Tag: children

Scottish Young Carers Festival

“Delighted I am getting a holiday coz we don’t get holidays ever.”

The 15th Scottish Young Carers Festival 2022 will be held on 2– 4 August in Fife

The Scottish Young Carers Festival gives approximately 500 young carers a much-needed break from their caring responsibilities. Young carers (12-17) provide unpaid care for a family member or a friend, who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.

Young carers quotes about their experiences of the Festival:

“Gives me a break and meeting folk that go through the same thing as me.”

“The festival is overall amazing as it gave me the chance to branch out and meet new people” 

“Takes my mind off things and makes me feel like a normal teen.”

The Festival, a national celebration of young carers hosted by Carers Trust Scotland, gives this special group the chance to share dozens of new activities, from a wide range of music, to magic and mindfulness, with other young people in similar situations.

Following two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scottish Young Carers Festival 2022 is returning to its usual format, being hosted in-person in Fife. This year will also include online activities to welcome those unable to attend in person.

The Festival also gives young carers the opportunity to share their experiences, to discuss how caring impacts them, and to have their voices heard about the changes that would make their lives better. Carers Trust Scotland will be hosting a ‘Young Carer Consultation Zone’ providing young carers the opportunity to discuss important issues and speak directly to key decision makers.

Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care Kevin Stewart MSP said: “Young carers make a vitally important contribution to our society. However, I know that, because of their responsibilities, they haven’t got the same amount of free time and opportunities as their peers. That’s why it is great to see the Festival taking place in person again this year.

“I and the Cabinet Secretary for Education are looking forward to meeting young carers at the Festival. I hope they enjoy the break and spending time with young carers from other areas. For those that won’t be able to attend in person I know that there will also be online activities.

“This year we have seen increased investment in short breaks for carers of all ages, put forward legislation to give carers a right to breaks and expanded the Young Scot package of discounts and benefits for young carers.

“I hope that all this and our continued commitment to support and fund the Festival as well as the development of a National Carers Strategy during 2022 is clear sign of our continued support to young carers going forward.”

Earlier this year, Carers Trust conducted a Young Carer Survey which highlighted the need for respite amongst young carers and young adult carers. 31% of young carers and young adult carers who responded in Scotland, feel they ‘never’ or ‘not often’ get enough rest or get enough time to themselves.

Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half (54%) of the young carers and young adult carers who responded to our survey said that the amount of time they spend caring had increased in the last year.

52% of young carers and young adult carers who responded in Scotland feel less connected to others, and more than a fifth (22%) feel they are unable to take a break from caring.

These statistics demonstrate the need for an event such as the Scottish Young Carers Festival which is an experience that young carers look forward to each year and offers an opportunity for respite, to connect with others and to have fun.

Louise Morgan, Director for Scotland & Northern Ireland at Carers Trust Scotland, said: “We are delighted to host the fifteenth Scottish Young Carers Festival, which is particularly important in 2022 as it offers young carers support and respite from their caring role after what has been a stressful past few years for many young carers.

“The Festival crucially provides a national platform to promote understanding of what young carers do; it raises awareness of young carers’ rights, and is an excellent opportunity for young carers to have fun, feel recognised, valued and heard.”

Pupils’ letters from the trenches win national competition

Scottish pupils have stunned judges in a nationwide competition with their moving depictions of life in the First World War trenches.

Esha Ahmed, 15, from Fife, and Ciara, 11, from Midlothian, and have been announced as winners of Poppyscotland’s Letters to my Teacher competition. Young people were challenged to imagine themselves serving on the front line during the war and writing home to their former teachers.

Esha, an S3 pupil at Levenmouth Academy, won the secondary school category with her “honest and imaginative” letter.  Ciara, who is in P7 at Rosewell Primary, took the primary school award for her “genuinely touching” entry.

Esha reflected on the fragility of life as she described marching through wrecked French villages and towns, with the air thick with smoke and bodies lying on the ground.  Ciara wrote of trying to keep up morale in rat-infested trenches, amid the constant sound of gunshots and cries of severely wounded soldiers.

The competition was inspired by letters written by Scottish soldier Douglas Constable to John Hamilton, his former headteacher at St Mary’s Melrose School. Douglas left a promising publishing career to serve with the Grenadier Guards in Belgium and France. He was killed during the Battle of the Somme in 1916, aged 26.

This year’s contest received a record-breaking entry, with almost 500 letters from schools across Scotland. Eight judges from Poppyscotland, Legion Scotland, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission shortlisted 12 entries to go through to the second round, with the public choosing the final winners.

