Nominate your champion in Age Scotland awards

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Age Scotland is asking people across Scotland’s communities to nominate a champion in their annual awards.

The Charity, which is dedicated to helping people in Scotland enjoy a better later life, is looking for nominations for the Age Scotland Awards 2014, which will be presented in the Scottish Parliament later this year.

The Awards celebrate the groups and individuals that have made a significant contribution to the lives of older people.
There are six categories in the awards:

· Volunteer of the Year Award (sponsored by Solicitors for Older People Scotland)

· Employer of the Year Award

· The Jess Barrow Award for Campaigning and Influencing (sponsored by McCarthy & Stone)

· The Patrick Brookes Partnership Award (sponsored by Specsavers)

· Service for Older People Award

· Member Group of the Year Award (sponsored by David Urquhart Travel and open only to Age Scotland member groups)

The Employer of the Year Award has been introduced for the 2014 awards because, with the scrapping of the mandatory retirement age in 2012, we now have more older people in work and it is vital that employers respond to this positively.

Brian Sloan, Chief Executive of Age Scotland, said: “Too often we hear negative messages about older people such as the ‘demographic time bomb’. Age Scotland’s Awards are our way of challenging these perceptions and celebrating later life.

We want to demonstrate how older people embrace civic and social responsibilities and showcase the depth of talent and experience amongst our older generation.

“If you know someone who’s making a real difference to the lives of older people then tell us about them. And remember, if you know of an employer who has exemplary age friendly practices, please nominate them for our newest category of award.”

The nomination form can be downloaded at www.agescotland.org.uk/awards or can be requested by calling 0845 833 0200.

Nomination forms must be received no later than Friday 29 August.

AgeScotland

Top student Martin’s a health and safety gem!

NEBOSH (2)An Edinburgh College student has beaten more than 1,300 others to be named one of the country’s top occupational health and safety students.

Martin Diamond received the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health’s (NEBOSH) Phil Hughes Award, which is presented annually to the best candidate in Unit A of the Diploma. Martin, who studied the National Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, received his accolade at Warwick University, where the international NEBOSH graduation ceremony was held.

The NEBOSH National Diploma qualification is recognised globally by professional bodies such as the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health for professional membership.

Martin, who is 35 years old and studied the part-time qualification while working as an environmental health officer at West Lothian Council, said: “I didn’t expect to win the best candidate award so it was a big surprise. I felt very proud of my achievements, to have obtained the top mark from more than 1,300 candidates. The graduation was a great day and meant I could celebrate my success with my tutor and my family.”

Martin added: “The most interesting part of the course was finding out about major catastrophes such as Piper Alpha and Chernobyl. We learned why accidents like these occur and how to prevent them happening again in the future.

“I also enjoyed the teaching style at the college, with a mixture of lectures, quizzes, class competitions and practical demonstrations, which made the course a lot more interesting. In particular, the lab sessions with the exploding custard tin and burning jelly babies was lots of fun whilst also teaching us practical skills.”

NEBOSH chief executive Teresa Budworth said: “We congratulate Martin on being the top candidate for Unit A this year. This is a massive achievement, which will have taken a great deal of hard work and dedication to achieve.”

With this extra qualification under his belt as well as the NEBOSH Best Candidate Award, Martin plans to take his newly acquired skills and knowledge back to West Lothian Council, where he assists local businesses with occupational health and safety as environmental health officer.

A diamond geezer, indeed!

Simply the best! Students’ union scoops top award

Edinburgh College Students’ Association is best in UK

NUS 2Edinburgh College Students’ Association (ECSA) has won the Further Education Students’ Union of the Year Award 2014, beating off competition from across the UK.

Up against some of the best students’ unions and associations across the country, ECSA came out on top in the National Union of Students (NUS) annual awards. It was the only Scottish college students’ association to be nominated in any category at the awards.

ECSA trumped category rivals from English and Welsh counterparts, including Sheffield College Students’ Union, South Eastern Regional College Students’ Union, Burton and South Derbyshire College Students’ Union and Coleg Gwent in Wales.

Kelly Parry, ECSA president for 2013/14, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to win the NUS FE Students’ Union of the Year Award. It’s a huge credit to the work ethic, dedication and enthusiasm of everyone involved in making ECSA a success – students, student officers and staff – and it’s proof that college students’ associations can make a real and positive difference to the lives of thousands of students.

