Activities for Primary School pupils at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre
For further information or to register call the Centre, telephone 552 5700
Activities for children at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre
Tag: Children and Families
Drop-in Cafe at Granton Church
Free on Fridays? Come and join us for a coffee and a chat 
Our Drop-in for families and folks in the community runs every Friday through term time between 11am – 1pm in the Church.
Children can use our safe play-space while grown-ups enjoy a free hot drink and a chat.
Pop in after school pick-up, or on your way to the Share ‘n’ Wear. We hope to see you there!
Sea Stories at Granton Pier
Come and join us for a relaxing walk and lunch by the sea
When: Thursday 21st October – 11am – 12:30noon
Where: Wardie Bay/Granton Pier
If you would like to join please email: JennaCorker@pchp.org.uk
Remembering a wondeful summer: PYCP newsletter
Our Summer newsletter is out!
Even if the weather outside is telling us that winter is coming, we don’t want to forget how much fun we had last summer during those wonderful sunny days! 
That’s why we are celebrating the time spent together with this fantastic newsletter.
Click it out at the link below!
Invite to Stepping Stones North Edinburgh’s AGM next week
We are pleased to invite you to Stepping Stones North Edinburgh’s AGM on Monday 11 October 2021 at 12.30pm.
This will take place via Zoom due to the ongoing Covid situation – for the link and further details please email: info@steppingstonesnorthedinburgh.co.uk
We very much hope you can attend and would appreciate your RSVP no later than Wednesday 6th October.
Zoe Jordan
Business Administrator
Stepping Stones North Edinburgh
Edinburgh charities benefit from Community Connect support
Edinburgh School Uniform Bank has successfully secured £15,000 thanks to Scotmid Co-operative’s Community Connect award scheme.
Edinburgh School Uniform Bank, which distributes school uniform to families in Edinburgh who are facing financial hardship, was awarded the funding after being shortlisted by the convenience retailer as one of three good causes and charities in the East of Scotland to receive financial support from an £25,000 pot.
Other recipients of funding in the East include Canine Concern Scotland Trust, which provides therapy dogs for patients in hospital after a stroke or suffering traumatic brain injuries, and Scottish Huntington’s Association (see below).
Julia Grindley, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Edinburgh School Uniform Bank (above) said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a £15,000 Scotmid Community Connect Award.
“This award will allow us to provide school uniform and warm jackets to over 600 local children. This funding will make a huge difference to their confidence and their sense of belonging, as well as keeping them cosy through the winter.”
Since Scotmid’s Community Connect launched in 2017, more than £460,000 has been awarded to 42 good cause groups, enabling key projects to come to life in local areas.
Shirley MacGillivray, Head of Communities and Membership at Scotmid, said: “Community Connect is one of the main ways we can support those communities that we serve and we are delighted to provide Edinburgh School Uniform Bank with this funding, which will help them to continue providing vital services.
“Times remain challenging for many people; being able to help improve the lives of others across the country is one of the very reasons we exist.”
Scottish Huntington’s Association has successfully secured £5,000 thanks to Scotmid Co-operative’s Community Connect award scheme.
The Association, which provides 1-1 advice, peer group work sessions, youth mental health services for children with a parent living with Huntington’s Disease and have a 50% chance themselves of inheriting the condition, was awarded the funding after being shortlisted by the convenience retailer as one of three causes and charities in the East of Scotland to receive financial support from an £25,000 pot.
Gemma Powell, Senior Fundraiser from Scottish Huntington’s Association said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a £5,000 Scotmid Community Connect Award towards Scottish Huntington’s Association Youth Service.
“This funding will help us bring back our annual youth camp which is attended by young people growing up in families impacted by Huntington’s disease across Scotland.
“This camp offers young people the chance to make and catch up with friends, share experiences, learn more about Huntington’s disease and, for many, enjoy a break from caring responsibilities. We’re so grateful to Scotmid and their members.”
Mel Hughes, CEO of Canine Concern Scotland Trust said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a £5,000 Scotmid Community Connect Award.
“This award will allow us to develop our Therapet® Visiting Service in the NHS Lothian area, starting with the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.