Gordon Michie, Poppyscotland’s Head of Fundraising and Learning and one of the judges, said: “Our warmest congratulations to Ciara and Esha on their wins. This year saw an exceptionally high standard of entries, and choosing a shortlist was extremely difficult.

“Esha’s and Ciara’s beautifully written accounts stood out as full of imagination, honesty, and humanity. They managed to put themselves in the boots of First World War soldiers, painting a full picture of trench life and its brutalities.

“We’re very pleased that this competition captured the imaginations of primary and secondary school pupils across Scotland. Inspired by the letters of Douglas Constable, it was a chance for children to learn about the daily experiences of Scottish men and women who lived through the First World War.

“Poppyscotland’s learning programme aims to bring history to life, encouraging pupils to reflect on remembrance and the relevance of these events to the present day.”

Ronnie Ross, headteacher at Levenmouth Academy, said: “I was genuinely moved when I read Esha’s work. She has shown genuine compassion and empathy with those who fought on the frontline and protected the free world at the beginning of the twentieth century and for this she must be truly congratulated.”

Hope Wilson, Ciara’s teacher at Rosewell Primary, said: “We are extremely proud of Ciara. The Letters to my Teacher competition inspired many of our older pupils and it has been great to be a part of it.”

The winners will each receive £500 in Amazon vouchers for their school, a visit from Poppyscotland’s mobile museum, Bud, and a special class tour of Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh, when it reopens this autumn.

Ciara said: “I was really happy to find out that I had won. I had asked all my family and friends to vote for me so I am glad that they supported me!”

Letters: Schools invited to take part in The Big Breaktime on Childhood Day

Dear Editor,

Next month, for Childhood Day, schools across Scotland and the rest of the UK will come together to raise funds for the NSPCC. This will help us deliver our services and support children across the country.

Childhood Day is the charity’s flagship fundraising event, when the public are encouraged to embrace their inner child, celebrating play to put the fun into fundraising.

As part of the celebration on 10 June, we are encouraging schools and nurseries to take part in The Big Breaktime – an extra hour of play with pupils, staff and parents being encouraged to give a small donation towards funding vital NSPCC projects, like Childline.

https://youtu.be/mMcOHBaKkN0

Schools can sign up for The Big Breaktime via the NSPCC’s Childhood Day hub The Big Breaktime | NSPCC From there, they will be able to download lots of exciting resources to help them plan a Big Breaktime in their school.

To sign up to the Big Breaktime, all you have to do is visit the NSPCC website, search for The Big Breaktime and fill in your school’s details with the registration form.

Paul Cockram

Head of Fundraising

NSPCC Scotland

Try Artistic Swimming: free trial at Royal Commonwealth Pool

Would your young swimmer (8+) like to try artistic (synchronised) swimming?

We are having a trial session on 29th May.

Please help us spread the word.

Sign up here: https://edinburghsynchro.co.uk/join-the-club/

Call for increased investment in mental health as child referrals increase by more than 25%

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of children’s services, has called for greatly increased investment in mental health services as the impacts of the  Covid-19 pandemic on the young become clearer.

The call comes as new figures published by Public Health Scotland today (15th March 2022), indicate that at the end of December 2021, 10,021 children and young people had been referred for treatment from specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).  

This includes issues such as anxiety and depression and represents a staggering 27.1 per cent increase from the previous quarter (July to September 2021) when the figure was 7,882.

With already under-resourced and overstretched services facing overwhelming pressure due to increased demand, the SCSC has raised concerns over a potential “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people whose mental health is being impacted by Covid-19. 

Even prior to the pandemic cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels and in crisis, and there are a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access adequate support. The pandemic has exacerbated this, leading to unprecedented demand and backlogs, with services struggling to keep up.

In total, 4, 544 children and young people started treatment at CAMHS over the period October to December 2021. This is an increase of 19.8 per cent from the previous quarter (3,792) and only 70.3 per cent were seen within the Scottish Government’s waiting time target for the NHS of 18 weeks from referral to treatment (met by at least 90 per cent of patients).

This is a fall from the previous quarter when the figure was 78.6 per cent. Eight out of 14 health boards failed to meet this target.

A total of 1,570 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment at the end of December 2021.

In addition to increased investment in specialist CAMHS, the SCSC has called for greater workforce planning and a renewed focus on expanded prevention and early intervention services, reducing the need for referral to costly specialist mental health services.

It has also called for greater partnership working between the public, private and third sectors as well as greater awareness of the services on offer, especially those at a community level.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “For some time now, we have raised concerns over a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted even further by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“Too many of our young people are waiting too long for the treatment they need and it is more important than ever that children can access the support required, irrespective of where they live.

