Tag: Children and Families

Meet the Police at Tesco Duke Street

Edinburgh police officers are inviting local children to an arts and crafts and face painting session at the Tesco store in Duke Street on Saturday 4th March.

The officers will be at the store between 11am and 4pm giving away wristbands, pencils and pens and refreshments supplied by the store. Children will be invited to dress up as police officers and sit in the police car, and there will also be a DJ and other fun activities provided by Tesco at their 80’s themed event.

This event is a follow-on from two successful community-based ‘Meet the Police’ pilot projects at the Sheriff Court and Stenhouse Primary School aimed at building trust between communities and the police with a particular emphasis on children.

Police Constable Tracey Gunn said: “We want to encourage children and families to think about the ways the police keep them safe but also to raise awareness of the rights and responsibilities of the police towards the public and vice versa.

“We will also showcase our work with offenders and their families, in particular our booklet ‘My Daddy and the Police’ and will gather feedback as to how better to build trust within the communities we serve. I am looking forward to meeting families at Tesco’s on Saturday 4th March and hope they will find it a fun and informative day.”

Tracey is the driving force behind the creation of the Police Liaison Officer position at HMP Edinburgh. It was the first in Scotland and initiatives and ways of working she has introduced have been adopted at other prisons in the country. It’s key in developing positive working relationships between local police and the prison.

If you regularly follow Police Scotland’s Facebook page you may have seen Tracey’s flagship scheme, “Meet the Police”, which is being rolled out in prisons across Scotland and local communities through events at courts, supermarkets, libraries and schools.

Tracey continues to develop her work and is currently working on a short film made with prisoners that aims to steer young people who are involved in low level offending or those at risk of offending away from more serious crime, by showing them the harsh realities of being involved in organised crime and prison life.

Urgent action needed in schools to address childrens’ mental health

Figures produced by the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) have highlighted dramatic increases in the reasons pupils are being identified with additional support needs (ASN) in Scotland’s schools. Continue reading Urgent action needed in schools to address childrens’ mental health

Taking the time to dream: Future Me launched

The Scottish Government yesterday launched a new Future Me campaign as part of the Read Write Count early years initiative, encouraging families across Scotland to share their children’s dreams for the future. To mark the launch, children and parents took part in a Future Me session and reading from award-winning children’s author, Simon Puttock at Riverside Museum in Glasgow. Continue reading Taking the time to dream: Future Me launched

Future Me campaign launches this week

A new campaign encouraging parents or guardians to talk to children about their dreams for the future will be launched this week by the Scottish Government. The Future Me campaign aims to raise the aspirations of children and improve vital literacy and numeracy skills which will last a lifetime. Continue reading Future Me campaign launches this week

Half Term Holiday Club places available

Still haven’t sorted out your holiday childcare this half term? Edinburgh Leisure still has a few places available at all their holiday clubs, being run at four of their venues across the city. Contact the individual venues to book but don’t leave it too late as there are only a few places left at each.

Every day is packed full of games, sports, arts, crafts, drama, challenges and educational activities – for £145 per week. Daily bookings are also available for £35 per day.

Available days can be had at:

Craiglockhart Leisure and Tennis Centre – Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Drumbrae Leisure Centre – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Gracemount Leisure Centre – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (day and week bookings)

Royal Commonwealth Pool – Friday 

The Holiday Club will run at these centres from the 13th to 17th February (9am to 5pm) – with early drop off from 8am and late pick up until 6pm – perfect for working parents.

And if you’re thinking ahead, Holiday Clubs for other holidays throughout the city are also now available to be booked. And for early birds, there’s a 10% discount.

Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre: activities update

Michelle’s Surgery Cancelled

Michelle Thomson has cancelled her surgery tomorrow (Friday 10 February).

Children’s Clubs

There will be no children’s clubs on at the centre next week due to the school holidays.

Inclusive Zumba Classes 

Our Monday morning Zumba classes for disabled persons continue to be very successful but it is felt that more people could take advantage of this fun activity.

Classes are on Monday (10 – 11am) and Friday (10.15 – 11am)

The best way to start a week and getting fit!

Childrens Taekwon Do (Ages 3+)

As with many of our activities the childrens Taekwon-do has surprised us with its popularity amongst the young people, so come along and join Scotlands fastest Family Taekwondo Club led by Master Divine.

IMP Meeting Reminder

Improving Muirhouse and Pennywell meeting next Wednesday 15th February  3.00-5.00pm.. All Welcome.

James McGinty

Child Poverty Bill ‘will be a crucial step forward’

The UK Government’s austerity agenda, continuing welfare cuts, and economic uncertainty caused by Brexit are the key challenges to eradicating child poverty, Equalities Secretary Angela Constance has said. Ms Constance, who will introduce a child poverty bill to Holyrood this week, said the action being taken to tackle inequalities and end child poverty in Scotland has never been more important.

Findings in a report published by the Resolution Foundation last week show that over the remainder of the UK Parliamentary term typical households will see almost no income growth and poorer households will experience a fall in income.

Ms Constance said: “No child should grow up in poverty. All of our children deserve the best opportunities in life that we can offer them, which is why tackling the issue is a key priority for this government.

“Our Child Poverty Bill to be published this week will be a crucial step forward – it will set statutory targets to reduce child poverty and establish a framework for measuring, monitoring and reporting on child poverty. It will also require long-term delivery plans to tackle the deep-rooted causes, and for Ministers to report annually on progress. Scotland will also now be the only part of the UK with statutory income targets on child poverty.

“UK Government budget cuts, austerity measures, and welfare cuts, and scrapping of income-based child poverty targets are leading to huge social harm, and the poorest and most vulnerable in society shouldering the brunt.

“Withdrawal from the EU and the single market also poses a threat to living standards, job prospects, and income levels of people and communities across Scotland.

“It is completely unacceptable that families are facing such hardship and children are growing up in poverty. I am clear that preventing the next generation of young people being born into poverty is vital and we will work tirelessly across government and with the public, private and voluntary sectors to address this.

“That is why our Fairer Scotland Action Plan includes several cross-Government measures to tackle child poverty – and we will use all options the new social security powers give us to make a difference.

“We are spending £100 million a year mitigating the worst of UK Government cuts, funding we should be able to use to lift people out of poverty.

“So it is absolutely clear that we are taking a range of actions to ensure that children in Scotland have a bright future ahead of them; but we do that in the face of a callous and uncaring UK government which has never put the needs of the people of Scotland on their to do list.”