Tag: Health and wellbeing

Research highlights challenges for Scotland’s unpaid carers and carer support workers during pandemic

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Carers Trust Scotland today is releasing research about the experiences of the pandemic among unpaid carers and carer service support workers across Scotland. More than 500 participants shared the challenges of caring, and supporting unpaid carers, throughout the pandemic.

The pandemic has been difficult for unpaid carers, with 90% of respondents stating they are spending more time caring and 82% saying they have had no respite since the beginning of the pandemic.

With lockdowns and restrictions, many unpaid carers have been unable to share the responsibilities with family and friends and many services have had to pause or reduce their input.

These challenges also impact those carer service workers supporting unpaid carers. As other services paused, 76% of carer support workers that participated found their workload increased. 65% say that their job role has changed, as delivery of support moved online.

Carer support workers highlighted the emotionally demanding calls from unpaid carers, and the challenges of taking these calls in a home working environment without the support of colleagues that you would have in an office.

Hannah Martin, Research and Engagement Officer for Carers Trust Scotland, said: “The pandemic has been a very challenging time for both unpaid carers and carer support workers.

“The challenges unpaid carers have faced, have directly impacted those supporting them. Through the lived experience of unpaid carers and carer support workers, this research illuminates those challenges throughout this unprecedented time.”

In addition to providing an evidence base of experiences, the research puts forward recommendations and suggestions to support carer services and staff as they move out of the crisis phase of the pandemic. This includes recognising and valuing the incredible contribution of unpaid carers, and carer support workers over the pandemic period.

World-leading researcher on unpaid carers’ rights and Carers Trust Ambassador, Professor Saul Becker, said: “During the pandemic, unpaid carers of all ages, have been spending more time caring and more people than ever before have taken on unpaid caring responsibilities while statutory and other support services have been reduced or not available.

“This has also added additional pressures on carer support services that have had to adapt their practices quickly and provide holistic support to unpaid carers during very challenging circumstances.

“I welcome this COVID-19 in Scotland impact report on unpaid carers and carer service workers and believe every effort should be made to support the implementation of the report recommendations and suggestions, which could further improve the lives of unpaid carers and recognise and value the vital role of carer support services.”

Mental Wellbeing and Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart, said: “Carers, and the services that support them have done a remarkable job in very difficult circumstances over this past year during the pandemic. I want to thank them for all their hard work and effort.

“During the pandemic, we have invested an additional £1.9 million in extra carer support via carer organisations. The Scottish Government continues to work closely with the Carers Trust and national care organisations to ensure that carers continue to receive the support and the services they rely on. We will continue to do so as we move into a new phase of the pandemic and society starts to open up.

“The Scottish Government is committed to establishing a National Care Service by the end of this parliament to oversee the delivery care, invest in better terms and conditions for the workforce and provide better support for unpaid carers.”

Edinburgh disability groups amongst those to benefit from £610K Lottery cash boost

A service supporting autistic adults to set up their own micro-enterprises, a project helping people with disabilities to find love and friendship and a family support project for those living with down’s syndrome are amongst 23 groups in the capital today sharing in £610,119 from The National Lottery Community Fund.

An Edinburgh business mentoring service supporting autistic adults to set up their own micro-enterprises today receives £9,500, IWORK4ME will deliver its service Scotland-wide via face to face and online meetings.

Artist Ruth Mutch trades as Penguin Parade.  She continues to grow her business having increased her range of merchandise from just a few items to over 200. 

Ruth, who is supported by her mother and IWORK4ME, said: “Trying out self-employment and running a micro business with the support of IWORK4ME and my mum has really given me a purpose in life and helped my mental wellbeing and self-esteem. 

“I now feel I have achieved something and am successful whereas before I felt a failure.”

Sue Hope, Development Manager, IWORK4ME, added: “We are delighted with this National Lottery award.

IWORK4ME is a small charity which promotes self-employment as a beneficial career solution for autistic people like Ruth across Scotland.  This funding ensures that we can continue our Business Mentoring service on Zoom and promote the service on social media to a wider audience.”

get2gether supports adults with disabilities to lead their own lives whist finding love and friendship.

Over the next three years, with an award of £150,000, they will provide a range of activities from party nights to exercise classes that reduce isolation and help people realise their full potential.

Marion Smith, Project Manager, get2gether, said: “A huge thanks to the National Lottery for continuing to support us.  get2gether supports adults with disabilities to lead independent, self -determined adult lives. 