“Over the last year, Edinburgh College Students’ Association and Edinburgh College have been doing some fantastic work to empower students to give them the best possible learning experiences. Winning this award has been a brilliant note to end on as president and I’m very confident that the new president and student officers will be able to build on our successes in the next coming year.”

ECSA provides a strong and independent voice for students at the college, which has 26,000 student enrolments, and works closely with the college to ensure that all students have a life-changing educational experience.

The judging panel from the NUS – which recognises students and students’ unions who do incredible things for their colleges and universities – was impressed with several of the association’s initiatives. The judges were particularly impressed with ECSA’s efforts to ensure that the college is reaching, representing and supporting under-represented groups. For example, ECSA was praised for its support of students from care backgrounds, with an event to showcase the hard work and determination of young people in and leaving care and the great challenges they face.

ECSA was also recognised for successfully lobbying the Scottish Parliament on behalf of the student body. One of ECSA’s major achievements was getting MSP Kezia Dugdale to raise the question of discrepancies of further education childcare funding in the Scottish Parliament, ensuring that student support and funding is at the forefront of the political agenda. The ECSA president also met with MSP Mike Russell, cabinet secretary for education and lifelong learning, to discuss this issue, and he subsequently committed to reviewing childcare funding for students.

The NUS FE Students’ Union of the Year award follows a recent partnership agreement with Edinburgh College, giving ECSA more influence over the college’s strategic direction. The partnership agreement – which strengthens ECSA’s ability to develop and meet students’ needs – breaks new ground for the further education sector in Scotland. Under the new agreement, ECSA will have a stronger voice at all decision-making levels of the college.

Pictured: Raphael Lehmann (ECSA Vice President Welfare and Activities) and Graham Smith (Student Liaison Officer).

Star student shines with national marketing award

starsAn Edinburgh College student has been crowned Star Creative Student at the Marketing Society Star Awards, a competition that celebrates Scotland’s top marketeers.

HND Graphic Design student Andrew Palfreyman fought off strong competition from across the country to win the award for his outstanding advertising campaign for John Lewis.

This is the third consecutive year that an Edinburgh College student has scooped the prestigious Star Creative Student award, with Jonathan Walton taking the coveted award at last year’s competition.

The Marketing Society Star Awards is an annual celebration of Scotland’s marketing community and highlights the best people within the industry, from up-and-coming FE and HE design students to well-known graphic design agencies such as the Leith Agency and The Union, and major players such as Tesco Bank and Standard Life.

As part of the Marketing Society Star Awards, students from universities and colleges in Scotland were invited to submit a creative brief for the high-profile client John Lewis. The brief challenged students to devise a creative campaign that will establish an emotional connection with John Lewis’ consumers, to build upon the success of the high-street brand’s famous Christmas campaigns and adverts.

A delighted Andrew said: “I was really pleased to find out I had won Star Creative Student. It’s a bit of a hat-trick for the graphic design course as I’m the third student in a row to have been given the award. I think winning a competition like this will really help me when I graduate, and eventually become an art director, which is my ideal job.”

He added: “The idea for my John Lewis campaign was to lead on from the previous Bear and Hare national advert. My advert links into the Commonwealth Games and how the event will affect a British family, as seen through the eyes of a child. It encourages viewers to form an emotional connection with the child and by association the John Lewis brand.”

Andrew will now get the chance to work alongside industry-leading graphic designers at the John Lewis headquarters in London.

Helena Good, design lecturer at Edinburgh College, said: “This is the third year running that our students have won Creative Student of the Year at this national competition. We’re incredibly proud of Andrew for winning and we know he has a really exciting career ahead of him. His success is an illustration of the highly creative, motivated and employable students that we are dedicated to producing here at the college.”

For more information about the awards, visit stars14.marketingsocietyscotland.com/.

Picure: L – R Nick Noble of Sales Force, presenting the award on behalf of Gus Chalmers of The Union, HND Graphic Design student Andrew Palfreyman, and BBC presenter Edith Bowman.

Niko defies the odds to become Student of the Year

Niko pictured with his wife Eva (left) and cousin Joanna
Niko pictured with his wife Eva (left) and cousin Joanna

An Edinburgh College student who came to Scotland for a fresh start and a chance to create a better life has fought against the odds to be named Student of the Year.

Niko Sadlowski – who studies NC Early Education and Childcare and is originally from Poland – received his award alongside 50 other prize winners at the Edinburgh College Further Education Awards ceremony at The Hub in the city centre. Niko was nominated by his lecturers because of his determination to succeed.

