Almost a billion pounds will be invested annually to fund the huge expansion of early learning and childcare, transforming the life chances of children in Scotland, the Scottish Government has announced. Continue reading Going forward together: ONE BILLION POUNDS to fund childcare expansion
“The hospital fixes the hole in the child, but camp fixes the whole child” – a camper’s parent
Each summer, children and families from Edinburgh and Lothians who are affected by serious illness get a chance to attend one of Over The Wall’s free Therapeutic Activity camps. These camps help to rebuild some of what is lost to childhood illness, thanks to monumental efforts from groups of talented and highly skilled volunteers. Children aged 8 – 17 spend a week where they can kick back, relax, and simply be themselves. Continue reading Over the Wall
When Health Secretary Shona Robison announced in 2016 the closure of the East of Scotland cleft surgery unit in Edinburgh – which Lothian MSP Miles Briggs and parents campaigned hard against – she reassured people that “local outreach clinics, will continue to be delivered locally as they are now, across Scotland.” https://news.gov.scot/news/cleft-surgery-recommendation
A Written Answer (see below) shows that in two areas local clinics stopped altogether in 2017 with no indication of when they might start again. This means extra travelling and inconvenience for families, as well as having limited dates when they can be seen.
There has been a reduction in the number of Multi-Disciplinary Clinics (MDC) in Edinburgh, with only fortnightly appointments available.
The service is also still short of the third surgeon that it needs.
Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs MSP said: “It is very apparent that the SNP Ministers decision to centralise the Cleft Palate Service has been a disaster.
“The families of babies and young people who require the service are the ones losing with an inferior service being provided.
“I am particularly concerned that parents are being forced to travel so far for appointments, often having to make longer journeys than the recommended limit for new born babies.”
Evonne McLatchie, lead campaigner to save the Edinburgh cleft unit, comments: “Parents in the East are angry but not the least surprised as the promises Ms Robison made were as predicted not worth the paper they were printed on.
“Many families in the East don’t even have correct contact details and it is parents that are driving patient reviews and consultations for their children having to resort to asking questions on Facebook to get answers for their concerns and then chasing up appointments.
“Shona Robison stated repeatedly that centralisation would improve care, especially if a surgeon was off- that has yet to be proven!
“The majority of parents are afraid to voice concerns as they have to work with the service for perhaps the next 20 years and despite assurances that any complaint won’t affect care they simply don’t want to risk it.”
Edinburgh-based Scottish Adoption has been awarded a £16,000 grant from the Scottish Children’s Lottery. The charity provides support to anyone affected by adoption – be it children, birth families, prospective adopters, adoptive parents and adults who were adopted as children. Continue reading Edinburgh adoption charity awarded £16,000 from Scottish Children’s Lottery
The UK’s fastest growing trampoline park operator, Jump In, opened the doors of its latest £1.5m high-spec, eagerly anticipated arena on the outskirts of Edinburgh this weekend. Hundreds of excited families from across the central belt enjoyed a live demonstration by British Champion Gymnast, Lara Craig (22) from Musselburgh (above). Continue reading New trampoline park opens in Musselburgh
More than one hundred adults, young people and children attended Pilton Youth and Children’s Project’s Open Day on 12th April. Continue reading One hundred attend PYCP Open Day
There’s an old expression that ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch’ Well, think again! Environmental charity Changeworks is hosting a free lunch on Sunday 6 May 2018 made from food that would otherwise have gone to waste. Continue reading Feeding 1000 bellies, not bins, across Leith!
A brand new official version of Edinburgh MONOPOLY is to hit the shops – exactly 20 years on from the first. And for the first time ever in Scotland the playing tokens will be customised to one city.
Amongst the tokens, to be voted by the public, could be a bust of Edinburgh’s most famous son Sir Sean Connery – or, arguably daughter, Elsie Inglis.
“Dedicated” Edinburgh icons that are favourites to ‘Pass GO’ and become tokens in the new game include a panda, comedic mask and miniature castle. There will be six in all – and the public will get to decide.
Other customised tokens could be a miniature of Sir Chris Hoy, a book, rugby ball or an Auld Reekie chimney mini replica.
And in a clear nod to Edinburgh’s most popular pooch the producers Winning Moves UK say the MONOPOLY Scottie dog – which is the most popular of all the original MONOPOLY tokens – will almost certainly change to the beloved Greyfriars Bobby, a legend that has enthralled millions of visitors over the years.
The original Edinburgh board hits the shops in 1998, which was Edinburgh themed but not completely. The tokens were the MONOPOLY originals. But this time the tokens get the boot – including the MONOPOLY boot, racing car, Scottie dog and top hat.
In 1998 it was the first time that any regional board based on a city or town in the UK, outside of London, was produced. Since then there have been several, including Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee, but none – until now – have customised playing tokens.
Winning Moves UK’s Benjamin Thompson made the announcement by the statue of Greyfriars Bobby yesterday. He said: “We are now a whole generation on from when Edinburgh first historically ‘Passed GO’ – the very first city in the UK to do so.
“Scotland’s capital city has grown and changed enormously, now with its own Parliament and a whole new generation of people.
“The tokens will be customised for the first time in Scotland and will all be dedicated to Edinburgh,” he adds. “The MONOPOLY streets will all be Edinburgh landmarks and also new will be the Chance and Community Chest cards which will be very heavily Edinburgh themed. One could send players back three spaces for getting stuck in traffic on Queensferry Road. Whilst another could reward players with a VIP visit around Edinburgh Castle.”
The public will get to vote for the landmarks, cards and playing tokens.
“It’s a universal love story – and our mission for this game is for it to be a Love Letter to Edinburgh,” adds Mr Thompson. “The perfect fit and we are absolutely sure Bobby WILL feature prominently in this game.”
The public is now invited to send in suggestions and ideas for the game – both serious and fun.
Every single one of the famous MONOPOLY spaces from the London original like Mayfair and Park Lane – 28 in all – will be getting an Edinburgh makeover. And very many of the Chance and Community Chest cards will also be Edinburgh themed too.
Winning Moves’ Bejamin Thompson added: “We are expecting to be very spoilt for choice for landmarks to fill this board. This very special edition will go into production to be ready in time for this Christmas (2018) and will hit shop shelves this October.
“The game will be sold not just in Edinburgh shops but to the world via Amazon and online. It will be a global seller and further showcase Edinburgh to the world.”
Landmarks that could star on the board include (of course!) Edinburgh Castle, The Palace of Holyrood House, Princes Street and The Royal Mile. The MONOPOLY sets of streets will be themed in sets from heritage to tourism, culture to shopping, education to business and sport to media. The four train stations on the original MONOPOLY will be handed over to a ‘travel’ set. That’s because unlike in the original London MONOPOLY there are not going to be four main line train stations to choose from.
Suggestions can be made to edinburgh@winningmoves.co.uk or via the official Edinburgh MONOPOLY Facebook page. Or by traditional post to Edinburgh MONOPOLY, Winning Moves UK, 7 Praed Street, London W2 1NJ.
Polls close at 23.59pm on 30th April 2018.
How about a tram? Oh well, just a thought …
The Prentice Centre, Granton Mains Avenue
9.30am – 11am or 11.30am – 1pm
The Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) has today published maps showing that pregnant women and new mums in a quarter of the UK still cannot access lifesaving specialist perinatal mental health services which meet national guidelines. Continue reading Maternal mental health: significant gap in service provision
