Children and Families – Page 181 – The NEN

Generations must work together to tackle loneliness, says Esther Rantzen

Almost a third of Scots feel lonely at least once a week, with just under half never telling anyone about it, according to research commissioned by People’s Postcode Lottery
Nine out of ten Scots are unaware of services operating in their area that can provide support for those affected by loneliness
Charities Childline and The Silver Line share their tips, and encourage Scots to get in touch if they are suffering in silence

Campaigner and broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen has urged Scots of every generation to work together to fight loneliness, as the nation slowly begins to emerge from lockdown.

She suffered from loneliness herself after the death of her husband, and says “It was very difficult for me to admit, because there is a real stigma which prevents people from talking about it. Since the pandemic loneliness has affected more and more people, so now we all need to reach out to each other to make sure everyone knows they are cared about and valued.”

As founder of Childline and The Silver Line, Dame Esther’s call comes as newly published research shows how loneliness affects different generations. It also reveals that many of those who regularly suffer from loneliness are reluctant to talk about it.

The data from People’s Postcode Lottery, which was compiled pre lockdown, found that loneliness is a cross-generational issue.

Almost a third of Scots (32%) feel lonely at least once a week and almost half (47%) at least once a month. Just under half (43%) of the those that experienced loneliness in the past year hadn’t told anyone about it because they didn’t want to burden others, while almost a quarter (24%) didn’t think it was a serious problem.

More than a quarter (28%) of Scots admit they have not met a new person in the last six to twelve months, with over two fifths (41%) saying this was down to lack of confidence or being too shy.

Worryingly, more than nine out of 10 Scots (91%) say they are not aware of support services in their area aimed at helping those who experience loneliness. This is slightly above the UK’s average of 87%.

The data also reveals a similar picture of loneliness across the UK. More than a third (39%) of 16-24-year-olds in the UK who had experienced loneliness have not told anyone about it because they didn’t want to burden others. A similar number (38%) said they were too embarrassed to speak about it.

When it comes to older generations in the UK, the research found that a fifth (20%) of 65-74-year-olds, and one in eight (15%) of over 75-year-olds, experience feelings of loneliness at least once a week.

Since lockdown began in mid-March more people are expected to be experiencing feelings of isolation, a result of the safety measures in place that limit contact with friends, family and work colleagues.

The charity The Silver Line, which operates a 24/7 helpline and telephone friendship services for lonely older people, has seen demand for its helpline increase by up to 31% since the pandemic began.

Similarly, The NSPCC’s Childline service has also counselled nearly 7,000 young people and children struggling during the pandemic, as many report how lonely they feel despite everyone being at home and households feeling chaotic.

Dame Esther Rantzen, founder of The Silver Line and Childline, said: “Loneliness doesn’t discriminate and can happen to anyone, at any age. We want to end social isolation and provide the emotional support and social opportunities that can help lift the spirits during what is a hugely challenging time for many.

“For older people loneliness can be a downside of living for a long time, as you might outlive many of the people who have mattered most to you, and it is almost impossible to replace such special relationships.

“Illness and disability might also make it harder to get out and about to see family and friends, meaning older people might feel they are on their own more than they used to be.

“Thanks to the support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, both The Silver Line and Childline can continue to support those that need advice or support when they’re feeling lonely, whether it’s during this crisis or in their daily lives.

“From one-on-one phone calls, to tips on how to stay active during lockdown, we want to help people of all ages feel better. We’re also encouraging young people looking after their elders, and vice versa. The Silver Line and Childline will provide the tools needed to identify the signs of loneliness as we work within our communities to provide cross-generational support and beat loneliness together.”

The players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised £5.5million over the past year for 32 charities working to tackle loneliness – including the national galleries of Scotland, national museums Scotland, V&A Dundee (above), Sistema Scotland, Children 1st and Edinburgh International Book Festival – and is working with The Silver Line and Childline to support everyone experiencing isolating feelings during this challenging time.

Clara Govier, managing director and chair of People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “Feelings of loneliness can impact anyone, no matter your age. The surge in demand reported by charities over the past three months highlights how vital it is that we address this cross-generational problem.

“Thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we are able to provide the essential funding required to support charities as we all continue working together to eradicate loneliness.”

If you are experiencing loneliness, or are concerned for someone else, please contact The Silver Line’s helpline on 0800 470 80 90 to access support. Young people can contact Childline on 0800 11 11 or visit childline.org.uk.

For more information on People’s Postcode Lottery, please visit www.postcodelottery.co.uk or Facebook and Twitter.