“Thanks to National Lottery players, we’ll be able to continue bringing members together through a wide range of activities.”

Based in Edinburgh, but supporting families across the country, Down’s Syndrome Scotland receives £197,214 to deliver essential information, advice and support through a new extended helpline, a live chat facility and other online platforms.

Chief Executive, Eddie McConnell, said: “We are so grateful to have received this funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. It will allow us to continue to provide vital support for people with Down’s syndrome and their families across Scotland.

“Our Family Support team offer specialist support and information to families on a variety of topics via our helpline as well through video sessions.”  

Families with disabled children are to benefit from an award of £9796 to Firsthand Lothian for a programme of one to one and early intervention support.

Bev Read, Director, Firsthand Lothian, said: “This National Lottery funding enables us to provide much needed support for families across the city of Edinburgh who have children with disabilities or are disadvantaged.

“Through our direct 1:1 work with children, engaging them in stimulating activities that both aids their development and are fun, we will help children and families become more resilient.  Thank you so much to National Lottery players for making this award possible.”

Across Scotland, 184 community projects are today sharing in £4,435,695.  

Announcing the funding, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “It’s great to see these community projects being funded in Edinburgh to help people as they recover from the pandemic. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing how these projects improve communities and the lives of local as people as they start to come together again to re-build and re-connect.

“National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raDOgetise is making such a difference to people’s lives.”

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Thanks to National Lottery players, last year we awarded over half a billion pounds (£588.2 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK. 

Over eight in ten (83%) of our grants are for under £10,000 – going to grassroots groups and charities across the UK that are bringing to life amazing ideas that matter to their communities. 

Support for Circle from Farmers Foundation

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We are so pleased and extremely grateful, that the Farmer’s Foundation has offered to fund our School’s Mentoring Project for the next three years.

This involves a generous gift of £105,000 to Circle and to vulnerable children in the North of Edinburgh.

Thank you!

Universities vital to nation’s health and wellbeing recovery, says Dame Katherine Grainger

  • MadeAtUni campaign highlighting the role of universities in the health and wellbeing of communities across UK
  • Grassroots sports clubs reliant on university sports facilities prior to pandemic
  • University facilities set to fill gaps left by closure of traditional leisure facilities following Covid

Dame Katherine Grainger believes UK universities are vital to the country’s post-pandemic health and wellbeing recovery, with communities across the UK benefitting from their innovative research and access to their sports facilities.

The University of Glasgow Chancellor and one of the UK’s most decorated Olympians is backing MadeAtUni: Energising Places – launched today by Universities UK (UUK) and British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) to highlight the role universities play in improving lives through sport and physical activity, following concerns over the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on the nation’s activity levels.

Innovations showcased in the campaign include work by Oxford Brookes University to increase activity levels of children with neurological conditions, and ‘Snacktivity’ – a mobile app developed by Loughborough University to tackle obesity and call for changes to food labelling to highlight the link between physical activity and calories.

The campaign also features partnerships between universities and professional football clubs in their communities, including Edge Hill University in Liverpool and Everton in the Community, and the University of Aberdeen and Aberdeen FC Community Trust.

Dame Katherine said: “Many people know that universities develop some of our greatest Olympians and Paralympians, but there is an untold story about their work in local communities that improves peoples’ lives through sport and physical activity.

“The pandemic has disrupted all areas of life, and our physical and mental wellbeing has suffered a great deal. The role universities play in bringing communities together to get fitter, healthier and happier will be more important than ever in the months and years ahead as we emerge and recover from Covid-19.”

From 2016 to 2018 universities invested £350 million in their sports facilities, and with traditional leisure opportunities threatened by the pandemic’s economic fallout, campuses and university staff are well placed to support government efforts to get the nation active again.

Professor Julia Buckingham CBE, President, Universities UK, added: “For years universities have been improving the nation’s health and wellbeing through their science, research and community-led projects, including public use of sports facilities.

“Prior to the pandemic over 80% of university sports facilities were being used by local grassroots clubs, and we want to make it clear to government that universities can help resolve the pandemic’s impact on physical activity levels by filling gaps left by the closure of traditional leisure facilities.”

MadeAtUni: Energising Places is a partnership between Universities UK and BUCS, who represent 90,000 student athletes across the UK. It is estimated that over 725,000 students volunteer in their local communities every year, including many from university sports teams and societies.

