Heart of Newhaven: October News

WELCOME TO YOUR OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

AGM

Thank you to everyone who came along to our second AGM. You are the community and you have a say in what is happening at the Heart. Judy Crabb as Chair opened the proceedings, welcomed everyone, thanked all staff, volunteers, trustees and volunteer consultants and gave a short presentation on the highlights of the last 12 months.

Images on the website for those who were unable to attend.

Andrew Waldie presented the accounts and explained that he was now stepping down. Judy thanked him for the very significant contributions he has made to the work and progress of HoNC. He will be missed but it is time for him to move on elsewhere.

As per the constitution Member Trustees appointed by the Board – since the last AGM, Sarah Harvey and Lynne Porteous, stepped down. They put themselves forward again and were elected.

Co-opted trustees, Christine McDerment, Lindsay Millar and Richard Thomas stood down, offered themselves to rejoin and were duly elected.

At the Board meeting that followed the AGM, the following office bearers were elected: Judy Crabb as Chair and Richard Thomas as Secretary. You can find a complete list of all board members on the website.

Those attending were able to inspect the new Community Teaching Kitchen which has been installed and appeared to be very impressed. Mwamba have already used it for their Conversation Cafe, Newhaven Friendship Group had a demonstration of air fryers there and Cyrenians are to use the facility when they begin to operate a Lunch Club at The Heart from November.

Doors Open Days

Visitors on Doors Open weekend (23rd and 24thSeptember) were impressed with the changes and progress that have been made in the Heart. Around 4-500 people came through the doors and enjoyed tours of the site and chatting with trustees. Lots of people had a chance to see the beautiful Ink on Mesh Studio and to see all the works being created there.

Many spent quite some time in the Victorian Schoolroom and the adjoining Heritage Suite, now available for visits, enjoying looking through old photograph albums and appreciating the various collections on display.  

Others met our resident Ukrainian group, the Edinburgh Spiders to find out all about their project to support those on the front line.

The weekend also saw the last days of the 100 Species exhibition in the Atrium and Anchor Building. While a display of photographs of the many contributions were on display in the Atrium, larger objects and more photos were on show in the Anchor Building, including a full-size reimagining of a Newhaven Fishwife by Karen Bates incorporating two creels which had been kindly donated to the Heart’s heritage collection.

Head of Marine Conservation Scotland, Calum Duncan, described the sensation on entering the display as a “ wonderful, inspiring exhibition like Neptune’s grotto when I walked in”.

Funding

The Heart would like to thank recent funders for their contributions. We have been granted £10k from the Pilgrim Trust and £25k from Historic Environment Scotland as contributions to the costs of emergency repairs to the Heart – basically much needed repairs to the roof and windows.

We are currently out to tender and hope the work can start before the end of the year.

A big thank you also to the trustees of the Leith Community Fund who have agreed a grant of £5k towards the Heart of Newhaven Dementia  Meeting Centre.

Duke of Edinburgh participants

We are pleased to welcome a growing number of local youngsters taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, who are now volunteering at the Heart.

They will be attending on Saturday mornings to welcome visitors and conduct tours of the site while honing their various skills by helping in crafting sessions with even more visiting youngsters.

An appeal for crafters who would like to come on Saturday mornings to teach young or old, including our Duke of Edinburgh award volunteers: we’d welcome more crafters who know how to knit, crochet, card-make as well as share any other similar skill.

Do come and share your creative enjoyment. We’d like to encourage adults attending any classes such as Zumba to bring their children and we shall keep them entertained and busy with any crafts we can offer.  

Contact norma.johnston@heartofnewhaven.co.uk if you would like to participate.

Coming Up Soon

Autumn Family Ceilidh. Saturday October 28th, 2pm.

Our first one proved very popular with everyone, so there’s another coming up soon. Contact admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk if you would like to buy tickets and if you have any unwanted gifts you could donate as raffle prizes.

Call 0131 380 3504 for tickets.

Sharing the past

Our reminiscence volunteers have confirmed their dates for the next few months, so do make a note of them if you would like to come along and chat or share any memories  :

All sessions will be on a Thursday at 10.30-11.30 am.