Tips to help people with loneliness

Childline: Ways to help a child or a young person who’s struggling include:

Letting them know you’re there for them and are on their side by talking to them over text or on the phone if they don’t feel able to talk in person
Being patient and staying calm and approachable, even if their behaviour upsets you. Do this by recognising that their feelings are valid and letting them know it’s okay for them to be honest about what it’s like for them to feel this way
Thinking of healthy ways to cope you could do together, like yoga, breathing exercises or mindfulness
Encouraging them to talk to their GP, someone at their school or Childline, especially if they’re finding it hard to talk at home
Take care of yourself and get support if you need to. Try not to blame yourself for what’s happening and stay hopeful about your child’s recovery

The Silver Line – Ways to help an older people who’s struggling include:

Keep in touch: phone your older relatives and friends to ask how they are – set up a rota with family and friends to make sure someone is regularly checking on them. Talking to others is a great way to relive old memories and remind everyone of the positive things in life.

Show you care: by writing letters, sending postcards, or checking if someone needs any shopping or errands run. Simply being there for someone can be a great comfort and reassurance.

Help family and friends get online: if older friends and family aren’t connected to the internet you may want to speak to them about getting an internet-enabled device so you can chat more easily and they might enjoy online classes or groups. It’s important to think about what your friend or relative might want to use their device for and how confident they feel with technology. Be aware of the signs of loneliness: the lockdown has brought changes to everyone’s normal activities and routines but there are some clues that could indicate a person is feeling lonely, such as someone neglecting their appearance or personal hygiene, not eating properly or putting themselves down.

Share The Silver Line Helpline number: For a cheerful chat, day or night, older people can call The Silver Line: 0800 470 80 90. The Charity also offers telephone friendship with weekly chats with a friendly and supportive volunteer.

Youth Project unveils virtual Summer Programme

Pilton Youth & Children’s Project have unveiled their plans for a Summer Programme with a difference this year.

For the first time ever, PYCP activities won’t be happening at The Greenhouse in West Pilton – but will instead be taking place ONLINE ONLY because of ongoing coronavirus restrictions.

Like youth organisations all over the country PYCP have had to adapt to these unique circumstances but despite huge challenges they have managed to put together a programme that’s packed with fun activities despite being drastically different to those of recent years.

Activities commence week commencing 29 June. Full programme below:

PYCP summer-programme

Guidance published to reopen childcare safely

Nurseries and other early learning and childcare (ELC) providers have received new guidance to help them plan for reopening when it is safe to do so.

Although some settings are providing critical childcare to vulnerable children and children of key workers, most will remain closed until later in the summer.

The new guidance sets out the core public health measures that will need to be taken to allow safe reopening, including:

• enhanced hand hygiene and cleaning practice
• caring for children in small groups and minimising contact between those groups
• maximising the use of outdoor space
• physical distancing between adults and older children at drop-off and pickup times.

The guidance was developed in partnership with Health Protection Scotland, local authorities, representatives of private and third-sector childcare providers, trade unions and the Care Inspectorate.

Children’s Minister Maree Todd (above) said: “We all want our youngest children to be back enjoying their nurseries and playing with friends as soon as possible. However, the safety of children and staff must come first, so nurseries and other childcare settings can only fully reopen when public health advice tells us it is safe to do so.

“This new guidance makes clear the principles that should be followed in preparing for staff and children to return. Our fantastic childcare practitioners know their settings best and they will be responsible for ensuring all necessary steps are taken to restart high-quality learning and care in a nurturing and safe environment.”

Guidance on reopening of ELC services

Council announces back to school plans

Detailed arrangements are being put in place by the City of Edinburgh Council to ensure the safest return possible for pupils and staff when schools reopen in August.

Following the announcement by the Scottish Government last month, all pupils will return on Wednesday 12 August, a week earlier than programmed.

In accordance with national guidance, social distancing, hygiene regimes and risk assessments will be essential to keep children and staff safe, with the result that not all children will be able to return to school at the same time.

As such, schools are planning that 33% of their pupils will be in school at any one time. Every pupil will have a mix of teaching in school and learning at home and the days they attend will be determined by their school.

Teaching will take place from Mondays to Thursdays with all children attending for whole day and Fridays used by staff to support home learning. Limited key worker childcare support will continue throughout the week including Fridays during normal school hours.

Nursery and primary children will be grouped together to enable family members to attend school on the same days. In secondary schools, pupils will be grouped together either by year group or family group depending on the individual arrangements made by their school.

Pupils at special schools will be in for 50% of the week with the majority offering two full days in school and the rest as home learning.

Individual schools will be in direct contact with parents/carers to let them know final details of the arrangements for pupils.

Education Convener, Councillor Ian Perry, said: “The past three months have been very challenging for the world of education and I want to thank parents, carers and staff in our schools who continue to support our children with home learning and keyworker learning and childcare.

“The health and wellbeing of our children, young people and staff has been at the forefront of our planning for their return to their schools in August. We believe these plans represent the safest return to school as possible for them and in a way that best supports the quality of their learning and their safety

“We are making sure the guidance and advice from both Health Protection Scotland and Scottish Government is being strictly followed when it comes to social distancing, hygiene regimes and risk assessments – it’s essential that we keep our children and staff safe.

