Join our guest organist Oli Kelly and the church choir tonight Friday 19 May at 7pm for a charity recital and concert in aid of Drake Music Scotland.
The event is free but we would ask for donations to the work of Drake Music Scotland who provide music making opportunities for children and adults with disabilities and special needs.
The concert will last approximately 1 hour 20 mins and will be followed by refreshments. The concert will feature Oli Kelly on the organ and after a short interval Oli will conduct the church choir in a selection of pieces ranging from Palestrina to Howard Goodall.
You can learn more about the work of Drake Music Scotland at:
MORE than one hundredyoung people with additional support needs have taken forward creative arts projects as a result of funding from the Access All Arts Fund, led by national charity Children in Scotland.
The fund, delivered through Creative Scotland’s Nurturing Talent Fund: New Routes programme, distributed £68,000 to young people across Scotland, supporting projects ranging from dance to drama and visual art to television.
As a result of the fund’s success, Creative Scotland will be supporting a second phase of the project from 2022-23.
A report on the first year of the Access All Arts Fund, capturing its aims, approach, impact and recommendations, is published today.
The Access All Arts Fund was established specifically to support children and young people with an additional support need or disability, a community who have experienced significant challenges during the pandemic.
Children in Scotland recruited four children and young people with a range of additional support needs as panellists to lead the design of the fund, make decisions about funding and support creative initiatives. The panel comprised young people aged 12-25 from West Lothian, Stirling and Glasgow.
With year one of the fund successfully completed, recruitment of young people to take part in the year two panel will begin shortly.
Activity in 2022-23 will have a strong emphasis on wellbeing and a continued focus on young people as project co-designers.
Ryan Cuzen, one of the panel members who took part in the projectover the past year, said: “Having young people with lived experience of a disability or additional support needs involved in the design of funds, training programmes and opportunities is vital.
“It shows we are being listening to, included and our ideas and voices are being heard.”
David Mackay, Policy & Projects Manager at Children in Scotland and Access All Arts Fund project lead, said: ““It’s been fantastic to work with the young people on our design panel over the past year and to see the incredible response to the fund.
“The Access All Arts Fund has had a significant impact on many children and young people’s lives – helping them to improve their wellbeing, learn new skills and open up new creative opportunities. We are delighted that Creative Scotland has announced it will be supporting a second round of the fund in 2022.
“We look forward to continuing to support children and young people with additional support needs or a disability to access the arts and realise their full potential.”
Sarah Mcadam, Youth Arts Programme Manager at Creative Scotland said: “The high demand for Access All Arts in 2021 showed us the important role that arts and creativity was able to play in the lives of children and young people who were experiencing significant challenges during the pandemic.
“We’re thrilled that through renewed support, this programme will give more children and young people opportunities to lead on decision-making and access the funding they need to bring their creative ideas to life.”
Recommendations in the report on year one of the project include:
Creative Scotland should continue to fund Access all Arts. The fund has been successful in reaching a previously under-represented community and evaluation suggests it has had a positive impact for many young people.
Creative Scotland and Children in Scotland should share key learning from the project with policy leads and decision-makers, identifying opportunities to influence other initiatives designed to support children and young people’s learning and wellbeing following the pandemic.
In additional rounds of the fund, increased time and financial resource should go to outreach workand building relationships with organisations supporting specific communities (for example, deaf children and children and young people with a visual impairment). This would encourage a wider diversity of applications to join the design panel and an increased range of applications.
The fund was open for applications from 11 August – 13 September 2021 and received 236 submissions from children and young people aged 11 to 26.
A large number of applications included requests to purchase items ranging from drawing and painting materials to musical instruments or photographic equipment.
Funding allowed children and young people to attend music, dance or drama tuition classes, realise zine-making projects, progress their song-writing ability and learn silversmithing skills and clothing design.
Evaluation of the project concludes that the fund:
Provided opportunities for children and young people to explore their unique personal interests and passions
Gave them autonomy and agency to develop projects and learn new skills while supporting their wellbeing
Created opportunities for them to overcome barriers and try new creative experiences and, in some cases, supported career development opportunities.
A programme which provides paths to employment for disabled young adults has returned, with new opportunities for internships in the Capital.
Edinburgh’s Project SEARCH has been helping people to gain vital employment skills and prepare for work since 2014 and is back after a two-year hiatus during the pandemic.
This year, 21 young people will be able to take forward placements, including roles with the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian. For the first time, seven of these positions will be available with Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, which has signed up to become the programme’s first new employer in seven years.
Internships will be complemented with additional training and a ‘ready for work’ qualification from Edinburgh College.
Councillor Kate Campbell, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Our goal is that 100% of the people who join Project SEARCH find employment before the end of the course or quickly after graduating.
“It’s an opportunity to support young people so that they can build confidence and learn the skills they’ll need to have fulfilling careers. But it’s also an opportunity for organisations to learn how they can become better employers, providing opportunities for young disabled people who may face additional barriers, and even more so with the pandemic.
