We hope you’re as excited as we are for our opening next week!
Here’s what’s on in the new Muirhouse Library (!) next week – we hope to see lots of you there, for Bookbug, kids’ craft sessions after school, and coffee mornings.
See you soon!
The leading global body for play equipment safety, the Register of Play Inspectors International (RPII) launched the UK’s first Play Safety Week yesterday (Monday 9th September).
Play Safety Week has been created to drive awareness and education in play safety at a time when many children will be returning back to school and using school equipment and also utilising play equipment on their walk and return from school.
Play Safety Week has been created for schools, organisations, and families to come together to educate, celebrate, discuss and raise awareness of what play safety really means. This includes attitudes to risk, supervision, and accidents.
It aims to increase fulfilling play opportunities for children by dispelling the most common myths about play safety. It also aims to educate play equipment owners and schools on the importance of the right equipment, inspection and maintenance protocols for play equipment.
Play is a fundamental part of children’s development and is crucial for physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. Through play, children learn essential life skills such as problem-solving, creativity, and communication, which are vital for success later in life. In today’s tech focussed world, play is even more important for children to switch off from the digital world and express themselves freely.
According to the RPII, the top 5 most common myths about play safety are:
David Yearley, Chair of the RPII said: “The Play Safety Week campaign has been created to raise awareness about what play safety is in today’s world. We want to educate parents, teachers and playground owners about how to manage and maintain play equipment and what constitutes ‘safe play’.
“The campaign also celebrates our commitment to safe play for children everywhere. The UK’s playgrounds and play centres meet some of the highest standards of safety and inclusiveness in the world, and we want to keep it that way.
“By working together, we can ensure that our playgrounds remain a source of joy, discovery, and growth for all.”
Liz Cheshire, Operations Director, at the Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said: “At RoSPA, we fully support the Play Safety Week campaign. Play is essential for children’s holistic development, and ensuring their safety while encouraging natural risk-taking is a delicate balance.
“This campaign offers vital resources and education that can help schools, parents, and communities create environments where children can play, learn, and grow safely. Together, we can foster a culture of play that prioritises safety without stifling the adventurous spirit of childhood.”
The RPII has created a number of free assets for schools, parents and other organisations to download to help to educate parents, co-workers and playground owners with guidelines for play safety on a range of outdoor, indoor and inflatable equipment.
You can sign up to support and share the campaign directly on the campaign website website www.playsafetyweek.org.
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK:
Healthy Heart Tip: Healthier lunchbox ideas
With the summer holidays at an end, it’s time to think about what to include in your children’s lunchboxes for the new term.
Less than 2% of packed lunches meet the School Food Standards and often offer a less nutritious option than school meals.
Lunchboxes brought from home often include more processed and ultra-processed foods with higher amounts of salt and sugar than school meals. What you choose to include in your children’s lunchboxes can affect their behaviour, concentration and brain function for the rest of the day.
Here, we show you how to pack a nutritious lunchbox ready for going back to school:
Good protein source
Protein is essential for brain and body growth to help kids feel fuller for longer. Fuelling kids’ lunches with protein is crucial for helping them concentrate until the end of the day and supporting their development.
A great way to add protein is by making tuna, chicken or turkey sandwiches or wraps, adding beans and seeds to the lunchbox and including yoghurts.
Fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals and fibre, making them a great way to add colour to a lunchbox. This will help your child meet their five-a-day goal and feel energised throughout their school day.
So, why not include some vegetable sticks and hummus, or add salad to sandwiches, wraps or pitas? An easy way to ensure fruit is eaten from a lunchbox is to make it easy to eat, this might mean peeling oranges or chopping fruit into bite-sized pieces. Add a small squeeze of lemon juice over chopped fruit like apple to prevent it from turning brown.
Wholegrains
Wholegrains are a great source of fibre and energy for your child. Wholegrains, along with protein, help keep your child full and give them more energy to concentrate.
Wholemeal bread, wholegrain pasta, crackers or brown rice are some examples of where you can swap white carbohydrates for wholegrain varieties.
Hydration
Hydration is essential for your body and brain to work effectively. By including a drink in your child’s lunchbox, you’re helping to keep their brain functioning and ensuring they have optimal concentration.
Using an appealing reusable water bottle that your child has picked themselves can help encourage them to drink regularly. If it’s a warm day, you could add a small frozen drink to their lunchbox to help keep its contents cool throughout the day and encourage your little one to drink more.
Innovative approaches to providing families with locally-based wrap-around support will be backed in five more areas as part of £1.57 million of additional investment this financial year.
The Fairer Futures Partnerships will ensure services are integrated to help families where and when they need it. The partnerships will build on the learning from three pathfinder projects in Dundee, Glasgow and Clackmannanshire.
In Dundee and Glasgow these have seen key-workers helping at-risk families and ‘walking alongside’ them until the right services or support have been identified and provided, and changing the way services are offered.
