Tag: Children and Families

Edinburgh Womens Aid to run Mellow Parenting course


Edinburgh Womens Aid will be running a  mellow  parenting programme beginning 24th April. The programme will run for 8 weeks in Link Up at St Margaret’s House at Meadowbank.

Criteria: Woman that have experienced Domestic abuse with preschool age children and in need of additional support in parenting. A crèche will be available.

Referrals should be made to Isabella Balloch, please complete referral attached and  return via  email by Friday 17 February. Call  0131 315 8116 or email IsabellaBalloch@edinwomensaid.co.uk

STV Appeal support for Youth Vision’s Back on Track

Community project, Back on Track, by charity Youth Vision in Edinburgh, has received £1,000 from the STV Children’s Appeal, boosting support for the local project.

Youth Vision works with children and young people from South West Edinburgh, offering a range of nature based informal education services that aim to develop confidence and self-esteem to support a healthy transition to adulthood. Back on Track is a support and learning programme for young people aged 14-16 who are not attaining in school, attending education, or engaged in employment. The programme provides a range of nature based activities and life skills that aim to support the personal and social development of young people and improve their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. The programme also includes an element of family support and community days meaning parents or carers are directly involved with the programme.

Claudia Goncalves, co-founder and chairperson of Youth Vision, said: “On behalf of the young people who benefit from our services I would like to thank the STV Children’s Appeal. The £1,000 we received will support young people aged 14 to 16 who really need our charity’s guidance and support to get back on track.”

Since launching in 2011, the STV Children’s Appeal has raised over £13.7 million, with 722 big and small grants distributed to projects across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, providing much needed support to over 62,000 children. The money raised is distributed to provide practical help like food and warm clothes; create opportunities for training and employability; and enable social and emotional support for those who need it most.

Rob Woodward, STV CEO and trustee of the STV Children’s Appeal, said: “The STV Children’s Appeal was established to help improve the quality of life of vulnerable children and young people across Scotland. We are extremely grateful to everyone that has fundraised and donated to this year’s STV Children’s Appeal. All proceeds remain in Scotland which means we can support vital projects such as Back on Track in our efforts to improve the lives of children across the community. A special thanks to everyone for their ongoing support and acts of generosity for such an important cause.”

Sir Tom Hunter, trustee of the STV Children’s Appeal, said: “It’s charities like Youth Vision that can make the world of a difference to those young people most in need. From the bottom of my heart I thank everyone who raised money for the STV Children’s Appeal and can again confirm to every last one of you that every pound you gave is being invested in charities like Youth Vision to the benefit of Scotland’s young people. You raise a pound we give a pound, simple.”

Sir Ian Wood, trustee of the STV Children’s Appeal, said: “It remains deeply concerning that child poverty continues to impact so many lives across our country with over 200,000 children and young people in Scotland now affected.  As a consequence the work carried out by the STV Children’s Appeal in providing support, help and opportunities for those who most need it has become even more significant.  Such a divide between the have and have-nots on our own doorstep is totally unacceptable.  However I am always heartened by the support and generosity of the people across Scotland who enable The STV Children’s Appeal to carry out such vital work.  We all must play our part, no matter how large or small, in reducing these shocking statistics.”

Lorraine Kelly, presenter and STV Children’s Appeal trustee, has announced the STV Children’s Appeal 2016 has raised £2,568,369 for children and young people living in poverty in Scotland, with an exciting line-up of fundraising activities planned for 2017.

If you’re an individual or group that would like to help raise funds for children and young people living in poverty in Scotland with the STV Children’s Appeal, please get in touch with Natalie Wright at natalie.wright@stv.tv.

Putting money where it’s needed: Pupil Equity Fund aims to close attainment gap

Children’s lives will be transformed by the Scottish Government’s new £120 million Pupil Equity Funding scheme, Deputy First Minister John Swinney has been told by head teachers. At an event in Edinburgh yesterday, Mr Swinney heard how schools are planning to spend their share of the funding which is aimed at closing the poverty-related attainment gap. Continue reading Putting money where it’s needed: Pupil Equity Fund aims to close attainment gap

£7 million boost for Edinburgh schools

Schools in Edinburgh will benefit from a £7,472,400 funding boost as part of the Scottish Government’s drive to improve standards in schools, it has been revealed. The share each school is due to receive from the Scottish Government’s new £120 million Pupil Equity Fund has been revealed by Deputy First Minister John Swinney. Continue reading £7 million boost for Edinburgh schools

Craigroyston CYFC looking for new players

Craigroyston CYFC 2007s are looking for players to join our current teams.

We train Wednesday and Friday 6-7pm and play our games on a Sunday morning.

If any boys or girls are interested in coming along for a trial and are wanting to continue with their football development then get in touch.

Email gavm206@hotmail.com or call Gavin Milne 07940453590

Childcare Academy Info sessions in February

We have more dates in place for our Childcare Academy Information Sessions:

Monday 6th February @ 1pm

Wednesday 15th February @ 10am

Wednesday 22nd February @ 1pm

If you would like to book a place to come along and hear more about the Academy, ask any questions and take away an application pack, please do not hesitate to contact me on the number below or Barbara Webster on 0131 311 6926.

Kind Regards

Audrey O’Neill

Senior Training Administrator

North Edinburgh Childcare, 18b Ferry Road Avenue

Edinburgh EH4 4BL

DDI:  0131 311 6931

Fax:  0131 315 4420 

Follow us on Twitter @NEChildcare

Like our Training Services on Facebook @

https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Edinburgh-Childcare-Training-Services/664092880377307

CHILD DEATHS AND POVERTY: GREENS URGE ACTION ON RCPCH REPORT

Alison Johnstone MSP, Health spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, today urged Scottish Ministers to act on the recommendations of a major report which concludes that 400 Scottish child deaths each year are potentially avoidable. The State of Child Health report by the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health says the Scottish Government should adopt a ‘child health in all policies’ approach to decision making.

