Music fans packed out the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh for Soundhouse’s first ever Winter Festival (28 Nov to 2 Dec). Bringing in an audience mostly comprised of locals (73% from the capital, with 21% from the rest of Scotland), it proved the best antidote to a dark time of year and a great way to mark St Andrew’s Day.
The festival ran over five days thanks to support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and included some of the finest jazz, indy and folk musicians from Scotland. Sellouts included the Nicole Smit Quintet; Fergus McCreadie with an outstanding performance from guest Italian star Mattia Galeotti on drums; and Su-a Lee performing alongside a stellar line-up of trad favourites – Duncan Chisholm, Donald Shaw and Hamish Napier.
Other popular highlights included a screening of The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric (1933), opened by Shetland pianist Amy Laurenson, and accompanied by music composed by award winning multi-instrumentalist Inge Thomson from Fair Isle with Shetlander Catriona Macdonald; a preview of rock goddess Megan Black’s new album; and a performance of Unwritten Women read by Edinburgh’s former Makar Hannah Lavery to a new score written and performed by Kate Young.
The Festival also received five star reviews and was a key part of this year’s Fair Saturday celebrations in Edinburgh.
Jane Ann Purdy and Douglas Robertson, producers of the Soundhouse Winter Festival said: “We are thrilled with the appetite that audiences have shown for live music during the winter months.
“We knew that people would come out for the festival if we programmed great music, so that’s what we did and it paid off.
“It’s been an absolute blast to present five days of jazz, rock, punk, poetry, and silent film, not a line-up we have had the opportunity to programme before, but one that we would definitely look to repeat next year.”
The Soundhouse Organisation returns in May with more live music at the Traverse for Edinburgh’s Tradfest (2-12 May 2025). Dates for the Soundhouse Winter Festival 2025 are to be confirmed.
This vital initiative aims to investigate how environmental factors, such as sunlight exposure, temperature variations, and air pollution, impact the risk of stillbirth.
Around 13 babies die shortly before, during or soon after birth every day in the UK and 2,680 of these deaths were stillbirths in 2022. More children die around the time of birth than at any other time of childhood, yet only 2.4% of UK health research funds go to reproductive health and childbirth.1
Philanthropic funding is vital in enabling Sands to fulfil its mission to end baby deaths and help families rebuild their lives. For over a decade, Teddy’s Wish has been committed to supporting Sands in memory of Jen and Chris Reid’s beloved baby, Eddie.
Through their generosity, Sands has been able to advance research aimed at understanding why some babies die unexpectedly. The Environmental Influences on Stillbirth project will explore how the environment a woman is exposed to during pregnancy affects both maternal and fetal health.
Jen Reid,Co-Founder and CEO of Teddy’s Wish said: “Teddy’s Wish is committed to funding research that brings us closer to understanding and preventing baby loss. We are delighted to be jointly funding this important research project with Sands to explore the impact of environmental influences on stillbirth with the hope that more babies will be delivered safely.”
The link between environmental factors and stillbirth has not yet been studied in-depth in UK populations. This research will link environmental data with comprehensive Scottish maternity records, providing a robust dataset to study potential environmental risk factors.
Dr Murray, Consultant in Maternal and Fetal Medicine and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, said: “This work is a step forward in understanding the complex and unknown factors that may contribute to stillbirth.
“Our findings could inform future public health guidelines and targeted interventions, especially in areas with high levels of air pollution.”
The research has the potential to reduce stillbirth rates across the UK by providing clinicians with clearer understanding of how the environment impacts on pregnancy and the baby’s wellbeing. The research insights could help people in government and the NHS improve maternity care for pregnant women and babies.
Janet Scott, Sands’ Head of Saving Babies’ Lives team, said: “Through this research, Sands and Teddy’s Wish aim to support advances in the health of babies and mothers, reducing the devastating impact of stillbirth on families across the country.
