The NEN – North Edinburgh News – Page 529 – The community media resource for north Edinburgh

More than Meets The Eye: Music and song inspire Freya to start speaking

THERE’s more to six year old Freya Reily than meets the eye. Freya, from Tranent, who was born very prematurely and has severe vision impairment, has been inspired by music and song to start speaking, something that her parents did not think was possible just a few short months ago.

Sight Scotland’s newly launched ‘More Than Meets The Eye’ campaign shows people what life with sight loss can look like when they have the right support. It aims to dispel the negative perceptions of people living with sight loss across Scotland and show that vision impairment isn’t a barrier to living a happy and fulfilling life.

Freya’s parents, Eilidh and Keir, have been amazed at her progress since she started at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh in 2022, and say they are so happy that they are able to give Freya the best possible education and the best possible start in life.

Her teacher’s say the progression in Freya’s development has been remarkable, and music and signing has played a huge part in this.

Eilidh explains: “There has been such a big change in Freya since she started at the Royal Blind School, and she is communicating so much more now. It is almost unbelievable, we tried so hard to get her to communicate before school, but all she could really say was ‘Mum’ or ‘Dad’, but now her speaking has really taken off.

“The signing she does at the school has also made a big difference, at first, we were not sure what she was doing, but when the school explained what all the signs meant it was incredible to see what she had picked up in such a short period of time. She does the double fist bump for school every morning with a huge smile on her face.”

Freya’s class teacher, Louise Buggy, says Freya has amazed everyone from the first day she started at school.

Louise says: “Freya’s language development since she started has been amazing, in fact I would describe it as almost overwhelming. She loves the On Body Sign System that we use, and on day one she was reaching out for the staff’s hands showing that she wanted to join in and connect and interact.

“She then started to guide our hands showing that she understood what the signs were meaning as we were speaking and singing, and then she started signing for herself. Incredibly, just a short time after this she started to say the key words in the sentences or songs; her first new word was school. She then started to learn new key words every couple of days based on our predictable routines. To see the progression in this little girl is just astounding.

“Singing and music is just massive for Freya and is a huge motivation for her. She has learned many of the words she can now say from songs. We used to keep a list of all her new words, but we are now struggling to keep up as her communication is developing at such a fast rate.”

Freya has also become much stronger, and her movement has increased dramatically, since she started at the Royal Blind School.

Eilidh says: “She is just so much stronger and independent, she is crawling around by herself and pulling herself up. I still can’t quite believe it when I am seeing it. Everything they do at the school is designed to help Freya, she just adores the soft play, and the sensory story time. She loves the swimming in the hydrotherapy pool, and this is really helping with the strength in her legs. She is developing in every single way.”

Eilidh adds: “Freya’s journey since a very young age to now has been amazing, and she has developed so much. We could not have imagined back then how much she would have progressed, and that she would now be communicating with us and crawling and standing. We wanted to give Freya the best possible start in life, and the best possible education, and we know the Royal Blind School is doing exactly this.”

Sight Scotland, which is Scotland’s largest vision impairment organisation, and runs the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh, wants to reach and help more of the 180,000 people living in Scotland with sight loss.

For more information, visit sightscotland.org.uk

Remote Scottish communities worse off due to ‘rural premium’ despite cost of living support, MPs find

The Scottish Affairs Committee warns blanket UK-wide schemes intended to support households with the rising cost of living were not sufficiently ‘rural-proofed’ and did not meet the needs of remote communities in Scotland who face a ‘rural premium’.

The ‘rural premium’ refers to the higher prices that communities in remote rural areas pay, relative to urban areas, to access the same goods and services. The report highlighted three key areas – energy, food security and transport – and finds that rising costs in each sector disproportionately affects rural communities in Scotland.

Examples cited by the Committee include exposure to fuel price inflation due to being more reliant on transport, a reliance on expensive alternative fuels for off-grid households and higher charges for food deliveries to remote locations.

In a new report published yesterday, MPs on the Westminster-based Scottish Affairs Committee acknowledge the unprecedented package of support provided by the UK Government which has helped to mitigate the impact of price spikes.

The Committee concludes that some schemes, however, had prioritised administrative ease to accelerate funds getting to people rather than specifically targeting financial support for those who need it most. MPs on the Committee found that financial support tailored towards remote communities experiencing the ‘rural premium’ would have more effectively alleviated the acute and unique pressures those households face.

