EDINBURGH is highlighting the importance of Organ and Tissue Donation Week 2024 which runs from September 23-29 September.
This year the NHS Organ Donor Register celebrates its 30th birthday. To raise awareness of the incredible gift of organ and tissue donation, the City Chambers is turning pink.
The annual campaign raises awareness for the ongoing need for organ donation, whilst also encouraging people to make a decision about whether they wish to opt in or out of donation and making sure these wishes are discussed with family members.
Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), another landmark building on the city skyline, is also lighting up pink in support of the campaign.
Depute Lord Provost, Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron said: “Almost 60,000 lives have been saved since the NHS Organ Donor Register was created in 1994. Organ and Tissue Donation Week is the perfect opportunity to highlight this incredible fact.
“As we mark the 30th anniversary of the NHS Organ Donor Register, we must also be mindful of the fact that more than 7,600 people in the UK are currently waiting for a life-saving transplant. There are thousands of people who could be given a new lease of life by a donor. To help as many people as possible we all need to play our part by considering and registering our decisions to be, or not to be, a donor.
“These are conversations that need to be had amongst families, friends, colleagues, and communities as we go forward. Families are more likely to support donation when they are already aware of their loved one’s wish to be an organ donor.
“Whilst it’s heartening that over half of people in Scotland have now registered their organ and tissue donation decision, a great many people still haven’t done so. Whatever your choice may be, the important thing is to make it, discuss it with loved ones, and record it.
“I hope the aim of this week’s campaign of raising awareness of the lifesaving opportunities of organ donation encourages anyone who is 16 years old or over who have yet to record their decision to do so by visiting the official website today.”
Funded places to ensure inclusivity and support for a society where all forms of neurodiversity are embraced, and no mind is left behind
The organisers of It Takes All Kinds Of Minds – ITAKOM, the global conference advancing insights into neurodiversity, have announced a special bursary scheme aimed at making the event accessible to all those who wish to attend, regardless of financial constraints
Salvesen Mindroom Centre, the Edinburgh charity behind the conference, is offering up to 65 places, either fully or partially funded, for the international event set to take place in the Edinburgh International Conference Centre at the heart of the Scottish capital (13-14 March 2023).
Alan Thornburrow, Chief Executive Officer of Salvesen Mindroom Centre said: “Inclusion is hard-wired into how we think, act and convene. And in these difficult times, we’re acutely aware of the impact of the cost of living crisis and we’re determined to do everything that we can to make sure that this spirit of inclusion, which we hold so dear, applies to our global conference.
“We’re delighted to launch a bursary fund to make attendance affordable to potential delegates who would otherwise not be able to attend ITAKOM – and we’d encourage anyone interested to apply.”
The two-day event will bring together different perspectives, enabling us to better understand neurodiversity and work together towards our vision of a society where all forms of neurodiversity are embraced, and no mind is left behind.
The conference will draw together HR workplace professionals, practitioners, academics, the care sector—and of course, parents, siblings and families and will present the latest knowledge and visions for the future of embracing neurodiversity.
More than 50 speakers from around the world, including experts on neurodiversity in the workplace, neuroscientists, clinicians, educators and comedians, among them Edinburgh’s satirical impressionist Rory Bremner, a neurodiversity advocate after being diagnosed with ADHD – will address delegates.
The It Takes All Kinds Of Minds conference will be held both in-person and virtually and assistance is available as a bursary for complimentary registration or as discounted registration at a reduced rate. Awards will be made on an individual’s circumstances and availability within the fund.
To apply email ITAKOM@integrity-events.com stating the reasons for the application. Group discounts are also available with one free delegate place offered for every five conference passes purchased. To apply for a group discount email ITAKOM@integrity-events.com.
One of Europe’s leading tech conferences, Turing Fest, is returning this July to a fully in-person event, bringing over 1,000 people from across the globe to learn and connect with the best in the industry.
Established in 2016, Turing Fest brings together founders and leaders of startups and scaleups together with their teams to support them in making the right connections and facilitating learning between them and the top experts across the industry, enabling them to build better businesses.
The conference which takes place on 27-28 July at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre is filled with two days of keynotes, interviews, networking and parties with 40+ speakers from leading tech businesses, from start-ups to global organisations.
During the pandemic, Turing Fest Founder and CEO Brian Corcoran spearheaded an open letter to the Scottish Government signed by 50 Scottish tech company CEOs. This open letter was followed by the Scottish Government commissioning the Logan Report signalling a renewed focus on the industry.
This year’s top tier speaker line-up includes Paul Adams, CPO of Intercom, Maria Gutierrez, VP of Engineering at Twitter, Jonny Brooks-Bartlett, Senior Engineer at Spotify, Shane Curran, CEO of Evervault, April Dunford, Founder of Ambient Strategy, and Rob Walling, Co-Founder of TinySeed, with more speakers still to be announced.
Brian Corcoran said: “We’re extremely excited to be bringing some of the best minds in the global technology industry back under one roof fully in person in Edinburgh.
“The purpose of Turing Fest is to bring people together from across the tech industry with diverse skills, from different geographies and backgrounds, to learn together to help people get better at what they do professionally so they can build better startups and scaleups.
“The conference typically has a great atmosphere: the attendees are keen to learn, the speakers are keen to teach, everyone is open to sharing – and they all want to have fun together. It makes for a wonderful community, a genuinely fun and enlightening few days, and gives many startups a better chance of success.
“The future of Scotland’s economy is going to be built on the tech industry, and on startups and scaleups. We’ve worked closely to support Mark Logan’s work over the past two years in highlighting this and are delighted to see the commitment from Kate Forbes and the Scottish Government in driving the agenda forward.”
Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “It’s great to see Turing Fest coming back to Edinburgh to promote the exchange of knowledge and ideas within our tech sector.
“Turing Fest has been supported by the Scottish Government’s £1 million Tech Ecosystem Fund, which will open for applications again later this summer, helping to create spaces to incubate, accelerate and educate Scottish start-ups, as well as improving networking, through meet-ups and international conferences.”
Mark Logan added: “To thrive, a tech ecosystem needs a vibrant ‘market-square’ that connects people, propagates best-practice, and builds a shared sense of belief and confidence. Turing Fest consistently over-delivers in all these areas and is an essential cornerstone of the Scottish tech industry.”
Turing Fests partners this year include TravelPerk, Twilio, Skyscanner, Administrate, Current Health, Amplitude, xDesign, FanDuel, Smartsheet, FreeAgent, Recast, PODFather, Cleo, Amiqus, Cyacomb, Playerdata, Baillie Gifford, Kin + Carta, CodeClan, The Scottish Government.
Tickets for Turing Fest 2022 are available via the website:
The first mass COVID-19 vaccination centres are preparing to go live in Lothian, starting from next week. Centres in Edinburgh and West Lothian will begin vaccinating patients on Monday February 1st as part of Wave Two of the national vaccination programme.
The Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) will play host to a centre capable of vaccinating more than 21,000 people a week through 45 stations.
Strathbrock Partnership Centre in Broxburn, West Lothian, will also open for vaccinations on Monday with six stations, capable of vaccinating 2352 people every week, before the centre moves to Pyramids Business Park on February 15, which will provide 14,280 vaccinations every week at 34 stations.
A drive-through vaccination centre will follow when it is launched on February 10 at Queen Margaret University in East Lothian. It will have 16 stations and be capable of vaccinating 8,000 people a week.
David Small, Director of Primary Care Transformation and executive lead for the vaccination programme, NHS Lothian, said: “NHS Lothian has already vaccinated the vast majority of the first cohort to be prioritised.
“NHS Lothian is right on track with Phase One of the vaccination programme. During that first phase, a total of 3564 residents in care homes across Lothian have been given the vaccine. A further 47,742 health and social care workers and care home staff have also been vaccinated, as well as over 800 hospital inpatients over the age of 80.
“GP practices continue to deliver the injections as fast as their vaccine supplies allow. Thousands of doses of the vaccine have been distributed directly to GP practices across all four regions and they are on track to ensure that over 80% of people over the age of 80 are vaccinated as a priority by 31st January with the rest of this age group completed by 5th February.
“Our teams have done a fantastic job to bring us to this point and I’m really proud of the hard work and effort that has been achieved.
“This is a significant moment as we embark on Wave Two of the largest vaccination programme that has ever been undertaken.
“We need to vaccinate as many people as we possibly can to help save lives and provide protection to help communities get back to normal. We therefore urge people to attend their appointment once they are notified of the details.
“The vaccination programme is one of three critical ways we are all working together to beat this virus, along with the testing programme which helps prevent its spread and the rules in place that we all know to follow. These three planks form our route out of this pandemic.”
NHS Lothian has been working with councils, health and social care partnerships and other partners in recent weeks to ensure the sites are ready.
A team of around 350 volunteer vaccinators, with a vast array of experience from a huge number of clinical roles in Lothian, has also been created to work in the mass vaccination sites. They will be supported by around 100 administrative staff.
The centres are the first of a total of 15 to be rolled out across Lothian.
On February 15, a vaccination centre with 32 stations will be created at Edinburgh Park in the former Royal Bank of Scotland building, as well as another venue at the Royal Highland Showground, near Edinburgh Airport will open in March.
Centres will be run on smaller scale in more community hubs in Midlothian Community Hospital and East Lothian Community Hospital as well as health and partnership centres in Sighthill, Pennywell, Craigmillar, Leith and Gracemount in Edinburgh, and Strathbrock and Howden in West Lothian.
People aged between 75-79 and those most clinically vulnerable will be given appointments to be vaccinated by their GP, while those aged between 70-74 and 65 to 69 will be invited into mass vaccination sites and smaller community venues for their injections.
Patients are being urged to keep their first appointment in order to provide protection to as many people, as quickly as possible even if their appointment venue may not be the one that is closest to where they live
Smaller community clinics will deliver vaccinations in the local area for people with complex needs or who, for other reasons, absolutely cannot and would not be expected to travel to a mass centre.
If patients absolutely cannot keep the appointment they have been given, they are being asked to call the COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013 to rearrange their appointment. If they are aged 75 and over, they should phone their GP practice to rearrange your appointment.
Mr Small added: “A vaccination appointment, like any other medical appointment, is considered essential during the COVID-19 global pandemic. When patients receive an appointment, we really would urge them to keep it, even if it is at a centre which is not closest to their home. We need to move fast.
“I would also ask patients to stay safe by following the Scottish Government guidance currently in place, by wearing a mask and maintaining physical distancing as they travel to and from vaccination centres across Lothian.
“Parking will be available around some venues and public transport operators are all following Scottish Government transport guidance for safe travel.
“When you arrive at your appointment, make sure to wear a mask and bring your appointment letter with you to avoid any unnecessary delays.”