Niko, who also works part time at The Action Group charity for people with additional support needs and disabilities, said: “I was delighted and totally overwhelmed to find out I had won Student of the Year at the Further Education Awards.”

Niko added: “I left home as a teenager as I wanted to reduce the financial burden on my parents. I first came to this country at the age of 23 without knowing a word of English and I’ve worked really hard, in many low paying jobs, to create a life for myself and my family here.

“I grew up with deaf parents which meant I learned to communicate with them through sign language. I think this first triggered my interest in supporting people and their families with additional needs because I could understand the kinds of barriers they could face. My son was recently diagnosed with autism, so I also know what kind of support carers and their families require for a better quality of life.”

Edinburgh College childcare and social care lecturer Linda Paechter said: “Niko is an extraordinary student. His knowledge, skills and rich life experiences have been inspiring to his fellow students and I’m so pleased that he has been given the award of Student of the Year as part of the NC Early Education and Childcare course. His unwavering dedication to his studies has been incredible and he truly deserves the award.

“Professionals within childcare are predominantly female, yet the involvement of both male and female carers, educators and practitioners is incredibly important to allow for positive role-models for children. Niko is a wonderful ambassador for the benefits of more men in childcare and I know he has a very successful career ahead of him.”

Around 150 guests attended the Further Education Awards, which were hosted by Denise McAdam, celebrity hairdresser to the stars and presenter of the BBC programme Hair.

Denise, who studied hairdressing at Edinburgh College, has an impressive list of clients including Cindy Crawford, Grace Kelly, Princess Diana, Yasmin le Bon, and Naomi Campbell.

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Moving on up: prestigious award for local Health Project

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Pilton Community Health Project  has won an award for Moving Forward, a review featuring an innovative programme of activities with the local community. 

Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP) is one of North Edinburgh’s longest-established community organisations, first set up as the Health Hut almost thirty years ago. Over that time the PCHP team has worked tirelessly to improve health and wellbeing across the area, so it’d great to hear that PCHP’s efforts have been recognised – PCHP has just won a prestigious Physical Activity and Health Alliance (PAHA) ‘Community Wide Programme’ award from NHS Scotland for the Moving Forward initiative.

‘Moving Forward’ used exciting, innovative research techniques to explore how to involve the community in encouraging people to become more active. It found that local people would like to be supported to take part in informal, community led activities in local spaces.

Lianne Pipskyj and Clare Symonds, Physical Activity Development Workers at PCHP who co-ordinated the Moving Forward review explained “The value of the work we do is that we do it together, in partnership with other organisations and local people. We have also established a forum which strengthens these relationships, lets us be creative and helps us all improve what we do”

The report also found out that increasing the use of local green spaces and cycle paths would remove obstacles to getting active.

Savita Purran (pictured above) who’s been dancing Bollywood for more than 20 years is dancing for joy at the news of the award. Savita is now sharing her skills and enthusiasm by leading her own class in Muirhouse, having been supported and encouraged by the PCHP team. Savita told us, “Its excellent news! I have been able to follow my dream of teaching Bollywood which gets people active while having fun.”

Shona Robison said: “I’m delighted to congratulate Pilton Community Health Project on their success in the Physical Activity and Health Alliance Awards (PAHA) 2014. It’s fantastic to know that there is so much innovative and truly deserving work taking place around Scotland to make the nation more active’’.

The award will be presented at the 7th National PAHA Conference, which is being held on 24 April at Murrayfield and will be aattended by Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport Shona Robison.

Congratulations to all at PCHP!

PCHP_MovingForward

Quality! Edinburgh College cares

 

 

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Edinburgh College has been awarded a national Buttle UK Quality Mark for its commitment to supporting young people from care backgrounds.

The college was given the honour in recognition of its support for young people in and leaving care. Buttle UK – a charity that supports children and families living in poverty – recognises colleges and universities that make exceptional steps in helping young people to succeed in their studies and reach their true potential.

The award coincided with a college event organised by Edinburgh College Students’ Association (ECSA) to support students from care backgrounds. The Care Leavers’ Event underlined the college’s commitment to supporting care leavers and saw current students from care backgrounds take to the stage to share their stories and break the stigma attached to those who have been in the care system.

Two Edinburgh College students and another young person with a care background spoke in front of a large audience including Colin Beattie MSP, senior managers and guests from other local organisations including universities. Colin Beattie sits on the Education and Culture Committee, which was instrumental in passing the Children and Young People Bill that addresses looking after children in care and care leavers.

