Mums/carers and their under 5s are coming along to @grantoncastle to meet us and @trees_seas for more Play Together Outdoor Activities.
Lots of fun to be had – some of it’s messy but who cares !
BOOKING ESSENTIAL
A NEW, ten-issue digital magazine is launching next month, aiming to help children prepare for school.
Using storytelling and character-led material, and developmental activities, the magazine promises to give families loads of fun learning and sharing together.
With content that is designed specifically to build strong foundations for starting school, the engaging characters also teach children about building learning resilience through working on a ‘Growth Mindset’.
The magazine’s founder also hopes that the structure and activities will support families concerned about the impact Covid19 has had on younger learners, both preparing for primary and those who may have recently started at school.
Creator of the ‘Get Set Yeti’ universe, Carol Arnott, is a seasoned educator who champions the importance of parents as ‘their children’s first educators’.
Carol explained: “We want to give parents and carers the material to enable them to do the little things at home that have a big impact on their children’s readiness to start learning at school with confidence.”
One parent, experiencing Get Set Yeti’s material, said: “This has all been fun and will go a long way to help and support my child while he’s learning.
“We really enjoyed everything we made and my child loved the fact that Mummy made them with him.”
Another commented: “I feel the material made things that I would like to achieve more enjoyable, as I’m more confident in what I’m doing with my son.”
‘Get Set Yeti’ magazine will be launching mid-April, full of comic strips, stories, songs, puzzles and printables.
At only £4.99 an issue, check out the ROARSOME yetis at:
Professor Jacqueline Taylor has been appointed as the chair of a National Audiology Review Group.
The former NHS Clinical Director and Associate Medical Director will oversee the review of hearing services provided to both children and adults in Health Boards across Scotland.
It comes after a report published in December 2021 outlined a series of errors in the treatment provided to children by Paediatric Audiology in NHS Lothian. The group will provide recommendations for a national plan for the service.
Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf said: “I would like to thank Professor Taylor for agreeing to take on this important role which will help shape the future of audiology services in Scotland moving forward.
“Professor Taylor is one of the most respected medical figures in Scotland and I know that she will provide the necessary leadership and oversight for this vital work.
“I am determined that our hearing services are fit for purpose in Scotland following the unacceptable failures in NHS Lothian which came to light last year and this group will help identify any wider issues and areas for improvement.”
Professor Taylor said: “I look forward to working with this group over the coming months. “We expect to engage with the widest range of professionals and stakeholders in this area, identifying any gaps in provision but also learning from good practice.
“NHS Scotland provides some of the best healthcare treatment in the world, but where issues emerge it is important to understand what went wrong and how this can be rectified.”
The remit of the review, its full membership and timetable for reporting is now being finalised with the Chair.
The National Deaf Children’s Society has responded to the Scottish Government’s announcement that Professor Jacqueline Taylor has been appointed as the chair of a National Audiology Review Group.
Mark Ballard, Head of Policy for Scotland at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “We welcome the appointment of Professor Taylor and it’s a clear signal that the Scottish Government is treating this issue with the gravity it requires.
“The total number of families affected by NHS Lothian’s failures is still unknown. Among those that were, there are deaf children who have been left dealing with life-changing consequences.
“We need this review to not only right a serious injustice, but also to make sure that this isn’t happening in other areas across Scotland.
“It is a crucial step towards making sure that no family ever has to go through this again.”
At risk youngsters in most deprived communities to get varnish treatment
DEDICATED dentists from five Edinburgh practices have pledged their time in the urgent fight to stem a growing oral health emergency affecting the country’s children.
Between them, Bellastane Dental Care, Earl Grey Dental Practice, Gilmore Dental, Fairmilehead Dental Practice & Implant Centre and KF Dental are part of Clyde Munro Dental Group’s target of treating at least 1000 children with a fluoride varnish (FV) application in dedicated out of hours clinics by the close of 2022 – one of the most effective treatments for preventing tooth decay in children from the age of two.
Typically offered up to twice a year, the pandemic-induced backlog means it is not currently as readily available to families under NHS services.
The pledge comes after worrying statistics showed that 850,000 fewer patients had been seen in the past two years compared to 2017-2019. In children’s services just 55% of children in the most deprived areas have seen a dentist.
The latest data show that primary school children from the most deprived communities experience more than four times the level of tooth decay compared to children in the least deprived areas.
These stark and persistent inequalities have widened as a result of the pandemic, with the collapse in access to routine services, the suspension of public health programmes and the impact of sugar-rich lockdown diets.
Tooth decay in children is a major health problem in the UK – and despite being entirely preventable is one of the most common reasons for hospital admission in children.