“Thank you to Teddy’s Wish for your unwavering support in helping save more babies’ lives and transform the life of future generations of families.”
Scottish Book Trust has announced that it will gift books to children and families visiting food banks this winter including Community One Stop Shop (3 Broomhouse Market) as well as Edinburgh Children’s Hospital, and primary school children.
The charity has been inundated with requests, from food banks and local authorities across Scotland, to support more vulnerable children and families facing challenging circumstances.
While the cost of living crisis continues, over a million people in Scotland are already living in poverty, a quarter of which are children.1 Too many children are growing up without books and the impact of this lasts a lifetime. Children and young people who don’t have a book of their own are twice as likely to have lower mental health.2
The charity’s Christmas Appeal 2024 will feature Eric Carle’s iconic and well-loved children’s book character, The Very Hungry Caterpillar with kind permission from Penguin Random House LLC and The World of Eric Carle.
Marc Lambert, CEO Scottish Book Trust, commented: “The power of books and the importance of children and young people having access to books should not be underestimated. Reading has the power to redress the impacts of disadvantage.
“We know the difference that books make in children’s lives and we want to ensure no child misses out. Books bring comfort, escapism and togetherness in families. Every child deserves the magic of a book and donations to our appeal will provide vital support for those most in need.”
Mary Mekarnom, Senior Director, Creative & Strategy, World of Eric Carle Penguin Random House, said “We are so happy that we can help support Scottish Book Trust’s Christmas Appeal this holiday season.
“Eric Carle used to say that he did not see children as a group. He saw a child, a child, a child. Meaning every child has individual needs and has a different way of learning or responding to a book.
“We are hopeful that The Very Hungry Caterpillar can help support this appeal and make a difference in the lives of each individual child and family in need.”
Over the past three years, the charity has given over 290,000 books to children in need of our support and living in areas of deprivation through food banks, community hubs and other charities.
Funds raised from the appeal will enable Scottish Book Trust to give books to families, via food banks, other charities and community hubs, and deliver more of its life-changing work.
Some examples of its programmes include specialist support for young families facing significant challenges through Bookbug for the Home, providing tactile books for children with additional support needs and supporting those living with dementia and the people who care for them.
To learn more about Scottish Book Trust’s Christmas appeal, visit:
Refugees, people seeking asylum and other forced migrants in Glasgow are benefitting from English classes to help them integrate into communities, supported by £500,000 in Scottish Government funding which will help 800 learners.
The classes are helping people who have been forced to flee their country gain the language skills needed to rebuild their lives in Scotland, communicate confidently with people in their new communities and establish and strengthen their social connections.
On a visit to Glasgow Clyde College, Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart met people who are benefitting from the classes.
Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “Scotland has a proud history of welcoming people of all nationalities and faiths, including those seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. We’re committed to helping those who find refuge in Scotland to settle into their new communities.
“As a refugee or a person seeking asylum whose first language is not English, having the opportunity to learn English opens up a world of possibilities – from being able to interact confidently with people, to taking part in community events and making new friends.
“Learning English will also make the process of finding work easier, which I know is a key priority for many New Scots.”
“It was great to visit Glasgow Clyde College to meet some of the people who are benefitting from these classes and hear about the real difference that language skills are making to their lives.”
Karzan Mahmood from Iraq said: “Learning English has meant everything to me. When I was in my country I couldn’t go to school or college.
“When I came here I actually couldn’t write a word. I started in a class for beginners. The teachers have been brilliant, really helpful, unbelievable. Now I can write paragraphs, formal and informal emails, everything like that.
“I’m in the Intermediate class now. Next year I want to go to Upper Intermediate and then look for work in IT or accounting.”
Sohail Siraj from Pakistan said: “I am nearly halfway through my Higher English (ESOL) lessons at Glasgow Clyde College and so far it’s been an amazing experience with a great learning environment.