“While we welcome the attention that the Scottish Government has given to date on this vital issue, a lack of resources and lack of staff mean it’s becoming an impossible situation to manage. There must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, investing in specialist services and with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early.

“This is a crisis we can overcome, but as the country comes to terms with the biggest hit to its mental health in generations, it will require a similar energy and commitment to that demonstrated for Covid-19 if we are to achieve this and prevent many young people giving up on their futures.”

Waiting times (with adjustments) for people who started their treatment from October to December 2021, by NHS Board of treatment:

Health boardTotal number seen% seen within 18 weeks
NHS Scotland4,54470.3
NHS Ayrshire & Arran35093.7
NHS Borders7067.1
NHS Dumfries & Galloway13347.4
NHS Fife36371.9
NHS Forth Valley11157.7
NHS Grampian37295.2
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley1,56157.7
NHS Highland23275.0
NHS Lanarkshire23969.5
NHS Lothian72665.2
NHS Tayside32993.0
NHS Island Boards58100.0

National Winners Revealed In Royal Mail’s Heroes Of The Pandemic Stamp Design Competition

Chosen by HRH The Prince of Wales, the eight winning designs will feature on Royal Mail Special Stamps

 ·         The winners are:

–          Logan Pearson, Bury CofE High School

–          Isabella Grover, Creswick Primary School

–          Shachow Ali, Flint High School

–          Ishan Bains, Abbey CofE Infant School

–          Alfie Craddock, The Hereford Academy

–          Jessica Roberts, Flint High School

–          Raphael Valle Martin, Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys

–          Connie Stuart, Litcham School

·         The final designs showcase the children’s heroes from all walks of life; from bus and delivery drivers to food bank volunteers, NHS workers and vaccine scientists

·         The winning designs were chosen from 606,049 entries – securing Royal Mail a world record title for the largest postage stamp design competition

  • Over the coming weeks each winner will have a special dedicated postmark that will celebrate their achievement. The postmark will be applied to stamped mail delivered to addresses nationwide
  • All eight winning designs were approved by HM The Queen
  • The stamps will be available to pre-order from today (11 March) at www.royalmail.com/heroes and by phone on 03457 641 641.  They will be available on general sale from 23 March.

Royal Mail today revealed the winning eight designs in their Heroes of the Pandemic stamp design competition. 

The winning artists and their designs are: 

 Logan Pearson, Bury CofE High School 

 Isabella Grover, Creswick Primary School 

 Shachow Ali, Flint High School 

 Ishan Bains, Abbey C of E Infant School

 Alfie Craddock, The Hereford Academy 

 Raphael Valle Martin, Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys

 Connie Stuart, Litcham School

Last spring, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Royal Mail Chief Executive, Simon Thompson launched a special stamp design competition. School-aged children across the UK were invited to design a postage stamp featuring their own hero or heroes of the Covid pandemic.

The response was unprecedented. Having received a world record-breaking 606,049 entries, regional judges including retired teachers carefully selected 120 regional finalists. From this, a special panel of judges, including the Prime Minister and Baroness Floella Benjamin, picked 24 regional winners. The final eight winning designs were personally selected by HRH The Prince of Wales, with the finished stamps approved by Her Majesty The Queen. 

Entries from across the UK celebrated a wide range of heroes, including: NHS workers; parents; carers; cleaning staff; teachers; supermarket workers; public transport staff and delivery drivers. Also depicted on the designs were many volunteers who have helped in their local communities or raised money for charity, such as Captain Sir Tom Moore.

Simon Thompson, Royal Mail CEO, said: “As we approach the second anniversary of the first lockdown, it’s fitting that the nation’s children have taken the lead in celebrating the heroes of the pandemic. They have captured the resilience and determination of the British people in eight drawings. I think they look great!”

In addition, to mark their success, a special postmark will feature on stamped mail delivered to addresses nationwide. Each child will have their name included on their own congratulatory postmark over the coming weeks.  

This is only the fifth time in the company’s 500-year history that children have designed Christmas stamps.

The winners will receive £1000 in high-street vouchers and £1000 for their respective schools.

The stamps will be available to pre-order from today (11 March) at  www.royalmail.com/heroes and by phone on 03457 641 641.  

They will be available on general sale from 23 March.

Dobbies’ Little Strawberry Seedlings

Free children’s workshop in Edinburgh store this March

The UK’s leading garden centre retailer, Dobbies, is hosting a free Little Seedlings workshop on Sunday 6 March in Edinburgh, delving into the much-loved garden strawberry.

