Are you pregnant? Live locally? Come along to the
PREGNANCY CAFE
at The Haven, next to Craigroyston Primary School
Every Tuesday 10.0 – 11.30
Tea
Friendly company
Help and advice
Pregnancy information
Freebies
Baby stuff
Interested? Ask your midwife or call Jo 537 4230 Julie 332 9269 or just turn up!
Circle Scotland’s Haven Project, Craigroyston Primary School
Muirhouse Place West, EH4 4PX
Murrayfield summit aims to improve breastfeeding rates
Experts will come together in Edinburgh today to explore ways to encourage and support more mothers to breastfeed for longer. Off to a Good Start, a new guide for breastfeeding mothers, will also be launched at the event.
The first Scottish Breastfeeding Summit, organised by the Scottish Government, takes place at Murrayfield and will be attended by key players from across the health service, local authorities and the third sector.
Delegates will look at what can be done to improve breastfeeding rates, which have improved over the last decade, but still remain relatively static.
A new guide for breastfeeding mothers, Off To A Good Start, will be launched at the event. The booklet has been produced by NHS Health Scotland after listening to feedback from pregnant women, new mothers and their families. It will be provided free to all health boards and given out to all pregnant women in Scotland.
Scotland is the only country in the UK to have legislation in place that prevents discrimination against women who breastfeed in public.
Maureen Watt, Minister for Public Health, said: “This summit is a chance to share what is working well and come up with some fresh ideas to help increase breastfeeding rates. This is one of the best things any mother can do to give their child a healthy start in life, so it’s absolutely vital that women have all the help and support they need.
“Research shows that women who understand the health benefits for their child are more likely to take it up, so getting that information to them is important. But this is also about identifying barriers that exist, and finding ways around them.”
“We must act now to ensure we offer the best protection to all of our children and young people. This summit is a welcome step in that direction.” – ACC Malcolm Graham, Police Scotland
The Scottish Government is to host a summit on protecting our children and young people this week. Ministers, local authorities and children’s charities will meet in Edinburgh on Wednesday to discuss how they can work together to ensure child protection policies are as robust as possible to keep our young people safe.
Local authorities across Scotland are attending the summit alongside police, health boards, Children in Scotland, Barnardo’s Scotland, WithScotland, the Care inspectorate and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Children’s charities, police and young people are being consulted on the shape of the campaign to ensure it reaches those who are at risk of exploitation and makes a real measurable difference to tackling the issue, and a wide-ranging public information campaign to tackle child sexual exploitation is being launched by the Scottish Government later this year.
The Scottish Government unveiled a national action plan on child sexual exploitation to the Scottish Parliament last November which was published alongside a report from Children in Scotland Chief Executive Jackie Brock into the working of the Scottish Child Protection System.
The summit was one of the key recommendations of the report to address the findings of recent Care Inspectorate reports and ensure roles and responsibilities are clear.
Education Secretary Angela Constance said: “The safety and wellbeing of children and young people is a priority for this Government and an issue we take extremely seriously. That’s why we work continuously with law enforcement, children’s charities, Parliament and others to protect children from abuse and target those who attempt to prey on them.
“This week’s summit, our wide ranging national action plan and the commissioning of the Jackie Brock report are a few of a number of steps we are taking to protect our children. Our public information campaign to be launched this year will build on this activity to safeguard young people at risk before they become targets of this terrible crime.”
Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham, Police Scotland lead for Public Protection said: “Protecting children and tackling all forms of child abuse is a priority for Police Scotland. It is a complex and challenging area of policing, often with different challenges in different areas. As Police Scotland, we bring a consistent approach to tackling offending against children in all its forms: child abuse or child sexual exploitation, and increasingly, online offending which can add an international dimension to our investigations.
“Prevention has to be our focus going forward and we are committed to working collaboratively with our local partners, both statutory and non-statutory and within local communities, to identify where there is risk and to take a proactive, multi agency approach to protecting children and young people. More than anything we must listen to young people and build their confidence that they will be heard and that we will act.