In Clackmannanshire activities have focused on supporting the community around the child, using schools as anchor points for breakfast clubs, after-school childcare, holiday provision, food services, childcare support and transportation to support holistic child development and family wellbeing .
The five new partnerships are in Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, Aberdeen and Perth and Kinross.
Speaking ahead of a debate on Eradicating Child Poverty in the Scottish Parliament, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Eradicating child poverty is the Scottish Government’s single greatest priority, but this relies on the contribution of many partners.
“Five additional ‘Fairer Futures’ partnerships within local authorities will now be established.
“We know families will only be able to thrive if they have access to the right support at the right time. Designing services around people’s needs means they work better for low-income families, for example to help maximise their incomes, support parents into work and improve the overall wellbeing of families.
“We want to work together with local government to deliver our shared priorities, which include tackling child poverty, to embed this model of whole family support with the potential for this to continue to be expanded further over time to more parts of the country.”
Set to launch from September 3rd, Gravity Active is excited to introduce two brand new offers, set to provide families with unforgettable experiences this Autumn. Enjoy both the Family Tickets and Gravity Rocks offers and get ready to make exhilarating memories!
Whether bouncing on trampolines, tackling an obstacle course, or climbing to new heights, Family Tickets offer the perfect opportunity for families to bond and stay active together.
Designed for groups of four, five, or six, these tickets offer families incredible value for money, with tickets starting at just £40.95 for a family of four. Available all day Monday to Thursday, and after 4pm on weekends, Family Tickets make it easy to enjoy quality time together, no matter how busy your schedule.
Check out yours here: Gravity Active Deals | Gravity Active Family Discount (gravity global.com)
And the fun doesn’t stop there! Gravity Rocks climbing sessions are now available at Gravity Rocks Climbing | Thrills and Fun for All (gravity-global.com).
These one hour sessions, priced at £12.50 per person during term time, offer a fun and challenging activity for climbers of all ages. Whether as an after-school treat or a weekend adventure, Gravity Rocks is the perfect way to stay active and have fun.
Harvey Jenkinson, Co-Founder and CEO of Gravity, commented: “We are thrilled to continue to introduce new and exciting offers to our Gravity Active sites.
“The Family Tickets offer provides incredible value, making it easier than ever for families to bond, stay active, and enjoy quality time together. And with the launch of Gravity Rocks, there are even more opportunities for families to challenge themselves and create lasting memories.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors to Gravity Active for an unforgettable experience this Autumn.”
For more information or to book your visit, head to Gravity Active’s website: Active (gravity-global.com)
Encourage your pre-school child to get active from an early age by signing them up for Play & Try coached activities.
As the largest provider of sport and leisure facilities across the city, Edinburgh Leisure is well-placed to encourage your child to reach their full potential, help them build confidence, learn skills, and meet friends at the city’s largest sports and leisure provider.
Edinburgh Leisure is offering a taster week from 13th – 19th September where new and existing customers can come and try coached activities for under 5s for £3.00 per session. Tailored for little ones, from babies to pre-schoolers, these fun and engaging sessions are all about having a blast while exploring the first steps into various sports.
Classes include Gym and Jump, Gym Nippers, Swim Baby, Swim Nippers, Swim Toddler, Pre-School Dry Dive Gym, Jump Into Sport, Football Mini Kickers and Kick Starters. Sessions will be offered at Ainslie Park, Drumbrae, Gracemount, Kirkliston and the Royal Commonwealth Pool and are suitable for babies and toddlers.
For those that loved the taster sessions, parents can sign up their child/children for a coaching course at the venue on the same day, with the September fee waived.*
Wherever you’re at on the map or in life, Edinburgh Leisure is here to help the people of Edinburgh enjoy a healthier, happier, and more active life. And it’s never too early to start.
Book your spot today for just £3.00 per session.
Play and Try Sports Tasters for Under 5s – Edinburgh Leisure
With the weather turning cold, we’re delighted to launch our new Kid’s Cold Weather Clothes rail!
All free to take as needed!
We’ve got a selection of warm jackets, with sweatshirts, school uniform and shoes.
A staggering 68% of adults in Edinburgh either don’t have a Will or have one that’s out-of-date, a national Will-writing charity has revealed.
Will Aid’s poll, which surveyed more than 2,000 people across the country, found 57% in the city haven’t made a Will, and 11% admitted theirs did not reflect their current wishes.
Nationally, the figures showed 56% of people haven’t made a Will, with a further 11% whose Will is out of date.
Financial pressures seem to be holding people back – with 21% citing the cost of instructing a solicitor as the reason they haven’t sorted a Will.
Other reasons included believing they had nothing worth leaving (27%), never finding the time (18.5%), feeling uncomfortable talking about death (16%) and concerns about the process being too complicated (16%).
Nationally, the average time since people last updated their Wills is six years, with nearly 20% admitting they’ve never updated theirs.
Only a third (34%) of those surveyed have updated their Will in the past three years.