“This funding will make a huge difference to patients recovering from a stroke or neurological condition, who will benefit from a Therapet® visit which will aid their physical, mental and emotional recovery.”
Since Scotmid’s Community Connect launched in 2017, more than £460,000 has been awarded to 42 good cause groups, enabling key projects to come to life in local areas.
‘Transformational’ childcare savings for thousands of families
Families of more than 79,000 children are saving almost £5,000 per child annually, thanks to the Scottish Government’s expanded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) offer.
Since August, all three and four-year-olds and two-year-olds who need it most have been eligible for 1,140 hours of funded ELC.
Latest figures from the Improvement Service show that 90,890 children were accessing free ELC at the end of August 2021.
Of those, 97% (88,122) of children were accessing more than 600 hours and 87% (79,262) were accessing the full 1,140 hours offer.
All eligible families who applied were offered 1,140 hours.
Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “This week marks Challenge Poverty Week, and we know that childcare costs can place a real burden on families, so it is encouraging to see that thousands of families across the country are benefiting from our transformational expanded ELC offer.
“As well as saving families a significant amount of money, the 1,140 offer supports parents’ ability to work, train or study. We also know that high-quality Early Learning and Childcare helps to give children the best start in life, enriching their early years and giving them the confidence and skills they need to prepare them for school.”
COSLA Children and Young People’s Spokesperson Cllr Stephen McCabe said: “I warmly welcome the confirmation today that so many families are accessing the additional funded Early Learning and Childcare hours, which bring so many benefits to children, their parents and carers.
“The delivery of the expansion against the very challenging backdrop of the pandemic is a real testament to the hard work of councils and their partners.”
The Scottish Government has provided local authorities with £476 million over the last four years to refurbish, re-purpose and extend hundreds of existing nursery settings, as well as providing over 150 new facilities across Scotland.
Christmas Wonderland launches at Perth Riverside
Brand new Christmas themed lighting trail to dazzle Perth: 2 – 23 December
This year, for the first time ever, Perth Riverside will play host to Christmas Wonderland, a brand new Christmas-themed lighting trail, providing outdoor festive fun for the whole family.
Designed and produced by the team at 21CC Group, the glittering lighting trail set across Norie Miller Walk and Rodney Gardens, is a first-of-its-kind event that will light up the faces of kids big and small, surrounding them and the whole family in Christmas cheer. Festive fun for the whole family, not only will you take in some of the most spectacular seasonal sights, but you can also experience first-hand the magic of Perth.
From 2nd to 23rd December, guests are invited to experience this magical lighting trail as they wander on foot through a one-way, 1km winding pathway overlooking the picturesque Perth Riverside.
This is Norie Miller Walk and Rodney Gardens as never seen before! Fantastic lighting, festive effects and a sparkling atmosphere all transforming the parks into a wonderful Christmas evening out.
You will find singing trees, hear sleigh bells ringing amongst the snowflakes and many surprises, with candy canes and other delicious delights, all provided by local food vendors who have been invited along just for this special occasion.
It is Christmas Eve every night at Perth Christmas Wonderland!
Christmas Wonderland at Perth Riverside – we ho-ho-hope to see you soon!
Tickets start from £13 for adults and £8 for children under 16. Children under 3 can also attend for free. Family ticket bundles which allow access for 2 adults and 2 children and are available from £36.
On 18th December and thereafter, adult tickets are £14, child tickets are £9 and family tickets are £40.
The walk will take approximately one-hour and tickets will have allocated time slots for guests to arrive in. First entry is at 4pm and last entry is at 8:15pm. No re-entry once leaving the trail.Tickets must be booked online in advance.
Geoff Crow, Director of 21CC Group says: “We are incredibly excited to bring the first ever Christmas Wonderland to Perth this year. Following almost two years of uncertainty caused by the pandemic, we are excited to be bringing a COVID safe and festive experience to the citizens of Perth.
“The lighting trail really showcases Perth in all its beauty and with plenty of surprises, hiding elves and delicious treats to look forward to, we are sure that the Christmas Wonderland will get the entire family feeling festive in no time!”