“As employers learn more about the benefits to their organisation from becoming a disability confident employer, I hope opportunities for young disabled people will increase across the city.
“So, it’s fantastic to have private sector, as well as public sector, employers involved this year.”
Mandy Watt, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Vice Convener, added: “Some of the young people applying to Project SEARCH have graduated from school virtually – and now they face the prospect of not knowing how to take their first step into the world of work.
“Disability shouldn’t be a barrier to entering employment, but we know that all too often it is. Programmes like this are working to change things and open learning and employment opportunities for our young people, allowing them to work towards their own futures.
“The addition of Virgin Hotels to the list of employers on board is really welcome news. It sets a new standard for other organisations to consider signing up. As one of the city’s newest hotels, the partnership will create even more diverse roles for people to try out and learn from.”
Adam Gray, Regional Director of People, Scotland for Virgin Hotels said: “We are really looking forward to being the first hospitality organisation to take part in Project SEARCH in Edinburgh.
“Our new hotel opening creates lot of opportunity for employment in Edinburgh and we feel the young people from Project SEARCH are a great fit for Virgin. We pride ourselves on creating an open, diverse culture for our teammates where they can come to work and be their true self.
“We cannot wait to get started meeting the young people and creating meaningful placement opportunities for them.”
Rory Young, a Project SEARCH graduate who now works full time for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I joined Project SEARCH in August 2019 and completed three placements during my internship.
“The Project really helped me to gain a variety of office-based work experience and increase my confidence within a workplace and I was supported with job seeking and job skills.
“I’ve now working as a Licensing Support Assistant. I do a variety of tasks such as dealing with all mail, printing, and issuing licenses, updating licence records, and supporting colleagues who are managing applications. I’m really enjoying the job and have fitted in really well with all my colleagues.”
The Project SEARCH course has been designed to support young people to learn relevant and transferrable skills while working in a business environment. Participants will take part in three internships where they can learn new skills and improve their confidence, while gaining over 800 hours of work practice.
Everyone enrolled will be supported by an employment specialist and a learning and engagement officer and all study works towards an SQA Employability Award that demonstrates job readiness to employers.
Types of internships available previously have included administration, reception, mailroom, catering, hospitality, librarian, portering, domestic assistant, stores department and clinical support work.
To be eligible for Edinburgh Project SEARCH you must:
Be between 16 and 29 years old
Want to secure a full-time job (16+ hours)
Be based in the Lothians
Have a recognised disability
Be willing to commit to the programme full-time for one year
Be able to travel alone or learn how to do this by the time the course starts.
An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) consultant with cerebral palsy has gone from patient to doctor, and is keen to inspire others with her journey.
Kirsty Colquhoun has the lifelong neurological condition with affects a person’s movement, balance and coordination and sometimes other functions. No two people with cerebral palsy are the same and it affects people to different degrees. There are 17 million people worldwide with the condition, and though there are treatments available there is no cure.
Born with spastic diplegia (a form of cerebral palsy), Kirsty was inspired herself by the care she received at Yorkhill Children’s Hospital. Determined not to let the condition hold her back from pursuing her dreams to help others, Kirsty went on to study medicine at the University of Glasgow – graduating in 2006, and also gaining a Bachelor’s degree in pharmacology.
Now, 16 years later, 38 year old Kirsty is a consultant geriatrician working between Stobhill, the Beatson, and Glasgow Royal Infirmary – helping thousands of patients over her career, including looking after some of the sickest patients throughout COVID-19.
Kirsty is also a trustee for Cerebral Palsy Scotland.
Her story comes as the world celebrates World Cerebral Palsy (Wed 6 Oct) day which aims to ensure that children and adults with cerebral palsy have the same rights, access and opportunities as anyone else in our society.
Kirsty said: “I’ve never let my condition hold me back and I think that’s an important message we want to get out to people with cerebral palsy this year. You can do what you want to do, and while challenges remain for young and older people with cerebral palsy, there are networks and support available for people with cerebral palsy and for employers to make sure they’re able to facilitate people with the condition so that everyone can benefit.
Kirsty, who has spent her entire career with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, added: “NHSGGC has always supported me and valued my contribution. As an equal opportunities employer, they recognise me as an integral part of the team and have provided support to enable me to do my job to the best of my ability.
“For example, within the team I work in, Older People’s Services in Glasgow Royal Infirmary, while excellence is expected – disability or not – just as important is the ethos of kindness, support and wellbeing. When I had to, for the first time, take time off due to my Cerebral Palsy being affected by long hours on COVID wards – I was given the time and support I needed to get better.
“I know that not all people with disabilities have the same positive experience that I do and I wish I could bottle the inclusivity that I experience for others. Regardless of my disability I am valued just the same as everyone else as a professional and colleague, and diversity, and the experience it brings is celebrated.”