“Our new National Child Abuse Investigation Unit, which will be deployed into each of our 14 divisions when there are complex enquiries and as part of the local multi agency response to child protection, will enhance further our approach to supporting victims and bringing offenders to justice.
“We must act now to ensure we offer the best protection to all of our children and young people. This summit is a welcome step in that direction.”
Martin Crewe, Director of Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “We are pleased to be contributing to this important event which demonstrates a serious commitment to tackling the horrendous crime of child sexual exploitation.
”Barnardo’s Scotland has over 20 years experience of supporting exploited children and we know it is vital that all agencies work together to both support children and tackle the perpetrators of these vile crimes.”
An updated programme of activities and groups for parents and carers has been produced in a handy booklet format.
Click on the link below to find out the full range of activities available across North Edinburgh and beyond:
The proposed priority parking scheme in Telford and an update on Drylaw skate park feature on next week’s Drylaw Telford Community Council meeting agenda.
The meeting will be held in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre on Wednesday 25 February at 7pm. All welcome.
The Edinburgh International Science Festival today announced the programme for Spring 2015.
The Festival, which will bring together hundreds of events, activities and exhibitions to celebrate science, will take place over Saturday 19 March – Sunday 4 April taking in the Easter school break.
This year, the Festival aims to transform into ‘The Ideas Factory’ – a hub of information, ideas and innovation. Some of the events taking place include:
The City of Edinburgh Council is a major funding partner of the Festival. Councillor Steve Cardownie, Festivals and Events Champion for the city, commented: “The Edinburgh International Science Festival is always a key highlight in the Spring calendar for both local Edinburgh residents and visitors to the city.
“Anyone visiting the Festival is in for a treat as this year’s programme is as jam-packed as ever. The Council’s City Art Centre will once again be transformed into a place of pioneering science and magic, and there will be a host of events and activities on offer for families.
“Every year the festival also features lectures from world-leading scientists and speakers, and a highlight for 2015 will be an insight from Professor Peter Higgs who was a recipient of the Edinburgh Award for his influence on the city.”
Full details of the 2015 programme can be found at sciencefestival.co.uk.
Tickets for all events can be booked online via the website or through the Box Office on 0844 557 2686.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has announced a near £1 million funding package for three leading voluntary organisations working to reduce reoffending in Scotland.
The funding will allow Apex Scotland, SACRO and Families Outside to continue to deliver a range of specialist services in 2015/16 for offenders and their families, helping to stop the cycle of reoffending.
The work of the three organisations includes targeted action to address underlying issues which fuel crime, help with employment, rehabilitation and support to ensure family links are maintained so that the children of offenders do not go down the wrong path in life.
Families Outside estimate that 27,000 children lose a parent to imprisonment each year.
Last month, the Justice Secretary announced that plans for a new women’s prison at Inverclyde will not go ahead as he wants to pursue a bolder, more ambitious approach for Scotland.
Today, Mr Matheson confirmed that a series of local engagement events will take place across the country next month to allow all those with an interest to give their views on the future of female offending as part of an on-going consultation on delivering a more radical plan for Scotland.
Speaking following a meeting with the Families Outside charity who received a 15 per cent increase in funding, Mr Matheson said: “When it comes to the justice system, we must be smarter with the choices we make and be more sophisticated in the way in which we deal with offenders in Scotland.
“We need to do everything we can to break the cycle of reoffending and end the revolving door to our prisons which sees low level offenders going in and out of prisons time and time again. Scotland can do better and we can be bolder in our approach.
“We need to look at the wider picture of offending, ensuring for example, that links to the family and community can be maintained, whilst targeted work is undertaken to address the specific issue which is fuelling the crime such as alcohol, drugs or mental health issues.
