Tag: Children and Families

Picture book ‘Slug in a Mug’ aims to raise funds and promote confidence

  • A slug-inspired picture book promoting confidence aims to raise money for free children’s activities held at creative hub Made in Stirling.
  • Scottish speechwriter Laura Westring’s first picture book, for children aged 3 to 7, Slug in a Mug is illustrated by Perthshire greetings card illustrator Jon Bishop.
  • Laura Westring is a finalist for Business Women Scotland’s 2022 ‘Inspirational Woman of the Year’ award.
  • Slug in a Mug is available to pre-order online via The Grey Earl and Made In Stirling and available to purchase in selected independent stores from 8th October.

A children’s picture book promoting confidence, and inspired by cottage life in Scotland, aims to raise money for children’s activities as the cost of living continues to rise for families.

Slug in a Mug, written by Scottish speechwriter Laura Westring and illustrated by greetings card creator Jon Bishop (The Grey Earl), is the tale of a slug whose taste for sweet treats leads him to unexpected places.

The “almost true” story was inspired by Laura’s move to an empty cottage in 2020. Having woken one morning to find a slug in her mug, she began inventing stories with her young son to relieve the stress and social isolation of pandemic lockdowns. 

Laura Westring believes imagining and reciting stories can be a beneficial activity for the whole family and increase the confidence of young children as they learn to speak and empathise.

Through Creative Stirling, a social enterprise supporting local artists and makers, Laura contacted Perthshire-based illustrator Jon Bishop and both set out on an almost two-year, self-funded project to bring their slug to life.

Collaborating with Gerald Richard, CEO of Scottish charity Super Power Agency, the book also includes an activity to help children with writing skills.

Illustrator Jon Bishop said of receiving the manuscript for Slug in a Mug in January 2021: “It was the first children’s story I wanted to illustrate from the first reading.

“From the subtly sick sense of humour to the message that it’s okay to be bold and think differently to those around you, everything told me this slug had legs.”

Laura Westring is keen to ensure that the cost of living doesn’t remove opportunities from diverse and under-resourced communities, and so both Westring and Bishop hope to support a variety of community workshops and children’s activities run by Creative Stirling through sales of the book.

Commenting on the book, Laura Westring said: “Families with young children have gone through the lonely trial of providing care while working in pandemic conditions only to see the cost of living rise astronomically as they begin to tackle the longer-term emotional and developmental consequences of those difficult years.

“I hope people enjoy reading Slug in a Mug as much as Jon and I have enjoyed making it, so that we can fulfil our ambition to reach revenue and pay it forward.”

Spartans October Holiday Programme

Youth Work October Holiday Camp – just come along and join in!

If you’ve not registered with us before you can find the form here or we’ll set this up when we see you: https://app.upshot.org.uk/signup/5f23b8a1/…

#youthwork

#youthworkworks

#youthworkmatters

Amazon Goes Gold for Kids with Cancer in September

The team at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dunfermline made a £3,000 donation to Children’s Hospices Across Scotland and a £1,000 donation to Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity as part of the company’s global Amazon Goes Gold for Kids with Cancer campaign during September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. 

Now in its sixth year, Amazon Goes Gold for Kids with Cancer raises funds and awareness for organisations working to increase survival rates for those with childhood cancer through life-saving treatments and research.

A gold ribbon is the universal symbol for childhood cancer, so this year, Amazon employees from Dunfermline held a month-long series of gold-themed events in recognition of the international emblem. 

The team also showed solidarity to children with cancer by donating £3,000 to Kinross-based charity Children’s Hospices Across Scotland and £1,000 to Edinburgh-based charity Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity.

One of the events this year at Amazon in Dunfermline was a Pyjama Day, which saw the fulfilment centre team join with colleagues across the UK to wear pyjamas to work in honour of children who spend every day in their pyjamas during treatment. 

Amazon Dunfermline General Manager, Jamie Strain, said: “We are proud to support CHAS and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity in honour of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and this year’s Amazon Goes Gold for Kids with Cancer campaign.

“We look forward to doing our bit for children with cancer every year, and hope that this donation offers encouragement to the charity’s brilliant team and the families it supports.”

One of the Amazon employees who took part in Amazon Goes Gold for Kids with Cancer is Aoife Considine. She added: “It was great to take part in Amazon in Dunfermline’s Pyjama Day and help spread awareness of the realities of childhood cancer. I’m so pleased that we could offer support to such an excellent charity.”