19th October

23rd November

21December

18th January

22nd February

STOP PRESS:

Make a Noticing Journal – a book binding & writing workshop for adults

10am – 1pm,Saturday 18 November

Mindfulness journaling has many benefits, including reducing stress, improving mental clarity, and increasing self-awareness – intrigued? This could be the workshop for you!

Join local Bookbinder Cass Barron and Writer/Artist Julie Galante to make your own ‘noticing journal’ and explore a mindful approach to journalling.

Please contact Cass asap at bookbindingwithcass@gmail.com to reserve your place – – places will be issued on a first come, first served basis as we are limited to a class of 12.

And finally

Our culture & heritage lead, Christine, is keen to gather a few willing helpers around her who could assist in some projects which are being planned.

One would involve research in the Central Library, another requires someone with some computer skills.

There will be various opportunities.

Contact christine.mcderment@heartofnewhaven.co.uk if would like to get involved.

WHAT’S ON AT THE HEART

EQUITY demo against culture cuts

DEMO – TODAY – Tuesday 3 October at 12.00
Assemble – outside Scottish Parliament building

After abandoning plans for swingeing cuts to Scotland’s arts & culture industries in February this year, Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has suddenly announced the Scottish Government will reimpose a 10% funding cut just weeks before the next round of funding awards.

The Scottish Government is putting thousands of jobs at risk with this cut of millions of pounds into the sector.

Fair work in the culture sector will be impossible in the face of this cut, and it is trade union members who will suffer the consequences of job losses, lower pay, and precarious work.

Join our demo to demand Deputy First Minister Shona Robison and Culture Secretary Angus Robertson reverse these cuts immediately.

Empowering communities

Visit to group leading development of Inveraray Pier

First Minister Humza Yousaf met community group Inspire Inveraray to see first hand their ongoing work to regenerate the local pier as part of wider transformation plans for the area.

The community group purchased the pier in July 2023, using £121,374 from the Scottish Government supported Scottish Land Fund, to bring it back into operation, providing greater access for leisure and water sports, fishing activities and further connections to surrounding towns. The pier had previously been privately owned for 20 years and has been closed to the public for the past five years.

First Minister Humza Yousaf took a tour of the pier ahead of the 51st Travelling Cabinet and discussed how the funding had enabled the group to take on community ownership.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “Community empowerment is a key aim for this government and it was great to see in person a perfect example of a local group, supported by the Scottish Government, taking power of local assets for their community benefit as well as supporting the local economy.

“We are fully committed to ensuring that Scotland’s regions are able to thrive and contribute to a growing sustainable economy.

“I look forward to discussing this with the people of Inveraray and the wider Argyll and Bute area to achieve this within their local communities.”

Find out more about the Scottish Land Fund.

Pet first aid becomes lifesaver for seriously injured dog

Two-year-old Labrador Reggie was out enjoying a Sunday evening walk with his loving owner when disaster struck, and PDSA’s pet first aid advice had to be put into practice.

While running through the woods with his canine brother, Ronnie; Reggie sliced his paw open on some broken glass that had been discarded on the ground.

With blood pouring from his cut paw, over a mile from the car and unfortunately no supplies on hand, Reggie’s owner, Jess, utilised her recently learnt pet first aid knowledge to wrap the serious wound with a makeshift bandage.

To help stem the bleeding, Jess ripped off a piece of her clothing and applied pressure to the cut. She then covered it with a poo bag, tied loosely round Reggie’s ankle, to keep it clean while they made their way back to the car.

Once home, Jess unwrapped the bandage to clean Reggie’s paw and realised it was still bleeding heavily. She immediately called the vet, who directed them to head straight to their out of hours service.

After being examined, the vet informed Jess that the deep cut had damaged a major blood vessel and would need stitches under general anaesthetic. Luckily the procedure went smoothly and just a few hours later, Reggie was discharged and able to go home for some well-needed rest and recuperation, while his paw heeled.

PDSA Vet Lynne James said: “It can be extremely worrying when your pet has an accident or gets injured, especially if you’re far from home and you haven’t got your pet first aid kit with you.

“In Reggie’s case, his owner did exactly the right thing and helped stem a potentially life-threatening bleed, preventing further contamination and infection to the wound – thanks to the lifesaving advice learnt from our pet first aid leaflet.

