suffering is an offence and last year a
54 year old man from Glasgow was convicted after leaving his two dogs
inside a hot vehicle in the height of summer. He was banned from keeping animals for ten years and his two jack russells were not returned to his care as a result.

“Thankfully these dogs made a full recovery after receiving emergency
treatment for heat stress but they could have died had we not
intervened. “We hope this case serves as a warning to other owners who may be tempted to leave their dogs in their vehicle on a warm day.

“Our advice is to leave dogs at home as it is simply not worth the risk.”

Scottish SPCA posters highlighting the dangers of leaving dogs in hot
cars are available to be displayed in local communities. To request copies please phone the charity’s Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999 and
select option 5.

Alternatively, email editor@scottishspca.org, providing the address you
wish your posters to be sent to and the number you wish to receive.

Scottish SPCA badge

Local churches stage Saturday events

StSerfs

Davidsons Mains Pipe Band will be one of the highlights at St Serf’s Goldenacre Summer Fair this Saturday from 2 – 4pm.

The Capital Concert Band will be performing a 10th Anniversary concert at St Serf’s in the evening too – for tickets for the 7.30pm performance or for more information go to www.capitalconcertband.com

Also on Saturday, there’s a coffee/bring’n’buy event at Granton United Church on Boswall Parkway, again from 2 – 4pm.

GrantonUnitedChurch

Events students go bananas to raise charity cash!

Image 1 - Events

Edinburgh College students have raised a whopping £5,000 for charity by organising a series of enterprising events, including a tropical-themed party.

As part of their coursework, the group of events students put their heads together and organised an imaginative programme of events to raise thousands of pounds for the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) and children’s charity When You Wish Upon A Star. As well as raising money, the projects gave them practical experience in managing real-life events.

HNC Events Management student Sonia Gruszczynska was part of the Tropical Escape team that organised the party, transporting guests to a tropical paradise in the city with the help of fruit headpieces, a full reggae and ska band, limbo competitions and Hawaiian hula dancing!

Sonia said: “It was fantastic to use our practical experience as events students to raise money for these worthwhile charities. You learn so much more about the practicalities of organising events when working on large-scale fundraisers such as this.

“The night before our event, the venue we had booked cancelled on us due to technical problems. Despite this massive dilemma, we found another venue within 24 hours and managed to tell our guests in time. The night was a success and, despite the enormous difficulties faced with the venue cancellation, we managed to pull off a great party and raised a lot of money for charity.”

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Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer Lee Williams said: “We’re extremely grateful to the students from Edinburgh College’s HND Events Management course, who have decided to donate this money to us.

“As we rely solely on the generosity of the public to help us care for abused, abandoned and neglected animals each year, we’re very appreciative of every donation we receive. This was a fantastic gesture and we’d like to offer our sincere thanks to the students for choosing to donate half of the funds raised to the Scottish SPCA.”

Stephanie Donaghey, the Scotland regional fundraiser for When You Wish Upon A Star, said: “All of the events we attended were really well organised and it was great to be able to communicate our purpose as a charity to such a wide and diverse audience. The significant donation from the college will enable us to grant more special wishes to children in Scotland with life threatening illnesses. We were extremely grateful for the opportunity.”

Edinburgh College events lecturer Caroline Patterson said: “We believe it’s crucial to give our students first-hand experience in organising and managing their own events. The events industry in Scotland is expanding and is incredibly fast paced, so in order to give our students the competitive edge when they graduate we know it’s important to make sure they have this valuable experience under their belts. We’re very proud of them all for raising so much money for charity and we have every faith that they will succeed in the future.”

As well as the tropical-themed party, the HNC Events Management students organised a host of events including a tapas bar crawl, a 90s-themed night, an art exhibition, the Wee Gig Night, a masquerade ball, a prohibition-themed night, a country hoedown, a ceilidh, a scavenger hunt and a late-night screening of the Rocky Horror Show. Over the last five years, the HNC Events Management students have raised more than £16,000 for a variety of different charities.

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Inverleith Summer Programme revealed

INPsumr

The long school holidays are almost upon us, but Inverleith’s packed summer programme offers more than enough recreational, sports and outdoor events for children, young people and families to keep everyone happy (see below for details)!

Registration for all events requiring booking takes place next Monday (16 June) from 6pm at Broughton High School.

For further information email anne.brown@ea.edin.sch.uk or call 332 6316.

Inverleith Summer programme

 

City carers champion: ‘vital that carers are looked after’

carers_week

Edinburgh’s first ‘Carers Champion’ Councillor Norman Work marked his inaugural year in the role by setting out the capital’s priorities for supporting people who give unpaid care to family or friends.

Councillor Work launched the City of Edinburgh Council’s Joint Carers Strategy 2014-17 during an event to celebrate national Carers Week.

The Strategy, developed in partnership with NHS Lothian, the voluntary sector and carers, sets out priorities and outcomes for how their valuable work will be supported over the next three years.

It focuses on six priorities:

  • identifying carers;
  • information and advice;
  • health and wellbeing for carers;
  • short breaks and respite;
  • young adult carers;
  • personalised support for carers.

With around 37,859 carers looking after loved ones in Edinburgh, the estimated cost of providing replacement care in the capital is valued at around £771m a year.

Speaking at a celebration event for unpaid carers at the City Chambers, Cllr Work said: “These people do an extraordinary job of looking after a loved one and I cannot over-emphasise how much we value what they do.

“Many do not think of themselves as carers, and often fail to access the services and advice which is available to them through the Council, charities and relevant organisations.

“It is vital that carers, who can be of any age, are looked after, as there is a risk that their health and wellbeing can also suffer because of the stress and pressure caused by their role. The Joint Carer’s Strategy sets out how we plan to do this by building on our existing work.”

Pictured: (l-r) June Anderson, Zahira Hassan, Cllr Norman Work, Sarah Gundry, Calum Gundry amd  Jeanette Scott.

Referendum Registration Roadshow’s at North Office tomorrow

referendum flags

The Scottish Independence Referendum takes place on Thursday 18 September. To take part you must be registered by Tuesday 2 September.

To make sure you use, and don’t lose your vote, why not come along to a Registration Roadshow? You can check if you are registered or update your details if you have moved home.

The events are taking place in the city council’s local offices:

10am – 2pm, Wednesday 11 June, North Neighbourhood Office

11am – 3pm, Tuesday 17 June, South West Neighbourhood Office

10am – 2pm, Tuesday 24 June, Leith Office

10am – 2pm, Wednesday 25 June, West Neighbourhood Office

11am – 3pm, Monday 30 June, East Neighbourhood Office

11am- 3pm, Wednesday 2 July, City Centre Neighbourhood Office

You can also register by contacting the Electoral Registration Office on

0131 344 2500.