This year, Amazon employees in the UK also had the opportunity to support children and families affected by childhood cancer by volunteering with childhood cancer charities and organisations, or by putting together activity packs for children facing cancer, which were distributed to nearby hospitals and hospices.

Amazon Goes Gold for Kids with Cancer takes place annually as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities in and around its operating locations across the UK.

Condemned flats to be brought back into use to support Ukranian refugees

Funding allocation to increase housing supply

North Ayrshire Council has been awarded funding through the Scottish Government’s Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund to refurbish properties to be used on an interim basis by people who have fled the conflict in Ukraine.

Through the fund, up to £50 million has been made available to Councils and Registered Social Landlords to bring properties back into use that would otherwise not be available to let.

Minister with Special Responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine Neil Gray said: “Scotland continues to stand with the rest of the UK, Europe and the world, in condemnation of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

“Since the conflict began, more than 20,000 people with a Scottish sponsor have arrived, representing 20% of all UK arrivals – the most per head of any of the four nations. More than three quarters of these arrivals have come through our Super Sponsor Scheme.

“This fund is going to help us meet the housing needs of displaced people from Ukraine by providing them with longer-term, sustainable accommodation. I want to thank North Ayrshire Council for their creativity in finding local solutions that boost the overall supply of homes at a time when they are needed most.

“This week, I have written to local authorities and social landlord representatives across the country to encourage them to look at their current housing supply and identify unused accommodation so that we can increase the supply of available accommodation and provide people from Ukraine with safe and secure homes for their time here.”

The award of £486,000 will allow five blocks of three-storey flats at Glebe Place, Saltcoats, – previously earmarked for demolition – to be upgraded and brought back into use for a period of 3 years after which they will be reassessed as part of the council’s new build housing programme.  This enables the council to retain their commitment of 1,625 new homes by 31 March 2027.

North Ayrshire Council Leader Marie Burns said: “We have welcomed more than 200 Ukrainians to North Ayrshire and are ready to welcome more in the coming weeks and months.

“With funding now secured from the Scottish Government’s Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund, we are looking to begin improvement works within the next few weeks.

“While there is understandable uncertainty for anyone arriving here from Ukraine, it’s important that they feel secure and supported – having that secure tenancy will help. We want them to feel like North Ayrshire is a home away from home.”

Homes for displaced people from Ukraine

The Cost of Caring: Report reveals families raising disabled children are ‘struggling to survive’

Stark research findings released today by national charity Family Fund show that families raising disabled, or seriously ill, children and young people across the UK now face serious financial jeopardy and are struggling to survive, due to the scale of the cost-of-living crisis.

“The Cost of Caring” covers research with 4,264 families across the UK, with a disabled child, showing that nine in 10 families are struggling, or falling behind on their regular household bills and many are forced to forego living essentials such as food, heating, basic furniture like beds, flooring, washing machines and fridges, to try to make ends meet.

Over half of parents and carers (54%) report skipping or cutting the size of their meals because there wasn’t enough money for food (a 9% increase since September 2021)  and more than one in ten (13%) say they have had to cut back on items that are essential for their disabled children. 

Four in five families (83%) raising a disabled child or young person are in debt, with rising debt levels for two in five families (43%) polled, and over 40% report they can’t afford to keep accommodation warm – a 13% increase since last December.

On average, families raising a disabled child live on £17,000 a year and spend 60 hours a week caring for their disabled children, with one third caring for over 100 hours a week. Families receive only one hour a week of respite and support, on average, and less than one in four parents and carers are able to work full time, with over half not able to work at all.

Family Fund’s report highlights the, now, unsustainable strain on families raising disabled and seriously ill children and young people , as they try to cover sky-high costs on top of severely reduced incomes due to intense caring responsibilities, three times higher costs to look after a disabled child and critical levels of debt.

With sustained cuts to support services, which have not recovered post-pandemic, families are now having to pay, themselves, for therapies and specialist equipment for their children, such as educational and sensory items and toys.

As the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families raising disabled and seriously ill children on the lowest incomes, Family Fund provides essential goods for families including kitchen appliances, clothing, bedding, play and sensory equipment and much-needed family breaks.

Last year, it delivered over 170,919 grants and services, worth over £37 million, to families on low incomes across the UK.  