“Our guide covers everything from what to do if your pet is having a seizure, to how to cool your pet down safely if they develop life-threatening heatstroke.

You never know when disaster might strike so it’s very useful to be clued up on pet first aid – it could save a life in an emergency.”

Jess said: “After reading through all of PDSA’s pet first aid advice in the guide, we made sure we had a complete pet first aid kit for the dogs, but I didn’t have it with me on our walk. Despite that, the advice in the guide ended up really being a ‘lifesaver’ when Reggie cut his paw.”

PDSA’s pet first aid guide is available for FREE, you can download your own copy from PDSA’s website: https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-first-aid  

PDSA relies on donations to deliver life-saving treatment to hundreds of thousands of pets through its 48 Pet Hospitals across the UK. To help keep people and their pets together in times of need, the charity is urgently calling on the public’s support.

To find out more about PDSA’s vital work, or to donate, visit www.pdsa.org.uk

Influential entrepreneur becomes Vice-Chair of Salvesen Mindroom

Business leader, educator and entrepreneur Judy Wagner has been appointed Vice Chair of neurodiversity champions Salvesen Mindroom Centre.

Ms Wagner, a strong advocate for diversity in the workplace for three decades, has been a trustee of the Edinburgh-based charity for the past three years during which time her influential business network has helped to expand the charity’s reach and impact.

She has also enabled the charity to broaden its scope of service delivery and attracted new clients and opportunities to extend its services.

An Edinburgh University graduate and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, she has been heavily involved in championing diversity issues since co-founding international executive search business FWB Park Brown in 1993 and has also worked with Scottish Enterprise to establish the Balancing the Boardroom project, the first of its kind in Scotland for women on boards.

Last year she was part of an independent review on Women in Entrepreneurship commissioned by the Scottish Government. She focused on the education sector, liaising with key leaders across the whole sector, examining how enterprise and diversity, including neurodiversity, could be embedded in our education system. 

“There is no doubt that the best teams embrace diversity of all forms,” she says. “And the benefits of embracing neurodiversity in the workplace are well proven in ensuring success, attracting and retaining key talent and creating a welcoming environment.”

Ms Wagner, who is also passionate about Salvesen Mindroom’s role as a key partner in the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre, part of the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences at The University of Edinburgh, is committed to helping establish the charity as a centre of excellence for Neurodiversity, supporting children, young people and those in the workplace with leading research, advice and practical resources.

Salvesen Mindroom Centre’s Chair Sandy Manson, who has long argued for diversity to become a key business priority, says: “Judy’s ethos and enthusiasm are a perfect fit for us.

“She embraces everything we are trying to achieve and has already proved an impressive force for good on various fronts, including using her networks to publicise and attract delegates for the global It Takes All Kinds Of Minds conference we held in the city in March. We look forward to enhancing our offering further with her guidance as Vice Chair.”

Salvesen Mindroom Centre is a charity that champions all forms of neurodiversity and supports all kinds of minds. Their mission is to be a leading centre for change, in how we live, work and learn. They will achieve this through support, education, advocacy, and research. Visit their website for more information on the charity’s work.

New Winter COVID-19 Infection Study

A study to gather vital data on COVID-19 this winter has been launched by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The Winter COVID-19 Infection Study (WCIS) will run from November 2023 to March 2024, involving up to 200,000 participants.

UKHSA previously commissioned the Coronavirus Infection Survey (CIS), carried out by the ONS during the pandemic, in partnership with scientific study leads Oxford University.

Recognised globally as the gold standard for surveillance of the virus, CIS gathered and analysed more than 11.5 million swab tests and 3 million blood tests from April 2020 to March 2023. 

The new WCIS is a different study and will involve up to 32,000 lateral flow tests being carried out each week, providing key insight into the levels of COVID-19 circulating across the wider community. This sample will be broadly representative of the population according to key characteristics.

While widespread vaccination has allowed us to live with COVID-19, some people remain more vulnerable to severe illness, and this in turn can lead to increased pressures on the NHS over the winter months.

That is why UKHSA is urging eligible adults to book their flu and COVID-19 vaccines online via the NHS website, by downloading the NHS App, or by calling 119 for free, to give themselves the best protection against severe illness and hospitalisation.