The event was held in partnership with the young people’s voluntary organisation Who Cares? Scotland, and saw the college and ECSA both sign the Who Cares? Scotland Pledge. This, along with the Buttle award, strengthens the long-term support Edinburgh College will provide to students with care backgrounds.

The Buttle award recognises the quality of the financial, pastoral and educational support Edinburgh College offers to young people in and leaving care. The college’s holistic approach to support, as part of its Transitions for Young People Leaving Care (TLC) project, ensures that additional help is not just offered by student support teams but is also embraced by all teams at the college. This approach, as well as working closely with Edinburgh City Council and ECSA, raises the aspirations of care leavers and gives them equal opportunity.

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Myra McCabe, head of Student Services at Edinburgh College, (pictured above with Kelly Parry) said: “Edinburgh College strives to reach some of the most under-represented and hardest-to-reach groups in our local communities. There is no doubt that the challenges facing young people leaving care are great, which is why we want to offer as much support as possible to give young people the chance to succeed.

“To be recognised by this national charity is a great endorsement of what we have achieved. Together with our recent Times Educational Supplement award in widening participation, we are pleased to be able to offer opportunities to those who need them the most or who would not normally consider college as an option. We are now one of only a handful of colleges in Scotland with the Buttle UK Quality Mark and we are delighted to have received the recognition for the real difference the college makes to our students and the local community.”

Kelly Parry (above), student president of ECSA, said: “I am delighted that the college has been awarded the Buttle UK Quality Mark. Care leavers are one of the most marginalised groups in society and are often overlooked and ignored. Over the last year, Edinburgh College Students’ Association and Edinburgh College have been doing some fantastic work to empower care leavers and give them the same chances and prospects as everyone else.

“The Care Leavers’ Event was unique because it was organised by care leavers for care leavers. By coming together to share stories and successes we send a strong message to other young people in care that they have the potential to achieve in education. This was the first time the students had addressed such a large and influential audience and they did brilliantly, speaking clearly and with passion.

“Signing the Who Cares? Scotland pledge is just the first step for us. We want to keep moving forward and to inspire other colleges and associations as well as wider society to really start delivering for care leavers and start transforming their lives.”

Twenty three-year-old Health and Social Care student Nathan Sullivan (pictured below) was one of the key speakers at the Care Leavers’ Event.

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He said: “I’ve been through many different types of foster care – from foster care to respite to living in a residential home – and the reason for this was because my mum had a number of different illnesses. She passed away when I was 14 years old and at this point I was placed into a residential care unit. I was passed from from pillar to post, was confused, upset and angry because I had no stability in my life at that time.

“I then started studying at Edinburgh College, joined the Edinburgh College Students’ Association and realised that I wanted to be a social worker. I’m doing all that I can to achieve this and, with the support from the college and the Students’ Association, I have now set up a peer group for care leavers to help to support many others like me in the future.”

 

Simply Great! Award for Leith housing development

Front Aspect

Port of Leith Housing Association’s (PoLHA) Great Junction Street development has been named as one of Inside Housing’s top 50 affordable housing developments.

The 32 affordable homes, made up of nine one bedroom and 23 two bedroom properties, have been built for social and mid-market rent and are will be officially opened later this month.

Twenty of the flats are available for social rent, priced at £323 for a one bedroom flat and £358 a month for a two bedroom flat. The remaining 12 homes, available for mid market rent, are priced at £445 a month for a one bedroom and £555 for a two bedroom property.

The ground floor has been designed as a large retail unit which is currently leased to local Edinburgh community group The Junction.

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of PoLHA, said: “We’re delighted to have been recognised as one of Inside Housing’s top 50 affordable housing developments from across the UK.

“High rents in the open market and tough mortgage criteria to buy a house make it increasingly difficult for people to access and live in good quality homes. We recognise the variety of housing requirements for people in Edinburgh which is why the Great Junction Street development will help meet a wider range of needs.”

 

Award for Forth lifesaver Robyn

A local teenager who helped save the lives of two yachtsmen has been presented with a prestigious lifesaving award. Edinburgh Academy pupil Robyn Dougall, 15, is a volunteer rescue boat driver on the Forth and she was presented with her award at a gala dinner on Saturday (1 February).

As part of her duties with the Royal Forth Yacht Club at Granton, Robyn helped rescue a man who had been swept into the sea last summer and also assisted in rescuing another sailor who had fallen overboard in the sea near Leith.

 During other rescue missions also helped save five yachts which were in danger in the Forth waters so Robyn’s Young Volunteer of the Year award from the Royal Yachting Association Scotland is richly deserved!