The workshop will take place at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store and is perfect for children aged 4-10. During the Little Seedlings Club, children will take a closer look at one of the most popular fruits in the world, the strawberry, and discover the history surrounding the fruit and its importance to our eco-system. 

Children attending the workshop will soon become strawberry experts, learning how to grow this marvellous fruit, how to nurture and look after their plants, and top tips for selecting the best crop.

Dobbies will also be introducing children to the different ways they can use their delicious homegrown produce in the food and drink they enjoy at home.

This workshop has sustainability at its core and will highlight the key benefits of using peat-free compost and safer pest control products. Growing your own heavily reduces your carbon footprint, packaging waste, food waste and eliminates the need for harmful chemical fertilisers – a brilliant way to support your body, mind and the planet.

Sarah Murray, Partnership and Events Manager said: “We’re looking forward to our March Little Seedlings Club in our Edinburgh store. Our horticultural team thoroughly enjoy supporting these keen young gardeners, while introducing them to different ways to help look after our planet.

“The fun and interactive format of our Little Seedlings Club engages children from all backgrounds to learn while finding their passion for gardening.

“We’d advise those looking to attend to book in advance to avoid any disappointment.”

Advance booking is required to secure your space for this free to attend event at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store. For more information on how your little one can take part, visit www.dobbies.com/events

Safer Internet Day: Digital Minister announces greater protections for children from online pornography

  • Online Safety Bill will force pornography websites to prevent underage access including by using age verification technologies
  • New measure goes further than the bill’s existing protections by bringing all websites offering pornography online into scope
  • Children will be better protected from online pornography under new measures to bring all websites that display it into scope of the government’s pioneering new internet safety laws.

On Safer Internet Day, Digital Minister Chris Philp is announcing the Online Safety Bill will be significantly strengthened with a new legal duty requiring all sites that publish pornography to put robust checks in place to ensure their users are 18 years old or over.

This could include adults using secure age verification technology to verify that they possess a credit card and are over 18 or having a third-party service confirm their age against government data.

If sites fail to act, the independent regulator Ofcom will be able fine them up to 10 per cent of their annual worldwide turnover or can block them from being accessible in the UK. Bosses of these websites could also be held criminally liable if they fail to cooperate with Ofcom.

A large amount of pornography is available online with little or no protections to ensure that those accessing it are old enough to do so. There are widespread concerns this is impacting the way young people understand healthy relationships, sex and consent. Half of parents worry that online pornography is giving their kids an unrealistic view of sex and more than half of mums fear it gives their kids a poor portrayal of women.

Age verification controls are one of the technologies websites may use to prove to Ofcom that they can fulfil their duty of care and prevent children accessing pornography.

Digital Minister Chris Philp said: “It is too easy for children to access pornography online. Parents deserve peace of mind that their children are protected online from seeing things no child should see.

“We are now strengthening the Online Safety Bill so it applies to all porn sites to ensure we achieve our aim of making the internet a safer place for children.”

Many sites where children are likely to be exposed to pornography are already in scope of the draft Online Safety Bill, including the most popular pornography sites as well as social media, video-sharing platforms and search engines. But as drafted, only commercial porn sites that allow user-generated content – such as videos uploaded by users – are in scope of the bill.

The new standalone provision ministers are adding to the proposed legislation will require providers who publish or place pornographic content on their services to prevent children from accessing that content.

This will capture commercial providers of pornography as well as the sites that allow user-generated content. Any companies which run such a pornography site which is accessible to people in the UK will be subject to the same strict enforcement measures as other in-scope services.

The Online Safety Bill will deliver more comprehensive protections for children online than the Digital Economy Act by going further and protecting children from a broader range of harmful content on a wider range of services.

The Digital Economy Act did not cover social media companies, where a considerable quantity of pornographic material is accessible, and which research suggests children use to access pornography.

The government is working closely with Ofcom to ensure that online services’ new duties come into force as soon as possible following the short implementation period that will be necessary after the bill’s passage.

The onus will be on the companies themselves to decide how to comply with their new legal duty. Ofcom may recommend the use of a growing range of age verification technologies available for companies to use that minimise the handling of users’ data. The bill does not mandate the use of specific solutions as it is vital that it is flexible to allow for innovation and the development and use of more effective technology in the future.

Age verification technologies do not require a full identity check. Users may need to verify their age using identity documents but the measures companies put in place should not process or store data that is irrelevant to the purpose of checking age. Solutions that are currently available include checking a user’s age against details that their mobile provider holds, verifying via a credit card check, and other database checks including government held data such as passport data.

