Edinburgh’s Conifox Adventure Park puts the fun into February this half-term with a bumper package of fantastic family activities.
From wizarding lessons to teddy workshops, discos, Frozen singalong cinema and a Nerf battlezone, there’s no excuse for boredom on this school break.
The entertainment at the Park, at Kirkliston on the outskirts of Edinburgh, starts on 1st February with Teddy Workshop, a chance for little ones to create their own furry Teddy-Tastic friend after a play in the Activity Centre. Suitable for babies to 12-year-olds, there are three sessions each day on various dates.
Friday nights are the perfect time for family discos when the Activity Centre will open in the evening for an exclusive session where all ages will be invited to strut their stuff on the dancefloor. DJs Mark Martin and Claire Kinnaird will entertain guests with fun, games and prizes, together with a bumper 2-hour play session.
The Nerf Battlezone is set for warring teams to fight it out from 4th – 26th February, with four hour-long sessions each day on various dates. Suitable for children ages 5 upwards with an accompanying adult and entry to the outdoor Adventure Park included in the ticket price.
At the start of the half-term break, Professor Artemis’ Conifox Wizard School opens for the new intake. On 11th and 12th February our students and their adults can learn how to brew potions, cast spells, make slime and create delicious wizarding treats in an event inspired by the world of Harry Potter and delivered by Fun Scientists. Four, hour-long lessons will be held each day.
The end of the month sees the Frozen Singalong Cinema event, delivered by Wish Upon a Star Entertainment – a chance to sing along with all your favourite songs, hear stories and play games with the Snow Sisters and Kistoff. Suitable for babies to 12-year-olds, there are three sessions each day on 25th and 26th February.
James Gammell, Managing Director of Conifox Adventure Park, says: “After all the excitement of the festive season, February can seem a bit dull but we’ve decided to inject the feelgood factor throughout the month with a whole range of fun activities for all the family.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming kids of all ages for some fabulous entertainment over the half-term break and beyond.”
Last year’s WellChild Award winner Nurse Evelyn Rodger from Edinburgh has joined national children’s charity, WellChild, in the call for nominations for the 2023 WellChild Awards, in association with GSK.
This prestigious annual event celebrates the inspirational qualities of the UK’s seriously ill children and young people and the dedication of those who go that extra mile to make a real difference to their lives.
Last year’s event saw Evelyn, who retired in September as a Diana Children’s Nurse with Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, attending a star-studded Awards event at the Hurlingham Club in London where she had the chance to chat with many of the celebrity guests and WellChild supporters.
Evelyn was picked from 100s of nominations from across the UK to win the Nurse Awards category.
Evelyn has been a Diana Children’s Nurse (DCN) with Children’s Hospices Across Scotland for the past eight years, having joined the charity in 2014. In her role Evelyn is based in the neonatal Unit in Simpsons in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary but she also covers five neonatal units across Southeast of Scotland and Tayside.
In addition to her nursing Evelyn supports and delivers training for NHS Lothian and CHAS staff, developing an environment of close working not only with the hospital and community teams, but with the CHAS hospice, at home and family support teams. Evelyn’s dedication and her collaborative approach creates a seamless service to families.
Evelyn was instrumental in a pioneering memory making project called ‘Joes Toes’ which has raised over £15,000 since 2018 to allow CHAS and neonatal units to purchase the materials required to make 3D baby hand and foot-casts, respectfully done in baby Joe’s name.
Joe was one of twins who was sadly stillborn as a result of twin to twin transfusion syndrome. Part of Evelyn’s role as Diana Nurse is to provide bereavement support and to help parents find ways to create precious lasting memories with their babies, a role which she feels very passionate about.
WellChild is now calling on people in the region to put forward their nominations for the 2023 WellChild Awards.
“I had such a fantastic day at the WellChild Awards in London” said Evelyn. “It was such a great experience for us all to be involved in and something we will never forget. It would be terrific for a child or another professional from our region to be a winner.”