“The teacher himself has a very calm and cool manner and I love the way he teaches, always motiving and at the same time testing your limits. I love every minute of my time spent here and I wish there were more than two classes a week.
“Being there simply lifts my spirits and motivates me to do more.”
Nataliia Yanishevska from Ukraine said: “Participating in the Higher English (ESOL) course at Clyde College has been incredibly beneficial for both my volunteering activities and daily life.
“The course improved my confidence in communicating effectively in English, enabling me to lead workshops and engage with diverse groups. It also strengthened my skills for everyday interactions and professional growth.”
It has been six weeks since the decision by the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB) to retain the Third Sector Grants Programme, worth £4.5 million, until the end of this financial year.
While a much-welcomed reversal of the initial proposal to pull the grant from 64 charities from January 2025, the forecasted cuts have left many of these registered charities in Edinburgh in doubt over their long-term future.
Edinburgh Community Health Forum strategic development managerStephanie-Anne Harris,said: “Without the necessary funding, closures are inevitable. These community-led charities cannot afford to exist without long-term public funding, and the threat of this being removed is hanging over their heads, preventing future planning.
“Edinburgh Health Community Forum has heard from many member organisations that are expecting to have to start the process of shutting down in January due to the EIJB’s decision.”
One such organisation is the Murrayfield Dementia Project, which provides lunch clubs and day services for those who are elderly and frail or living with early-stage dementia.
The termination of the EIJB funding will remove this service from the 20 members who attend each week, with repercussions for their carers and families. It will also result in five members of staff being made redundant and eight voluntary opportunities being stopped.
Jenny Rowe, Project Coordinator at Murrayfield Dementia Project, said “The EIJB reprieve has only prolonged the inevitable. As a small, community organisation, we need to know whether future funding will be made available, and if not, we will be forced to close.
“The loss of vital services, such as Murrayfield Dementia Service will not only impact those who directly benefit from them. Without the support offered by Third Sector organisations, we will undoubtedly see an increased pressure on Scotland’s wider health and social care services, which are already at breaking point”.
This is exemplified in the case of Phonelink Edinburgh, a twice-daily check call service for the over 60s that offers social interaction, medication prompts, welfare and safety checks, and eating and drinking prompts.
Kellie Mercer, Manager of Phonelink Edinburgh, commented “Phonelink Edinburgh receives £89,000 in funding from the EIJB grant.
“Among other check-ins, we carry out 128 medication prompts twice daily, 7 days a week. The estimated cost for Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP) to do the same would be £256,960 – and that is without considering the other welfare and safety services Phonelink Edinburgh offers.”
A Therapy Assistant Practitioner from the Western General Hospitalgave a real life example of the importance of the Phonelink Service: “A patient was medically fit for discharge but needed medication prompts to allow this to happen.
“So Phonelink was contacted by email for a twice daily medication prompt. The email was received at 3.48pm, the service set up at 4.30pm, with the patient discharged that evening, and the service started at 7.30pm.
With unprecedented budgetary challenges facing the EIJB, and the necessary shifting in strategic priorities, the cessation of the Third Sector Grants Programme may well be unavoidable.
If this is to be the case, Stephanie-Anne Harris argues for a planned transition with interim support made available:
“Sufficient time and planning must be given to avoid devastating consequences for Edinburgh’s most vulnerable citizens.
“This requires a collaborative approach, including Third Sector representatives, NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council to establish a clear timeline and secure alternative funding to prevent the immediate loss of vital services which currently benefit over 50,000 people across Edinburgh.
“Without Edinburgh charities and Third Sector organisations, the fabric of the community collapses. It is imperative that together we carve out a sustainable future for the City’s Third Sector, one that delivers high-impact services, strengthens community resilience, reduces pressure on statutory services and achieves better outcomes for Edinburgh’s most vulnerable citizens.