Wider research findings include:

·       Almost all families raising disabled children (98%) report paying more than families with non-disabled children due to specialist needs – clothing (74%), food and groceries (73%), technology such as tablets (66%), toiletries and hygiene products (60%) and replacing worn or broken household items (60%);

·       In September 2021, families raising disabled children reported an increase in their household bills of, on average, £800 a year. By June 2022, even before current price rises, this increase was over £1,500.

·       Three in five families (62%) reported cutting back on play, leisure and recreational activities with their disabled children during the last year;

·       In the past year, 50% of families report their disabled children’s physical health has worsened and 68% say their disabled children’s mental health has deteriorated.

·       1 in 5 families report taking on more credit to keep up with existing credit commitments

Cheryl Ward, Family Fund Chief Executive, said: “The outlook for families raising a disabled, or seriously ill, child is now graver than ever. They are unsure how to cope with ever-rising caring costs with winter approaching, they are having to borrow more credit to pay for intense levels of debt and feeling more isolated than ever, with worsening mental and physical health.

“These are families on the lowest of incomes, due to caring for their children round-the-clock and having far-reduced available support services, post-pandemic.

“When caring costs have spiralled so far out of control that families are having to cut back on the very essentials their disabled child needs, something has to change.

“Along with our sector partners, we are urging Government to ensure that family benefits are increased in line with inflation, rather than reducing at a time when the escalating costs of caring are already jeopardising families’ lives.”

West Midlands parent: “How will I be able to keep my disabled child warm for medical reasons…this coming winter when I’m struggling to pay gas and electric in summer?

“How will I afford petrol, which I need as I have two children with physical disabilities including one in a wheelchair. And the cost of food, and availability of safe food for an autistic child if shortages start happening. I worry every day and night over this.”

North West England parent: “Caring for our child is not the issue, she is the light of our lives. Being able to access the right care, education and support in order to provide me the opportunity to work is the key.”

The Cost of Caring features research from the charity’s last four quarterly family polls, from September 2021 to June 2022, ahead of a new September poll coming soon. 

1055_ff_cost_of_caring_report_website_versionDownload

Free football session for youngsters with sight loss in Lothian

Are you aged between eight to 14, have a visual impairment and would like to play football?

Then come along to a free, one-hour introductory session on Sunday, October 16th, from 9 to 10am at the Oriam Sports Centre on Heriot Watt University’s campus in Riccarton, west Edinburgh.

This taster session is aimed at partially sighted young people. No previous football experience is necessary and the session will be tailored to include all footballing abilities.

It has been organised by national sight loss charity RNIB Scotland, Bathgate Thistle Community Football Club and the Scottish Football Association.

Neil Atkinson (24) from Livingston, who was diagnosed with the condition Stargardt’s macula dystrophy at the age of eight, is the coach.

“This session will be pitched towards players with some level of sight,” he says. “We have regular footballs as well as bell-balls. And it’s an indoor court with a hard surface so that the ball can be located more easily by sound.

“The hour-long session will consist of a short warm-up then some focused training, working on fundamental skills; bulwark, passing, movement, finishing and some game situations. We will try to meet the individual level of each player. The session will be focused on fun, and on developing the players’ skills and confidence.

“For the last portion of the session, we’ll have an open game, allowing players to use some of the skills they’ve learned in the previous exercises. Players are free to make it competitive, but ultimately the focus is on enjoyment.

“Family members and friends are also welcome to come along and participate and support a partially sighted individual. It’s only an hour long session but I will be there after the session for any questions and to help with advice for any participant. If there are players and parents who aren’t sure if the session would be appropriate, I’d be more than happy to talk to them to find out if it is accessible “

There will also be a small number of follow-up sessions in the weeks following for anyone who cannot make the 16th October.

For further information, contact Neil Atkinson on 07858 687 528, email neil.atkinson@rnib.org.uk, or book a place:

www.scottishfa.co.uk/participation/para-football

Dyslexia Awareness Week: How to support your child if they have a learning difficulty

This week is Dyslexia Awareness Week (4th– 10th October) and an education expert has shared five pieces of advice on how to support children if they have learning disabilities.

Interestingly, research conducted by Oxford Home Schooling revealed that while overseeing their children’s learning during lockdown, many parents spotted potential signs of a learning difficulty.