To recognise and celebrate yesterday’s World Cerebral Palsy Day, The Queen Elizabeth University in Glasgow joined hundreds of other buildings across the world and lit up green.
Stuart Gaw, general manager for Older People’s Services in the South at NHSGGC, said: “Kirsty is a real positive role model, not only as a cerebral palsy campaigner, but as a consultant within NHSGGC. She is a real asset to the team and more importantly, to the patients she looks after as a geriatrician.
“At NHSGGC we are proud to be able to offer opportunities and support people to achieve their dreams and progress in their career when appropriate and make the most of their talents. Kirsty is a shining example of someone who has not let their disability hold them back and has flourished in their chosen area of work.”
England death rate up to 6 times higher from coronavirus during the first wave of the pandemic than the general population, Public Health England study finds.
It found 451 per 100,000 people registered as having a learning disability died with COVID-19 between 21 March and 5 June, a death rate 4.1 times higher than the general population after adjusting for other factors such as age and sex.
But as not all deaths in people with learning difficulties are registered on these databases, researchers estimated the real rate may have been as high as 692 per 100,000, 6.3 times higher.
Deaths were also spread much more widely across the age spectrum among people with learning disabilities, with far greater mortality rates in younger adults, compared to the general population. The death rate for people aged 18 to 34 with learning disabilities was 30 times higher than the rate in the same age group without disabilities, researchers found.
Among people with learning disabilities, the rate of COVID-19 deaths for adults in residential care was higher than the rates of COVID-19 deaths of adults with learning disabilities generally. This difference is likely in part to reflect the greater age and disability in people in residential care.
People with learning disabilities are more likely to have other physical health problems such as obesity and diabetes, and certain kinds of learning disability, such as Down’s syndrome, can make people more vulnerable to respiratory infections, which can increase their risk of dying from COVID-19.
Professor John Newton, Director of Health Improvement at Public Health England, said: It is deeply troubling that one of the most vulnerable groups in our society suffered so much during the first wave of the pandemic. We must do everything possible to prevent this happening again.
“There are now regular tests in care homes to make sure cases of coronavirus can be quickly identified and isolated, even if people do not recognise the symptoms themselves.
“But with cases developing across the country, it is essential to practice rigorous infection control if you are in contact with someone with a learning disability, whether or not they live in a care home.
“Wash your hands, wear a mask and keep a safe distance. The fewer people you meet, the more you’ll stop the spread.”
A learning disability is a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information and learn new skills and a reduced ability to cope independently which started before adulthood, with a lasting effect on development.
That means that people with learning disabilities often may find it harder to manage basic everyday skills, and rely upon support for many tasks, including communicating, managing money or looking after themselves.
People with learning disabilities are likely to have had difficulty recognising symptoms of COVID-19, or following government advice about getting tested, self-isolation, social distancing and infection prevention and control, the report says. It may also be more difficult for people caring for them to recognise the onset of symptoms if these cannot be communicated.
Helen Whately, Minister of State for Social Care, said: “Every death from COVID-19 has been a tragedy, and my deepest sympathies go out to everyone who has lost loved ones during the pandemic. I know how difficult this pandemic has been for people with a learning disability and those who care for them.
“A third of those with learning disabilities who sadly died were living in residential care. There is now regular testing of staff and residents in care homes, and testing has also been rolled out to supported living settings in high risk areas.
“We’re also offering free PPE, and the Joint committee on vaccines and immunisation has proposed those living and working in care homes should be top of the list for vaccination.
“This report adds to our knowledge of COVID-19 and how those with learning disabilities are affected by this cruel disease. I am asking SAGE to review the findings and give advice on what more we can do to keep people safe.”
We believe young people are the experts in their own lives. We also believe young people can play an active role in our communities.
Ecas has a new service for physically disabled young people ages 18 to 30 living in Edinburgh and Lothian.
We will work with you to identify goals and plans based on your unique circumstances. By meeting at a pace that suits you, we will support you to identify your own solutions, navigate opportunities available, and realise your potential.
How it works:
You enquire about the service or make a referral
You have an initial meeting with the Outreach Officer so you can get to know more about the service and we can get to know you
We will plan together at a pace that works for you
We’ll have regular meetings to develop your actions and mark progress
You will move on from the service when you’re ready
A pop-up exhibition by National Rail, called No Boundaries, which showcases the work of artists living with disabilities arrived at Edinburgh Waverly station yesterday.Continue reading No Boundaries arrives in Edinburgh
In the three months our website was down participation in this class has rocketed! A total of 19 (with 3 regulars off due to illness) attended this morning with people coming from all areas of Edinburgh and two buses from the city council supplying the transport (writes James McGinty).
Ally & Lara have to be congratulated for their techniques and the way they have of making this a fun-filled session – this is the only Zumba for people with disabilities known to us in the whole of the U.K.
Well done, Ally & Lara – you both deserve a medal !!