“We urge Edinburgh City Council and the EIJB to step up, provide clarity, and commit to funding that ensures these vital organisations can continue their essential work beyond the end of March 2025. ”
POLICE in Edinburgh are appealing for assistance in tracing 22-year-old Santra Saju who has been reported missing from the South Gyle area.
Santra was last seen about 8.30pm on Friday, 6 December, 2024 in the Burnvale area of Livingston.
Her current whereabouts are unknown and her friends and family are becoming increasingly concerned.
She is described as being 5ft 6 inches tall, Indian ethnicity, slim build, short black hair and last seen wearing a black jacket with a fur hood.
Inspector George Nisbet from Corstorphine Police station says “Santra has not been seen for a number of days now and this is completely out of character for her.
“Her current whereabouts are unknown and her family and friends are becoming increasingly concerned about her.
“If you believe you have seen Santra or have any information please contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 3390 of Sunday, 15 December 2024.”
UK Government reaches legally binding agreement with EP Group that protects Royal Mail’s workers and key services whilst keeping it headquartered in the UK
Business Secretary reaches agreement with Royal Mail’s prospective new owners after in latest example of government working hand in hand with private sector to improve crucial public services.
Agreement backs Government’s Plan for Change, creating the strong foundations needed in Britian’s supply chain to kickstart economic growth and deliver for workers.
Deal protects workers and key services whilst seeing Royal Mail continue to be headquartered in Britain, securing jobs and tax receipts in the UK.
The Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, has today [16 December] received legally binding commitments from Royal Mail bidder Daniel Křetínský that are intended to secure the long-term, sustainable future of Royal Mail whilst protecting crucial services for millions of customers across the UK.
This significant agreement, between the Department for Business and Trade and Daniel Křetínský’s EP Group, contains commitments that protect, and secure investment in, Royal Mail’s postal network which is important to everyone from small business owners in Southampton to online shoppers in Shetland.
These commitments deliver on the Government’s Plan for Change, kickstarting economic growth by providing stability to a national institution that strengthens the foundations of Britain’s domestic supply chain and delivers better public services to people across the whole country.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:“For too many years progress on securing a stable future at Royal Mail has stalled, but from day one we have been committed to providing a secure future for thousands of workers and customers.
“Today’s agreement is yet another example of this Government’s commitment to working hand in hand with business to generate reform give respite to people right across the UK, as we are working towards ensuring a financially stable Royal Mail with protected links between communities other providers can’t reach.
“I’d like to thank EP Group and Daniel Křetínský for their constructive approach to our discussions and their commitment to protecting this national icon. I look forward to working with them to fix the foundations and ensure Royal Mail continues to deliver for the communities and businesses who rely on it most.”
Recognising the importance of Royal Mail as an iconic national institution, the government has negotiated a ‘Golden Share’ which will ensure that, with very limited exception, the headquarters of Royal Mail cannot be moved abroad and that Royal Mail cannot change where it pays its taxes, in either case without UK government approval.
These restrictions will apply to any future owners of Royal Mail and, alongside other commitments to the brand and cypher, secure Royal Mail’s identity as an iconic British institution whilst also allowing it to operate as a fully private company without day-to-day government interference.
EP Group have also committed to honour any new agreements entered into with the postal unions, recognising that workers should be placed at the heart of a sustainable Royal Mail.
After months of constructive engagement, these legally binding commitments were voluntarily offered by EP Group in recognition of the significant contribution that Royal Mail makes to Britain’s national identity and the importance that it has in everyday life in the UK.
EP Group Chairman Daniel Křetínský said:“EP Group is very pleased to have reached this historic agreement with the Business Secretary to safeguard the future of Royal Mail, under EP Group ownership.
“We would like to thank the Business Secretary for the constructive negotiations that have resulted in unprecedented commitments and undertakings that demonstrate the high regard EP Group has for Royal Mail as an institution, the service it provides to millions of UK homes and businesses, and Royal Mail employees.
“EP Group is a long term and committed investor with a mission to make Royal Mail a successful modern postal operator with high quality service and products for its customers. We look forward to delivering on this mission alongside our partners in government.”