Guests at the 2022 Awards, in association with global healthcare company GSK, included Leigh-Anne Pinnock from Little Mix, Frankie Bridge from the Saturdays, TV presenters Dick and Dom, Gaby Roslin who presented the event, and many more.
WellChild Chief Executive, Matt James said: “There are more children and young people than ever before in the UK living with long-term, serious health needs. The pandemic placed these children and families under more pressure than many of us can comprehend.
“The WellChild Awards 2023 will be a unique opportunity to recognise and highlight the immense challenges they continue to face and celebrate the remarkable positivity, resilience and spirit they have demonstrated. It will also help us to shine a light on the dedication of those around them, from siblings and professionals who have gone above and beyond to help them through such challenging times.”
If you know someone who deserves special recognition then nominate them for a WellChild Award by visiting our website at www.wellchild.org.uk/awards.
The closing date for entries is Monday March 20th.
There are more children and young people than ever before in the UK living with serious health needs. The WellChild Awards is a unique opportunity to honour the spirit of these children, young people and the dedication of those that care for them.
Entries for the 2023 Awards will be judged by an expert panel including former winners and child health professionals. Awards will be handed out at this year’s glamorous event in London in 2023.
Categories for nominations are as follows:
Inspirational Child or Young Person – A child or young person between the ages of four and eighteen who has kept smiling and defied the odds despite living with a long-term serious health condition.
Caring Child or Young Person – A child or young person between the ages of six and eighteen who devotes much of their time and energy freely and lovingly to help and care for a friend or sibling who is living with a serious health condition.
Nurse – A children’s nurse who goes the extra mile for children and young people with serious health needs.
Doctor – A doctor working with children and young people who goes the extra mile for the children and young people in their care.
Outstanding Professional Award – A professional who has worked above and beyond for children and young people living with serious health needs.
Inspirational Parent Carer A parent carer who has gone above and beyond the care they provide for their child(ren) living with serious health needs and/or has contributed to improving support for families, or awareness of the challenges they face.
Scotland’s teacher unions have expressed their collective anger and disappointment with the continuing lack of progress in pay negotiations with the Scottish Government and COSLA.
An SNCT negotiating meeting that was held last Friday, which was again labelled as “positive and constructive” by the Scottish Government and COSLA, once again failed to result in any progress whatsoever toward a new pay offer to Scotland’s teachers.
While trade unions remain committed to a fair pay agreement, negotiated through the SNCT, teachers’ representatives are increasingly questioning whether the Scottish Government and COSLA truly share this commitment. No further negotiation meetings of the SNCT are currently scheduled.
Commenting, Des Morris – EIS Salaries Convener and Chair of the Teachers’ Side of the SNCT – said, “It is becoming increasingly clear that both the Scottish Government and COSLA have little or no interest in finding the modest additional funding that could bring a new offer to the table to potentially end this pay dispute.
“Five months since their sub-inflationary 5% pay offer was overwhelmingly rejected by teachers, and more than two months since a rehashed version of the same offer was again rejected, the Scottish Government and COSLA brought absolutely nothing new to the table in last week’s meeting – just a stubborn stance that Scotland’s teachers should accept 5% which represents yet another substantial real-terms pay cut that only further erodes the value of teachers’ pay.
“The reality is that the union side wants to negotiate, and has offered a wide range of suggestions towards the potential ‘compromise’ that the First Minister and her Cabinet Secretary have said is needed to reach agreement.
“We have had absolutely no proposals from the Scottish Government and COSLA, however – merely the same old tired lines, and a repeated and unreasonable insistence that all of the ‘compromise’ must come from Scotland’s teachers.”
Mr Morris added, “It is disingenuous and unacceptable for the Scottish Government and COSLA to continue to misrepresent negotiations as positive and constructive.
“The cold, hard truth is that, despite all their public claims of ‘working tirelessly’ and ‘turning over every stone’ to reach agreement, their entrenched position and refusal to offer any compromise at all leaves teachers, children and young people, and their parents facing the prospect of continuing and escalating strike action in Scotland’s schools.
“The ongoing and planned strike action is entirely avoidable. The Scottish Government and COSLA need to come forward with a genuinely improved offer that unions can put to our members.”
