Tag: Health and wellbeing

More Scots are walking the walk to healthier lives

More Scots are walking the walk and not just talking the talk when it comes to keeping active by heading out for a stroll.

Scottish walking charity Paths for All, which champions everyday walking in pursuit of happier and healthier lives, has been encouraged by the findings of a major Scottish Government study.

The Scottish Household Survey, which shapes the Scottish Government’s approach to policy, found that 86% of adults had participated in physical activity in the four weeks leading up to the survey – and of that large cohort the most common activity was walking – with 82% of adults having walked for at least 30 minutes.

Disabled adults also opted for walking with 61% saying this was their most common activity, while women were just as likely to pull on trainers or walking shoes than men – 85% compared to 87%.

Not surprisingly taking part in physical activity varied by age group. Younger adults – aged 16 to 24 – were more likely to take part in recreational walking (89%) than those aged over 75, and the survey found 36% of this older cohort did not participate in any physical activity.

Paths for All chief executive, Kevin Lafferty, said: “Scots of all ages are putting their best foot forward in large numbers and as the Scottish Household Survey demonstrates, walking remains one of the healthiest and easy-to-access activities which can enable people to enjoy healthier and happier lives.

“Our objective is to get Scotland walking, and while it is encouraging to see that more than 80% of those surveyed had walked for at least 30 minutes in the weeks before the study, that still means there is room for significant improvement.”

Paths for All launched their “Step it Up” strategy in January which places walking and physical activity at the heart of the response to tackling some of Scotland’s biggest issues, including physical, mental and social health and wellbeing.

Based on the WHO Global Action Plan for Physical Activity, Step it Up promotes walking, by foot or with a wheelchair or mobility aid, as the natural choice in improving health.

The Scottish Household Survey also revealed that walking as a physical activity dropped dramatically in the 20% most deprived areas to just 66%, compared to 89% in the 20% least deprived areas, and in those deprived areas 29% of adults did not participate in any physical activity.

A separate report by Nature Scot – Enjoying the Outdoors – supported by Paths for All highlighted the increasing importance of nature to people’s health and wellbeing and spending time outdoors to de-stress, relax and unwind.

The report established that local parks and spaces were the most visited sites and that 79% of those surveyed took part in walking (August to September 2021), with more than half enjoying walks of two miles or less, while 41% enjoyed longer walks of between two and eight miles.

Kevin Lafferty added: “Both reports underline the importance of getting off the sofa and out into the fresh Scottish air to make the most of our local environments, paths, tracks, and green spaces.

“We are lucky to be spoiled for choice in Scotland when it comes to wonderful places where we can stretch our legs and unwind our minds, both urban and rural, and we hope that when the next Scottish Household Survey takes place that the popularity of walking as a healthy activity will be even higher.”

For more information on Paths for All, visit: https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/

Alzheimer Scotland calls on people of Edinburgh to host a Tea & Blether coffee morning

  • Tea & Blether 2022 launched
  • Alzheimer Scotland fundraising week with strapline: ‘Now you’re talking’
  • Coffee morning-style events set for May 30 – June 5 to coincide with Dementia Awareness Week
  • Just pick a date, a location and gather up some friendly faces to have a chat over a cuppa – and a slice or two of cake if you fancy!
  • New all-in-one fundraising platform with packs and resources at blether.alzscot.org goes live
  • Every penny raised stays in Scotland to fulfil Alzheimer Scotland’s mission to ensure nobody faces dementia alone

Alzheimer Scotland are calling on the people of Edinburgh to pop the kettle on and get talking about dementia.

Ahead of Dementia Awareness Week, which kicks off next month, Alzheimer Scotland has launched its Tea & Blether campaign.

Communities across Scotland are encouraged to host a coffee morning-style event in a bid to raise funds and awareness of dementia.

And it’s simple: Just pick a date, a location and gather up some friendly faces to have a chat over a cuppa – and a slice or two of cake if you fancy!

Alzheimer Scotland’s Dementia Resource Centres will also run their own events to coincide with those happening across the country.

Whether at work, in school, at home or elsewhere in your community, every brew poured and slice served goes a long way to support people living with dementia.

Alzheimer Scotland promises that every penny raised will stay in Scotland as they strive to “ensure nobody faces dementia alone”.

Kirsty Stewart, Executive Lead for Stakeholder Engagement, said: “Alzheimer Scotland is delighted to launch Tea & Blether as a new national fundraising campaign.

“Some of our local teams across Scotland have been delivering Tea & Blether-style coffee mornings for quite a few years and we know our supporters enjoy taking part in this style of event.

“The successful ingredient is, of course, connection, and we hope that by talking about dementia, we are able to help raise awareness, reduce stigma and bring communities together to support people with dementia and their carers.

“Every penny raised for Alzheimer Scotland stays in Scotland and, as a charity, we are continually amazed and grateful for our supporters’ efforts to, ultimately, help us ensure nobody faces dementia alone.”

To get started, first register online for free at blether.alzscot.org to get your fundraising pack that ensures you’ll host a Tea & Blether worth talking about.

Participants are invited to host their Tea & Blether coffee morning during Dementia Awareness Week, which runs from Monday 30 May to Friday 5 June.

However, if you wish to enjoy your Tea & Blether another time, you are more than welcome to choose another date in June.

Whenever you decide to host your Tea & Blether and wherever it takes place, getting together to chat is great for everyone.

Fundraising is key to the campaign, but it’s important to complement this with awareness-raising as we continue to reduce stigma around dementia and educate ourselves on the positive impact that social interaction has on our wellbeing and brain.

To support this, fundraising packs include conversation flash cards to help raise awareness during people’s Tea & Blethers.

All that’s left to do now is sign up and start planning!

Join in the conversation online by posting a photo on Twitter or Instagram with your favourite mug and mention @AlzScot with the hashtag #MugShot.

New fund to investigate international best practice in the built environment for healthcare

  • New fund to investigate international best practice in the built environment for healthcare
  • Edinburgh Napier University to administer £1million budget

Administration of a £1m research budget focused on developing international best practice in the built environment for healthcare has been awarded by NHS Scotland Assure to Edinburgh Napier University.

The fund, launched on 1 April, is open to researchers who are looking to work collaboratively to identify ways to deliver safe healthcare environments that are free from avoidable risk.

NHS Scotland Assure has been designed to improve the management of risk in the built environment across Scotland, providing greater confidence to stakeholders, and a key focus is to develop opportunities for multi-disciplinary working within the healthcare-built environment.

This fund aims to provide opportunities to explore development of a consortium of different disciplines which delivers research in line with the identified needs of NHS Scotland Assure. The service will share best practice case studies in standards and models for the built environment.

The buildings and environment in which healthcare is delivered play a large part in preventing and controlling the risk of transmission of infection and other harms, and it is essential that buildings are safe, resilient and not vulnerable to these risks, where these can be prevented.

The guidance and advice generated by NHS Scotland Assure helps to ensure that patients, their carers and those delivering healthcare are in an environment which is not only safe but also effective and person centred. Research plays a pivotal part in supporting this as it ensures that produced guidance and given advice are based not only on best practice but also on best evidence.

It will also ensure that the most up-to-date and robust research is translated into practice to improve future health outcomes.

Over the next two years, the research programme will focus on eight healthcare environments:

·       Water systems, including drainage (Design, Installation, Commissioning and Maintenance (DICM))

·       Ventilation systems (DICM)

·       Pathogens, the microbiome, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), transmission risks and burden of disease in the hospital environment

·       Hospital design, including size and single room provision

·       Lessons learned from Covid-19

·       Human factors/Ergonomics and Infection Prevention and Control

·       Climate change requirements and the unintended consequences on built environment risks

·       The role of safety and harms in relation to medical gases, electrical systems and fire safety.

The closing date for the first round of funding applications, based on research meeting one or more of the eight themes above, will be set for July 2022.

Professor Nick Antonopoulos, Vice Principal, Research & Innovation, Edinburgh Napier University, said: “We are very excited to announce this award, which is a good fit for the University’s experience and ongoing strategy, and reflects our commitment to develop our well-established research and teaching expertise in health and wellbeing.

“The success of the fund will be a priority for our Schools of Applied Sciences and Engineering & the Built Environment, and the University’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise department, who will all play their part in supporting the research programme.”

The Research Service at Edinburgh Napier will also be running regular events over the next two years, to nurture an inclusive approach between professional roles within the built environment and across infection prevention & control (IP&C); healthcare providers; academia; and research institutions.   

Further information and relevant pro formas for application can be found here.

Supporting free outdoor play activities

Thousands of children from deprived areas will benefit from free outdoor play activities aimed at improving their health and wellbeing.

Last year, more than 5,500 youngsters took part in organised sessions through the Outdoor Community Play Fund. This year, funding has increased to £550,000 so more children, young people and their families can benefit.

The fund will also support four pilot projects providing outdoor play opportunities for children with additional support needs.

Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “All children have a right to play and there is strong evidence that playing outside can benefit children and young people’s health and wellbeing.

“We know that families from more deprived areas and those with children with additional support needs can sometimes find it difficult to access play opportunities. By increasing our investment in the Outdoor Community Play Fund in 2022-23, we will help more children to access quality outdoor play in their communities, to be active, meet friends and have fun.”

Celia Tennant, CEO of Inspiring Scotland, who administer the fund, said: “We believe it is essential for children and families to have continued opportunities to play outdoors – supporting their physical and mental health and wellbeing.  

“As fund managers, we will use the expertise we’ve gained from over a decade of work in this area to help provide more and better opportunities for Scotland’s children and their families to play, learn and thrive.”

Investment in the Outdoor Community Play Fund has increased by £50,000 to £550,000. This funding will enable Inspiring Scotland to support up to 39 charities to provide outdoor play opportunities.

Resources are also available on the Parent Club website to support outdoor play for all families.

Keep the Heid and Read!

A new Scotland-wide reading initiative has been announced to inspire and encourage people to read every day to boost their mental health and wellbeing.

A national reading moment, called ‘Keep the Heid and Read!’ will take place on Wednesday 11 May, during Mental Health Week 2022. Readers of all ages and abilities are encouraged to pledge to read for just six minutes on 11 May – and they can read anything, from books and magazines to comics, graphic novels and blogs.

An online totaliser to count the overall reading time pledged by the nation will be launched on 11th April where both individuals and groups such as schools can sign up to get involved at www.keeptheheid.scot. People can also follow the progress of Keep the Heid and Read using #keeptheheid on social media. 

The reading campaign is led by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation, the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) and Scotland’s 32 public library services.

Boys Reading in a Library

The idea was inspired by the post-lockdown plea for public libraries to reopen and the growing recognition that libraries play a valuable role in supporting mental health and wellbeing by connecting communities. 

It is taking place during Mental Health Week because of the known mental and emotional health benefits of reading. Research shows that reading for just six minutes a day can reduce stress by 68 per cent. Establishing a regular reading habit has the biggest impact on mental health and wellbeing.

Pamela Tulloch, chief executive at SLIC said: “The reading moment came about from an awareness that people have missed their libraries during the pandemic, coupled with the joy and benefits people gain from reading.  It is the most popular cultural activity people undertake and, during the COVID-19 lockdown, reading was the nation’s most popular pastime.

“We want everyone to get involved on 11 May by pledging to read for six minutes.  It is a great way for people to reconnect with their local libraries, which offer an abundance of free reading material and library staff can make recommendations based on reading ability and interests. 

“Getting lost in a good book is a highly effective stress reliever and reading fiction, in particular, can inspire creativity and boost emotional intelligence, not to mention improve overall levels of literacy.”

Chris O’Sullivan, Head of Communications and Fundraising at Mental Health Foundation in Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to support ‘Keep the Heid and Read’.  Local libraries are a fantastic source of support in our communities and we hope that every person in Scotland has, and continues to have, access to the world of books, social connection and services they offer.

“We know that reading has many benefits for our mental health; it can bring us joy, help us to relax and it can help alleviate the symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression.  We encourage everyone to take part in the six minute reading event during mental health week and develop a reading habit.”

Culture Minister Neil Gray added: “Reading books for pleasure can have a huge impact on our wellbeing so I’m delighted to support this Scotland-wide reading initiative. Our libraries have a vital role to play in reconnecting communities and promoting health and wellbeing as we recover from the pandemic. 

“I’ll be pledging my six minutes of reading on 11 May and would encourage everyone else to pick up a book to do the same to support their local libraries.”

Edinburgh Secondary Breast Cancer Charity Ball Raises Over £90,000

Vital research to benefit from Make 2nds Count fundraiser 

Revellers at a glamorous Great Gatsby Ball have raised more than £90,000 to support vital research into a forgotten form of breast cancer.

The gala event, at Edinburgh’s Prestonfield House, was organised by leading UK charity Make 2nds Count which campaigns to raise funds and awareness of secondary breast cancer which kills 1000 woman a month.

The charity, which helps to finance various crucial research projects, also supports patients and families and educates and informs about the little-known disease.

The ball, on March 25, was hosted by STV’s Laura Boyd and brought the Scottish business community together for an evening of fine dining, live entertainment and auction prizes.

The live and online auctions, which included prizes of a three-night city break to Lisbon and an Icelandic Northern Lights adventure for two people, raised a combined £31,664, while ‘Crack the Code’ – where participants were invited to guess the winning combination to win a stunning diamond necklace donated by Rox Edinburgh and the Grimes family – and ‘The Gift Tree’ boosted the cause by another £8,010.

Two incredibly generous anonymous donations of £10,000 each and ticket sales of over £30,000 pushed numbers towards the final sum of £90,274, to the delight of organisers and the sponsors –   headline sponsor Copart UK Ltd and table sponsors Bruce Tait Associates, Saltire Roofing, Erskine Financial, David Rankin, Lamborghini Edinburgh and Sutherland Independent.

Make 2nds Count founder Lisa Fleming of Edinburgh said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the fantastic result we’ve achieved. Every penny raised will be invaluable to boost much-needed research into the disease and offer support to more and more patients and families.

“We not only had an incredible evening, but we come away from the experience with the knowledge that we can and we will continue to raise awareness and that the work we do can make a real difference to people’s lives across the UK.”

The little-known, incurable cancer – also known as metastatic, advanced or stage IV breast cancer – is a cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body. On average there are around 35,000 patients in the UK currently living with this form of the disease.

Lisa set up Make 2nds Count after being diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. She had no primary diagnosis, warning signs or lump when she was told the disease had already spread to the majority of her bones. It swiftly spread to her brain and she is living with a life sentence.

For more information about Make 2nds Count and the work they do, please visit: 

https://www.make2ndscount.co.uk

It Takes All Kinds of Minds: Capital to host global neurodiversity event

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.

Scottish Government consultation on adding calories to menus

The public is being invited to have its say on plans to add the number of calories to menus in the out of home food sector including cafes, restaurants and takeaways.

Mandatory calorie labelling is part of action to address obesity which, with two-thirds of the population living in Scotland recorded as living with overweight or obesity, continues to be one of the biggest and most complex public health challenges.

Eating out is common place with almost everyone in Scotland (98%) consuming food outside the home, however nutrition information is not always available.

A 12-week consultation, which sets out the broad types of food and drink that would be covered, will seek views on how this could apply to:

  • food and hospitality businesses, depending on their size
  • public sector institutions such as hospitals and prisons
  • pre-packed food such as filled sandwiches
  • online takeaway menus
  • children’s menus

It will inform whether legislation is introduced to make it a legal requirement for calories to be included on menus and forms part of the government’s wider actions to ensure Scotland is a place where we eat well and have a healthy weight, including our aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030. 

Mandating calorie labelling at the point of choice could support the food and hospitality sector to make a key contribution in improving dietary health.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “Before the pandemic, people living in Scotland were consuming more and more food and drink out of home or ordering it in.

“Whether it’s breakfast at a roadside café, grabbing a lunchtime soup and sandwich from a local convenience store or ordering food online from a restaurant, most of us were increasingly buying food outside the home – a trend I expect to resume as we recover from the pandemic.

“Two-thirds of the population living in Scotland is recorded as living with overweight or obesity – a key factor in our plan to address this is calorie labelling. We know that giving people more information, such as the number of calories in meals will enable people to make healthier choices when eating out, or ordering in. This is not novel practice – calories are already required on retail food purchases and calorie labelling for out of home sites is mandated in many other countries.

“Many food companies in Scotland have already taken this significant step voluntarily.  We want to learn from those experiences and I would urge everyone to share their thoughts in this consultation.”

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) Head of Nutrition Science and Policy Dr Gillian Purdon said: “We welcome the launch of the Scottish Government’s consultation on mandatory calorie labelling for the out of home sector.

“FSS has long proposed the introduction of mandatory calorie labelling as part of a suite of recommendations to address the nation’s poor diet. Alongside the consultation, we published the findings of two reports which highlight that overall, calorie information at point of choice can reduce the amount of calories ordered or consumed.

“With eating out is now an everyday occurrence and nearly a quarter of our calories coming from food and drink purchased outside of home, mandatory calorie labelling is one way to support people to make healthier options.”

Head of Policy and External Affairs at the Scottish Retail Consortium Ewan McDonald-Russell said: “Our members in grocery and food-to-go have led the way in providing calorie and nutritional information to consumers, over and above the action they have taken to promote healthier alternatives and reformulate products to reduce their salt, sugar and fat content.

“Ensuring customers of all organisations serving food understand exactly what they are consuming empowers them to make the right choices to ensure they maintain a balanced diet.

“Introducing a mandatory approach to calorie labelling is therefore a reasonable proposition, provided it is implemented in a sensible manner and is applied to all businesses serving food and drink.

“The pandemic has laid bare many of the health inequalities in Scotland – measures need to apply across industry to ensure the most effective outcome and ensure firms which have taken positive action in this area are able to compete on a level playing field.”

Consultation paper ‘Mandatory Calorie Labelling in the Out Of Home (OOH) Sector in Scotland’.

Healthy Heart Tip: Managing Stress

Stress can indirectly affect our heart by reducing motivation to eat well and exercise. Feeling stressed can also increase the likelihood that we will use negative coping strategies such as increasing the amount of alcohol we drink.

Stress occurs when we feel that we are unable to cope with the demands placed on us. We can address stress by assessing and changing our demands, and by changing our relationship to the things that cause us stress.

Here are some top tips for helping to manage your stress:

Keep Moving

  • Regular exercise has been shown to positively influence our ability to manage stress and reduce symptoms of some mental health conditions.

 Take Time to Re-Charge

  • Managing our energy levels throughout the day by taking moments to re-charge can help us to better deal with the demands placed on us. This could be taking regular breaks from work, relaxing through meditation, or even a short powernap!

Challenge your Thoughts

  • The way we think about our demands will influence how stressed we feel. You can ask yourself questions such as “how would I advise a friend in my situation?” to help re-frame what is going on in your life.

Break it Down

  • When we have lots to do, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. When this happens, it can be useful to break down your tasks and plan how you will tackle a situation.

Seek Support

  • It is okay to ask for help. It can help to share stressors with a friend or contact a mental health professional via your GP or another service such as Samaritans.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:
https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.