Jacqui Frederick is Group Clinical Director at Clyde Munro and one of the group’s dentists to have helped more than 100 young patients access FV treatment in 2021, since Clyde Munro started the children’s clinics in the last quarter of last year.
She said: “We’re a predominantly NHS-based group and we take our responsibility as Scotland’s biggest dental group seriously.”
“As you might imagine, our dentists are deeply concerned at falling numbers of young patients accessing NHS dentistry services. The pandemic has set back the oral health of so many people and we want to be a part of the fightback.
“We wish we didn’t have to volunteer time out of hours to get this done – but in doing so we can reach out to those in need, any concerned parents or guardians can contact their nearest Clyde Munro practice to enquire about FV clinics.”
FV application is a dental treatment that takes around 10 minutes and Clyde Munro will prioritise its practices that are within reach of many of Scotland’s more deprived communities. It will not require the parent or the child to be a registered patient. It will release dates and times of its clinics regularly on its website.
The group has 54 practices, from Orkney to the Borders and is represented in all of Scotland’s cities and many of its towns, with 400 staff supporting 460,000 patients.
Clyde Munro provides quality, affordable, general and cosmetic dentistry in well equipped, modern practices. Locations are convenient and accessible making it easy to visit the dental facilities.
Find out more about Clyde Munro at https://clydemunrodental.com/
A Scottish business with children at its heart has set up a new initiative to help young partygoers spread birthday joy to less fortunate children across Scotland.
Conifox Adventure Park & Activity Centre, near Edinburgh, have created a Birthday Club initiative where children celebrating their birthday with a party – and their guests – can donate an extra gift for a child in need.
The venture follows the success of the festive Toy Appeal collaboration which ran during Conifox Adventure Park & Activity Centre’s Christmas Experience and is the brainchild of Fiona Shapcott, Founder of local charity Kids Love Clothes. Last year the generosity of Conifox customers, in partnership with Kids Love Clothes, helped to provide 400 gift bags of toys for distribution via the charity’s established network.
Deborah Gammell from Conifox Adventure Park & Activity Centre says: “The response to our Christmas Toy Appeal was fantastic and while we recognize that some families struggle at Christmas time, we also acknowledge that there are those who struggle with birthdays too.
“This project will help spread a little extra happiness all year round by reaching out to families and offering them the chance to celebrate their child’s birthday.
“At Conifox, we host several parties every week, both in our outdoor Adventure Park and indoor Activity Centre. We often host up to 12 separate parties per. Each party can be attended by up to 25 children. If just some of those guests were generous enough to donate an extra gift, the potential to help others would be huge.
“We hope children and their families will agree it is a lovely way to share the pleasure that celebrating a birthday brings.”
Conifox Adventure Park & Activity Centre, situated at Kirkliston on the outskirts of Edinburgh, caters for youngsters from 0 to 13 and is inviting donations of gifts suitable for that same age group.
Only NEW toys can be donated and placed unwrapped, into the big Toy Box in the Activity Centre. Any donations of wrapping paper and gift bags will also be gratefully received.
“We are a family-owned company,” says Deborah, “and we have young children ourselves. We believe that the well-being of local children is a shared priority, and we are confident visitors to the Adventure Park & Activity Centre will join us in this initiative.”
Fiona Shapcott, Founder of local charity; Kids Love Clothes comments, “The Kids Love Clothes team is delighted to partner with Conifox on our Birthday Club initiative and giving toys is a natural extension of our core clothing service.
“As a wholly volunteer-led charity, we rely on the valuable support from businesses and individuals. Donated toys will be delivered in gift bags with the same care as our clothing gift bags, and with the community support, we will be able to reach even more children, giving them a birthday to remember.”
To find out more about Conifox Adventure Park & Activity Centre visit:
An international artist has created a striking new mural to promote breastfeeding in Inverclyde.
Sam Bates, better known as Smug or Smug0ne on Instagram, is the creative influence behind the artwork which has transformed the gable end of a block of flats on Nicolson Street in Greenock.
The mural was a collaborative project between the Inverclyde Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) Infant Feeding Team and funded by the Scottish Government’s through its ‘Programme for Government’ with support from Oak Tree Housing Association, which owns the building.
The idea is around normalising breastfeeding to encourage more local mums and expectant parents to breastfeed and continue to improve breastfeeding rates.
Catriona MacLean, Inverclyde HSCP health visitor and infant feeding coordinator, said: “The immense health benefits of breastfeeding for mother and baby make it a public health priority.
“Breastfeeding rates in Inverclyde remain low, however, providing excellent information and support during pregnancy and immediately following birth can smooth the breastfeeding journey.
“Inverclyde has welcomed with open arms the Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland Scheme with business and facilities continuing to sign up and this beautiful new piece of public art will support a whole area-wide approach to supporting families.”
The HSCP team approached internationally-acclaimed artist Smug, who has already created popular murals in Glasgow and has been commissioned for projects in Australia, after seeing his works on social media platform Instagram where he has more than 200,000 followers.
Smug said: “Catriona originally reached out to me to pitch the idea and the whole concept behind it is thanks to her. She wanted something different so we did some brainstorming and came up with the mythical vibe.“
The mural, which has been created despite four named storms and heavy snowfall in recent weeks, is a tasteful and striking portrayal of a mum feeding her baby to help promote the benefits of breastfeeding.
Councillor Lynne Quinn, Inverclyde’s women’s champion, said: “This incredible artwork will have a positive impact on mums and expectant mums but also the wider community by highlighting that breastfeeding is normal. And what’s more environmentally-friendly than breastfeeding?
“I’ve seen first-hand the great work of the local Infant Feeding Team do in our community and they deserve huge credit for coming up with this brilliant idea and securing the services of such an acclaimed artist who has done a magnificent job.”
Councillor Robert Moran, Inverclyde’s health and social care convener, said: “This is a fantastic example of partnership working to highlight the very important issue of how perfectly normal breastfeeding is to not only reassure and encourage any mums and expectant mums out there who have reservations but also to educate the wider general public about breastfeeding.
“Huge credit to our HSCP Infant Feeding Team, Smug and Oak Tree for making this idea a reality and I’m sure this terrific mural will help to encourage many mums and expectant mums out there to think about breastfeeding and seek expert help and advice from our excellent staff to support them to do that.”
The project was made possible thanks to the support of Oak Tree Housing Association who helped identify a suitable, highly-visible building and gave permission to use the side of the block of flats near Greenock Town Centre.
Hazel Aitken, Oak Tree housing manager, said: “Oak Tree Housing Association were delighted to have the opportunity to become involved in this project and play a part in promoting such a positive message in this unique way.
“There has always been strong partnership working between the association and HSCP and we were happy to help.”
The project was also supported by neighbouring store The Range, which sectioned off parking spaces to allow the artist to work and provided some materials and space to store them.
The Inverclyde Infant Feeding Team hold a drop-in support group at The Waterwheel restaurant in Port Glasgow every Tuesday from 11am-12.30pm where all expectant and breastfeeding/breastmilk feeding families are welcome.
Closer to home, a new breastfeeding group started in Granton this week:
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Every parent or guardian has their own style of child-rearing, but ultimately every family has the same goal, which is to raise a healthy and happy child.
With a little intention and the right tools, we can do a lot to help our little ones thrive as good eaters!
Here we explore some of the ways you can encourage your child to adopt healthy eating habits:
Reward and punishment
‘Clean your plate’
Offering choice
Eating is so messy!
We hope this article has given you some ‘food for thought’ about your food parenting behaviours.
For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips
To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/
Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:
Childline has found, in Scotland, boys are four times less likely to talk with the service’s trained counsellors about their mental health than girls, and even less likely to come to them when they have suicidal thoughts.
New statistics from the NSPCC-run service show that in 2020/21 counsellors carried out 2,054 sessions with girls about mental health issues compared to 493 with boys in Scotland.
When it came to counselling sessions about suicidal thoughts and feelings, they delivered 891 with girls but just 103 with boys.
Which is why Childline has launched it’s ‘We All Feel It’ campaign, to support young males whoare struggling to speak about their mental health, and to help them before they reach crisis point.
The campaign video features popular clips from the world of sports, social media and gaming to reflect the emotions some young people may struggle to articulate. It encourages boys in particular to use Childline to help them make sense of anything that has upset or worried them.
Childline insight
Childline counsellors hear from boys in Scotland who say they feel isolated in their experiences and are reluctant to reach out for help due to the stigma they feel around sharing their feelings.
One boy told a counsellor: “I’m feeling suicidal, depressed and rubbish. I tried to kill myself recently but got talked out of it.
“My dad is really violent and has been hurting me for years. I usually miss school when he leaves marks on me. I’ve also been arguing with my step-dad and sometimes it gets quite bad. People just watch it happen.
“I feel like my parents hold things against me. I have thought about running away but it’s hopeless. I usually sit and play computer games to distract myself from it all.”
Another male, aged 18, told Childline: “I usually have thoughts about suicide, mostly when I am feeling stressed but sometimes when I am not under any stress too.
“This all started about two years ago when school was starting to get stressful and I had to start thinking about my future.
“I am a very personal person and I never open up to anyone – I just feel shy and this is my first time ever talking to anyone about these thoughts.”
Suicide is a complex issue and there is rarely one single factor or event that leads someone to take their own life. It is usually a combination of lots of different individual, community and societal factors interacting with each other to increase risk.
‘We All Feel It’
Developed with creative agency Livity, the campaign aims to resonate with boys and remind them Childline is always there and ready to support them, with whatever they are experiencing, 24 hours a day.
Alex Gray, Service Head of Childline, said: “At Childline, we know how hard it can be for children to speak out about their mental health.
“In particular, it can be really challenging for boy’s due to the pressures they feel around not showing emotion and appearing strong due to toxic masculinity.
“At Childline, we want to remind all children that sharing their mental health concerns with a trusted adult or a Childline counsellor is a brave thing to do, and it will enable them to get the help and support they need.
“Talking about mental health issues early on can prevents things escalating and can save a young person’s life.
“We hope that by putting the spotlight on male mental health we can help boys understand that they are not alone.”
Children and young people can contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice, 24 hours a day on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk.
Childline has been supported by the Postcode Children’s Trust for four years and it has recently given the service crucial funding of £1,000,000 – the equivalent of running Childline for an entire month – enabling counsellors to continue to save lives.
Join the adventure with Edinburgh Leisure’s Young Explorer soft-play membership. A place for children to explore, have fun and be active at Edinburgh Leisure’s three soft play venues.
There has never been a better time to sign up for the soft play membership as Clambers at the Royal Commonwealth Pool has just completed an exciting refurbishment. Join in March 2022 and receive the month of May free.
The Young Explorer soft play membership gives unlimited soft play at three Edinburgh venues from only £16.70 per month for one child, £28.00 for two children, £33.80 for three children and £39.50 for four children.
The membership offers incredible value, fantastic flexibility and of course, will keep little ones entertained and burning off energy as they explore the amazing soft plays.
Young explorers can visit as many times as they wish, enjoying unlimited fun at any of Edinburgh Leisure’s three soft play venues across the city at Tumbles at Portobello, Scrambles at EICA: Ratho and Clambers at the Royal Commonwealth Pool.
Clambers has a brand-new frame for babies, toddlers, and juniors, with an aquatic theme and is designed so parents can supervise easily, and children can play freely all within a securely gated area.
There are slides, an upper storey football pitch and many more exciting features to explore. Its party room and Café Refresh has also been rebranded featuring hero character Skye and her mountain friends and both areas have new tables and chairs; its café servery has been extended; and the reception desk has been replaced.
Edinburgh Leisure’s play frames are suitable for children up to ten years old. Each venue has a café where healthy snacks and tasty treats can be enjoyed.
And with Scottish Government restrictions easing, there is no longer the need to pre-book sessions. In addition, 90-minute sessions are also available, in addition to shorter 60-minute sessions.
The Young Explorer is available to buy online.
For more information: https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/activities/soft-play
Children aged five to 11 will be offered COVID-19 vaccination appointments in community clinics from 19 March 2022.
This follows the advice last week from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending the universal vaccination of five to 11 year olds.
Appointments will be scheduled according to age with 11 years olds invited first, followed by those aged eight to 10 and then those between five and seven years old. Where there are siblings efforts will be made to invite them to back-to-back appointments to avoid multiple trips for families.
Details of how to rearrange unsuitable appointments will be included in the letters.
Children in this age group who have specific medical conditions which place them at greater risk from COVID-19 are already being vaccinated and will continue to be prioritised.
Vaccinations for all five to 11 year olds will be delivered alongside second booster jabs for those aged 75 and over and those in specific at risk cohorts following yesterday’s recommendation from the JCVI.
These individuals will be invited as they become eligible from 24 weeks after their last booster with the first groups receiving blue envelopes with appointments from the second week in March.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Throughout the pandemic it has been our intention that we follow the clinical and scientific evidence available to us and I’d like to once again thank the JCVI for their hard work in scrutinising the science and providing clear guidance.
“We continue to prioritise at risk five to 11 year olds. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks for children in this cohort and we urge parents and carers to read all the information available to them on NHS Inform before they make a decision.
“Appointments for first doses for all five to 11 year olds will be scheduled from 19 March with older children invited first and families invited together wherever possible. This will allow for second doses to be delivered before the start of the new school year provided at least eight weeks have passed since the initial dose.
“Of course, as we have done throughout the pandemic we will continue to prioritise the people most vulnerable to COVID-19 and boosters for those aged 75 and over and those at higher risk of severe illness will be scheduled for as soon as possible after 24 weeks have elapsed since their first booster.
“Scotland has one of the highest uptake rates for vaccination anywhere in the world and vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of our battle against COVID-19. The very high vaccination rates achieved so far have helped us considerably on our path back to normality and we urge everyone to take up their invitation when it is offered.”
Vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 years | The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine (nhsinform.scot)