SSTA to Take Two Further Days of Strike Action
The SSTA National Executive has, following another failed SNCT negotiating meeting, authorised two days of strike action on Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 March.
The SSTA will be joining members of sister unions in national strike action in a coordinated campaign of industrial action.
Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said: “The SSTA has taken a measured approach to industrial action due to the impact it would have on the pupils preparing for exams.
“The deliberate inaction of the Scottish Government and COSLA just shows the lack of respect and level of contempt, not only for teachers, but for the pupils they teach, forcing teachers to take more strike action. The Scottish Government and its accomplice COSLA are failing education, having deliberately refused to put any new money on the table since August last year”.
“The Scottish Government and COSLA were adamant during the pandemic that schools needed to be kept open and education needed to be continued regardless of the risks and dangers that teachers were placed in. These are the same people who have allowed this pay dispute to continue, see schools closed and pupils’ education disrupted. How can these people sit on their hands and seek compromise when they have refused to make any movement in five months?”
“How many more times are teachers to hear the same old rhetoric ‘we value teachers, and we are putting together a new offer’ only for another week to pass without a penny being put on the table. The SSTA has no option but to step up its industrial action”.
Catherine Nicol, SSTAPresident said. “Teacher unions are standing together and, with the support of the public and parents, we will succeed. However, we urge parents and members of the public to help by demanding action from the First Minister and Councils and get teachers back to school teaching”.
“Teachers have been propping up the education system for years by working many more hours a week than they are paid for and this goodwill is running out due to the arrogance of the employers and government who appear to want to break teachers resolve. I can assure them teachers are standing firm to get a fair pay settlement. Teachers need to say ‘No to Free Overtime’ and demand a salary that will retain and recruit teachers for the future”.
Garden Centre hosts two free sustainable workshops in Edinburgh
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is hosting two free interactive workshops in its Edinburgh store this February, to help residents get their garden in shape.
Dobbies’ February Grow How session will be held on Saturday 4 February and will focus on teaching customers how to sow Sweet Peas, the scented favourite. The workshop will emphasise the importance of sowing in early February for earlier blooms.
Customers in Edinburgh will also learn the right temperature for optimum growing and frequency of watering to ensure a successful transition from seed to flower.
Dobbies’ Edinburgh store will also host its monthly Little Seedlings workshop on Sunday 5 February, perfect for kids aged 4-10.
This educational session is all about The Wonder of Weeds, shining a light on the various kinds of weeds, also known as wild flowers, found in the garden; how they spread, how they can be removed and what they can be used for. Children will also learn some fun facts and the health benefits of weeds.
Dobbies’ Partnership and Events Manager, Sarah Murray, said: “We’re passionate about getting our customers in Edinburgh into gardening and are looking forward to our Grow How and Little Seedling Club sessions.
“Our February workshops are a great chance to learn more about your outdoor space. Grow How will showcase beautifully fragrant and easy to grow Sweet Peas – you can even plant them in pots so you don’t worry about having a big garden space.
“Our Little Seedlings workshop will get kids interested in weeding, where they’ll understand the dos and don’ts, how to prevent them, and some of the health benefits associated with them.”
Sustainability is at the heart of Dobbies’ Edinburgh workshops, and the horticultural experts will highlight the great selection of environmentally friendly products that can be purchased in-store.
For more information about the two workshops and how you can take part, visit: www.dobbies.com/events
Would you like to learn how to cook some new recipes and learn about food, nutrition and looking after your oral health? Sign up for our new cooking course at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre in partnership with LINKnet Mentoring.
We will be delivering a FREE 6 week course starting Thursday 2nd February from 1pm to 3pm. Come and join us for some fun activities, food and meet new people!
As a group of organisations who support vulnerable children and young people, many with autism and a learning disability, we would add our support to concerns relating to a delay in a Scottish Government commitment to establish a commissioner to promote and protect the rights of autistic people.
Currently too many of those with autism and learning disabilities are struggling to get the support needed, with their human rights breached, and a commissioner is vital to help them fight their corner.