Vince Mayne, Chief Executive, BUCS, said: “Whilst in the last year we may have lost sports competition, we have gained compassion and kindness – all of which are exemplified through students’ significant efforts to support local charities and organisations.

“They have played a huge part in helping communities across the country recover from the pandemic, and this really highlights how sport is a fantastic tool to bring students together to engage with local communities, volunteering thousands of hours of their time every year.

“Universities too are at the heart of their local community, providing access to great facilities for grassroots to high performance clubs, student coaches for teams, as well as players and athletes competing for their local communities outside of university competition.

“This facility and workforce element will be absolutely vital as we emerge from the restrictions and people want to return to playing sport. We know there is a huge challenge for community clubs and many will not survive; universities can play a lead role in helping support their communities through this challenge.”

The campaign is taking place between 12–16 July and includes the Club Charity Initiative Award at the annual BUCS Awards, which celebrate the positive effect of student sport and students who participate in the wider sporting sector in the UK.

To find out more about the MadeAtUni Energising Places campaign visit www.madeatuni.org or follow @MadeAtUni on social media.

A fun week for all at the Virtual SunWalk Festival

The festival that goes where you go!

With so much continued uncertainty and confusion surrounding summer holidays, it is now even more important than ever to plan events you can count on!

This is one festival that travels with you – The Virtual SunWalk Festival, created by the MoonWalk organisers, breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, is from 31st July – 8th August 2021. All you need to do is sign up for your chosen walking challenge, pack your walking shoes, and take this week-long festival with you wherever you go.

Walk the Walk will be providing a DIY downloadable Festival Kit with fun activities to do and make each day of the week… so get ready to fly your bunting and put those flowers in your hair, it’s festival time with a difference!

Walking has been proven to have so many benefits it is has been quoted as almost the perfect activity to keep fit and healthy, no matter what your age. Research continues to show that being active is proving to be a vital key in the prevention of diseases including breast cancer.

According to the World Cancer Research Fund*, a low level of physical activity alone is responsible for 7.5% of breast cancers and a staggering 25% of breast cancer cases in women are caused by lifestyle choices.

So, holidays, back garden or park, The Virtual SunWalk Festival is just the ticket and has a walking challenge to suit every ability and age – choose between a 5k, 10k or Half Marathon (13.1 miles). For those keen to take on the ultimate walking challenge, complete 100k in one go, or over the week.

Nina Barough CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk said: “The past 18 months has had an impact on all our lives in one way or another, so Walk the Walk’s Virtual SunWalk Festival is just a wonderful opportunity for families, friends, work colleagues, neighbours and everyone you know, to finally get together, put up the bunting, create their own Start and Finish, cook up some delicious treats to eat at the end of the walk and have some summer fun!

“The impact of Covid on Cancer patients has been devastating, so to create a week where people can reach personal goals, have a great time and where every step contributes towards helping those living with the physical and mental anxieties of cancer… Well, it’s the best!”

To sign up for the Virtual SunWalk Festival or to make a donation go to walkthewalk.org

Burnout: RCEM calls for urgent increase in staffing levels

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine is calling for UK governments to act now to achieve safe staffing levels in Emergency Departments after a workforce survey found that three in five Emergency Medicine staff say they have experienced high levels of burnout, stress, and exhaustion.

The survey found:

  • 73% of respondents indicated workforce pressures in their Emergency Department impacted patient safety before the pandemic.
  • 59% of respondents experienced burnout during the second wave of the pandemic.
  • 59% described their levels of stress and exhaustion from having worked the second wave as higher than normal.
  • In the next two years, 50% are considering reducing their working hours and 26% are considering taking a career break or sabbatical. When asked what prompted them to make this decision, 32% selected workload pressures and 35% selected burnout.
  • In the next six years, trainee emergency physicians are considering reducing working hours (57%), taking a career break or sabbatical (45%), working abroad (36%), and changing specialty (25%).
  • 69% of clinical leads revealed that locums were being used in their Emergency Department to fill permanent posts.

Dr Katherine Henderson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “The workforce survey reveals the scale of the problem in the Emergency Medicine specialty with burnout and retention of staff.

“The fact that half of Emergency Medicine staff are considering reducing their hours in the near future and over one quarter are considering taking a career break, is deeply worrying.

“Emergency Medicine has always been an exciting yet challenging career, but the intensity of the pandemic and the current severity of the pressures has exacerbated these challenges vastly and increased burnout and exhaustion among staff, and ultimately discouraged existing staff from continuing their career in the specialty.