Parents with children over 18 last updated their Wills an average of seven and a half years ago, while those with under 18s averaged four and a half years.
Peter de Vena Franks, Will Aid Campaign Director, said: “Making a Will is a final loving act for those you care about. It provides a clear plan and guidance for your family after you’re gone.
“We know thinking about death is uncomfortable and considering your final wishes can be daunting, but not having one can lead to confusion and distress among family members and beneficiaries, at an already upsetting time.
“The statistics on outdated Wills are worrying, because circumstances change, and it’s crucial to keep your documents up to date to ensure they reflect your current situation.
“Having a Will is essential for ensuring your wishes are respected and providing peace of mind for you and your loved ones and keeping that document up to date is vital, especially when circumstances in your life change.
“Common reasons for updating your Will might include the death of a relative, divorce or separation, having children or gaining stepchildren. We advise you to regularly review your Will to make sure it still outlines your wishes.
“Will Aid is the perfect opportunity to have your Will professionally drawn up or to have it updated, while supporting charities that help some of the most vulnerable people in the UK and abroad.
“Getting your Will drafted by a solicitor is the safest way to ensure it is done correctly and legally.
“This year, you can finally tick that task off your to-do list by securing an appointment with a participating Will Aid solicitor – it can be an in-person meeting if there is a participating firm near you, otherwise you will be offered firms that can do it remotely, so wherever you are in the UK, you can get your affairs in order through Will Aid this year.
“It’s a straightforward and easy process, allowing you to secure your family’s future while supporting to important causes.”
The annual Will Aid campaign sees solicitors across the UK volunteering their time to write Wills throughout November.
Will Aid is a partnership between the legal profession and seven of the UK’s best-loved charities.
The initiative, which has been running for more than 30 years, sees participating solicitors waive their fee for writing basic Wills every November.
Instead, they invite clients to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid – a suggested £100 for a single basic Will and £180 for a pair of basic ‘mirror’ Wills.
Appointments are available from September 2, and you can sign up by visiting www.willaid.org.uk
Donations to the campaign are shared by Will Aid’s partner charities, which operate both here in the UK and around the world.
For more information on Will Aid and how to get involved visit:
A second residential rehabilitation service to support women and their children through recovery from addiction / substance use has been opened in Falkirk.
The Scottish Government has invested £5.5 million to support the development of this Aberlour Childcare Trust facility, as well as a house in Dundee which opened in January 2023.
The houses offer 24/7 support and keep families together by letting children of women with problematic substance use stay with their mothers during their recovery.
Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “This house will allow women to access residential rehabilitation services and keep their family together.
“We know there is a strong link between women having children removed from their care and risk of drug-related death. Treatment is more effective when families are kept together and it also reduces the harmful impact on children.
“Widening access to residential rehabilitation is a key part of our National Mission on Drugs. We have made £100 million available for residential rehabilitation from 2021 to 2026 to ensure 1,000 people receive public funding for their placement each year by then. That includes £38 million as part of our commitment to increase the number of beds to 650.”
Aberlour Chief Executive SallyAnn Kelly OBE said: “We are delighted to open our new Mother and Child Recovery House in Falkirk. It follows the opening of our first house in January 2023 in Dundee, which has transformed the lives of mothers and their children.
“Both houses offer a unique service enabling women with problem drug and alcohol issues to keep their young children with them as they recover.
“They provide specialist support that helps women develop skills and encourages them to build new futures for themselves and their children. We understand the need to work alongside women to address their fears.
“We are grateful to the Scottish Government for funding this much-needed new service.”
THE Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is preparing to immerse visitors in a glittering winter spectacle. Tickets are now on sale for this year’s Christmas at the Botanics trail.
Running from 21 November to 30 December, the outdoor trail will once again transform the Garden with an array of new and fantastical installations that have been custom-designed especially for the Botanics by a selection of international and UK-based artists.
The latest new installations confirmed for the trail include:
All the new and returning installations along the one-mile illuminated trail are low in energy and have been selected to complement the Botanics’ environment.
Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Simon Milne said: “I’m looking forward to seeing the new installations on the trail, which is promising to be innovative, imaginative and entertaining.
“Visiting the Garden after dark is a special experience and Christmas at the Botanics offers the chance for visitors to see our botanical collection of plants from a very different perspective.
“The trail brings significant benefits to us. We are a Scottish charity, and ticket sales from Christmas at the Botanics help to fund our international plant research, conservation work and education programmes. So please come along to the trail, bring your friends and family, have some festive fun and help to support our vital work.”
Tickets for this year’s show are on sale now. Visitors are encouraged to book in advance to guarantee their preferred timeslot.
For further ticket information, pricing, and timings, please click here.
Christmas at the Botanics is one of 14 illuminated trails staged across the UK by leading events promoter RG Live, a division of Sony Music. Christmas at the Botanics is presented in partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and creative producer Culture Creative.
For more details visit www.rbge.org.uk/christmas and follow @mychristmastrails on Facebook and Instagram.