Evidence submitted to the Committee as part of the inquiry showed that prior to the sharp increase in fuel prices, the highest rates of fuel poverty in Scotland could be found in the most rural regions – Na h-Eileanan Siar (40%), Highland (33%), Argyll and Bute (32%), Moray (32%), Shetland Islands (31%) and Orkney Islands (31%). The Scottish Government has estimated that 57% of households in rural areas would be in fuel poverty by April 2023.

The Committee heard that food insecurity had led to a ‘cost of surviving crisis’ for some in particularly remote areas, while delayed plans to improve ferry and road infrastructure has further exacerbated difficulties for rural communities.

MPs are calling for the Scottish and UK Governments to work together in order to better understand the scale and complexities of the challenges facing rural communities in Scotland. Agreeing consistent definitions of food poverty and more effective collaboration to overcome transport infrastructure challenges would be welcome steps forward in tackling this issue, the Committee says.

Chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee, Pete Wishart MP, said: “During the cost-of-living crisis, people living in remote parts of Scotland have found themselves in a perfect storm of poorly-insulated, high energy usage homes with an extended journey to local amenities and food shopping bills off the charts.

“Schemes implemented by both the UK and Scottish Governments have been welcome in large parts of Scotland, but the reality is these households have been lumbered with a ‘rural premium’ that hasn’t been adequately addressed by state support.

“We must learn the lessons from the economic challenges households have faced over the last few years. I hope both the UK and Scottish Governments will use this time to properly understand the support these communities will need to prevent them falling further into poverty should we face similar problems in the future.”

Little Stories of Kindness

THERE’S STILL TIME TO ENTER WRITING COMPETITION

There’s still time to enter our micro-fiction competition on the theme of KINDNESS, kindly supported by Candlestick Press

We’d love to hear your little stories of kindness. Stories must be no longer than 100 words and there are three categories for entrants:

Adult writers
Young writers 5–11
Young writers 12–18

To enter, just email your story to me at scotland@fairsaturday.org before 31st January 2024.

The top five entries in the adult and 12-18 categories will win a copy of Ten Poems of Kindness volume 1 or volume 2, and the top five entries in the 5-11 category will win a copy of Gift of the Old One, all of which have been very generously donated by Candlestick Press. We’ll also publish them on our website.

Please do share this info with anyone you think would like to take part.

Morrisons Daily to open at Drylaw Shopping Centre tomorrow

Morrisons is to open a Daily convenience store in Drylaw tomorrow.

The new store will sell a wide range of fresh and frozen foods and drink and will continue to house the Post Office and a National Lottery terminal.

Morrisons, National Convenience Retailer of the Year in 2023, takes over the unit from McColls.

Scottish dancers to defend UK Titles at Blackpool competition

A group of young dancers from one of Scotland’s highest-regarded dance performance schools will travel to Blackpool next weekend to take part in a major UK and Ireland competition.

Pupils and instructors from Edinburgh Dance Academy (EDA) will participate in the prestigious three-day Dance Inspirations event being held in the Northwest England town where they will be defending titles won at last year’s competition.

In 2023, EDA was named as the Highest Ranked Dance Studio in the UK and Ireland for the second year running at the event with several of the school’s dancers also picking up accolades for their performances.

This included being awarded as Overall Winner for their contemporary piece “Shout” by Empara Mi with the EDA team taking home £1000 in prize money for their table-topping routine.

EDA instructor Jenni Inglis also won the Most Inspirational Choreography award in 2023 for the second year in a row while dancer Kiera Anderson was handed top prize for the Most Dedication, Passion and Talent award category.

The Dance Inspirations competition is set to feature more than 300 top level dance routines. These were selected from a total of 3000 acts from over 100 dance schools across the UK and Ireland which competed in regional heats ahead of this weekend’s final.

Julie Mitchell, Principal and Founder at EDA, said: “We are so proud of what Jenni and our fantastic dancers achieved in Blackpool last year and we look forward to once again taking part in this extremely competitive event.

“While we are expecting an even higher level of competition from this year’s participants, we will do our best to bring further dance honours back to Scotland.”

Empowering the Future of Fitness

Apply now – Career opportunities in the leisure industry thanks to the Prince’s Trust partnership with Edinburgh Leisure

In collaboration with The Prince’s Trust, Edinburgh Leisure is encouraging young people aged 16-30 years to apply to join a free ‘Get Into Lifeguarding with Edinburgh Leisure’ training course starting in February 2024.

The initial pre-selection day will take place at Ainslie Park Leisure Centre on 8^th February 2024, after which selected candidates will be invited to take part in the free 3-week course. There are 10 places being offered.

The pre-employment programme aims to help young people aged 16-30 years get into jobs, education, and training, with a focus on becoming a lifeguard.

