Tag: Children and Families

39 Scottish Primary Schools to begin mental wellbeing challenge

  • 39 Scottish schools start I Can’t to I Can mental wellbeing challenge on 8th November to build self-confidence, resilience and self-esteem mental ahead of Anti-Bullying Week
  • The 5-day Challenge was created as a response to anxiety pandemic amongst young people during these uncertain times
  • Half of all mental health conditions present themselves by the time a child reaches 14 but most cases remain undetected and untreated
  • I Can’t to I Can provides teachers with resources to teach simple brain hacks that can last a lifetime and turn around a child’s negative thinking within a week

The ongoing pandemic, concerns about climate change along with the endless horrific news headlines are enough for any young person to deal with. Add into the mix the normal issues of growing up magnified through the lens of social media and it’s no wonder that young people are 50% more likely to have a mental health problem than they were three years ago.

From 8th November, 39 schools in Scotland will be taking part in the RTT 5-Day ‘I Can’t to I Can’ mental wellbeing challenge.

The aim is to provide children aged 7 – 10 with a series of mind hacks to help build confidence, self-esteem and resilience. This will give them the mental stamina to cope with these challenging times and skills to support them throughout their life if they learn to practice them daily.

Available online, the free resource is based around the RTT concept of the inner cheerleader. Everyone is born with an inner cheerleader as without that driving force encouraging us, babies would give up after taking their first, unsuccessful attempt at anything.

Sadly, the inner critic can kick in as young as 5 which is why the skills taught in ‘I Can’t to I Can’ are so key and it takes just a week to instil positive new approaches in children aged 7 to 10.

Commenting on the challenge, Dr Sian Peer, therapist and Director of the RTT School said: ‘As a parent myself, I know how crippling anxiety can be for a young child. We wanted to share some of the incredible mental wellbeing tools that are the cornerstones of RTT to help primary school children understand and manage their emotions.

“The 5 Day Challenge provides teachers with a daily lesson plan over a week, each building on the learning from the previous day. There are videos, fun exercises and ideas to do at home making the whole experience interactive and memorable.’

Although most schools will participate in the challenge during the week of 8th November, the resources are going to be accessible to schools on an ongoing basis.

Schools interested can visit www.rtt.com/method

Edinburgh Leisure: It’s never too early to start getting active

Check out Edinburgh Leisure’s Young Explorer soft play membership

Inspire kids to get the active habit. With Edinburgh Leisure’s Young Explorer soft-play membership, children get to sample the world of sport and fitness from an early age. For those signing up to become a new member in November, December is completely free.*

From only £16.70** per month, 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.

Membership is available to buy in venue or online.  Existing members referring friends will receive £15 cash back for each new soft play member they refer who joins. This should be done via the online form.

Little adventurers can enjoy fun in Edinburgh Leisure’s three soft play venues across the city. 

We have Tumbles at Portobello and Scrambles at EICA: Ratho, while Clambers at the Royal Commonwealth Pool is currently closed for maintenance and will be shutting temporarily for a refurbishment in January.

All visits must be booked in advance online or via the Edinburgh Leisure app.

Edinburgh Leisure’s play frames are suitable for children up to ten years old and there are frames for babies, toddlers and juniors.  Each venue has a café where healthy snacks and tasty treats can be enjoyed.

https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/softplaycampaign

Sir Chris Hoy MBE opens Conifox Adventure Park’s new attraction

Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy MBE helped Conifox Adventure Park welcome back fun-seekers this weekend, by officially opening the new £2million Indoor Activity Centre.  

An ambassador for SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) – a mental health charity to which Conifox is pledging a sizeable donation – Sir Chris MBE was introduced by Managing Director, James Gammell, before cutting the ribbon and exploring the new space with his family. 

Guests in attendance – including local and community councilors and the tradesmen who helped build the activity centre – were treated to an audience with Sir Chris Hoy MBE, before watching the official opening of the new centre, as well as enjoying canapes, drinks and photo opportunities with the Olympian.

Chris then went on to offer signings and meet and greets with the general Adventure Park visitors, following the event.   

In his introductory speech, Managing Director James Gammell talked of the new all-weather Indoor Activity Centre which has brought 15 new jobs to the park.

Designed and built to combat the Scottish weather and enhance business opportunities, facilities include a large soft play, a toddler town, a parenting room, three party rooms, a 400-seater café and a 200-seat function suite. The versatile new space can host a variety of events including weddings, birthday parties, events and conferences as well as specialised events, private ceremonies, birthdays, fairs, fitness classes and more. 