Nearly half (47%) identified symptoms of dyslexia (difficulty reading, writing and spelling), whilst more than one in four (29%) observed possible indicators of dysgraphia (impaired handwriting or spelling).

To help parents who now think their child may have a learning difficulty, Greg Smith, Head of Operations at Oxford Home Schooling, has put together a guide on how best to support your child and what your next steps should be.

1. Get your child diagnosed

If your child’s difficulties are having a significant impact on their learning, it’s a good idea to have them tested for a condition and diagnosed.

A diagnosis can open the door for your child to receive appropriate learning support in school. This includes allowing them extra time in exams and being supported by a teaching assistant, so it’s a good idea to look into this as early as possible.

If you’ve observed signs that your child may have a learning difficulty, you should speak to your GP, who can either make the diagnosis themselves, or refer the child for the appropriate tests.

2. Speak to your GP

Once a child is diagnosed with a learning difficulty, you should consult your GP. They will then be able to recommend and refer you to an appropriate specialist for support1.

Specialists can include speech and language therapists, educational and clinical psychologists and paediatricians, among others.

3. Make the school aware

Once you have an idea of the areas where your child is struggling, you will need to make their school and teachers aware of the situation.

This will allow the school to put extra support in place should your child require it. They will need time to consider how the condition might affect the child’s learning and work out how best to adapt their teaching.

4. Talk to others

Many parents find it difficult to process the diagnosis of a learning difficulty and it can be a challenge to adapt to your child’s new needs.

Don’t be afraid to seek out the support of other parents who have experienced similar situations. There are many support groups and forums out there for advice, and you and your child can even build new friendships.

5. Support your child

The important thing to remember is that you need to support your child, whether this is with their learning, or any other aspects of life that they struggle with.

Being diagnosed with a learning difficulty is by no means the end of the world and children with such conditions go on to enjoy rich and fulfilling lives.

You will need to be patient, and it may be challenging at times, but with the correct support system in place your child will be fine.

For information on the benefits of homeschooling for children with learning disabilities and special educational needs, head to this page: 

https://www.oxfordhomeschooling.co.uk/special-situations/

Families urged to take to their feet this International Walk to School Month

  • Pupils around the globe will celebrate International Walk to School Month this October.
  • Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking is urging UK families to join in and enjoy the benefits of safer streets and being active.
  • Data released by the Department for Transport this week revealed that car usage and road casualties in Great Britain started to increase again in 2021, the year that lockdown ended.
  • Members of the public are being asked to share their #WalkToSchoolStories to celebrate the benefits that come from walking to school.

Living Streets, the UK charity behind the biggest walk to school campaign is encouraging families to leave the car at home for International Walk to School Month this October.

Pupils around the globe will walk to school to celebrate International Walk to School Month and Living Streets is urging UK families to join them.

The results of the Reported road casualties Great Britain data released by the Department for Transport (29 September 2022) show that we drove more in 2021, the year that lockdown ended, than in 2020. At the same time, road casualties started to increase.

Casualty numbers remained lower than the pre-pandemic levels but are higher compared to 2020 when restrictions were tighter and motor traffic usage lower.

Stephen Edwards, Chief Executive, Living Streets said: “We all saw the benefits to our health and air quality when we walked more and drove less. Quieter streets are safer, cleaner and healthier streets. Where possible we should avoid a return to the car and instead walk, wheel or cycle our short journeys.

“Making small changes can also help alleviate some of the rising living costs we are all facing, while we reap the health, social and environmental benefits of moving more.”

Living Streets is being supported this year by Dr Ronx, who has joined the charity as the celebrity ambassador for WOW – their walk to school challenge. The children’s television presenter and emergency doctor is joining the charity in encouraging more families to walk to school.

A generation ago, 70 per cent of children in Great Britain walked to school but now it’s dropped to around half.

Dr Ronx said: “October is International Walk to School Month – the perfect opportunity to give walking to school a go. Walking to school is simple, fun and free. More children walking to school means fewer cars around the school gates, better air quality, less congestion and less road danger.

“With notable increases in air pollution, rising childhood inactivity and post-lockdown poor mental health, encouraging children to be more active and ditching school run drives for more sustainable modes of transport is imperative.”

Living Streets is running a prize draw throughout October and encouraging people to share their #WalkToSchoolStories, whether they are walking to school now with children or grandchildren or sharing a childhood memory.

To enter the prize draw and for free walking resources, visit:  

livingstreets.org.uk/October.