The programme includes a pre-selection day; a week’s work experience at one of Edinburgh Leisure’s ‘wet’ sites under the mentorship of an Edinburgh Leisure staff member, who has received ‘shadow buddy’ training in advance from Edinburgh Leisure’s Learning & Development team; an NPLQ (National Pool Lifeguard Qualification) course; and job interview opportunities.

Travel expenses are reimbursed, and successful candidates receive up to six months of post-programme support.

Successful candidates would need to be available to take part in all the training days. The programme schedule is:

8 February Pre-selection Day at Ainslie Park Leisure Centre

19-23 February NPLQ course at Portobello Swim Centre

26 February – 1 March Work experience at one of Edinburgh Leisure’s venues

4 March Interview experience

6 March Post course celebration event at Meadowbank Sports Centre

Interested applicants should apply by Friday, 2^nd February 2024 to be considered for this opportunity. Email matthew.rooney@princes-trust.org.uk with their name, telephone number and email address or alternatively apply via the Princes Trust website or call 0800 842 842.

Alyson Coats, Manager at Leith Victoria Swim Centre, and responsible for the partnership explained: “This will be the second time Edinburgh Leisure has run such a programme.

“It’s a win-win – with young people having a great opportunity to learn with Edinburgh Leisure and gain valuable experience, which we hope sets them up for employment in the future, either with us or another opportunity in the leisure industry. For many young people this could be life-changing for them.”

Lorenzo D’Silva came through the first cohort in July 2023, and secured a job as a lifeguard at the Royal Commonwealth Pool on finishing the course.

Lorenzo said: “The NPLQ course was only one week but the Prince’s Trust also gave us the opportunity to gain valuable skills in team building and interview techniques during the process which really helped when I was offered a job interview with Edinburgh Leisure. If you’ve not been in the mindset of getting a job it helps you to understand how to present yourself.

“I started working full-time in September at the Commie. It’s a great place to work with a great team. Everyone’s friendly and genuine and it’s a very inclusive place to work. There’s a great sense of camaraderie – like a big family, which is great as I come from one myself.”

The Prince’s Trust supports young people from disadvantaged communities and those facing the greatest adversity. The courses offered help young people aged 11-30 to develop essential life skills, get ready for work and access job opportunities.

Since The Trust was founded by HM The King in 1976, they have helped more than a million young people across the UK, and three in four of those supported over the last five years have moved into work, education, or training.

Further information about The Prince’s Trust is available at princes-trust.org.uk or on 0800 842 842. 

Police Scotland seizes over £8.5 million worth of cannabis since start of 2024

Police Scotland has seized cannabis plants worth a combined total of over £8.5 million since the start of 2024, sending a clear message to criminals that drugs have no place in any of our communities.

In January alone so far, officers have intercepted various quantities of the Class B drug with an estimated street value of £8,624,000.

This month’s activity took place right across Scotland including two seven-figure seizures, with cannabis worth £3.6 million recovered in Greenock and a further quantity worth £2.25 million recovered in Dundee.

There were also significant recoveries in Dumfries, Ayrshire, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Aberdeen, Inverness and Shetland.

Arrests have been made in relation to the majority of the seizures and enquiries are ongoing into the remaining incidents.

Detective Superintendent Craig Willison from Police Scotland’s Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit said: “This year we have already seen some very significant recoveries across the country which demonstrates that no community is safe from the harm caused by illegal drugs.

“Police Scotland remains committed to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country’s Serious and Organised Crime Strategy, and our officers are determined to protect members of the public from this type of criminality.

“Anyone who brings drugs into our communities for their own illicit gain should be in absolutely no doubt that we will rigorously pursue every means possible to disrupt this activity – we will find you and bring you to justice.

“Information and support from members of the public is vital to our work and I would encourage anyone with concerns about drugs activity in their area to contact Police Scotland on 101. Alternatively you can speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Holyrood committee: Lack of detail and narrow criteria hamper proposed mental health debt relief

A Scottish Parliament committee has expressed its concern with proposals to support people experiencing mental health issues and struggling with debt.

The Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill proposes introducing a “mental health moratorium” – meaning people suffering from poor mental health would be protected from some debt recovery action while their health improved.

However, the Bill proposes that only those subject to compulsory mental health treatment would be protected.

The Parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee has called on the Government to extend the criteria to include more people experiencing a mental health crisis, so vulnerable people are not left behind by the new scheme.

Economy and Fair Work Committee Convener Claire Baker said: “The Committee is broadly supportive of this Bill and its aims. The idea of a mental health moratorium will be very helpful to those who need it.