The first rescue she was involved with came after she spotted a man who had fallen overboard during a yachting festival on the Forth last summer.

She said: “We were helping out with the yacht races in force seven winds and we got a radio call to say a guy had got swept overboard. I found the boat, pointed it out and we got to him. He probably only had few minutes because he wasn’t wearing a life jacket.”

Robyn’s father Ken, who started teaching Robyn when she was aged eight, said he was “very proud” of his daughter’s achievements.

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Edinburgh College community garden scoops national award

Image 1Edinburgh College is celebrating after winning a national award last night (28 November) for its community garden, thanks to its outstanding contribution to the wellbeing needs of the college and the local community. 

The community garden won first place in the Health and Wellbeing category at theCollege Development Network Annual Awards (CDNAA) at an awards dinner at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow. The college also won a Highly Commended award for its electric vehicle project and a Commended award for its innovative induction programme for new students.

Designed to recognise the talent, skills and achievements of colleges, their staff and students, the College Development Network Annual Awards provide a valuable opportunity to celebrate the exceptional projects and initiatives taking place in colleges across Scotland.

The judges were impressed with the far-reaching effects and benefits of the garden, including everything from the positive impact on sustainability for the college as a whole to the improved mental, physical and emotional health of the gardeners.

Based at the college’s Milton Road campus, the garden was established inSeptember 2012 to transforman area of previously unused land into a green space for staff, students and the local community to enjoy the outdoors and work together to grow plants, vegetables and fruit. The main aim of this was to encourage a healthier lifestyle, promote outdoor activity and encourage a more environmentally friendly way of producing food locally.

Since the opening of the green space, the community garden has come on leaps and bounds over a short period of time, with more than 160 students, staff and community groups using the facilities. Fifty individuals grow their own fruit and vegetables in the garden’s plots while groups such as Sikh Sanjog, a local charity that supports women and their families from the Sikh and minority ethnic communities, have used the garden as a social space.

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Harriet Cross, sustainability coordinator at Edinburgh College, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have won theCollege Development Network Annual Awards for the Milton Road community garden. Our community garden has been a hugely popular resource for the students, staff and the local community and it’s fantastic for it to be recognised by a national awards body.

“Gardening enables individuals to pause and reflect on events happening in their life and I think this is why it has had such a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of the garden users. Not only does the garden promote healthy eating and focus on the importance of where our food comes from but it also gives people the time to chat and socialise with like-minded people. The garden coordinator, Severine Monvoisin, has led the garden project and completed a course to enable her to use listening skills to give appropriate responses when individuals open up and talk about personal matters while gardening.”

Severine Monvoisin, garden coordinator at Edinburgh College, said: “We have seen huge improvements in the confidence levels of students using the garden. It gives them a sense of purpose and accomplishment. For example, a student with special needs required help to change into gardening wear and this made her very reluctant to use the garden. However, after a few months, she started to work with her peers taking on tasks she could achieve, such as weeding and planting seeds, and this gave her confidence in her own abilities. She now no longer requires any help to put on her gardening outfit and regularly uses the outdoor space.”

The success of the Milton Road community garden has sparked another green space project at the college’s campus in Sighthill, which is currently under development. The unused acre-sized area of land at the Sighthill campus will be supported byCarr Gomm, a charity that supports vulnerable people through personal, practical and professional help. By involving community groups at the very beginning of the project, the college hopes the community garden will be a valuable and integral part of the local area.

As well as receiving the top award in the Health and Wellbeing category at theCDNA Awards, Edinburgh College was awarded the Highly Commended prizefor its electric vehicle research project in the Sustainability category. The college operates and monitors a fleet of electric vehicles and is conducting research into their environmental viability. The scheme – a partnership with SEStran, Edinburgh Napier University and Mitsubishi Phoenix – has gone from strength to strength and is now the largest of its kind in Scotland.

The creative arm of the college was also under the spotlight at the awards ceremony thanks to an innovative induction programme for new students developed by students themselves. The Creative Industries team picked up a Commended award for its project, which involves students being given responsibility for developing induction activities for new students. The scheme was set up to ensure inductions are as well-tailored for students as possible.

Pictured top: Severine Monvoisin, garden coordinator at Edinburgh College and Harriet Cross, sustainability coordinator at Edinburgh College. 

Pictured above: Garden users at the Milton Road community garden.

Featured image: The Milton Road community garden under construction in 2012.