“This new blended model is an improvement on the current home learning arrangements, and I want to reassure parents that where possible we review, refine and improve our approach so we can maximise the proportion of in-school learning.”

Education Vice Convener, Cllr Alison Dickie, said: “School recovery lies at the heart of helping our city back on its feet, and I want to begin with a thank you to our teachers and parents and especially the wonderful children and young people of our city.

“This has been an unprecedented time for all of them and I am acutely aware of those who already faced challenges on a daily basis, and to whom school is at times a haven. They are at the heart of our plans.

“Children and young people have missed their teachers, and their teachers them. They have missed their friends and the inspiring and holistic learning environments of our modern classrooms. It’s important too that we build on the home aspect of our blended learning, so that our children feel fully connected and supported.

“Lockdown has also reminded us that learning is wider than just the classroom, and this is an opportunity to realise the full potential of community learning. From our youth workers and After School Clubs, to a range of third partners and community organisations, all have a part to play in this recovery process.”

As schools are starting a week earlier than planned, the summer holidays in 2021 will begin one week earlier, with the school year finishing on Friday 25 June.

Coronavirus is 2020 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year …

… and ‘Scotland’ is the most popular word in Scotland!

The word coronavirus appears for the first time in the 500 Words stories in 2020.
Young writers used it 459 times, with Wuhan and Covid-19 also featuring among the total of 134,709 entries to the competition.
The competition closed on 27^th February – before the UK’s first recorded coronavirus case and before lockdown in the UK, showing how engaged many children were with the emerging pandemic.
Children have responded to the developing threat to the world’s health by becoming problem solvers and finding a cure for the disease.
The Australian bush fires and their impact on wild animals, especially kangaroos and koalas, feature strongly in the stories. Awareness of environmental activism has also risen, with mentions of Greta Thunberg up 1755% on last year.
Technology also features widely, with YouTube the most frequently referenced platform. Mentions of Instagram are not far behind however, increasing 99% in 2020.
‘As cool as a crab with sunglasses on’ is just one example of children’s ability to invent fun similes and use language inventively.
The Oxford Children’s Word of the Year will be announced ahead of the 500 Words final.
The final will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on Friday 12^th June 2020, with the winning stories read by celebrities including David Walliams, Dua Lipa, Joanna Lumley, Jodie Whittaker and Mwaka Mudenda.
Along with competition winners, special guests will include 500 Words judges Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Malorie Blackman, Francesca Simon and Charlie Higson, and honorary judge Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall.

There is a somewhat apocalyptic feel to many of the entries in this year’s BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show’s 500 Words story-writing competition and run in partnership with Oxford University Press.

The devastating impact of coronavirus, the terrible bush fires in Australia and ongoing fears of the effects of climate change show that Britain’s children are very much in touch with the most pressing issues of our time and respond to them with sensitivity, compassion, and a desire to find positive, practical solutions.

From the 134,709 entries, analysis by lexicographers at Oxford University Press has revealed fascinating data and discoveries about how children use language to express themselves.

This is the 10^th anniversary of 500 Words. The competition was originally created by Chris Evans for the Radio 2 Breakfast Show in 2011 and has now received over 1 million entries, generating more than 440 million words.

Why coronavirus?

Previous Children’s Word of the Year include Brexit (2019), plastic (2018), Trump (2017), and refugee (2016), indicating the influence of global affairs on children’s creativity. Standing out this year was the first appearance of the word coronavirus and associated names or words, such as Covid-19 and Wuhan.

Coronavirus was used 459 times in 2020, with words associated with the pandemic also increasing in frequency, including NHS, virus, antibodies, epidemic, and lockdown. Boys and girls wrote almost equally on the topic; however, the subject of the unfolding coronavirus pandemic was more widely covered in older children’s writing (10-13 years).

In many stories, the word is specifically associated with China. Given that the closing date of the 500 Words competition was 27 February 2020 (which was, coincidentally, the day before the first case of transmission within the UK was documented), this can be understood on the basis that news stories had been reporting on the rapidly emerging crisis in the city of Wuhan and later across China.

Many narratives contained realistic physiological and medical details associated with the coronavirus:

‘The nurses came running over. I felt a pain in my neck, I started to gasp for air. My body started shaking I couldn’t control myself. My eyes rolled to the back of my head, a mask covered my mouth, my heart rate dropped, my temperature raised and I have the corona virus’ (The Ex, girl 13)

On the other hand, the young writers also show a delightful blend of humour, fantasy, and creativity as they write about searching for cures and dive into science fiction.

A boy of 10 writes about a getting a blue magic potion from The Smurfs and from a girl of 8 we have: That night I had an interesting dream, a magical sparkling unicorn came and whispered to me the secret ingredients of the cure for the Coronavirus. (The Magical Cure).