However, with a delay in public consultation on this until late 2023, there is a real concern that the delivery of a commissioner is simply not being prioritised.
While not by any means a panacea, a commissioner for autism and learning disability would be the first of its kind in the world, established in law to champion the human rights of autistic people and people with a learning disability.
It would be a powerful voice, improving access to services and advocating on people’s behalf when they cannot. A commissioner would also close the current gap between what the law says and what actually happens, delivering improvements. Importantly people would also have recourse when the system falls short and fails to deliver for them.
Many of those with autism and learning disabilities feel invisible, and such a role can help people live good lives with choice and control, free from discrimination. We would urge the Scottish Government to develop a sense of urgency on this vital matter.
4 million children across more than 16,500 schools and nurseries across 90 countries are now signed up to The Daily Mile, the life-changing children’s health and wellbeing initiative.
2 million children taking part in England alone.
The Daily Mile, supported by INEOS, gets millions of children active through 15-minutes of outdoor exercise to promote positive physical, mental and social health.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS: “INEOS has supported the Daily Mile for years because it’s a free, simple, and effective way to improve children’s physical and mental wellbeing. It has been a natural fit for us to work with an initiative that is so passionate about helping more children enjoy exercise more often, and we look forward to its success as it continues to transform more lives around the world.”
Elaine Wyllie MBE, Founder of The Daily Mile: “From a single school in Stirling to now over 16,500 schools and 4 million children, it is staggering to see how this initiative has grown into a global movement in a little over 10 years.”
The Daily Mile Foundation, supported by INEOS, has announced that 4 million children in 90 countries worldwide are taking part in the health and wellbeing initiative, up double in size since 2019.
The initiative has received formal backing from the Scottish Government and in 2022 Scotland was announced as the world’s first Daily Mile Nation, meaning over half of primary schools across all 32 local authorities are doing the Daily Mile, developing healthy habits for life.
The Foundation’s expanding network of partners in the UK, Europe, USA and beyond continues to focus on increasing the number of schools taking part. In England alone, partnerships with Sport England, supported by the National Lottery, ITV and London Marathon, have led to record engagement with The Daily Mile, resulting in over 2 million children participating.
The support from national and local partners around the world who share the ambition to help children become more active is critical to the continued growth of The Daily Mile.
The Daily Mile initiative was founded by Elaine Wyllie MBE in 2012 – born out of a concern around children’s lack of physical fitness. Headteacher of St Ninians’s Primary School in Stirling at the time, Elaine got her pupils moving for 15 minutes every day to improve their overall health and wellbeing.
The Daily Mile in partnership with ITV created an advert to promote the benefits of The Daily Mile, which highlighted how The Daily Mile can contribute towards improved academic attainment, and encouraged more schools to join the initiative. As did high profile support from sporting legends including marathon record-breaker Eliud Kipchoge and rugby’s All Blacks.
Research shows the benefits of The Daily Mile for children’s physical health, mental wellbeing, and learning. Increased activity means increased fitness, helping children feel happier and supporting children’s focus and concentration in the classroom. Research by the Universities of Stirling and Edinburgh found that the success of the initiative lies in its core principles and ease of implementation.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS says: “INEOS has supported the Daily Mile for years because it’s a free, simple, and effective way to improve children’s physical and mental wellbeing.
“It has been a natural fit for us to work with an initiative that is so passionate about helping more children enjoy exercise more often, and we look forward to its success as it continues to transform more lives around the world.”
Elaine Wyllie MBE, Founder of The Daily Mile says: “From a single school in Stirling to now over 16,500 schools and 4 million children, it is staggering to see how this initiative has grown into a global movement in a little over 10 years. Being active is key for everyone’s health and wellbeing.
“I’d like to thank the children, teachers, schools and all of our partners in 90 countries who share our vision of helping children across the world to get fit for life. Reaching the 4 million milestone is a brilliant way for us to kick off the year and we’re excited to continue to make a positive impact on children’s lives in the years to come.”
If you want your school pupils to benefit from taking part in The Daily Mile, sign your school up here.
0131 467 7326 or sign up online at 