James Gammell, Managing Director of Conifox commented, “It was a great honour to have a sporting hero and an Olympic legend like Sir Chris Hoy MBE open our new Indoor Activity Centre today and it was great to share it with his family too.” 

Conifox Adventure Park already boasts a huge outdoor space with attractions for adults and children of all ages including a 9-hole foot-golf course, pedal go-karts, off-road pedal tractors, supersized sand pit, kid’s pedal tractor farm, springers, giant jump pillow, trampolines, swings, balance beams, rope bridge, and much more! 

It now anticipates the new facilities, which represent a £2m investment and cover 35,700 sq ft, will mark out the Adventure Park as a go-to destination for families, wedding parties, school groups, conference and corporate event organisers and others looking for a unique indoor venue. 

Conifox Adventure Park follows all Covid regulations and has successfully passed the Visit Britain Covid 19 We’re Good To Go Industry Standard. Covid-19 regulations in place at the time of visiting will apply. 

To find out more visit the Conifox Adventure Park Facebook page @conifoxadventurepark and their  website.  

Police must allow young people to protest peacefully at COP-26, says Children’s Commissioner

Children’s Commissioner Bruce Adamson is urging police to treat young people peacefully protesting at COP-26 with respect and dignity – and has reminded them that children’s rights must be upheld for everyone under 18.

To support this approach, the Commissioner’s office has published a human rights guide today  ‘Under 18? Your Human Rights at Protests: What you need to know’ for children who plan to make their voices heard at the UN climate summit in Glasgow.

The guide has been used as part of Police Scotland’s training for COP-26 and was informed by children’s views and experiences.

Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner said: “I have written to Police Scotland and have received strong commitments that they will facilitate peaceful protest with human rights at the heart of their approach, and it is important that this happens.

“Police officers have a duty to uphold children’s human rights during COP-26, which include the rights to peaceful assembly and association, alongside their rights to expression, participation, information and protection.”

Climate justice has been consistently raised by children and young people as one of their biggest human rights concerns.

Emma, 16, a Young Adviser to the Commissioner, said: “The right to protest is important as it gives people the opportunity to create change. It gives us a voice and the ability to hold institutions accountable for their actions.

“It is one of the only ways young people can be heard and immediately have a connection with one another, creating a sense of unity. It promotes equality and allows for individuals and groups views to have a chance to be recognised.  The information in this guide about our rights to protest is really useful as we make our voices heard at COP-26 and beyond.”

The Commissioner added: “Children have shown incredible leadership on the issue of climate justice and continue to act as human rights defenders for everyone’s rights across Scotland and internationally.

“They have led powerful, peaceful movements in the streets, for example during school strikes, online, and in court. It is essential that children and young people are empowered to participate and engage in their right to peaceful protest.”

The Commissioner’s guide includes rights information and support, in the event of a child under 18 being arrested or detained by police.

Mr Adamson said: “Arresting a child should always be a measure of last resort, however, it may happen, and children need to know their rights if it does. We’ve included information about children’s rights to contact their family, social worker and to speak to a lawyer, to complain and to ask for release. Any child arrested or detained must be treated with human dignity and respect.”  

The Commissioner repeated his call that no child should be punished for taking part in peaceful protests: “There must be no reprisals or sanctions for children who peacefully protest during COP-26 and schools should support children to participate in the opportunities that COP-26 affords them.”

Your-Human-Rights-at-ProtestsDownload

New report calls for action on tutoring and mentoring to help close Scotland’s attainment gap

Stark gaps in educational attainment in Scotland could be reduced through the rollout of mentoring and tutoring support, according to a new report.

Highlighting evidence showing that mentoring and tutoring have positive impacts on attainment for young people living in the grip of poverty, the report, based on research conducted by the Poverty Alliance for The Robertson Trust, calls for mentoring and tutoring to be available and targeted to all school-aged children and young people at risk of poverty in Scotland. 

It showed that high-quality tutoring programmes, in particular, can significantly reduce inequalities in educational attainment. Despite this, the report reveals that the provision of free tuition for young people living in Scotland is sparse.

In comparison to the National Tutoring Programme, which provides free tuition for pupils in England and Wales, the Scottish Government has not committed to widespread, accessible tuition as part of Covid-19 recovery.

Published yesterday on National Mentoring Day, the report highlights the success of mentoring as an effective intervention for improving self-confidence and raising aspirations amongst young people affected by poverty.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government and The Hunter Foundation committed to the expansion of mentoring and leadership support for care-experienced young people through funding the roll-out of MCR Pathways’ Young Scottish Talent and Columba 1400’s Leadership Academies across Scotland. 

However, this report reveals a mixed landscape in terms of mentoring provision, with geographical gaps and a lack of provision directed at groups of children and young people who are more likely to be living in poverty compounded by other forms of disadvantage.

Dr Jim McCormick, Chief Executive, The Robertson Trust said: “Too many young people across Scotland are seeing their life chances restricted by poverty.  

“At a time when painstaking progress is at risk of unravelling, it is deeply concerning to see any research which highlights an uneven educational playing field. The lack of free tutoring support is just one example of this and something that will invariably put young people living in poverty at a further disadvantage. 

“We are keen to use these findings to understand what the role of an independent funder should be in working towards equal access to tutoring/mentoring opportunities which can lead to positive academic, developmental and emotional outcomes.

“Based on what we’ve heard, we are calling for greater collaboration between funders and support organisations to help bridge the gaps, both to level the playing field and to build a stronger evidence base of what works. 

“Equally, we hope that this review will stimulate renewed commitment to act on the poverty-related attainment gap across Scotland, particularly in light of the disproportionate impact Covid-19 has had on those most affected.” 

Dr Laura Robertson, Research Officer at the Poverty Alliance and lead author of the review, said: “The Scottish Government has put tackling the poverty-based attainment gap at the heart of its agenda.

“However, inequalities in education attainment remain stark. Covid-19 has not only tightened the grip of poverty on the lives of many children and young people, but has also exacerbated these inequalities. Now, more than ever, children and young people need access to additional support.  

“This report reveals that – despite the evidence that it works – young people living in poverty still don’t have equal access to high quality tutoring free of charge. In a just society, all children and young people should have access to support that allows them to reach their potential, so the Scottish Government must – if it wants to end the attainment gap – respond with action.” 

Poverty-Alliance-Mentoring-and-Tutoring-ReviewFINALv2Download

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler back Scottish Book Trust major fundraising mission for Scotland

National charity Scottish Book Trust has today launched a major fundraising campaign, backed by The Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, to drive its new ambition of ensuring everyone in Scotland has access to books and that no one misses out on the many lifelong benefits this brings.

Since the pandemic, the charity has been overwhelmed by increasing demand for its vital work to support vulnerable children and families.

Featuring a woodland illustration of The Gruffalo’s ‘deep dark wood’ from the iconic picture book, with the main Gruffalo character missing from the scene, the campaign refers to the famous line from the story that ‘there is no such thing as a Gruffalo’ and uses it to illustrate that for many children this is true because they don’t have books at home.

Without books, children are missing out and the impact of this lasts a lifetime. Books help families bond, bring joy and comfort, give children a sense of escapism and, importantly, improve their mental health and wellbeing.

New research conducted by Scottish Book Trust revealed that 85% of parents from Scotland’s most deprived areas said that reading helps them bond with their child and that reading makes their children happy, while 95% of all parents in Scotland said they think it is important for children to own their own books.

Julia Donaldson said: “I have read and performed my stories to many children in Scotland and when The Gruffalo was published, I was writer-in-residence at Easterhouse in Glasgow. I have seen first-hand how books can light up a child, catch an imagination and change a life.

“A lot of the work I have done has been alongside Scottish Book Trust and I have seen the important and effective work that they do for children and families throughout Scotland.

“I couldn’t be more pleased that The Gruffalo is now leading a fundraising campaign for the charity at a time when families need books and support more than ever.”

Axel Scheffler said: “It is sobering to see these well-known pictures from The Gruffalo without the characters included and to be starkly reminded that so many children and families have no access to books.

“Helping them to gain access is an urgent issue and I hope that this campaign will be able to raise the funds needed for Scottish Book Trust to make a difference to children’s lives in Scotland.”

Scottish Book Trust also surveyed education and early years practitioners and their responses underlined the need for books at home was great, with over two thirds stating some children they work with only own books gifted to them by Scottish Book Trust. Over 90% of respondents also stated that some pupils had lost reading skill and vocabulary due to lockdown.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “The need for our work has never been greater than now, and the stark, long-term effects of the pandemic have only exacerbated this. Access to books and reading are absolutely essential for a child’s development and life chances – without books at home, young people in Scotland are missing out.

“By supporting Scottish Book Trust’s fundraising campaign, you can help us deliver more of our vital work to support those who need our help the most. We are incredibly grateful to Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler and Macmillan Children’s Books for their support.”

Funds raised from the campaign will enable Scottish Book Trust to deliver more of its life-changing work. Some examples of its programmes include specialist outreach support for young families through Bookbug for the Home, providing tactile books for children with additional support needs, supporting those living with dementia and the people who care for them, and giving books to families in need through food banks and community hubs.

http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/donate