In Microbial Madness (from a girl of 12), Salmonella, Flu, and Legionnaire’s Disease join forces against coronavirus, while we have a triumphant diary entry which finds the cure on Day 2370: The cure was successful, we did it. We are putting every penny of our funding into distributing the cure. We will use drones to spray droplets of the liquefied version of the cure. Well, I guess I have no more time to write, I have a planet to cure! (Inside the life of a Coronavirus doctor, boy 11).

Climate change, current affairs, and activism

Children’s concern for the environment has been growing since plastic was the Children’s Word of the Year in 2018. Indeed, mention of this word has increased by 32% year on year (2019 – 20), while phrases such as global warming, save the planet, and climate change jumped in use; by 126%, 156%, and a staggering 839% respectively.

In light of this, it is perhaps unsurprising that Greta Thunberg has seen her appearance in stories increase 1755% on last year. In one wonderful, feminist mash-up – notably written by an 11-year-old boy – she is working with three other iconic women to bring about political and societal change: ‘The P.O.W (Protectors Of Women) Brigade were having a meeting in their secret cellar beneath the magnificent Buckingham Palace. The head of the team Emmeline Pankhurst was leading the meeting… “Now down to business. Rosa Parks, Greta Thunberg and Marie Curie – I would like you three to take this one: a man in America doesn’t believe that world problems and gender inequality is happening.’ (The P.O.W Brigade)

Sharing the young activist’s anxiety across a range of issues, many stories were set in the future, imagining earth suffering catastrophic environmental damage as a result of climate change – ‘Earth looked like a tiny burning speck, red flames visible even from here. Her sobs became uncontrollable. Earth was finished, climate change had seen to that. Her home, family and friends were gone for good. All over, time up. The end.’ (The End, girl 12)

Throughout December 2019 and January 2020, the media was filled with heart-rending stories about the Australian bush fires. Responding to this, the UK’s children wrote about the threat to Australian wildlife, most notably koalas and kangaroos.

In such stories, the narrator often tries to save animals trapped by the fires, with many showing empathy with animals in danger, while others narrate tales through the eyes of the creatures in peril – ‘What caught their eyes was the poor kangaroo in front of them crying, looking at the fire rapidly moving towards her joey.’ (Set alight, girl 12)

A number of stories also featured the series of storms that swept across Britain last winter, particularly Ciara and Dennis – ‘It was the night of the storm Ciara, the wind whistled, the thunder was as loud as seven cars falling from the sky, fences blew over, as the wind was so powerful and strong. I laid in my bed with my eyes shut as tight as possible. I could hear bins, trampolines and all sort of things falling over.’ (The silhouetted figure, girl 10).

Technology and social media

Technology and gaming once again featured strongly in the submissions for 2020’s competition and as in 2019, the Xbox is the leading games console mentioned. However, other platforms have seen large rises in their inclusion in stories, which are mainly written by boys.

The games Minecraft, Fortnite, Roblox, Call of Duty, and Just Dance all experienced increased mentions, by an average of 75%. Albeit that Fortnite, while remaining the second most-included game in related stories, saw a fall in its use by 33%.

In a revealing insight that many parents will recognise, one youngster wrote vividly about being denied access to his favourite tech: ‘Tom was a 13 year old boy. He never did any work because he was too busy playing on Nintendo, watching TV or playing on his iPad…. He was about to grab his Nintendo when he realized that it was not there. So, he went to find the TV remote but that was not there either…. “Where is my technology?” asked Tom. “I have taken it away until you do some science,” answered Mum.’ (Life without Technology, boy 9)

YouTube continues to be by far the most-mentioned platform, although Instagram is beginning to rival it – increasing 99% in 2020. Girls write about social media far more than boys, especially older girls who also appear to be spearheading the rise of TikTok.

With almost chilling acuity, fake identities and catfishing are also brilliantly observed: ‘My name is Tilly. I’ve got darkish hair but on insta it will be raven black. I’ve got brown eyes, but soon they’ll sparkle like emeralds. (Evil Instagram, girl 10).

Reflecting the use of Insta as part of creating a new portmanteau word and promoting a message about having a positive self-image, Pickle the Pig’s Story is something of a latter-day morality tale: ‘She looked back at her phone and realized that she posted the ugly picture of herself on Instasnort a couple of seconds ago. However, it had received a million likes and many kind comments of all types. From that day Pickle had understood that you must be yourself not what someone else said you should.’ (girl 11)

The big names of 2020

Famous people, real or imagined, continue to feature strongly in many stories, as do mythological and fictional characters. Once again, Santa tops the list with 2,293 mentions, with Donald Trump continues to provide a rich source of material in 2^nd place overall and heading the list of ‘real’ people. Boris Johnson enters the list for the first time, with 278 hits.