“The response from the survey clearly show that operational pressures are seen by staff as the most significant reason for considering reducing hours, changing careers, or retiring early. Therefore, we must make Emergency Medicine a sustainable career and improve staff retention.

“Demand for urgent and emergency care has increased significantly over the past few years, but the workforce has not grown adequately to keep up with this demand. The result has led to an increase in crowding and corridor care, with more delays and more long stays for patients in Emergency Departments, while staff have been spread more and more thinly trying to cope with intense pressures. These factors put huge strains on staff and put patient safety at risk.

“This is not sustainable for staff, and if Emergency Departments must be the safety-net of the system and the place where people go when they have nowhere else to seek treatment, we must be staffed appropriately to deal with that. Our fear is that we are on the brink of a crisis in urgent and emergency care, and fewer staff will be inclined to work in Emergency Medicine and a depleted workforce will be facing higher demand.”

The College is calling for a workforce plan that achieves safe-staffing levels in Emergency Departments; currently the College estimates there is a shortage of between 2000-2500 Emergency Medicine Whole Time Equivalent consultants across the UK.

Dr Henderson continued: “Governments must acknowledge the data and reports that show Emergency Departments across all four-nations are struggling to cope, struggling with performance, and struggling to deliver quick, effective and high-quality care, and take the necessary action to address it.

“We urgently need decisive action and leadership, we must achieve safe-staffing levels in Emergency Departments across the UK, and this workforce must be formed of staff trained and qualified in Emergency Medicine.

“We must see a long-term Health and Social Care strategy that recognises the value of urgent and emergency care and enables high-quality care and performance – this should be done by funding Same Day Emergency Care and Ambulatory Emergency Care, through expanding capacity, funding local health systems, and rigorously determining the effectiveness of NHS 111 and maximising its potential – all these steps must be taken to address the problems facing emergency care.

“We hope that the new Health Secretary will hear our urgent calls for decisive leadership and take swift action to address the challenges facing the Urgent and Emergency Care system and enact our recommendations.”

Edinburgh’s Maison Sport secures Future Fund investment

Game-changing ski instructor platform Maison Sport is among only a handful of travel businesses to secure finance from the UK Government’s Future Fund.

The trio behind the innovative tech start-up, which connects skiers and snowboarders with some of Europe’s best instructors, set out to apply for the funding support in May 2020, at the height of the pandemic, when the scheme launched.

With the travel sector hit hard by the impacts of Covid-19, Maison Sport felt the effects of closures at countless resorts across Europe and ski holidays cancelled for many.  The funding has given the tech start-up a much-needed financial boost, allowing the platform to continue to support independent instructors across Europe.

The Future Fund – developed by government and delivered by the British Business Bank – was established to support the UK’s innovative businesses affected by Covid-19. It was created for businesses unable to access other government business support programmes, due to being pre-revenue or pre-profit and typically reliant on equity investment. 

With a third-party investor willing to support the growth and ambitions of Maison Sport, the trio of founders were able to apply for the convertible loan which saw the government match their investor funds.

It is the latest success in Maison Sport’s fundraising drive to ensure the business survives and thrives through the pandemic.  

Over the past six months, the business has secured further funds from their existing advisory board members Kevin Byrne, Founder of Checkatrade.com and serial entrepreneur Lorenz Bogaert, as well as new investor, Gareth Williams, Co-Founder of Skyscanner. This will enable Maison Sport’s expansion into new markets globally and will help to grow their impressive international portfolio of instructors and customers.

Started by three former ski champions – brothers Nick and Olly Robinson and Aaron Tipping – Maison Sport has more than doubled the number of instructors in its marketplace throughout the pandemic. It is currently represented in more than 350 resorts, with over 1,200 qualified instructors across France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria.

The aim now is to expand into four new markets this year – Scotland, Norway, Sweden and Japan – with plans to move into Asia and South America next year.

Founder and CEO Nick Robinson says: “We’ve worked so hard to remain positive and ambitious over this past year or so. The Future Fund initiative has really given us a boost to move on to the next level.

“As the only platform dedicated to independent instructors, we’re really optimistic about the way Maison Sport is evolving and we’re looking forward to spreading our vision globally.”

Future Fund, delivered by the British Business Bank, has allowed companies to apply for a convertible loan with private investors at least matching the government investment. 