UKHSA’s existing surveillance systems already provide up-to-date information on hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates, but the introduction of this study will allow us to detect changes in the infection hospitalisation rate (IHR), which requires accurate measurement of infection levels in the community.

Calculating the IHR will enable UKHSA to assess the potential for increased demand on health services due to changes in the way the virus is spreading, which could be driven by the arrival of any new variants.

Professor Steven Riley, Director General of Data, Analytics and Surveillance at UKHSA, said: “The data we collected alongside the ONS during the pandemic provided us with a huge amount of valuable insight, so I am delighted that we are able to work together again to keep policymakers and the wider public informed in the coming months.

“UKHSA continues to lead the way internationally on COVID-19 surveillance and by re-introducing a study of positivity in the community, we can better detect changes in the behaviour of the virus.”

The study will use lateral flow devices (LFDs) supplied by UKHSA.

The latest UKHSA technical briefing, published on 22 September, included initial findings of tests performed in the laboratory at Porton Down to examine the effectiveness of LFDs in detecting BA.2.86, and found no reduction in sensitivity compared to previous variants.

The model and scale of this study could also be converted into a programme that captures data on different respiratory viruses, should that be required in future.

Deputy National Statistician Emma Rourke at the ONS said: “ONS is committed to building on the experience of standing up the gold standard CIS. Our resources and statistical expertise are here for the public good, and we are delighted to be delivering this study in partnership with UKHSA.

“There remains a need for robust data to help us continue to understand the virus and its effects during the winter months.

“As well as working to provide UKHSA with regular rates of positivity, we will also be looking at analysis of symptoms, risk factors and the impact of respiratory infections, including long COVID, as part of this important surveillance.”

One week on, Martin still missing

Almost one week on from when he was last seen, police continue to appeal for information to trace 70-year-old Martin Sinnett who is missing from Edinburgh.

Officers are checking a possible sighting in Musselburgh in the High Street and Harbour area.

There is also a confirmed sighting of Martin around 6.35am on Tuesday, 26 September outside the motorbike training centre on Seafield Road, Edinburgh.

At that time, he was wearing a wide-brimmed hat. He was also wearing a distinctive kilt jacket, blue jeans and black trainers with white soles. Officers have released a CCTV image.

Inspector Mike Smith said: “We are extremely concerned for Martin’s wellbeing and just want to know he is safe and well.

“I would ask residents in these areas to check their gardens, sheds and outbuildings in case Martin has sought shelter. If anyone has seen Martin or has any information on his whereabouts, please contact us.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting reference number 0708 of 26 September

More than 11,500 disclosures given to people at risk of domestic abuse

More than 11,500 disclosures have been made to tell people their partner has an abusive past, since Police Scotland launched a scheme eight years ago to help tackle domestic abuse.

The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse in Scotland (DSDAS) launched on 1st October 2015, has received over 20,000 requests for information.

Of the 20,005 requests, 11,599 disclosures (58 per cent) have been made to tell people their current partner has a violent or abusive past.

‘a thousand words’ commissioned by Scottish Womens Aid and Zero Tolerance. Copyright Laura Dodsworth

Detective Superintendent Gillian Faulds, Police Scotland’s Head of Domestic Abuse, said: “Abusers manipulate and control their victims.

“Abuse can be gradual and it can be very difficult for victims of domestic abuse to recognise their situation and to then take action to end their relationship.

“The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland helps someone at risk of abuse consider their circumstances and make an informed choice about the future of that relationship.”

The scheme operates two pathways, the right to ask and the power to tell.

Under the Right to Ask, people who think their partner may have an abusive past, or their family and friends have concerns, are able to submit an application. Where lawful, proportionate and necessary, a disclosure can be made to the person at risk.

Under the Power to Tell, professionals including the police and partner agencies can apply for a disclosure to be made where they have reason to believe a person could be at risk of domestic abuse.

Detective Superintendent Faulds added: “If you’re a family member, a friend, a work colleague or even a neighbour and you think that someone you know is potentially at risk of harm from their current partner then you can make an application.

“Those at risk from domestic abuse who are told about a partner’s abusive past can then choose the course of action they wish to take, whether to end the relationship or continue it. Officers will always signpost those at risk to support and advice offered by our partners.