For further information and to purchase tickets, visit: www.perthchristmaswonderland.co.uk
You can also find us on:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/perthchristmaswonderland/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/perthchristmaswonderland
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerthXmas_WL
Scottish sporting bodies back campaign to help keep children safe in sport
- One in five parents wouldn’t know who to turn to for help if they had any welfare concerns in relation to their child’s sport/leisure clubs
- Campaign kicks-off to help parents understand their role in keeping children safe and who they can turn to for help
- Scottish Athletics, Scottish Gymnastics and Netball Scotland join in supporting the NSPCC’s and Children 1st’s Parents in Sport Week
A group of Scottish governing sporting bodies has backed a joint NSPCC and Children 1st campaign which is raising awareness of where parents can turn if they have concerns about their child’s sports club.
An online survey*, conducted on behalf of the NSPCC by YouGov, has found that 20% of parents** who had children in sports and leisure clubs, would not know who to speak to if they had any worries about a child’s welfare at the club.
Now, Scottish Gymnastics, Scottish Athletics and Netball Scotland are backing Parents in Sport Week (4-10 October 2021) – an annual campaign run by the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) and Children 1st, aiming to equip every parent with the safeguarding knowledge they need, and highlight the important role parents play in youth sport.
Doc McKelvey, Scottish Gymnastics CEO, said: “Many sports around the world, including ours, have had cause to focus and self-reflect following complaints on different issues. Scottish Gymnastics fully supports this campaign which highlights how important parents and carers are in helping keep children and young people safe in sport.
“Gymnast welfare is at the heart of everything we do, and wellbeing and protection is a priority in our clubs and programmes. We have embarked on a long-term project to ensure all our members, parents and carers know more about safeguarding and child protection, how to identify and raise concerns, and give them the confidence to do so. We are grateful to the NSPCC and Children 1st for helping raise awareness and empower parents.”
Claire Nelson, CEO of Netball Scotland and the Strathclyde Sirens, said: “We are once again proud to support NSPCC Scotland’s and Children 1st’s Parents in Sport Week. The campaign this year aims to ensure parents have access to the right resources, tools and information to feel confident that their children can return to, and most importantly enjoy, sport safely.
“After such a challenging year we know that many parents and children are feeling anxious about restarting clubs and activities, so this campaign will provide vital support to empower families to get back to doing what they love.”
David Fallon, Head of Development for scottishathletics, said: “We are delighted and proud to once again support the ‘Parents in Sport Week’ campaign, led by NSPCC Scotland and Children 1st.
“We will work with our clubs and members to promote the campaign toolkit, and encourage as many parents and guardians as possible to understand the important role they play in the bigger safeguarding picture of sport.
“We hope that by promoting this campaign, more parents will ask those important questions around safeguarding when their child takes part in athletics in Scotland, helping us to ensure our clubs are offering a safe, fun, and engaging environment.”
As part of the campaign the children’s charities have issued three key safeguarding tips for parents in relation to children’s sport:
- Every club should have a child welfare officer in post – familiarise yourself with who that is and their contact details;
- Check if your club has a safeguarding policy in place and understand how that keeps children safe;
- Know that the NSPCC helpline is there if you have any questions or concerns. You can reach the helpline on 0808 800 5000 or at help@nspcc.org.uk
Children 1st provides a helpful guide for parents on finding a safe sports club for their child. And, this year, the NSPCC has launched new resources aimed at parents, to help them understand their role in keeping children safe and who they can turn to for help if they have any worries about their child’s sport.
Resources include a free e-learning course for parents on keeping their child safe; a new animation which helps parents identify when something might be wrong in their child’s sport; and the new NSPCC CPSU Parents Hub – an online destination providing safeguarding information for parents.
Paul Stephenson, Senior Consultant at NSPCC’s CPSU, said: “We’re proud to be running our annual Parents in Sport Week campaign once again, alongside Children 1st, to help more parents be a significant part of their children’s sporting lives.
“Since launching the campaign five years ago, countless sports bodies, clubs and coaches have supported our work and worked hard to develop better relationships with parents and carers.