Millions of small businesses and consumers across the country rely on Royal Mail for everything from magazines to medicine deliveries, which is why protecting its future following any takeover is critical.
The commitment we have offered include significant financial safeguards including assurances around financial investment and restrictions on value extraction linked to the financial strength of the Royal Mail business and the achievement of specific service level standards.
Today EP Group has also announced that it has reached negotiators’ agreements with the unions representing Royal Mail’s workforce.
The Government welcomes the negotiators’ agreement and is confident that the constructive and collaborrative approach between the unions and the buyer can represent a restart for Royal Mail.
Postal Services Minister Justin Madders said: “We have agreed these commitments with EP Group with the intention of securing the best outcome possible for Royal Mail’s customers, incentivising high performance and protecting the important services communities rely on.
“Royal Mail’s workers will also play a crucial role in getting the company back on track, and I’m pleased that EP Group and the CWU have worked quickly to reach an agreement on their part in the takeover.
“A sustainable Royal Mail is a successful Royal Mail, and through this agreement we’re paving the way towards a brighter future where it can be a source of national pride once again.”
Communication Workers Union General Secretary Dave Ward said: “We are pleased to have reached a negotiators settlement with EP Group covering crucial areas such as job security, the governance of the company, a meaningful stake in the business for employees, restoring quality of service, legally binding commitments and improving the terms and conditions of our members.
“This agreement provides the foundation to rebuild Royal Mail. These have been challenging negotiations but through the support of our members we have delivered what by any measure is a groundbreaking agreement which puts postal workers and customers back at heart of everything Royal Mail does.”
ROYAL MAIL GROUP TAKEOVER BID – NEGOTIATORS AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN CWU AND EP GROUP
Dear Colleagues
Further to last week’s national briefing, CWU branches, reps and members would have seen this morning’s announcements setting out that EP Group and the government have reached agreement on a deed of undertaking, which contains legally binding guarantees from EP Group over the future of Royal Mail.
In light of this development, CWU is pleased to announce that we have reached a groundbreaking negotiators agreement with EP Group, subject to ratification by our Postal Executive.
The key parts of the agreement covers:
•Job security commitments and new legally binding commitments to employees
•Agreed principles on resolving a range of outstanding issues
•The introduction of a radical new governance and business model
•A meaningful stake in the business for employees
•Restoring quality of service •improving the terms and conditions of our members.
•A commitment to a new plan to grow the business
•A complete re-set in employee and industrial relations.
Ultimately the CWU will always campaign for Royal Mail to be returned to public ownership – but the reality is once it became clear the government would support this takeover – our role as a trade union was to do everything possible to protect our members.
Whilst many will fear Royal Mail falling into the hands of a foreign equity investor, the truth is every postal worker knows the status quo is what will kill off postal services in the UK. The Royal Mail Group Board have been running the company into the ground over a sustained period and in the process have completely alienated their own workforce. It is time for a fresh start and a complete re-set of employee and industrial relations.
At this stage, the transaction is not completed and still has some formal stages to go through which include:
•Clearance under the national security act
•Clearance under European regulations
•Shareholders vote
It is likely that all of these processes will be cleared in the first quarter of 2025.
NEXT STEPS FOR CWU
Subject to the document being cleared by our Postal Executive, we will be putting together a comprehensive engagement package this week including briefings for our branches, reps and members.
A new approach to development and the environment will boost the number of homes being built
Measures will create a ‘win-win’ for nature and the economy, accelerating economic and environmental growth.
Rules will focus on driving up environmental outcomes over rigid processes that block and delay development, with developers able to pay into a fund for improvements to nature as a quicker and simpler way of meeting their environmental obligations.
Measures to turbocharge housebuilding have been set out (15 December) as part of wider proposals for the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The Bill will play a key role in promoting economic growth, unlocking a new scale of delivery for housing and infrastructure.