For more information visit www.maisonsport.com

Study finds COVID-19 vaccines are ‘highly effective’ in most people in clinical risk groups

Those used in the UK as effective at preventing symptomatic disease in the majority of people with underlying health conditions as the rest of the population

The study from Public Health England (PHE) included more than 1 million people in at-risk groups.

Within these clinical risk groups, there will be people with more severe forms of illness – particularly in the immunosuppressed group – who may not respond as well to the vaccines, and we recommend they seek advice from their specialists.

The study found:

  • overall vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease in risk groups is approximately 60% after one dose of either AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech, with little variation by age
  • after 2 doses, vaccine effectiveness is 81% with AstraZeneca in people in risk groups aged 16 to 64. No data is available for Pfizer-BioNTech
  • in people in risk groups aged 65 and over, vaccine effectiveness with Pfizer-BioNTech is 89% and 80% with AstraZeneca
  • for those who are immunosuppressed, vaccine effectiveness after a second dose is 74%, with similar protection to those who are not in a risk group. This rises from 4% after a first dose

Although age is the greatest risk factor for adverse outcomes following coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, certain health conditions also increase the risk of severe disease.

Diabetes, severe asthma, chronic heart disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, neurological disease, and diseases or therapies that weaken the immune system – such as blood cancer, HIV or chemotherapy – have all been linked to an increased risk of hospitalisation or death with COVID-19.

People with these conditions who are at highest risk were initially advised to shield during the peak of the pandemic and all risk groups were then prioritised for vaccination. The government announced the dose interval would be brought forward from 12 to 8 weeks for the clinically vulnerable on 14 May, and everyone in these groups should now have been offered a second dose.

Data on vaccine effectiveness among people in clinical risk groups was previously limited. Though more data is needed, protection against hospitalisation and death in risk groups is expected to be greater than protection against symptomatic disease, as has been seen in studies of the general population.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at PHE, said: “This real-world data shows for the first time that most people who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 still receive high levels of protection after 2 doses of vaccine.

“It is vital that anyone with an underlying condition gets both doses, especially people with weakened immune systems as they gain so much more benefit from the second dose.”

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that those living with immunosuppressed adults should be prioritised for vaccination to help limit the spread of the virus to people in this group.

If the planned booster programme goes ahead, the JCVI has recommended that immunosuppressed adults and their household contacts should also be among the first to be offered a third dose of vaccine in September.

PHE estimates that 30,300 deaths and 8,151,000 infections have been prevented as a result of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, up to 25 June. This is based on modelling analysis from PHE and Cambridge University’s MRC Biostatistics Unit.

PHE also estimates that 46,300 hospitalisations have been prevented in people aged 65 or older in England up to 27 June (approximately 7,000 admissions in those aged 65 to 74, 18,000 in those aged 75 to 84, and 21,300 in those aged 85 and over).

Heart Research UK Healthy tip – Healthy BBQs

This week is the 25th anniversary of BBQ week and many of us will be heading outdoors to fire up the BBQ. Foods traditionally cooked on BBQs, such as burgers and sausages, can be high in calories, fat and salt.

We have some tips for enjoying a heart-healthy BBQ without compromising on taste:

Choose a healthy source of protein

Foods that are high in saturated fat, such as red meat, sausages, burgers, butter and hard cheese, can increase your risk of heart disease.

You can cut down on saturated fat by swapping red meat, sausages and burgers by threading cubes of chicken, firm fish or tofu onto skewers with slices of bell pepper, courgettes, mushrooms, red onion and cherry tomatoes before grilling.

Swap white bread rolls for high-fibre alternatives

Increasing the amount of fibre in your diet can reduce your risk of heart disease. Why not switch from white bread rolls to wholegrain rolls or wholegrain pitta, brown rice or jacket potatoes.

Add some colour

Include plenty of salad and vegetables to make your BBQ colourful and nutritious. Avoid using too much salad dressing as it can be high in calories. Try rubbing a spicy marinade on pieces of courgette, bell pepper, onion, corn-on-the-cob and mushrooms and grill them on the BBQ.

Healthy grilled desserts

Ditch the high-fat puddings and switch to grilled slices of pineapple, bananas, peaches, nectarines or plums. The natural sugars will caramelise on the BBQ, giving them a lovely sweet flavour.

Serve with a spoonful of thick, creamy yoghurt and sprinkle with a handful of chopped toasted nuts, such as hazelnuts or almonds.