Any age verification technologies used must be secure, effective and privacy-preserving. All companies that use or build this technology will be required to adhere to the UK’s strong data protection regulations or face enforcement action from the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Online age verification is increasingly common practice in other online sectors, including online gambling and age-restricted sales. In addition, the government is working with industry to develop robust standards for companies to follow when using age assurance tech, which it expects Ofcom to use to oversee the online safety regime.

Vaccinations for children with specific medical conditions

Invitations being sent from this week

Children aged five to 11 years old who have specific medical conditions which place them at greater risk from COVID-19 will be invited for their first vaccination from this week onwards.

Parents do not need to book an appointment for them online as they will be contacted directly by Health Boards.

Those five to 11 year olds who are household contacts of people with immune suppression will be invited to receive their vaccination in due course.

Letters will also be sent to young people aged 12-15 who are at particular clinical risk from COVID-19 inviting them for a booster jag, 12 weeks after their last primary dose.

Meanwhile, second doses are now available for all 12 to 15 year olds who had their first dose at least twelve weeks previously. This cohort can book an appointment online at NHS Inform or go to a drop-in centre. Parents and carers are welcome to accompany them..

Any 16 or 17 year old can book a booster online for 12 weeks after their second dose. They can also visit any drop-in centre.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The vaccination programme continues to be a huge success and we are so grateful to all those who have taken up the offer of a vaccination and of course, every single person involved in the delivery of our national programme.

“In this next part of the programme we continue to deliver boosters and take forward the latest advice from the JCVI regarding younger cohorts. They and their parents can find out more about the vaccination that is recommended for each age group at NHS Inform.

“We urge all those who are eligible for any dose to take up the offer to protect them, those around them and of course our NHS at this particularly busy time.”

Local families celebrate the launch of Edinburgh coding dojo

On Saturday 23rd October, families from across Edinburgh came together to celebrate the grand opening of a brand-new kids coding studio, Code Ninjas, launched by long-term friends and business partners, Mark Higgins and Dacre Purchase.

The family-focused business owners were determined to make it a day to remember for video-game loving kids in their community. 

Mark explained: “The event went extremely well – almost 200 children, their parents and local supporters came along to wish us all the best with the new venture. Ater such a positive reaction, we’re all so excited to see what the future has in store for the business.

“We’d personally like to thank all of the wonderful families who came along. We’ve been so taken aback by the positive feedback we’ve already received since the grand opening party and have been so happy to see so many budding ninjas signing up to our sessions. Thank you to our community for celebrating our launch event with us – it was certainly one for the history books!” 

Code Ninjas is the first location of its kind in Scotland and, as proven by the success of this recent launch event, a much-needed addition to Edinburgh. 

“At Code Ninjas, we want our kids to develop a real passion for technology, so while the programme is loads of fun, it is also very educational,” added Suzy Enoch, the Code Ninjas studio manager.

“They are learning the language of the future – we want to give kids a gift that lasts a lifetime. Learning about computers at such a young age is crucial because it helps build the vital foundations for future success,”

Someone who experienced the fun of Code Ninjas first-hand was Juliette, aged 13.

“I learnt so much at the launch party – it was so fun!”, she said. “Grown-ups always tell you that coding is complicated, but I went to the game-building workshop and I understood it all – I made a really cool game.

I hope I get to go back so I can develop the game more and maybe start on the next level. The whole atmosphere was not like school at all – it was so relaxed even though we were still learning stuff. I loved it.”

Mark, Dacre, Suzy and the team have been just as overwhelmed by the positive response from parents. “My children were so engaged during the demonstration workshops,” said Amy.

“They are showing a real interest in what coding is, what it can do and how to apply it. The staff members are friendly and patiently answered everyone’s questions. My kids loved the decoding game too!” 

Another parent, Rob, who brought his six-year-old daughter, Elodie, along on the day said: “The kids had a great time doing the coding challenges – the staff and volunteers were really friendly and helpful.

“It’s really great to see computers and programming made accessible for kids of all ages and such a range of technological toys all in the same place. We can’t wait to come back!”

Now that the studio on is open on Morningside Road and ready to welcome ninjas from across the region, children – like Juliette and Elodie – can work towards achieving the highest Code Ninjas’ honour of becoming a black belt! 

“We’re here to guide the children of Edinburgh through our exciting curriculum and truly put Scotland on the map for kids coding education,” added Mark. “We’re looking forward to a ninja-fuelled future, that’s for sure!” 

To sign up or find out more about Code Ninjas, visit:

www.codeninjas.co.uk/edinburgh-mln-uk