The top 25 ‘famous people’ (including fictional and mythological characters) are:

1) Santa – no change

2) Donald Trump – ↑ 3

3) Zeus – no change

4) Adolf Hitler – ↑ 4

5) Cinderella -↑ 6

6) Christiano Ronaldo – ↓ 2

7) Lionel Messi – new entry

8) Harry Potter – ↓ 2

9) Snow White – ↑ 6

10) David Walliams – ↑ 12

11) Tooth Fairy – ↓ 4

12) Cleopatra – new entry

13) Queen Victoria – new entry

14) Pegasus – ↓5

15) Gingerbread Man – ↑ 4

16) Little Red Riding Hood – new entry

17) Henry VIII – new entry

18) James Bond – new entry

19) Boris Johnson – new entry

20) Albert Einstein – new entry

21) Sherlock Holmes – new entry

22) Mo Salah – new entry

23) Neil Armstrong – new entry

24) Easter Bunny – ↑ 1

25) Usain Bolt – new entry.

The top 10 ‘real people’ are:

1) Donald Trump

2) Adolf Hitler

3) Cristiano Ronaldo

4) Lionel Messi

5) David Walliams

6) Cleopatra

7) Queen Victoria

8) Henry VIII

9) Boris Johnson

10) Albert Einstein

And now for something completely different

This year’s 500 Words has again demonstrated that children delight in the unusual. Whether it is creating an invented word, fun similes, or dramatic and witty story openers, there has been another feast of creativity for the judges to revel in.

At nineteen letters long, the Transligualiminator was a real eye-catcher: ‘Finally, after weeks of preparation, the new life-changing device was ready for sale. Timmy Rykon called it The Transligualiminator. It could be a phone, a microwave, or it could dispense anything including nachos, fire-balls or socks. (The Transligualiminator, boy 11).

Could the charming simile as cool as a crab with sunglasses on (girl 9) be set to replace the more usual and staid cucumber? Many must surely have felt as confused as a blind goldfish (boy 9), or that awkward moment in a conversation when things fall as silent as an exam hall (girl 9)?

Helen Freeman, Director, Oxford Children’s Dictionaries & Language Data at Oxford University Press says: “Once again, the analysis of the children’s writing has revealed how tuned in young people are to global events and how real-world events can inspire such a variety of stories and writing styles, from apocalyptic science fiction, to fairy tales, and humour.

“It’s striking that so many children are choosing to explore these themes and ideas in their writing, and it’s a complete delight for us to read their stories in this special 10^th anniversary year.”

Zoe Ball, Radio 2 Breakfast show presenter comments: “The OUP’s analysis is so fascinating.

“Revealing, to no surprise, that kids are so aware of everything that’s going on in the world around them and then are able to turn it into the most brilliant, engaging and imaginative stories!”

While Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2 Content Commissioning says: “I’d like to thank OUP for their incredible work analysing this year’s 134,709 stories and building a unique Corpus of words from the entries to 500 Words.

“I’d also like to thank all the talented children who entered in the competition’s 10^th year, as well as the teachers and judges who initially judged the entries – we could not have done it without you!”

The Top 10 words which are used more in the stories of Scottish children than in any other are:

Scotland
gran
wee
vikings
couch
bunker
Edinburgh
Glasgow
celtic
Liath

Children’s Charity warns Urgent Assistance Fund money is running out

Aberlour Children’s Charity, Scotland’s largest children’s charity, has warned that its Urgent Assistance Fund, which provides urgent grants to Scotland’s most vulnerable families, will run out of cash by the end of June if demand continues at the current level.

Since the beginning of lockdown, applications have increased by 1,385%, and in the last 12 weeks the charity has provided 1,049 urgent grants totalling £331,855. Not only is the volume of applications increasing, but also the value of each grant has increased from an average of £100 up to an average of £300.

The grants have now helped 1,007 families, directly supporting 2,245 children across Scotland. Single parent families have been particularly hard hit, with 71% of the grants going to single parent homes, and applications have been received from every local authority, with the exception of the Western Isles.

Glasgow has received 41% of the grants, four times more than any other Local Authority.

The Aberlour Urgent Assistance Fund makes cash payments to families who are struggling, helping them pay for a range basic, essential needs. The charity has warned that many families were already at breaking point and their finances have been further impacted by the coronavirus, pushing them to crisis point; many more will struggle to feed their families or keep the lights on, pay for fuel or replace essential white goods when they break down.

Donations to the Urgent Assistance Fund have increased since the pandemic was declared, with a total of £405,610 donations received since 16 March 2020, but the charity is calling on the general public and its supporters to continue to donate to ensure the fund can continue to support Scotland’s most vulnerable children.