“All it takes is one person to alert us and we can help end the threat and harm caused by domestic abuse.”

Submitting a DSDAS application can be done online on the Police Scotland website, by calling 101, speaking to an officer or attending at a police station. Applications are processed within 45 days or sooner.

HMRC: Scottish taxi driver tax checks come into force

Scotland’s 29,000 taxi and private hire drivers need to complete HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) tax checks when renewing their operating licence, starting from today (2 October 2023).

The checks have been introduced to promote tax compliance within the industry and make it fairer for the vast majority of drivers who already pay their taxes correctly.

Councils will administer the process in Scotland, which involves making sure drivers have completed their tax check before their licence applications can be considered.

The checks will also be required for those in Scotland renewing their licence to operate a booking office or a scrap metal site, plus those who are metal dealers.

Marc Gill, Director of Individuals and Small Business Compliance, HMRC, said: “While most taxi drivers in Scotland pay their taxes accurately and on time, we want to level the playing field and tackle the small minority who don’t.

“The hidden economy is estimated to cost the UK Government £2 billion in unpaid taxes, which deprives funds for the vital public services we all rely on.

“By linking tax compliance to licence renewal, the government hopes to discourage participation in the hidden economy and encourage drivers to fulfil their tax obligations.”

The checks were rolled out in England and Wales in April 2022, where more than 120,000 people have already successfully gone through the process.

When renewing their licence, drivers will need to use a Government Gateway account to complete the tax check on GOV.UK, which is quick, simple and straightforward.

After answering a few questions about their tax registration, HMRC will provide applicants with a tax check code. This code must be given to the local council before they can proceed with the licence renewal application.

Scotland-council-taxi-private-hire-licence-numbersDownload

New town centre plans unveiled for East Lothian’s Blindwells 

Ambitious plans to develop a mixed-use centre at the heart of East Lothian’s new town, Blindwells, including more affordable homes, have been submitted for approval.

The project proposals, led by regeneration and property development specialist Hargreaves Land, could see new shops, offices, restaurants, supermarket and business space all constructed on 5 acres at Blindwells.

Included in the plans are sixty affordable apartments overlooking the newly created Princes Loch.  Also proposed are a new wellbeing centre, care home, gym and community space as part of ambitious plans to create a sustainable and pedestrian friendly town centre.

Extra bus stops, active travel paths and electrical vehicle (EV) charge points are also proposed, supporting the principles of a ‘20-minute neighbourhood’. This approach is based around creating communities to allow residents to meet their daily requirements within a few minutes’ walk of their front doors and includes access to sustainable modes of travel.

Hargreaves Land, which is working with planning and development consultants Turley and EMA architects to bring forward its plans, expects the move will create a ‘vibrant and bustling’ new centre at the heart of Blindwells, delivering a significant economic boost for the local area in the process.

This includes hundreds of jobs in the construction, supply chain, and local services sectors, which could all follow if the latest phase of development gets the green light from East Lothian Council which is anticipated early in the new year.

Onsite construction work could start as early as mid-2024.

Jonathan Graham, senior development surveyor at Hargreaves Land, said: “Our ambitious plans mark another exciting chapter in the Blindwells story. We are investing for the future, building a town centre that will create a new destination and an exciting sense of place for residents, adding to their overall wellbeing and living experience.

“We’re also working with our partners to deliver much needed affordable homes, ensuring schemes like this one are a welcome addition to local communities and contribute towards providing high quality housing for people in places where they want to live.”

Kate Donald, director at Turley, said: “We’re proud to provide ongoing support to Hargreaves Land to help them deliver exciting plans for Blindwells. This latest application will see the creation of a vibrant town centre which will provide key amenities to the wider new community that is being created.”

Hargreaves Land is the developer behind the regeneration of Blindwells, which lies between Tranent, Cockenzie and Port Seton and has been earmarked for new housing for more than a decade as part of the regeneration of one of Scotland’s former coalfields. 

Over 150 new homes are already occupied with housebuilders Persimmon, Bellway and Ogilvie all currently active at Blindwells, with Hadden Homes and Avant Homes also proposing to commence onsite in the new year.