Tag: Children and Families

Letter: Support for Fathers

Dear Editor,

Looking after a child can be a challenge for all parents at times but even more so in the current situation with measures put in place to contain the Coronavirus.

The lack of respite from children’s needs or relationship strains will be taking their toll on many parents; some will have lost their jobs and be experiencing financial difficulties and there will be those who have suffered illness and bereavement.

These pressures and anxieties will be intensified by the fact that families are having to cope without access to their usual support networks.

This month, as we mark Father’s Day and International Father’s Mental Health Day, we want to send a message to dads that there is help out there and, if you are finding things difficult or you feel you are struggling to cope, it is so important that you reach out for support. Looking after your mental health is vital for your own wellbeing, as well as your child’s.

Earlier this year, NSPCC Scotland teamed up with the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee to launch the All of Us campaign to let families know where and how they can get advice and support.

The different organisations involved in the campaign are working together to gain insight into how they can best support families and protect children across Edinburgh.

Our NSPCC Helpline counsellors are here for fathers whatever their worry. For parenting advice and support contact the helpline at help@nspcc.org.uk or on 0808 800 5000, weekdays 8am to 10pm and weekends 9am to 6pm.

To find out more about the campaign and about available local support visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/allofus

CARLA MALSEED, 

NSPCC Scotland campaigns manager,

on behalf of the All of Us campaign being run with Edinburgh Child Protection Committee

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Dads Rock all set to celebrate Father’s Day

It’s here! The full list of everything that’s happening on Father’s Day!

We’ve got some great free fun for all the family. For kids aged 0 up! Ballet, Cooking, Dads massage, Drawing, Face painting, First aid, Junk play, Messy Play, Music, Stories and Songs and Yoga!

You need to sign up for activities, and can do so following this link: https://www.dadsrock.org.uk/fathers-day-2020

Step Up and Speak Out For Children plan Father’s Day protest

A newly-formed campaign group is to hold a protest outside the Scottish Parliament tomorrow to highlight their campaign for equal parental custody.

The Step Up & Speak Out for Children event at Holyrood will take place from 10am – 1pm:

Dear Editor

We are a new campaign group aiming to change the Children Act 1989. We have recently discovered that non-residing parents are being consistently let down by the current family law system.

Parents are still using their children as a way of revenge for the breakdown of their relationship and are getting away with it. I, myself was a child victim of the system 30 years ago. And not one thing has improved.

60% of women have admitted to obstructing contact between a child and their father.

Over 1 million children in the UK have zero contact with their father.

Only 21% of child arrangement court orders award joint custody.

Women fight every day for equal rights and opportunities, me being one of them.

However, they still want to hold power over men using dirty tactics and playing God with their children’s lives. We can’t have it all ways.

There has been a significant rise in mothers and fathers violating court orders since the lockdown began. Even though government legislation states that contact can be maintained. By the time the family courts get around to enforcing these orders, lockdown will be over. That is months of love and support lost for a child who needs both parents in their lives.

Women are being encouraged by lawyers to lie in court about domestic abuse so they receive legal aid. This in turn, is preventing the child access to their loving parent for months, sometimes years before the matter is resolved by a judge.

We are fighting to make shared custody mandatory in the breakdown of a relationship, proving that the non-residing parent has parental responsibility to said child.

We are holding a protest this Fathers Day outside the Scottish Parliament Building in unison for all the fathers who are being held hostage by the system and cannot be with their children on Sunday.

It is time that this issue is brought back into the forefront of peoples minds. We need to stand up for our children.

Thank you for reading.

Kindest Regards

Stacey Menelaws,

Step Up & Speak Out For Children

 

Pre-virus Walk to School rates plummet in Scotland

Living Streets Scotland, part of the UK charity for everyday walking, is calling for street improvements around schools ahead of them reopening to avoid gridlock and promote a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.   

It comes after new data reveals record lows in the number of children walking to school pre-lockdown.

The Hands Up survey – published today but conducted in September 2019 – shows that just 41 per cent of primary school aged children were walking to school before the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak – the LOWEST recorded level – whilst pupils being driven to school was at its HIGHEST recorded level since the survey began at 23.8 per cent.

Living Streets, the UK walking charity behind the biggest walk to school campaign, wants more local authorities to use available funding to implement measures to make walking to school more attractive, including 20mph limits, safer crossings and School Streets – which see cars banned from outside school gates at peak drop off and pick up times.

Stuart Hay, Director of Living Streets Scotland, said:  “These results are incredibly disappointing and shows that there is a lot of work to be done to make walking to school a viable option for families across Scotland. 

“We know from our work with schools across Scotland that families are put off walking to school by traffic, road danger and air pollution. By removing cars, we remove these barriers.

“When pupils start to return, it’s crucial that our roads aren’t gridlocked and our schools surrounded by dirty air. And by giving space to people – not cars – we can ensure families can physically distance at pick up and drop off.

“School Streets have been successfully implemented by many Scottish local authorities and we want to see others using the funding made available during the pandemic to follow their lead. We need to come out of this crisis stronger than before and we won’t do that by replacing it with crises around inactivity, air pollution and road danger.”

Living Streets Scotland runs WOW – the year-round walk to school challenge in 22 Scottish local authorities. On average, schools which take part in WOW see a 23 per cent increase in the number of children walking to school and a 30 per cent decrease in the number of cars driving up to the school gates.

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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:

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. Thinking of healthy ways to cope you could do together, like yoga, breathing exercises or mindfulness
  4. Encouraging them to talk to their GP, someone at their school or Childline, especially if they’re finding it hard to talk at home
  5. 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:

  1. 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.
  1. 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.
  1. 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.
  1. 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 27th 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 12th 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 10th 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 2nd 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 10th 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 10th 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: 

  1. Scotland
  2. gran
  3. wee
  4. vikings
  5. couch
  6. bunker
  7. Edinburgh
  8. Glasgow
  9. celtic
  10. 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.