Liz Nolan, Deputy Director at Aberlour Children’s Charity, commented: “We are currently paying out an average of £28,000 per week, and applications to our Urgent Assistance Fund have dramatically increased by 1,385%. At this rate, the fund will be completely drained by the end of June.

“We’ve received applications from people who have never needed our support before, from families who have lost their jobs, have children to feed and are having to wait weeks to access Universal Credit.

“We are providing cash, rather than vouchers, direct to families as a means to support themselves. Most families do not have the means to travel to the large out-of-town shops where vouchers can be redeemed. We trust families to do the best for their children.

“To give an example, we are working with a family who had been struggling financially for some time, and when the mother lost her job in March, she faced a five-week wait to access Universal Credit, meanwhile there was no money.

“Just a week later the gas supply was cut off as they were behind on payments, leaving them with no central heating and only one electric heater between the whole family, including their two-year-old who suffered from bronchitis. Their only access to hot water was the kettle, making it difficult to heat a bath, and when the family washing machine broke down it was the last straw.

“Thanks to the Urgent Assistance Fund this family has a new washing machine and second electric heater, and a cash grant to spend on food and other essentials. We really don’t want to have to turn away families in such dire need.”

“Every single penny donated to the Aberlour Urgent Assistance Fund is paid out to families in desperate need, and I would urge anybody who can, to please donate.”

You can donate to Aberlour’s Urgent Assistance Fund here: www.aberlour.org.uk/donate/UAF

If you require urgent assistance, you can apply to receive funding from Aberlour’s Urgent Assistance Fund. You’ll need a health professional, Social Worker, teacher, third sector organisation, clergy or other professional to support your application. Full details.

April was busiest month ever for UK Food Banks

The Trussell Trust reports a soaring 89% increase in need for emergency food parcels during April 2020 compared to the same month last year, including a 107% rise in parcels given to children
The number of families with children receiving parcels has almost doubled compared to the same period last year
Food banks in the Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) report a 175 per cent increase in need for the same period
A coalition of charities, including Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), The Children’s Society, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), StepChange and Turn2us, is calling for funding for local authorities in England to ensure grants are quickly distributedto help people stay afloat as part of a temporary Coronavirus Emergency Income Support Scheme.

As the impact of coronavirus continues to unfold, food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network are reporting their busiest month ever, with an 89 per cent increase in emergency food parcels given to people across the UK in April 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

The figures include a 107% increase in parcels going to children compared to last year. The number of families with children receiving parcels has almost doubled compared to the same period last year.

Independent food banks are seeing similar increases, with IFAN reporting a 175% increase in need for emergency food parcels given out in the UK during April 2020 compared to the same month last year.

A coalition of charities, including the Trussell Trust, IFAN, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), Children’s Society, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, StepChange and Turn2us, is urging the UK government to act quickly in providing a stronger lifeline to people to prevent many from being swept into destitution.

Measures brought in by the government, including the Coronavirus Jobs Retention scheme, the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and changes aimed specifically at people on low incomes, have helped some people stay afloat.

But these new figures warn far more people are needing  food banks’ help than at this time last year, with little sign of slowing. With these schemes set to wind down over the coming months and other measures proving to be insufficient, the charities say further action is urgently needed to ensure no one is left behind during this crisis.

The coalition says a first step should be to make sure local authorities in England have enough funding to provide emergency cash grants so money can be put directly into people’s pockets quickly. An increase in funding to local authorities in England would help bring the government response on this type of support closer to that of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This is one part of a temporary Coronavirus Emergency Income Support Scheme proposed by the coalition to ensure everyone has enough money in their pockets for essentials during this crisis.

The scheme would include:

Increasing benefits that go to families to help with the costs of raising children
Extending the suspension of benefit deductions to include advance payments – the loans offered to cover the five-week wait for a first Universal Credit payment
Lifting the benefit cap to ensure this support scheme benefits everyone

Chief executive of the Trussell Trust Emma Revie says: “We have been seeing rises in food bank need for the past five years but this 89% increase – with the number of families coming to food banks doubling – is completely unprecedented and not right.

“People need to be able to put food on their table. The government must put urgent support in place to ensure people already struggling to keep their heads above water can stay afloat. We have outlined what we need our government to do – it’s in our power to protect one another, we’ve seen it during this health crisis, and we need it to continue during this economic one.”

Coordinator of the Independent Food Aid Network Sabine Goodwin says: “Our food bank figures paint a grim picture of what is unfolding across the UK and the numbers of people having to resort to emergency food parcels to survive.

“But the solution to the escalating food insecurity crisis has never been the provision of charitable food aid. Everyone needs to be able to afford to buy food and the bare essentials. Our joint call details how this can start to be achieved and we urge the Government to act swiftly and decisively to reverse this devastating trend.”

Child Poverty Action Group ‘s chief executive Alison Garnham says: “Today’s figures are grim. No parent wants to depend on charity to feed their own child but it is clear that food banks are becoming the only option for a growing number of families whose finances have all but collapsed because of Covid-19.

“Struggle is turning to real hardship. The Government has quickly put in place unprecedented and very welcome schemes to support family finances in the wake of Covid-19, but too many households are falling through the gaps. An uplift in children’s benefits should be the priority now to shield children from poverty and its lifelong effects.”

Chief executive at The Children’s Society Mark Russell says: “It’s a tragedy that double the number of families are having to rely on foodbanks to feed their children, and a situation which could be prevented with more action to stop children from going hungry.

“The Children’s Society wants to see significant extra investment in local welfare assistance so councils can provide much needed emergency support. We recently found more than half of councils (63%) were forced to reduce spending on these schemes between 2015 and 2019 yet more people than ever need the help they can provide.

“No child should face destitution as a result of this pandemic. The Government must step up and protect vulnerable children and families.”

Policy and partnerships manager at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation JRF Iain Porter says: “It’s just not right that the number of families turning to food banks continues to climb so steeply.

“We all want to help each other weather this storm, but these figures show the government support provided so far is still not providing a lifeline to families in crisis who are not able to afford the essentials.

“As a rapid first step, increasing funding to councils for emergency cash grants would provide a lifeline to those most at risk of hardship. Alongside this, we need emergency investment in the social security system, such as targeted benefits to families with children, to prevent more families from reaching crisis point as we continue to weather the storm.”

Welfare benefit expert at Turn2us Anna Stevenson says: “Foodbanks do a fantastic job getting immediate practical support to people in their communities, however it shouldn’t be left to charities to do the job our social security safety net should be doing.

“The coronavirus has affected so many of us financially, this must be the catalyst for the government to build upon the steps it has already taken to make sure everyone can afford to put food on the table and not just survive, but be able to thrive.”

Lottery boost for local youth group

Pilton Youth & Children’s Project has received an award of £75,285 from the National Lottery Community Fund.

PYCP is one of twelve Scottish projects – and the only one in Edinburgh – to receive a share of £800,000 in dormant bank account money.

The local youth group, based at The Greenhouse in West Pilton, will use the Young Start funding over three years to run their Creative Mentoring Programme to help young people aged 15-20 years move away from participating in anti-social behaviour and criminal activity.

PYCP’s Lesley Ross said: “We are delighted to receive this award.

“The project will recruit 10 young people each year for a 6 month programme (two intakes), which includes peer mentoring, education, training, weekly sessions, 3 day residential course and an emphasis on improved mental health and well-being.

“We are looking forward to building on the experience and knowledge we already have built up, over a number of years when engaging with this target group of young people. The programme is due to start in September 2020.”

An employability project giving disabled young Scots newfound confidence, skills and qualifications is also celebrating today.

Leonard Cheshire’s Can Do Dumfries project receive a two-year grant of £55,904. The funding will support young volunteers like 21-year-old Alastair, from Gretna, to learn new skills and achieve accredited qualifications that will boost their chances of future employment.

Alastair said: “I started coming along to the Can Do conservation project because I wanted to improve my knowledge of the outdoors, gain a certificate and better my CV. Before the project I was struggling to find work. I had difficulty socialising as I was feeling nervous and unsure all the time.

“Can Do helped me to feel more capable and boosted my confidence. It also helped build my knowledge and skills, particularly in sawing and working with wood. Now, I will get a new job or start more training.”

During the current lockdown period, Leonard Cheshire is delivering its Can Do Dumfries project through digital platforms to keep young people engaged and focused on developing their personal skills.

Welcoming today’s award, Stuart Robertson, Director for Leonard Cheshire in Scotland, said: “We are delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work this way.

“Now, thanks to this Young Start award, we will be able to continue empowering young people with additional support needs in Dumfries and Galloway to give back to the community.”

Young Start awards dormant bank and building society cash to youth-led projects across Scotland and is delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund.

Announcing the funding, National Lottery Community Fund Scotland Director, Neil Ritch, said: “Young Start aims to help children and young people across Scotland realise their potential while also building invaluable skills and confidence for the future.

“By placing young people at the heart of project design, delivery and evaluation, these projects will empower young people to achieve whatever they set their mind to.”

Groups wanting to know more about Young Start, and how it can support them during these unprecedented times, should visit:

https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/young-start

or contact 0141 846 0447.

Online child grooming offences rise in Scotland

NSPCC asks Boris Johnson to publicly commit to having world-leading online harms legislation on statute book within 18 months
Social media sites are ‘enabling offenders’ as recorded crimes, which include online grooming offences, rise above 2,500 in five years in Scotland

Crimes of communicating a sexual message to a child have increased by more than 80 per cent in five years in Scotland, the NSPCC has revealed.