Common sense changes to environmental rules will support the Government’s commitment to build 1.5 million homes and advance 150 major infrastructure project decisions, while also helping halt and reverse the decline of species and natural habitats.
A new Nature Restoration Fund would enable developers to meet their environmental obligations more quickly and with greater impact – accelerating the building of homes and improving the environment.
Currently developers may need to secure mitigation for environmental harm before being granted planning permission.
This adds cost, delays and can entirely block the housing and infrastructure our country needs – with rules too focused on preserving the status quo instead of supporting growth and charting a course to nature recovery.
Under these reforms, developers will instead be able to pay into the fund allowing building to proceed immediately – quicker, simpler, and more certain that the broken status quo.
A delivery body, such as Natural England, will then take responsibility for securing positive environmental outcomes, for example, delivering a reduction in nutrient pollution affecting the water environment or securing habitats to increase the population of a protected species.
This represents a shift away from a broken system which has stifled development, growth and nature recovery for far too long – failing communities and the environment.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner said: “Getting Britain building means stripping away unnecessary barriers to growth to deliver the homes that we so desperately need.
“For years, vital housing and infrastructure projects have been tied up in red tape leaving communities without the homes, infrastructure and jobs they need.
“Our Plan for Change will put an end to the status quo while restoring nature. It’s win-win for development and our environment, including targeted reforms allowing us to use the economic benefits of growth to fund tangible and targeted action for nature’s recovery.”
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “We were elected on a mandate to get Britain building again and protect nature.
“But the status quo is blocking the building of homes and failing to protect the environment.
“These reforms will allow tens of thousands of homes to be built while protecting the natural environment we all depend on.”
The proposals set out three steps the government will take to help developers get building while delivering their environmental obligations in a more sensible and strategic way.
This approach will mean developers don’t have to pay for individual site level assessments for the matters covered by the Nature Restoration Fund – which adds cost and delay – and will no longer have to deliver mitigation needed.
A single payment will enable development to proceed. A delivery body will then take the actions needed to drive nature recovery at a strategic, not site-by-site, scale:
Government will lead a single strategic assessment and delivery plan for an area – not an individual site – which will allow decisions to be made at an appropriate geographic scale. The current process is uncertain and costly, with assessments on issues such as nutrient neutrality requiring bespoke calculations and significant technical expertise at the level of each individual project. This also misses the opportunity to support the best outcomes for nature.
A public delivery body will consider which actions are needed to address the environmental impact of development across an appropriate area and determine how much developers will pay into the Nature Restoration Fund. The delivery body will secure the actions funded by developers, removing the need for actions to be taken on a case by case basis.
Contributions will be secured from developers to fully fund nature recovery actions. This would enable developers to meet certain environmental obligations through a single payment into the Nature Restoration Fund – which would streamline the process and maximise the impact of money spent on nature by directing it to real world action instead of paperwork and process.
The proposals are set out in a working paper, which seeks views from stakeholders including communities, housing and clean power developers, nature service providers and local authorities. Feedback from the working paper will inform the next stage of policy development.
Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, said: “It is evident that we need to take urgent action to address the worsening decline of nature, and we must also lean into the challenges posed by housing shortages.
“We will continue to work with the Government to help deliver their plans – but the two key issues of today, nature and economic recovery, should not be pitted against one another, as we step up efforts to avoid losing what protected remnants of nature remain while also restoring some of what has gone.
“Instead, we should consider the huge opportunities which can be unlocked through better strategic planning which considers environmental improvements, economic development and green spaces for public enjoyment on a landscape scale.”
Commenting on the National Planning Policy Framework, countryside charity CPRE chief executive Roger Mortlock said: “‘The broken housebuilding market is to blame for the painfully slow delivery of much-needed new homes. When big housebuilders deliberately limit the supply of new homes to maximise their profits, supercharging the current system will not lead to the change the government is looking for.
‘The government’s plans risk a huge hike in the number of unaffordable, car-dependent homes. Building on England’s 1.2 million shovel-ready brownfield sites would do far more to unlock growth, regenerate communities and provide sustainable, genuinely affordable new homes.
‘We welcome the commitment to local plans and affordable homes. However, local authorities responsible for delivering new homes will be swamped with speculative applications on high-quality Green Belt and farmland. Inevitably, many of these will be approved to meet nationally imposed targets.
‘The ‘grey belt’ policy needs to be much more clearly defined and exclude working farms. It will undermine the Green Belt, one of this country’s most successful spatial protections with huge potential to help address the climate and nature emergencies.
‘There’s some hope ahead with plans for a strategy that covers all our use of land. Longer-term commitments to build genuinely affordable and better designed homes are welcome too. Until then,, our countryside will remain needlessly under threat.’
The government would use the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to introduce legislative changes to drive action at a strategic level which will provide certainty for both developers and the environment.
This will also establish a more efficient and effective way for Habitats Regulations and other environmental obligations to be discharged, pooling individual contributions to deliver the strategic interventions necessary to drive nature recovery.
Water safety charity launches new video to encourage everyone to #BeAMate this Christmas
With Christmas just around the corner and festive tipples in full swing, a national charity launches its annual winter campaign with sobering new video to encourage everyone to ‘Be a Mate’ this December.
The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) is running its annual Don’t Drink and Drown campaign from 12-20December 2024, targeting festive partygoers to ‘Be a Mate’ and ensure their friends make their way home safely after a night out.
In the last six years, of those aged 18-25 who drowned, 46% lose their lives through a substance-related drowning, informing the charity’s efforts to target this age group through the campaign (WAID, 2018-2023).
Forming part of the December campaign, RLSS UK has released an impactful video which showcases the devastatingly real risks involved when people journey home alone after consuming alcohol – and the tragic reality for some. This scenario helps to reinforce the charity’s wider message of the campaign, urging those enjoying the festive period to be responsible for themselves and their friends if they have had too much to drink and help them to avoid dangerous routes and return home safely.
As work Christmas parties and gatherings with friends and family for the festive period take place across the country, RLSS UK fears that this could result in accidental fatalities as drunk people walk home near the water.
Matt Croxall, Charity Director at RLSS UK, said: “Our research indicates that among those aged 18-25 who lost their lives to accidental drowning, almost half had alcohol and/or drugs in their bloodstream.
“In a bid to reduce this worryingly high number of substance-related drownings around this time of year, we’ve launched our brand-new campaign video during the festive period, when people are more likely to get merry, and so the risk is significantly higher.
“The video seeks to highlight the importance of making all the right decisions – from not journeying home alone after consuming alcohol, actively looking out for friends, to taking routes home away from water – bringing to life the very harsh reality that this could happen to anyone.
“Our key message remains the same. We encourage everyone to look after their friends, to ‘Be a Mate’ and ensure that everyone gets home safely to their families this Christmas.”
RLSS UK wants to reinforce the message of safety in numbers, avoiding dangerous routes home near the water, and staying together to make sure everyone makes it home safe.
Matt continued: “We know that alcohol and drugs are known to lower inhibitions, which can lead to impaired judgment, and this is where we see people taking risks and getting themselves into trouble in and around water.
“We can’t stress enough the dangers of cold-water shock around this time of year and encourage everyone to partake in festivities, but to do so safely – and to stay safe and away from the water after drinking.
“After all, your presence is the greatest gift your loved ones could ask for this Christmas.”
For more information on the campaign and to support RLSS UK’s Don’t Drink and Drown campaign this December, visit www.rlss.org.uk/dont-drink-and-drown where you can also download resources to spread the word and help keep your friends and family safe this winter.
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GIC are passionate about providing the best possible service to our clients and we are delighted with the results and the many positive comments we’ve received since April:
