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.”
EXPERIENCEit, the new initiative designed to support the growing market for experiential events in Scotland and across the UK, will showcase its debut event in Edinburgh next month.
Organised by EVENTIT, this unique event will take place on Thursday 8 February 2024 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).
EXPERIENCEit celebrates the rise in the desire for experiential events in the UK events industry.
This is a key trend in the industry, with 74% of experiential event attendees saying that they are left with a more positive opinion of the organisation and its offerings afterwards (Event Marketing Institute).
Judith Wilson, Events Director of EVENTIT said: “We’ve launched EXPERIENCEit to bring events professionals together to be inspired, share ideas and insights, and drive our sector forward. We will take people on a journey of incredible sights, great tastes, new smells, fantastic sounds, and numerous opportunities to touch and test.
“The desire for experiential events is continuing to rise and from the plans we’ve seen so far from EXPERIENCEit exhibitors it’s easy to see why. With just two weeks to go until we’re all at the EICC, any last-minute sign-ups don’t have long left as spaces are limited!”
Experiential events often generate significant social media buzz, with attendees more likely to share their experiences on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, amplifying the reach and impact of the event for the brand.
Exhibitors have been encouraged to create immersive and experiential activities, offering delegates a glimpse into the future of event experiences and include Vue Cinemas, Social Jungle, Topgolf Glasgow, Iventis, Kimpton Hotels and Newsquest.
The event will bring together professionals from diverse industries to offer a platform to share, learn and collaborate on the future of experiential events.
EXPERIENCEit will be held on Tuesday 8 February 2024 from 8.30am – 4pm at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) in Edinburgh with tickets costing £75 plus VAT. For more information and to secure your place visit eventit.org.uk
EDINBURGH is gearing up to celebrate Organ and Tissue Donation Week 2023 which runs from September 18-24.
This annual campaign is all about raising awareness for the ongoing need for organ donation, 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.
Here in the Capital, in line with the UK wide campaign, we are hoping to light up the City Chambers in pink to show our support. Our colleagues at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), will also be lighting up their building on Morrison Street.
Yesterday (September 17) the ‘Transplant Tour’ began in Edinburgh. This is a charity cycle travelling down the UK to raise funds and awareness for the charity Give a Kidney. It will stop at Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, and finish in Oxford. We have provided an official letter of support from the Lord Provost to the organisers and are supporting them and the charity with promotion.
On Friday (September 22), some Race for Recipients participants will set off from Murrayfield in Edinburgh and finish at the Kelpies in Falkirk.
The race is taking place across the country, with individuals and teams racking up the kilometres through walking, wheeling, running, swimming, and other ways, to raise awareness of the importance of making a donation decision and to recognise those whose lives have been touched by organ and tissue donation.
Depute Lord Provost Lezley Marion Cameron will be at Murrayfield to meet them and wish them well as they depart. Currently there are over 800 participants registered for the Race across Scotland.
Council Leader Cammy Day said:“As we celebrate Organ and Tissue Donation Week 2023, we must be mindful of the fact that more than 7,000 people in the UK are currently waiting for a life-saving transplant.
“Only around one per cent of people die in a way that makes organ donation possible, which means every donation opportunity is precious. There are thousands of people who could be given a new lease of life by a donor, however in order to help as many people as possible we all need to play our part by registering our decisions to be a donor or opt out.
“These are conversations that need to be had amongst families, friends, colleagues, and communities as we go forward. We know that families are more likely to support donation when they already know it was what their loved one wanted.
“I’m encouraged by the fact that over half of people in Scotland have now registered their organ and tissue donation decision however there is still a lot of work to be done. Whatever your choice may be, the important thing is to make it and discuss it. I would urge anyone who is 16 or over and yet to join me and many others who have recorded their decision by visiting the official website.
“Another great way to get involved is the Race for Recipients challenge. Our Depute Lord Provost Lezley Marion Cameron will be meeting some of the participants on Friday (September 22) as they head off cycling towards the Kelpies in Falkirk. Find out more and join online at their website.
“I’m proud of everything that we’re doing to mark this important week here in Edinburgh. From lighting up buildings around the city, to supporting our colleagues in government and the NHS, to lending a hand to fundraisers I’m sure this will be a week to remember.”
WAS THE PLEASANCE RIGHT TO CANCEL SECOND SADOWICZ SHOW?
THE ROW over the cancellation of Jerry Sadowwitz’s show at the EICC shows no sign of abating.
The Pleasance axed the controversial comedian’s second show at the venue following ‘an unprecedented number of complaints’. Pleasance chose not to go into further detail about the nature of the complaints following the cancellation of Saturday’s show.
However in a further statement yesterday, The Pleasance said: “We became immediately aware of content that was considered, among other things, extreme in its racism, sexism, homophobia and misogyny.
“We will not associate with content which attacks people’s dignity and the language used on stage was, in our view, completely unacceptable.
“We received an unprecedented number of complaints that could not be ignored and we had a duty to respond.”
Late last night Sadowicz, a veteran of the Edinburgh Fringe, tweeted:
It seems incredible that any Scottish venue would be unaware of the controversial nature of Jerry Sadowitz’s humour – it’s not as if he’s some unknown new kid on the block!
If Jerry Sadowitz’s brand of humour ‘does not align with the Pleasance values’ why book him in the first place?
Introducing Scary Biscuits’ music season at Pleasance at EICC.
Some of Edinburgh’s best musicians showcasing at state of the art venue EICC – great sound, comfy seats… and air con! (And an ice cream stand and deckchairs for chilling out after!)
A genre-busting bunch of tunes, songs and performers: award winning singer songwriters, folk, rootsy blues rock, insurgent country, punk, Afrobeats, americana and a hint of mariachi.
Dive into a world of music and stories with a diverse group of performers, with a wide range of ages and experience, including two female fronted bands.
Be transported for a short while into a world of Scottish folk, a backstreet rock joint with a hint of Memphis, a west African Friday night party, or a New Mexico cantina with a whiff of tequila and desert dust.
EDINBURGH’S FERGUS CRAWLEY IS YOUNG SCOT OF THE YEAR
Young people from Edinburgh have been announced as winners in the Arts, Equality and Diversity and Health and Wellbeing categories at this year’s Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards. Fergus Crawley, 25, also took home the title of ‘Young Scot of the Year’.
Fergus won the top spot in the Health and Wellbeing category for his work in encouraging young people to open up about their mental health struggles.
The personal trainer has been fundraising since 2018 to raise money for a host of men’s mental health charities, including going up and down Ben Nevis for 11 consecutive days, squatting 125,000 kg in 24 hours, and embarking on a 94-mile run.
His efforts have seen him raise a total of £100,000 in just four years, which Fergus hopes will go a long way to helping to break the stereotypes surrounding men’s mental health so that less people suffer in silence.
His charitable efforts blew the judges away, who also awarded Fergus Young Scot of the Year.
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Award 10, Equality and Diversity Award winner Whatever Next, presented by Carole Ann McCann, Arnold Clark.
Young Scot Awards 2022, Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
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Addie, Hannah and Jo, all from the capital, won the Equality and Diversity award, sponsored by Arnold Clark, for their work in setting up Whatever Next? – a multi-media platform that explores their experiences as Chinese adoptees, and adoptees in general.
Through a monthly podcast, the three discuss the varied experiences they have had as adoptees, and how it has impacted the different areas of their lives – covering areas like the ABCs of adoption, food, adoptive parents and dating as an adoptee.
In doing so, they aim to open up a conversation around adoption – busting myths and providing relatable narratives to other adoptees.
The work of Whatever Next? has won acclaim and the chance to speak on bigger platforms – with the trio having been interviewed on national television. Their work also won them the Creative Edinburgh Student Award in 2021.
Jordan Stewart and Amaranta Laing won the top spot in the Arts category for their work in creating Fusion – an organisation which aims to amplify the voices of young people through the power of music.
By partnering with Children 1st, Jordan and Amaranta have helped 10-year-old Sophie to produce ‘Sophie’s Song. Sophie created the track in the hope of influencing the justice system for victims and witnesses of crime.
Now in its sixteenth year, the annual awards highlight the triumphs of young people in 13 different categories – from sport and the environment to enterprise and volunteering. They shine a light on the invaluable contributions made by remarkable young people across Scotland.
The winners were announced at a star-studded red-carpet ceremony at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. Radio 1 DJ Gemma Cairney hosted the evening.
Commenting on his win, Fergus said: “I had a great evening at the awards ceremony, and it was even better to be walking away with not one but two awards!
“It’s always a nice bonus to get recognition from the work I’ve been doing, but it’s the conversations around mental health that are the really important aspect. I’m hoping these awards will encourage more young people to open up about their experiences and allow me to continue visiting schools across Scotland to raise awareness of what I’m doing.”
Addie, Hannah and Jo said: “It’s so incredible to have won – we didn’t expect it all! It’s amazing to see that the work we’ve been doing is having an impact and making a difference.
“We’re really excited to have just signed a book deal and are working on getting everything finalised ahead of the launch in August.”
Jordan and Amaranta added: “There are no words to express how we felt when we found out we’d one – it was just surreal!
“It was such an honour for us to be able to take on the project and share Sophie’s story and we’re looking forward to composing more songs in the future. Congratulations to all the other nominees and winners”
Kirsten Urquhart, Chief Executive of Young Scot, said: “We’ve been completely inspired by the stories of our nominees, finalists and winners, who are all doing extraordinary things to improve the lives of others.
“We’ve kept the spirit of the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards alive for the past two years by hosting fantastic virtual events, but it’s brilliant to have the awards back in all of their glory this year to celebrate Scotland’s young people, who do so much to inspire, support and motivate those around them.”
Award host Gemma Cairney said:“It was an absolute honour to host this year’s Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards.I was inspired by listening to the winners’ stories and their commitment to helping others in their community is truly remarkable. Congratulations to our winners and finalists!”
With as many as 1 in 5 people thought to be neurodivergent, Scotland will host an international event exploring hard-hitting topics ranging from stigma to sexual taboos associated with neurodivergence and provide a platform for work that showcases the diversity and expertise of neurodivergent people.
The ‘It Takes All Kinds of Minds’ global event at the EICC in Edinburgh will run from 13 – 14 March 2023 bringing together more than 50 of the world’s top neurodiversity thinkers, alongside healthcare experts, policy decision-makers, educators, employers, and families. Neurodivergent people will be represented in every part of the programme and amongst the delegates.
Edinburgh will play host to the international conference organised by the Salvesen Mindroom Centre, an international centre of excellence focusing on all kinds of neurodiversity.
The neurodiverse speaker line-up will include neuroscientists and nutritionists, campaigners, clinicians, artists, actors, and activists.
Keynotes will include Professor Sue Gathercole, OBE, of the University of Cambridge – an expert in cognition and education, and Chair of the UK’s REF panel for Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, and Dr Kathy Leadbitter of University of Manchester, who has pioneered work on neurodiversity-informed early intervention.
Other key speakers include Swedish clinician and psychiatrist Dr Lotta Borg Skoglund, who has been commended for her research into gender and neurodiversity, as well as her efforts to break down stigmas faced by neurodivergent young people.
She will be joined by popular Scandinavian writer and speaker Pelle Sandstrak who uses humour to share experiences of living with Tourette syndrome, jewellery designer Charlotte Garnet who launched an “anti-anxiety” collection, and leading sexologist Professor Lotta Löfgren of University of Malmö.
Looking ahead to next year’s event, Sophie Dow, Founder of the Salvesen Mindroom Centre and Co-Chair of ITAKOM said:“Since launching in 2000, Salvesen Mindroom Centre has been committed to raising awareness of neurodiversity, supporting families and funding research to improve the lives of neurodivergent people.
“It Takes All Kinds of Minds is a conference like no other. It will bring together science and reality by drawing on personal, practitioner and academic experience from around the world. Uniting different perspectives will help us all to understand neurodiversity better and we look forward to welcoming guests from around the globe.”
Dr Sue Fletcher-Watson, Director of the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre and Chair of the It Takes All Kinds of Minds conference, said: “Neurodiversity is such a powerful idea but its transformational potential is only just beginning to be explored.
“ITAKOM will provide a platform for experts to share their findings and ideas, and for collective exploration of how they can be applied. That’s why we’re bringing together lived, research and practitioner expertise at the ‘It Takes All Kinds of Minds’ event next year.”
Marshall Dallas, EICC Chief Executive, said:“We are thrilled that the ‘It Takes All Kinds of Minds’ conference has chosen Edinburgh and the EICC. As a pioneering hub for life sciences, Edinburgh is very well placed to host to this major international event in the field of neurodiversity.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone involved in the event to the EICC next March.”
The conference will run from 13 – 14 March 2023. Early-bird tickets are £195 for personal tickets, £295 for delegates with funding, and £137 for those on reduced incomes. They can be booked at itakom.org.
To mark the one-year countdown, Salvesen Mindroom Centre partnered with the EICC to host an event on Thursday, 24th March 2022 as part of the conference centre’s ‘EICC Live’ series.
‘EICC Live: Beautiful Brain’ featured world-renowned neurological experts and was the most popular event in the series to date, breaking previous sign-up records.
NHS Lothian will re-launch a city centre mass vaccination centre as part of the battle to beat the OMICRON variant of COVID-19.
Vaccination teams will move back into the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) to open on Tuesday at 9am (December 21) to help provide lifesaving vaccines to as many people as possible.
The clinic will offer a combination of booked and drop-in appointments to help make it as easy for people to get their booster.
Just a month ago, on November 16, the programme was delivering 5,500 booster vaccines. Now a total of 10,942 doses are being administered in one day.
NHS Lothian is confident that the reintroduction of the EICC and opening of the Corn Exchange in East Lothian will help boost that figure even higher.
Pat Wynne, Nurse Director, Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “Vaccination is more important now than it has ever been and we are really pleased to be back in the EICC in the heart of the city once more.
“We would urge anyone who still needs a first, second or booster dose of the vaccine to make an appointment or drop in to the EICC or one of the many other clinics in Lothian as soon as they are eligible.
“The best way to get your vaccine is to book in advance, using the online booking portal. That way you can avoid queues and help keep everyone safe.
“We are expecting our sites, especially our dedicated drop-in clinics, to be busier than ever before. We will run separate queues for booked and drop-in appointments, but people should be prepared to wait if they are attending a drop-in. If you do have to queue, please be sure to wear a face mask over your mouth and nose and keep your distance – even if you’re outside.”
Vaccination teams have been working flat out with EICC team to prepare the clinic for a re-opening as part of the nationwide effort to help protect lives.
Marshall Dallas, CEO of the EICC, said: “We are proud to continue to support NHS Lothian and NHS Scotland with the roll-out of the vaccine and now the vaccine booster.
“Traditionally, our venue would be closed over the Festive period, allowing our team annual leave during this time, so I can’t credit our people enough for giving up their holiday time to be on site at the venue to make this possible.
“Since re-opening to events in August, we have safely and successfully hosted a series of back-to-back conferences, and we look forward to welcoming delegates back to the EICC early in the new year.”
A total of 15 vaccination stations will run in the Cromdale Hall initially while more work is done to extend the facility to provide 25 booths. The rest of the venue, including the Lennox Suite, will continue as normal for conference and events.
Mr Wynne added: “We are grateful to all of the teams from the EICC for working with us once again and helping to pull this together at such short notice. Centre staff would normally be on annual leave soon and they have cancelled their holidays over the festive period just to help re-launch the clinic – we could not be more thankful.”
The EICC will join a list of other vaccination centres, which are being run by the four Health and Social Care Partnerships within Lothian, and is designed to bolster those efforts.
One of Europe’s leading tech conferences for start-ups and scale-ups, Turing Fest is set to welcome around 700 in-person delegates to the EICC between 2nd and 4th November
Turing Fest CEO Brian Corcoran: “Turing Fest is a practical learning and networking event, primarily aimed at helping people build better start-ups and scale-ups, and it’s a win-win dynamic because the audience is keen to learn, and the speakers are keen to teach”
Speaker line-up includes: Hannah Fleishman, Director of Employer Brand & Internal Comms, HubSpot; Nilan Peiris, VP Growth, Wise; Ashley Faus, Content Strategy Lead, Atlassian; Saille DaSilva, Head of UX, Cazoo; Chris Savage, co-founder and CEO, Wistia; Varun Nair, co-founder or Two Big Ears and former Head of AR/VR Audio Software at Facebook, and; clinical psychologist Dr Suzanne Brown.
A major theme at Turing Fest is around diversity and inclusivity, building on its inclusion at the tech conference over the last few years with this year’s conference speaker line-up is 50% women and 20% People Of Colour – rare for a tech conference Turing Fest’s partners for 2021 include Current Health, FanDuel, Administrate, GearedApp, FreeAgent, Bureau, Avaloq, CodeClan, Baillie Gifford, Creative Informatics, Harper Macleod, Purpose HR, Turing Trust, Wistia, and the Freer Consultancy
Turing Fest, one of Europe’s top tech conferences for start-ups and scale-ups, has announced its partner and speaker line-up for 2021, taking place next week from 2nd – 4th November at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC). Event organisers are expecting around 700 in-person delegates this year, with a similar number of attendees joining online.
A major theme at this year’s Turing Fest is around diversity and inclusivity, building on its inclusion at the tech conference over the last few years.
Past speaker Check Warner, co-founder of Ada Ventures, shared: “We started Ada Ventures with the key objective of investing in overlooked founders and markets, following years of not seeing anyone be truly proactive at making a difference in this space. This was also my key focus for co-founding the non-profit, Diversity VC.
“So, when I was asked to be a part of Turing Fest in both 2018 and 2020, I learned about their self-set targets and tactics to provide a diverse and inclusive experience for all. From the range of speakers (gender, POC, background, you name it), to ensuring underrepresented groups could get access easily – and free – to attend the conference, I knew I had to be a part of it.
“I’ve recently found out that they are hitting and exceeding their targets this year – with over 50% of the speakers being female or non-binary and 20% being POC – I couldn’t be prouder of having been on their stage speaking about diversity and would happily do it again.”
Turing Fest’s partners for 2021 are Current Health, FanDuel, Administrate, GearedApp, FreeAgent, Bureau, Avaloq, CodeClan, Baillie Gifford, Creative Informatics, Harper Macleod, Purpose HR, Turing Trust, Wistia, and the Freer Consultancy.
Tickets for Turing Fest 2021 are available via the website:
