At the close of business today, Sunday 23rd January, we pulled down the shutter and unfortunately I have decided that it must remain that way and that TurtleDove Play Café will cease trading with immediate effect.
It is a very sad day, but due to low levels of sales since early December, the business is no longer viable to run in the long term and I must take the hard decision to do what is right for the business.
I would like to thank our many loyal customers from over the years, all staff who have worked for us and suppliers who have helped us produce what was once a vibrant, thriving café.
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC),an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has raised concerns over a sharp decline in the number of legally-binding education support plans for those with complex or multiple additional support needs (ASN).
So-called co-ordinated support plans (CSPs), prepared by local authorities, are the only education plans that are legal documents.
This provides some guarantees of entitlement to additional resources and legal redress, placing statutory duties on local authorities to review and ensure the provisions contained within it are being met.
Despite a Scottish Government promise that there would be no reduction in the proportion of pupils receiving them since their introduction in 2004, there has been a significant fall in the number of pupils with a CSP, from 3,448 in 2012 1 to 1,420 in 2021 2, amounting to a drop of 58.9%. This is a reduction from 2.9% to 0.6% of those with ASN, amounting to 0.2% of the pupil population.
A concern raised by the coalition is that councils are reluctant to issue CSPs due to the legal protections they afford, against the backdrop of a lack of resources to support these, with non-statutory alternatives often being offered in their place.
This sharp fall in the number of CSPs is against a background of a dramatic increase in the number of pupils with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems which in 2021 has reached a record high of 232,753.
Of this total 58.0% cent are boys. This represents 33.0% of the pupil population, rising from 118,011 in 2012, and is a near doubling (97.2%) in numbers from that year.
The coalition has called for an expansion in access to CSPs, ensuring that those requiring it receive the care and support they are entitled to, and to revise the relevant statutory guidance, with the necessary resourcing to support this.
A spokesperson for SCSC commented: “We are deeply concerned that there has been a decline in the use of CSPs, which are designed to support those with the most complex needs. This is despite a Scottish Government assurance that they would not decline and a dramatic increase in the numbers of those with ASN.
“By not providing this statutory support, many of those vulnerable individuals are being failed and not getting the support they are entitled to, which is of particular significance given the impact of Covid-19. The Scottish Government, local authorities and other agencies need to collaborate to ensure that those requiring a CSP receive it, with the necessary resourcing to support this.
“With those with ASN drawn disproportionately from poorer neighbourhoods, if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap they must get the care and support they need, when they need it.”
As the cost of living increases and energy prices set to soar, debt charity encourages those who are unable to pay bills to seek support
As we start this new year, many people across Scotland are struggling with the increased cost of living impacting all areas of life. The cost of a food shop has increased alongside significantly higher fuel and energy costs. The upcoming removal of the energy price cap is set to see prices soar.
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Scotland is deeply concerned that many low income families will see their debts rocket as they struggle to afford the basics. CAP surveyed around 900 clients across the UK during the pandemic and over a third (37%) said they regularly had to go without meals. Over half (56%) had borrowed money to pay for food, clothing and other essential living costs.
TIME TO SEEK FREE DEBT HELP
CAP Scotland is encouraging more people to seek help with problem debt now and not to wait until things get worse. Their message is clear, it is never too early or too late to get debt help.
CAP Scotland’s National Director, Emma Jackson, explains why this is so vital: “Over the past year we’ve seen the devastating impact of the cost of living increase hitting low income families hard. Before getting debt help, many of our clients were having to prioritise which bills to pay.
“No one should have to make the impossible choice between whether to heat their home or feed their children but sadly too many people in Scotland are having to do this right now.
“Too often shame and stigma keep people trapped in problem debt, 50% of CAP clients wait for over a year to get debt help. We are urging everyone who is struggling with problem debt not to wait until things hit crisis point.
“CAP Scotland provides free, professional and community based debt help. Our Debt Coaches can meet you in the comfort of your own home and stay with you every step of the way until you become debt free.
“Many other trusted debt help charities are also offering vital support with free debt help. The most important thing isn’t which charity someone chooses to call, it’s just making the call for help as soon as possible.”
Local charity Granton Information Centre is one of the organisations that are here to help.
Email info@gic.org.uk or telephone 0131 551 2459 or 0131 552 0458 to make an appointment or enquire about our outreaches.
THIRTEEN social entrepreneurs from across Scotland have secured a share of £160,000 to start and grow their social enterprises.
Start It and Build It awards are part of the Scottish Government’s Social Entrepreneurs Fund, delivered by Firstport, supporting individuals who are focussed on piloting and expanding new business ideas that tackle social and environmental issues.
Parenthood is a common theme in this latest round of start-up funding. Of the 13 entrepreneurs funded, three are focussed on supporting parents in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
With the impacts of COVID 19 still having a significant impact on individuals’ health and wellbeing, two of these enterprises, Spilt Milk CIC and Neighbourhood Postpartum, are focussed on improving the wellbeing of parents. The third, Wee Chance, is making sustainable baby and toddler clothing more accessible to families.
Based in Edinburgh, Lauren McLaughlin aims to grow her enterprise Spilt Milk Gallery CIC and support even more families in 2022. The social enterprise focuses on using arts and community workshops to improve mums’ mental wellbeing, through companionship and artistic expression.
They specialise in helping mums grow their artist opportunities, through access to workshops and an exhibition space.
Lauren McLaughlin, Founder of Spilt Milk Gallery CIC, said: “I am absolutely delighted to receive the Build It Award at such a pivotal time for our organisation.
“With growing concern over the effects of the pandemic on maternal mental health, I’m grateful that we can continue to provide the platform for mothers’ voices to be heard and their experiences valued.
“I’m very excited about the future of Spilt Milk, and with new permanent premises to operate from, I can see us going from strength to strength over the next few years.”
On the other side of the city, Laura Kerr has secured funding to start up her social enterprise ‘Wee Chance’ in North Edinburgh.
Wee Chance’s mission is to make sustainable baby and toddler clothing more accessible to families. They aim to do this by starting a free clothing donation and pick up service to promote a more circular marketplace and will provide education on the environmental impact of fast fashion alongside.
Laura Kerr, founder of Wee Chance, said: “The funding from Firstport will help us source more sustainable clothing, advertise our services, and build the Wee Chance brand, increasing our positive environmental impact and supporting our longer-term community goals”.
In the southside of Glasgow Jennifer Block is starting up Neighbourhood Postpartum, a drop-in support group for people who have recently given birth. Neighbourhood Postpartum will run welcoming and non-judgemental sessions for people to share their postpartum experiences, connect with others and ask any questions about parenthood they may have.
Run by experienced postpartum doulas – individuals specifically trained to support parents, children, and families – the sessions are designed to provide the local parent community with support and companionship.
Jenny Block, co-founder of Neighbourhood Postpartum, said: “Our hope is to reduce the isolation and confusion often experienced by postpartum people, replacing those feelings with a sense of nourishment and community.
“Our goal is not to tell new parents how to do things, our goal is to create an environment where they gain the confidence to do things their way. Thanks to Firstport, we can secure a bright, warm, and accessible space in a prime location for a year and promote the group to the local community. We are so excited to get started and serve these beautiful new families!”
Josiah Lockhart, Group Chief Executive of Firstport said: “With the pandemic still having an impact on our day to day lives, it is encouraging to see the continual growth and development of social enterprises across the sector.
“This latest round of funding highlights the importance of social entrepreneurs in building stronger communities across Scotland. In particular, the focus of these three enterprises to support parents and families is extremely exciting.”
Young people in Lothian are being urged by their local Scottish Greens MSP to apply for a new card which will allow anyone aged 21 or under to travel on the bus for free.
The scheme is being implemented by the Scottish Government, following budget negotiations with the Scottish Greens. It commences at the end of the month. Lorna Slater MSP is urging all eligible young people to apply, especially those who are key workers during COVID restrictions.
From today, anyone between 5-21 can apply for a new Young Scot Card or National Entitlement Card via the Transport Scotland website. Old cards will not work in the scheme.
Scottish Greens MSP for Lothian, Lorna Slater said:“I am delighted that young people will be able to travel anywhere in Scotland by bus for free from the end of the month.I’d encourage all young people who rely on buses for essential travel in Lothian to apply for their cards as soon as possible.
“As Covid travel restrictions start to lift, even more young people will be able to get onboard and enjoy the opportunity of free travel.
“Public transport will be a crucial part of the green recovery. By providing free buses we are helping to tackle Scotland’s role in the climate emergency while opening up opportunities for young people and their families.
“I’m very proud that this Green policy has gone from the drawing board to reality and, despite the difficulties of Covid, essential travellers, such as key workers, will be able to feel the benefit from day one.”
A number of different methods will be available for 5–21 year olds to get their card to access free bus travel: online at GETYOURNEC.SCOT or through parentsportal.scot if it is used by the child’s school; via a local council where it is not possible to apply online; and, in some local council areas, schools are coordinating applications on behalf of their pupils.
* Young people aged 16-21 should apply themselves.
* Parents or guardians will be required to apply on behalf of 5-15 year olds.
* Children under the age of 5 do not need to apply as they already travel for free on commercial bus services without a card.
New Better Health campaign launches today to help families eat better, with new NHS Food Scanner App feature offering healthier alternatives
Former ‘Girls Aloud’ member Nadine Coyle, dietician Dr Linia Patel and a Netmums family test the app in a new film supporting the campaign
60% of parents say they are giving their children more sugary or fatty snacks than before the pandemic
Families will be given support to help to improve the diets of their children through a new campaign as the new statistics reveal the number of parents giving unhealthy snacks to their children has increased during the pandemic.
The multimedia Better Health campaign has been launched today [Monday January 10] to encourage families to eat better and includes a new ‘scan, swipe and swap’ feature for the NHS Food Scanner App, which provides a simple solution to help families maintain a healthier diet.
The campaign follows a record rise in obesity amongst children since the start of the pandemic, with latest data highlighting that one in four (27.7%) children of reception school age are overweight or obese; this rises to 4 in 10 (40.9%) in Year 6 (ages 10-11). Evidence shows that families purchased food more during lockdowns and this remained above normal levels even once lockdowns ended.
A new survey conducted with Netmums showed that nearly 6 in 10 (58%) parents give their children more sugary or fatty snacks than before the pandemic and nearly two-thirds (64%) of parents said they often worry about how healthy their children’s snacks really are. Nearly 90% of parents said they would benefit from an App which would help them make healthier choices for their children.
Families can scan the product barcodes from their shop and the app will suggest healthier alternatives to help them make an easy swap next time they shop.
The app uses a “Good Choice” badge to help signpost people to healthier food and drinks in line with the government’s dietary recommendations for added sugar, saturated fat and salt.
Public Health Minister Maggie Throup said: “We know that families have felt a lot of pressure throughout the pandemic which has drastically changed habits and routines.
“The new year is a good time for making resolutions, not just for ourselves, but for our families. Finding ways to improve their health is one of the best resolutions any of us could make.
“By downloading the free NHS Food Scanner App, families can swap out foods from the weekly shop for healthier alternatives and avoid items high in salt, sugar and saturated fat.”
Dr Alison Tedstone, Chief Nutritionist at DHSC said: “We are all aware of the increased pressures families have been under throughout the pandemic with children being stuck at home more.
“With advertising promoting unhealthy foods to kids, it’s not surprising that parents say they’ve often found it hard to resist pestering from their children for more unhealthy snacks, and that is why the NHS Food Scanner App is a great tool to help families make quick and easy healthier swaps.
“It’s so important that children reduce the amount of sugary, fatty and salty foods they eat to help them stay healthy and reduce the risk of health problems such as diabetes and tooth decay.”
‘Girls Aloud’ member Nadine Coyle and dietician Dr Linia Patel met with a family to talk about eating habits and to trial the NHS Food Scanner App for themselves, and recorded a short film to support the campaign.
Nadine Coyle said: “As a busy working mum, I find it hard to say no to my kid’s demands and often give in to “snack” pressure – even though I know it’s not that good for them. I had no idea some foods were so high in sugar, saturated fat and salt – so it’s great that the App gives you alternatives.
“I love using the NHS Food Scanner App and so does my daughter; she likes choosing the healthier swaps which is great – we are already making small changes through good food choices.”
Dr Linia Patel, Dietician said: “We know that parents find it really hard to find healthier snacks for their kids, especially if they’re fussy eaters.
“The NHS Food Scanner App is a fun way to get the kids involved in choosing healthier foods that they’ll love – so get going and scan, swipe, swap!”
Annie O’Leary, Netmums Editorial Director said: “That two thirds or parents find they’re giving kids more treats as snacks than pre-pandemic doesn’t surprise me in the slightest – we all comfort ate our way through the pandemic and I know my kids ate far more treats than usual.
“But thank heavens there’s now something to help get us all back on track. And that it’s from the gold standard in terms of trustworthiness, the NHS, hopefully means millions of families will be downloading it and using it ASAP.
“Shopping for snacks can be an absolute minefield for busy parents, so thank you for coming to the rescue yet again, NHS.”
As part of the UK Government’s Obesity Strategy, the department is regulating the promotion of less healthy foods to children and has dedicated £100m of funding to support children, adults and families achieve and maintain a healthier weight.
The NHS Food Scanner App provides parents with the ideal hack to improve their children’s health in 2022. The free App can be downloaded or search ‘Food Scanner App’.
Pregnant women are being urged to Get Boosted Now in a new advertising campaign launched today over social media and radio
Pregnant women are being urged to Get Boosted Now in a New Year advertising drive launched today
New social media and radio assets highlight the risks of catching the virus and benefits of the vaccines to both mothers and their babies
Almost all pregnant women who were hospitalised or admitted to intensive care with COVID-19 were unvaccinated
Pregnant women who have not yet had their first, second, third or booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine are being urged to get their jab as soon as possible, as the government launches a new advertising campaign for the New Year.
The new campaign joins forces with the experts at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) to highlight the serious risks of catching COVID-19 and the benefits the vaccines bring to protecting both mothers and their babies.
Testimonies of pregnant women who have had the jab to keep themselves safe will be played out in adverts across social media and radio stations across the country from today [Monday January 10].
The new campaign urges pregnant women ‘don’t wait to take the vaccine’ and highlights the risks of COVID-19 to mother and baby, and the benefits of vaccination.
The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows COVID-19 vaccinations provide strong protection for pregnant women against the virus. It also shows the vaccines are safe for pregnant women, with similar birth outcomes for those who had the vaccine and those who had not.
DHSC Chief Scientific Adviser and Honorary Consultant Obstetrician Professor Lucy Chappell said: “Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is one of the most important things a pregnant woman can do this year to keep herself and her baby as safe from this virus as possible.
We have extensive evidence now to show that the vaccines are safe and that the risks posed by COVID-19 are far greater.
“If you haven’t had your COVID-19 vaccine, I would urge you to speak to your clinician or midwife if you have any questions or concerns, and book in your vaccine as soon as you can.”
Data from the UK Obstetric Surveillance System shows 96.3% of pregnant women admitted to hospital with COVID-19 symptoms between May and October 2021 were unvaccinated, a third of which (33%) requiring respiratory support. Around 1 in 5 women who are hospitalised with the virus need to be delivered preterm to help them recover and 1 in 5 of their babies need care in the neonatal unit.