“The three organisations we are helping with funding today are doing some fantastic work to break the cycle of offending through targeted intervention and I am pleased to announce this support for them,
“Whilst it is for the Courts to decide who receives a custodial sentence, I want to ensure we are providing the best possible support to offenders to help turn their lives around.”
Philip Dunion, Director of Finance, Apex Scotland said: “Apex Scotland is delighted to receive this award from the Scottish Government. As a national charity this will enable us to continue to be at the forefront of policy development in relation to (ex)offenders and those at risk of offending, contributing to the aims of a fairer and safer Scotland.
“In particular we will be able to continue our drive to finding innovative solutions for our service users and to underpin our high quality service provision with a clear focus on evidence of benefit to both our service users and society as a whole.”
Tom Halpin, Chief Executive of Sacro said: “I welcome the Justice Secretary’s announcement of funding to voluntary organisations to help reduce reoffending. This funding from Scottish Government will change people’s lives for the better. It will enable Sacro to deliver direct services to vulnerable people across Scotland who are drawn into the justice system, often through issues associated with inequality and deprivation.
“Sacro’s partnership working is focussed on supporting positive change among those who find themselves in the justice system. It is by addressing the underlying issues that lead people into offending that we will achieve long-lasting and positive outcomes for individuals and their communities.”
Prof Nancy Loucks, Chief Executive of Families Outside, said: “Families Outside is very grateful for the award of funding from the Scottish Government. The impact of imprisonment on the children and families left behind is significant and enduring. It cuts across a wide range of issues including physical and mental health, housing, poverty, victimisation, substance misuse, child and adolescent learning and development, and crime prevention.
“We are pleased to be able to continue this work with the support of the Scottish Government, reaching vulnerable families who are often otherwise unidentified and unsupported.”
Construction of a major new healthcare facility is set to start after the financial contracts were agreed yesterday. The new £150 million building will see services from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service brought together in a modern and high-quality setting at Little France.
Don’t miss out on the February holiday fun – it’s not just for the kids! Everyone can have fun and keep active over the holidays!
For the wee ones there’s:
If they’re at primary schools there’s:
And for the teens:
It’s not just about the kids – for the grown-ups:
Just remember that some of the pools may be running a slightly different timetable over the week – here’s an at-a-glance guide to pool swimming times for the week from 16th February .
No need to be bored during the school holidays. There are loads of activities at your local library – and they’re all FREE!
Muirhouse Library
Gamesmasters’ Minecraft Monday 16th February 11.30-12.30pm and 2.00-3.00 pm
Music Production for kids Tuesday 17th February 10.30-12.30 Booking advisable
Mural Art Workshop with Zoo Arts Thursday 19th February 10.30 -12.30 am
Animal Snacks Friday 20th February 2-4.00pm
Jewellery making with the Saturday Art Club 21st February 2.00-4.00 pm.
Granton Library
X-box tournament Monday 16th February and Wednesday 18th February 2.00-4.00pm under 16s
Pancake Party Baby Café Tuesday 17th February for 0-4 years 11am
Pancake Party Tuesday 17th February 5-11 years 2.30-3.30pm
Freemachines Wednesday 18th February 13 to 18 years 5.00-7.00pm Digital art sessions for teenagers in partnership with the Youth Hive
Word Game Fiesta Thursday 19th February 5 to 11 years 2.30-3.30pm
Harry Potter Day Saturday 21st February 5 to 11 years 2.30-4.00pm
Blackhall Library
Seinn – Gaelic songs and rhymes for babies and children Thursday 19th February 10.30 to 11.30 am
The Worst Witch storytime Friday 20th February 5 to 11 years 2.00-3.00pm.
Stockbridge Library
Chinese New Year Lantern Craft Wednesday 18th February 3.30-4.30pm 5 to 11 years
Lego Madness! Super modelling and boredom busting games Friday 20th February 2.30-3.30pm 5 to 11 years