New figures obtained via a freedom of information request show that 651 offences of Communicating Indecently with a Child were recorded by Police Scotland in the last year, compared to 354 crimes in 2014/15 – an increase of 84 per cent.

In the year to April 2020, the rise was 12 per cent but the NSPCC is warning there could be a sharper increase this year due to the unique threats caused by coronavirus that are being exacerbated by years of industry failure to design basic child protection into platforms.

The charity is now calling on the UK Prime Minister to urgently press ahead with legislation that would help prevent offenders from using social media to target children for sexual abuse.

An analysis by the NSPCC of data of an equivalent crime from police forces in England and Wales has revealed that Facebook-owned apps were used in 55% of cases, from April 2017 to October 2019, where police recorded information about how a child was groomed.¹ This data was not available from Police Scotland.

Emily* was 13 when she exchanged messages and photos with a man she believed to be 15 on Facebook and Snapchat. The man turned out to be 24 and sexually abused her.

Emily’s mum, Wendy*, said: “It’s important for social media to be regulated and for Facebook and Instagram to take more responsibility to keep the people who use their platform safe. All other businesses have a Duty of Care to keep children safe, so why not them?”

In February, then UK Government Digital Minister Matt Warman promised to publish an Online Harms Bill during the current UK parliamentary session following proposals set out in a White Paper.

These proposals set out independent regulation of social networks with potential criminal sanctions if tech directors fail to keep children living in the UK safe on their platforms.

However, frustration is growing at delays to the legislation with a full response to consultation on the White Paper not now expected until the end of the year and concerns we might not see a regulator until 2023.

This has been expressed by the chairs of both the UK Parliament Home Affairs and Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committees, which scrutinise the work of the UK Government departments responsible for online harms.

The NSPCC is calling on the UK Prime Minister to deliver an Online Harms Bill, that sets out a Duty of Care on tech firms to make their sites safer for children, within 18 months.

The charity wants his Government to publish a roadmap that sets out the timescales for a world-leading Bill to go through Westminster as a matter of urgency.

NSPCC Chief Executive Peter Wanless spoke to Boris Johnson at a hidden harms round table last week and highlighted how coronavirus had created a perfect storm for abusers because platforms hadn’t done enough to tackle safety risks going into the crisis. He urged the Prime Minister to ensure there is no unnecessary delay to legislation.

Mr Wanless said: “Child abuse is an inconvenient truth for tech bosses who have failed to make their sites safe and enabled offenders to use them as a playground in which to groom our kids.

“Last week the Prime Minister signalled to me his determination to stand up to Silicon Valley and make the UK the world leader in online safety. He can do this by committing to an Online Harms Bill that puts a legal Duty of Care on big tech to proactively identify and manage safety risks.

“Now is the time to get regulation done and create a watchdog with the teeth to hold tech directors criminally accountable if their platforms allow children to come to serious but avoidable harm.”

NSPCC says The Online Harms Bill should:

Enforce a Duty of Care on tech companies to identify and mitigate reasonably foreseeable risks on their platforms, including at the design stage, to proactively protect users from harm
Create a regulator that can hand out GDPR equivalent fines – up to 4% of global turnover – and hold named directors criminally accountable for the most serious breaches of their Duty of Care
Give the regulator robust powers to investigate companies and request information
Create a culture of transparency by legally compelling tech firms to disclose any breaches of the Duty of Care and major design changes to their platforms.

Outdoor learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Funding for Virtual Nature School

Children and families are to benefit from expert guidance on learning and play in an outdoor environment during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

Funding of £159,000 is being given to Living Classrooms to expand their Virtual Nature School programme, providing professional training and learning materials to early learning and childcare (ELC) practitioners. This will help them support the delivery of outdoor play sessions for children who usually attend their settings.

Up to 2,000 practitioners will receive training on the Virtual Nature School’s digital platform and about 20,000 families will benefit. The focus will initially be in areas of higher deprivation, where children will benefit most.

Children’s Minister Maree Todd said: “Playing, learning and having fun outdoors helps to improve children’s wellbeing and resilience, as well as their physical and mental health. It also gives children the opportunity to develop a life-long appreciation of the natural world.

“This is particularly important during the current circumstances, when we are all having to spend so much more time indoors.

“This programme will make a real difference to help families with their home learning, while maintaining a vital connection with the ELC settings and key workers that children are used to having contact with. That will help when the time comes for youngsters to return to those settings.”

The Virtual Nature School (VNS) is a non-profit programme created by Living Classrooms in response to the needs of children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The work is led by Dr Claire Warden, manager of Auchlone Nursery, Living Classrooms and Mind Stretchers Academy.

The programme currently provides home learning support to non-keyworker families, many of whom normally attend the Auchlone Nursery, where children are unable to attend settings. Sessions are delivered online, with families being supported to carry out outdoor play-based tasks and evaluate their learning.

The programme will be delivered across two eight-week cohorts.