The COVID-19 vaccines are safe for pregnant women and have no impact on fertility, which has been made extremely clear by the government, its senior clinicians and a range of independent experts from stakeholder groups such as RCOG the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the British Fertility Society.
Since April 2021, around 84,000 pregnant women have received one dose and over 80,000 have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. In August 2021, only 22% of women who gave birth were vaccinated.
Dr Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “We welcome this national campaign as an important way of amplifying the very clear message to pregnant women that vaccination provides the best protection for both them and their babies from COVID-19. We urge all pregnant women to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and to get boosted 3 months after the second dose.
We are very concerned that many pregnant women have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 and we hope this campaign will help reassure them that vaccination is safe and effective. Pregnant women are more vulnerable of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 infection, and this can lead to an increased risk of giving birth prematurely, and stillbirth.
“Gill Walton, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said: There is overwhelming evidence that the COVID vaccine is safe for pregnant women and for their babies – and that it’s the best way to keep them safe from harm. Sadly, there are too many pregnant women being admitted to hospital with COVID, and 96.3% of them haven’t been vaccinated.
“The consequences of COVID when you are pregnant are clear and potentially devastated, from increased possibility of premature birth and admission to intensive care to a heightened risk of stillbirth.
“We know that pregnant women want to do everything they can to protect their baby, which is why midwives want to reassure them that vaccination is the best thing they can do.”
Dr Jen Jardine, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, who is also seven months pregnant and has had her COVID-19 booster jab, said: “Both as a doctor and pregnant mother myself, we can now be very confident that the COVID-19 vaccinations provide the best possible protection for you and your unborn child against this virus.
“I would strongly call on all pregnant women like me, if you haven’t had the vaccine yet, to either speak to your GP or midwife if you still have questions and then book right away today.”
Amidst fears that hundreds of Syrian refugees and local Lebanese families could face disaster in freezing winter conditions in the mountains near the Syrian border, officials in the town of Arsal have declared a fuel emergency and appealed for urgent outside help to buy heating oil so they can survive the harsh months ahead.
At an altitude where temperatures can drop to minus 15oC, around 70,000 Syrian refugees, most of them living in tents, and 40,000 local Lebanese residents lack fuel for the diesel stoves that could help them through the winter, the worst of which is still to come.
Around 1400m up in the mountains, Arsal is the highest and most vulnerable of the refugee settlements in Lebanon.
The perils facing refugees trying to keep warm in the winter were highlighted in early January by the death of a Syrian mother and her three young children, asphyxiated by burning coal in their shelter in a coastal village in south Lebanon – at a much lower altitude than Arsal.
Many of the refugee families in Arsal have survived previous winters, but this one is different. Because of the Lebanese economic crisis, fuel prices in the collapsing local currency are now something like 20 times higher than they were 12 months before.
And because of budget cuts, the refugee agency UNHCR and other NGOs are only able to provide funding for less than 30% of the needs.
Each refugee family is left to find around $350 or more to buy the 700 litres of diesel they need to see them through the winter – an impossible sum for them to raise themselves.
Faced with potential disaster, the mayor of Arsal, Basel al-Hujairi, has taken the unusual step of declaring a winter fuel emergency and issuing an appeal, backed by local schools, health centres and NGOs, calling on the international community to step forward to help bridge the drastic funding gap.
“Please reflect on the consequences of leaving thousands of families in flimsy tents without heating in temperatures far below zero and biting winds,” the appeal said.
It needs to raise altogether some $5.5m, which would provide winter heating for 8,500 families huddled in tents, 3,000 in housing, and local Lebanese inhabitants in need, as well as schools, health centres and the municipality.
Issued by Edinburgh Direct Aid (https://edinburghdirectaid.org), a non-profit NGO which is one of the few to maintain a permanent presence in Arsal, running schools, a vocational centre and other projects.