“This year, we want to provide the tools needed to help parents and carers access important information to help keep their children safe in sport, to spot poor practice and to empower them to speak out. We’re also continuing to support the tireless work sports clubs put into involving parents in their safeguarding process.
“Sport is a huge part of childhood, with many young people spending countless hours practicing, playing and making new friends, and it is so important that every parent feels confident about ensuring their child is safe and having fun.”
Parents who have any worries about their child’s experience in sport or physical activity can seek advice from the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing: help@nspcc.org.uk.
RCM warn of midwife exodus as maternity staffing crisis grows
Midwives are being driven out of the NHS by understaffing and fears they can’t deliver safe care to women in the current system, according to a new survey of its members by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
The College is warning of a ‘midwife exodus’ as it publishes the results of its annual member experiences of work survey. Over half of midwives surveyed said they were considering leaving their job as a midwife with 57% saying they would leave the NHS in the next year.
Of those midwives who either have left or were considering leaving, more than eight out of 10 were concerned about staffing levels and two-thirds were not satisfied with the quality of care they are currently able to deliver.
Alarmingly, the highest level of dissatisfaction among those surveyed came from midwives who had only worked for five years or less in the NHS. This will have a significantly detrimental impact on workforce planning and, says the RCM, the ability of maternity services across the country to provide acceptable levels of safe, quality care.
The RCM’s General Secretary and Chief Executive, Gill Walton, said: “Every midwife and maternity support worker goes to work to provide safe, quality care. That so many feel that understaffing means they are unable to do so is deeply worrying.
“What these numbers suggest is a midwife exodus, which will leave already-struggling services on their knees. Quite rightly, there is a strong focus on improving maternity safety, but there is a risk that the Government is ignoring the essential ingredient to that: having the right staff, in the right place.
“Investment and programmes to improve safety in maternity services hang in the balance here, because without adequate numbers of staff with are fighting a losing battle. Every safety report cites understaffing as an issue that is comprising the delivery of safe care, but when are the Government going to take note?
“We are calling on the Government to listen to those best advised and work with us to improve retention and recruitment. All NHS organisations must urgently review their maternity staffing levels using a recognised workforce planning tool to ensure staffing reflects the workload.”
A report published by NHS Digital in July revealed the number of NHS midwives working in England in May had fallen by almost 300 in just two months. This is the fastest fall for these two months for any of the years listed in the NHS report, which goes back to 20 years say the RCM.
Burnout among midwives and all maternity staff is higher than ever, particularly after COVID-19 which saw an increase in sickness absence adding to a pre-existing shortage of 2,000 midwives in England alone.
Last week leaked results of an NHS national staff survey showed a sharp drop in those who believe their health and wellbeing is being supported by their employer. This is echoed in the RCM survey, with over half of respondents saying that they did not feel valued by their employer.
Almost all (92%) of midwives and maternity support workers (MSW) said that they did not feel their work was valued by the current Government.
Gill added: “Not a day goes by that we don’t hear of a maternity service having to close temporarily, suspend services or divert women to other maternity units just because there simply aren’t enough midwives. This can’t continue because we know it compromises safety and means women don’t always get the safe positive pregnancy and birth experience that they should.
“It’s also having a shocking impact on maternity staff themselves. A shortage of midwives has undoubtedly worsened rates of physical and mental burnout among our members. Morale among staff is low and has been worsened by the recent pay award in England.
“Sadly, this survey shows that many midwives and MSWs have had enough. They are feeling very fragile and are simply at breaking point. Enormous demands are being made on midwives and the services they work for, yet investment in these services from the Government remains inadequate to provide the safe, high-quality care that women deserve.
“We have previously advised the Government on what can be done to begin to address this situation which hasn’t happened overnight. Prior to the pandemic the RCM has voiced concerns and solutions to the recruitment and retention issues faced by UK maternity services, and we are happy to do that again, but we are now sadly at crisis point.
“That is today we are again calling on the Government and NHS Employers to take action immediate to keep midwives in midwifery before it’s too late.”