The report urges support for families through financial inclusion services, like Glasgow’s Healthier Wealthier Children scheme which Green MSPs have persuaded Scottish Ministers to roll out across the country. It calls for all schools to deliver comprehensive sex and relationships education and also calls for 20 mph speed limits in built up areas to create safe places for children to walk, cycle and play.

Alison Johnstone, Health spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for Lothian, said: “The link between poverty and poor health is well established and this shocking report shows we need a transformation in how Government approaches the issue. Four hundred preventable child deaths each year must prompt serious action.

“Green MSPs have been pushing for an anti-poverty budget from Scottish Ministers, and we’ve already secured a guarantee that Glasgow’s Healthier Wealthier Children project, which boosts incomes for vulnerable families, will be rolled out across Scotland. We need to see other interventions such as an allowance for young carers, promotion of the Living Wage to stop in-work poverty, and a more humane approach to social security.

“We also need to see a shift in spending to make it easy to be active every day. The lack of funding for walking and cycling while motorways and air travel are set to benefit, and the deep cuts planned to sports agencies and council services, show that Scottish Ministers haven’t grasped how serious the situation is.”

The full report is available at:
www.rcpch.ac.uk/state-of-child-health

State of child health: The report at a glance

This is a comprehensive list of 25 measures of the health of UK children, ranging from specific conditions such as asthma, diabetes and epilepsy, risk factors for poor health such as obesity and a low rate of breastfeeding, to child deaths. The data provide an “across the board” snapshot of child health and wellbeing in the UK.

Key messages

Key actions – UK wide

Recommendations for UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments and decision makers

Key messages

Nearly one in five children in the UK is living in poverty and inequality is blighting their lives, with those from the most deprived backgrounds experiencing much worse health compared with the most affluent. Despite some improvements in the health of UK children over the last decades, there is clear disparity with Europe, and major cause for concern.

Child deaths

The UK ranks 15 out of 19 Western European countries on infant (under one year of age) mortality and has one of the highest rates for children and young people in Western Europe.

There is a strong association between deprivation and mortality, for example infant mortality is more than twice as high in the lowest compared with the highest socio-economic groups.

Smoking in pregnancy

The prevalence of smoking during pregnancy in the UK is higher than in many European countries (for example 5% in Lithuania and Sweden, compared with 19% in Scotland, 16% in Wales and 15% in Northern Ireland).

Smoking in pregnancy increases the likelihood of death, disability, and disease (for example stillbirth, cot death and the risk of respiratory disease across the life-course).

There is marked variation in smoking in pregnancy across the UK with a strong association with deprivation; for example in Scotland over a quarter (25.9%) of women in the most deprived areas acknowledged smoking following the birth of their baby, compared with 3.3% in the least deprived areas.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding in England and Scotland has shown minimal improvement since data recording commenced in 1975, with no improvement over the last five years, and remains lower than many other comparable high-income countries.

At 6 months, only 34% of babies in the UK are wholly or partially breastfed, compared to 71% in Norway

Breastfeeding has substantial health benefits for mothers and babies.

Across the UK, 46% of mothers in the most deprived areas breastfed compared with 65% in the most affluent areas.

Obesity

Across England, Scotland and Wales more than one in five children in the first year of primary school are overweight or obese.

There has been minimal improvement in the prevalence of child overweight and obesity over the past decade.

Obesity leads to substantially increased risk of serious life-long health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

In 2015/2016, 40% of children in England’s most deprived areas were overweight or obese, compared to 27% in the most affluent areas.

Smoking

The percentage of 15-year-old children smoking regularly is 6% in England and 8% in Wales and Scotland.

Smoking continues to be the greatest single cause of avoidable mortality in the UK.

Starting to smoke during adolescence increases the likelihood of being a life-long smoker.

The prevalence of child smoking is much higher amongst children from the most deprived areas; for example in Scotland’s most deprived areas, at least 1 in 10 young people are regular smokers.

Alcohol

In 2013/2014, 13% of 15-year-olds surveyed in Wales, 11% in England and 13.5% in Scotland reported drinking alcohol at least once a week.

Alcohol abuse continues to be a problem across the social spectrum.

Key actions – UK wide

  • Each UK Government to develop a child health and wellbeing strategy, coordinated, implemented and evaluated across the nation
  • Each UK Government to adopt a ‘child health in all policies’ approach
  • UK Government to introduce a ban on the advertising of foods high in saturated fat, sugar and salt in all broadcast media before 9pm
  • Each UK Government to develop cross-departmental support for breastfeeding; this should include a national public health campaign and a sector wide approach that includes employers, to support women to breastfeed
  • An expansion of national programmes to measure the height and weight of infants and children after birth, before school and during adolescence
  • A reversal of public health cuts in England, which are disproportionately affecting children’s services
  • The introduction of minimum unit alcohol pricing in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, in keeping with actions by the Scottish Government
  • UK Government to extend the ban on smoking in public places to schools, playgrounds and hospitals
  • UK Government to prohibit the marketing of electronic cigarettes to children and young people
  • National public health campaigns that promote good nutrition and exercise before, during and after pregnancy

Recommendations for Scottish Government and decision makers

SOCH recommendations – Scotland 

 

State of Child Health – full report 

Baby box designs: the shortlist revealed

The final six designs for Scotland’s Baby Box have been revealed by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years, Mark McDonald. He unveiled the shortlist during a visit to the University of Dundee’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design where he was joined by the finalists and judges as the designs were made public for the first time. Continue reading Baby box designs: the shortlist revealed