“However, we are concerned that the proposed narrow criteria will mean this Bill does not help enough people, and the Bill should be looked at again with this in mind.

“We are calling on the Scottish Government to extend the criteria to allow more people experiencing a mental health crisis to lean on this support.

“Experts suggested various alternative approaches, and we hope the Government will listen to their views.

“We also believe that this is an opportunity to increase the amount protected for debtors during an earnings arrestment, and further protect vulnerable people from destitution.”

The Committee also criticised the lack of detail around the proposals made available while it was taking evidence.

Crucial information concerning how the moratorium would work was not made available when the Bill was introduced, and more detail won’t be available until the Government sets it out in regulations.

The Committee heard from Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance Tom Arthur that the Government would “endeavour” to produce draft regulations ahead of stage 3.

Ms Baker added: ”The Committee looks forward to working with the Government further on these proposals. The Government has indicated they will bring forward draft regulations, and the Committee will look carefully at these.

“It is vital that the Committee has a chance to scrutinise these regulations before the Bill is passed, so that the detail of these proposals can be fully examined.”

New laws to be introduced to ‘force businesses to be upfront with customers’

Fake reviews will be added to banned practices
Unavoidable hidden fees cost consumers £2.2 billion every year

Fake reviews, shop labelling and hidden fees that make shopping more difficult and expensive for consumers will all be targeted head on to clamp down on unfair trading practices.

Following a consultation into consumer transparency and as part of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill (DMCC), the Department for Business and Trade will officially add fake reviews to a list of banned business practices, outlaw dripped fees that are unavoidable for consumers and ensure that businesses provide clearer labelling for prices on supermarket shelves.

These measures will be legislated for as part of the DMCC Bill as it progresses through Parliament.

Sneaky hidden fees, or dripped prices that are unavoidable will be banned. Drip pricing occurs when consumers are shown an initial price for a good or service while additional fees are revealed (or “dripped”) later in the checkout process.

Research suggests it is widespread and occurs in more than half of providers in the entertainment (54 percent) and hospitality (56 percent) industry, and almost three quarters across transport and communication (72 percent) sectors.

Every year, unavoidable fees cost consumers £2.2 billion, which is why these laws are being designed to ensure online shoppers have a clear idea of what they are spending upfront, to inform them as much as possible and as soon as possible before making purchases.

To make it easier for consumers to compare products and services, fees that are mandatory must be included in the headline price or at the start of the shopping process – these include booking fees for cinemas and train tickets.

Optional fees such as airline seat and luggage upgrades for flights will not be included in these measures.

Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business Kevin Hollinrake said: “From supermarket shelves to digital baskets – modern day shopping provides customers with more choice than ever before. But with that, comes the increased risk of confusion, scams and traps that can easily cost the public more than they had planned.

“Today’s announcement demonstrates the clear steps we’re taking as a government to ensure customers can compare purchases with ease, aren’t duped by fake reviews, and have the sting of hidden fees taken away.”

Reviews were found to be used by 90% of consumers and contributed to the £224 billion spent in online retail markets in 2022, which is why this government is committed to ensuring that the information available online is accurate and fair.

Working with the Competition and Market’s Authority, new guidance will be created in the coming months to tackle fake reviews which will be added to the list of banned practices, with website hosts held accountable for reviews on their pages.

The Price Marking Order (PMO), a piece of Retained EU Law, will also be reformed now ]we have taken back control of our laws’.

The PMO requires traders to display the final selling price and, where appropriate the final unit price (e.g., price per litre/kilogram) of products in a clear way. The EU’s PMO laws were last updated 20 years ago and no longer reflect modern shopping habits.

We will be working with stakeholders and businesses to create new, simpler and clearer guidance for pricing labels that works best for British businesses and improves the shopping experiences for UK customers. This is expected to be issued in the spring.

Our proposed changes will ensure unit pricing is consistently applied, including to promotions and special offers, helping consumers compare products easily and identify what items represent the best value to them.

Small shops that are currently exempt from the PMO will continue to be exempt from those specific measures.

Graham Wynn, Assistant Director, British Retail Consortium said: “The BRC looks forward to continuing to work with officials as practical detailed implementation plans are developed. We are committed to ensuring information given to consumers is clear and they are not misled in any way.“

The UK Government will also be making provision for the PMO in relation to the Deposit Return Scheme so the cost of the deposit is displayed separately on price labels.

In addition to fake reviews and hidden fees, the DMCC Bill will also look at other consumer issues including subscription traps, and will provide the CMA with stronger tools to investigate competition problems and take faster, more effective action, including where companies collude to bump-up prices at the expense of UK consumers.